The following day, the headquarters felt... off.
People were looking at Fang Xiu with strange, almost judgmental glances.
But Fang Xiu? He didn’t flinch. He just kept his focus, calmly flipping through the daily reports like it was any other day.
Today’s report noted that the Specter incident at the shopping mall had been contained, but at a heavy cost—nearly a thousand lives lost, with several psychics among the fallen.
He silently jotted down the key details, then proceeded to approve yet another pile of documents without a second thought.
As the hours went by, the murmurs grew louder. Whispers began to buzz through the hallways.
Some were saying that the Chief Commander hadn't done a thing except lock himself away in his office all day with his pretty secretary, going over reports.
"Is he even reading those reports, or just pretending? I can't even bring myself to say it aloud!"
"He doesn’t even care to read the documents properly. He just scribbles 'Read' and moves on."
"This is ridiculous! This so-called Foreseer who’s always spouting off about how the future of headquarters relies on his leadership? He's just using some so-called prophecy as an excuse to grab power!"
Then, five days later, Li Xiaoru barged into Fang Xiu's office.
His face was twisted with frustration as he stormed over to Fang Xiu's desk, his voice full of accusation.
"Fang Xiu, what the hell have you been doing lately? All you’ve done is give us some useless orders about report formatting! Is that it? You’re TAHT helpless? The whole headquarters is falling apart, and we’re losing personnel because of your lack of action!"
Fang Xiu stayed completely unfazed by her outburst.
"I don’t remember asking for your opinion," he said, his voice calm and steady.
Li Xiaoru’s eyes narrowed, her face turning cold.
"Fang Xiu, I've so overestimated you."
