Lobotomy Corporation but with Simulation System?

"Aurora… Lea… Ramirez… Oh, oh, oh, is it my turn? Sorry, sorry, Manager, good morning!"

Perhaps because the screen switch was too sudden, Hod, the Training Department Dean, wasn't fully prepared when it came to the Training Department. She was organizing the employee list, probably something related to new employees.

Seeing X, Hod was slightly nervous, a little flustered.

That single strand of hair sticking up was very cute. Her brown hair looked soft, making one want to touch it. Her sky-blue eyes were clear and bright, like those of a delicate little bunny.

"You're still explaining things to the new employees… You're working hard, Hod. I've seen the project you submitted this morning. The employee training manual is a great idea. I think the Corporation will definitely get better and better."

X gave a thumbs-up, a gesture of encouragement.

Perhaps X's words of praise had startled the Training Department Dean. Hod's face flushed slightly, and she unconsciously used the list to cover her face, but it didn't really cover anything. Her curious gaze peeked out from the side.

"Manager… Manager, I have something to ask of you today… I'm sorry to bother you again."

Hod seemed a little shy, or perhaps nervous. She wasn't like the other Deans. She was always a little unnatural when facing X. Excessive praise—

Other Deans simply instructed X on what to do. But Hod always spoke in a pleading tone, very pitiful.

How… how could… how could X withstand this?

She… she was weak to this! Being looked at with such adoring eyes by a young girl, who could resist? Anyone would be compelled to step up and respond to her expectations.

Hod's fragile and pitiful appearance fully awakened X's protective instincts. Even though she was just a woman, not a man, she still coughed a few times, straightened her back, and tried to appear reliable.

From a purely visual perspective, X did appear calm and composed… but this display, like a peacock showing off its feathers, was unexpectedly met with a pinch on the waist from the AI Secretary.

Twice in a row, the sensitive and delicate flesh of her waist had been pinched. X really couldn't hold back this time.

A head of steel and bones of iron, but a waist as soft as tofu. The waist was always the weakest point… and the best place to grab a cat… The AI Secretary was very good at this. She had a firm grip. Even so, her house cat would still run outside, acting like a stray.

Cats were like that. They would eat the food at home, but still be interested in the wild game outside. They would only return after they were tired of playing, and then be coddled by others.

"Ow, ow, it hurts."

A whimper escaped her throat, like a small animal. In front of the Control Department Dean, X's managerial authority was completely gone.

The reliable image she had painstakingly built instantly crumbled, turning into a comical farce… although, in the eyes of the other Deans, perhaps she had never had any authority to begin with. But at least, she should appear strong in front of Hod.

X thought sadly, but that moan was really hard to explain…

That kind of low, husky moan, characteristic of a mezzo-soprano, combined with the panting… A person who wasn't petite, making such a petite sound, made the Training Department Dean blush.

"Manager… Manager, are… are you alright?"

The shy little bunny was startled by X's strange sound. From the Dean's perspective, she couldn't see what was happening below the control panel. The mischievous AI Secretary was pinching X's slender waist. Because of the angle, she could only see X's sudden and strange expression.

Anyone would think that there was something wrong with the Manager, and wouldn't think that it was the AI's fault.

X couldn't even complain… She couldn't pinch the AI back after the AI pinched her.

Angela, the Corporation's true power holder, could fire the Manager. X herself didn't dare to challenge the AI Secretary.

Lobotomy Corporation's boss, 'A,' wasn't around. The current person in charge was Angela, the AI designed by 'A.'

—Hmph, damn nepotism. Is the Corporation's founder related to the designer?

—Oh, she's really quite formidable.

X thought about it, considering their positions in the Corporation's "hierarchy." She chose to swallow her anger.

She had to endure it. What good would it do to complain about the AI Secretary bullying the Manager? X felt that 'A' would definitely protect Angela. After all, this was her AI.

What was she? She was just a kidnapped laborer, forced to become a Manager, with no status in the Corporation, treated coldly by the Deans, and subjected to the AI Secretary's tyranny.

X was that humble, pitiful Manager, whose status was only slightly higher than the employees.

X wiped the tears that had welled up in her eyes, pretending that nothing had happened, maintaining her composure.

"Ahem, I'm fine! Hod, do you need help with something? Tell me quickly. We've wasted a lot of time."

Although she didn't understand why Angela had pinched her, it seemed like it was because she had wasted too much time, affecting her work. So, Angela was a little impatient.

"It's just… Manager, I was hoping you could help us with auxiliary training. Thanks to your management, we've trained many excellent employees! But if you could assign some senior employees to our Department to demonstrate on-site…"

"I think it would be much more effective than any document or video… Uh… sorry, I keep… hearing some… strange sounds… It might be my imagination. Sometimes I hear some moans."

Hod, the Dean, seemed a little embarrassed. X barely understood what she meant. She wanted X to assign some senior employees to the Training Department, to set an example for the new employees through on-site demonstrations.

Level Five employees weren't scarce in the Corporation, but they weren't exactly abundant either. Each Department only had a few truly outstanding employees. Compared to the massive number of mid-level employees and bottom-tier cannon fodder, senior employees were valuable. X wouldn't casually let them be monster food.

Senior employees were no longer considered "expendable." Or perhaps, they weren't used as monster food. Unless there was something that absolutely required a Level Five employee to sacrifice themselves, neither the Manager nor the Department Deans would readily let them die.

They were the main fighting force in containing Abnormalities, different from the Clerks.

"Well, I understand what you mean, but I can't make that decision easily, Dean Hod."

Currently, each Department had only a handful of elite employees. They were the pillars of their Departments. If they were all transferred, other Departments might experience unforeseen accidents due to insufficient security.

Although, as Manager, X had the authority to assign and transfer employees…

But forcibly transferring employees from their original positions without any discussion would be too tyrannical and arbitrary.

Regardless of the employees' own feelings and opinions, the other Deans would definitely be unhappy… The Deans worked with the employees day and night. They were closer to the employees. If the Manager suddenly took away their authority to assign employees, and if their employees were transferred, they would be unhappy.

Even if they tolerated it on the surface, they would probably find an opportunity to retaliate in secret.

X wasn't unfamiliar with the Deans' secret plots to punish the Manager, and the acts of punishment they carried out.

The Corporation's AIs were very individualistic. Although they called her and acknowledged her as Manager, they didn't hold back when retaliating in secret. They often showed their displeasure. X was used to it.

Although she was nominally the Manager, in reality, she was just a peacemaker.

"Dean Hod, I'll discuss it with the other Deans. If they agree, I'll transfer some excellent employees to your Department for safe demonstrations. Oh, don't worry too much. I think it's a reasonable request, and the other Deans won't refuse."

Hod's idea wasn't bad. Having senior employees lead and teach by example was definitely better than reading a manual or watching a video. The only problem was that the Corporation didn't have enough elite employees to teach the massive number of new recruits who joined every day.

It also wasn't worth wasting resources on new employees. Elite employees had a lot of other work to do. They couldn't just babysit everyone.

Human resources and talent development were for the sake of the Corporation's business, to better serve the Corporation and obtain more energy. It would be putting the cart before the horse to waste those resources on training employees.

But it didn't matter. A little extravagance now wasn't a big deal. Considering the current energy goals, it wasn't a difficult task. The safety factor of the Abnormalities being contained was relatively high. She had some capital to spare.

The most important thing was to meet the Deans' needs. X really couldn't refuse Hod's expectant gaze.

Dean Hod was a very kind-hearted Dean, always investing a lot of effort in the employees. But there was nothing wrong with being a good person, right? At least, it was nice to have a Dean willing to help the employees in this Corporation.

Even though this could later become a burden, a torment to her conscience… If the employees affected the Dean's mental state, X would rather have the employees dealt with first.

It was to buy happiness, at least to make Dean Hod a little happier today… to help her see the results of her design.

If investing a little resource could bring a smile to a Dean's face, X felt it was very worthwhile.

Her thumb and index finger gently curled, fingertips touching, forming a circle. Then, her ring finger, middle finger, and pinky finger straightened. This was an OK gesture. X made this promise to the Training Department Dean.

Unsurprisingly, the Training Department Dean beamed with joy. The single strand of hair on Hod's head swayed from side to side, as if expressing her joy.

A fluffy little bunny. Very happy.

[Manager…]

"Hm? What is it, Angela?"

[If I were your superior, I would criticize you, but I'm just an AI.]

"It doesn't matter. I think Hod's idea is great. It will greatly reduce the employee casualty rate. Many times, accidents are caused by new employees' blind actions. If someone could demonstrate the correct procedures, they wouldn't be so lost."

X probably understood what the Secretary meant. Angela was saying that she was making a losing deal. The resources invested weren't worth the return. After all, the Corporation wasn't a daycare center, it wasn't a place to guarantee employee safety.

Of course, she knew that. But before all that, she was the Deans' Manager. She had to fulfill the Deans' expectations. This wouldn't affect the Corporation's energy collection, it would just be a little slower.

In fact, every day, X would collect a lot of excess energy. This energy was beyond the Energy Quota. She would just have to work overtime. A little extra work wasn't a big deal.

A smile was priceless. If Hod could be happy, it didn't matter if it was a loss or not.

"Angela, you're too harsh on them. If there are any problems, just punish me, okay? I won't let these things affect the tasks entrusted to me by the Corporation."

X pulled her collar open, a gesture of submission to punishment. The AI Secretary, however, seemed strangely uninterested. She neatly buttoned X's collar and adjusted it.

[If you are negligent in your work, I will punish you on behalf of the Corporation.]

This could be seen as tacit approval. The "if" was a prerequisite. Theoretically, as long as X didn't make mistakes, she wouldn't be punished.

As for the nature of the punishment, it could only be described as a mutual understanding.

What kind of punishment could a Secretary inflict on a Manager…? No matter how excessive, it wouldn't be too outrageous… probably?

"I won't make any mistakes at work, not even a single one. Don't underestimate me!"

But X certainly wouldn't give the AI Secretary an excuse or opportunity to punish her. She had to resolutely refuse, to say no to the AI.

The AI Secretary simply closed her eyes, maintaining a calm and elegant posture, silently listening to X's "rant."

Waiting a little while didn't matter. The AI was always very patient. A few seconds wouldn't make a difference.

She poked X's face with her finger, and X shut up, like a lighter that had run out of fuel, clicking but producing no spark.

The AI's finger moved closer to X's lips, and X opened her mouth and took it in, seriously licking and tracing the shape of the finger.

Suddenly realizing she was doing something very embarrassing, X quickly pulled away, wiping the sweat from her lips. But this action lacked any conviction and was very reassuring to the AI.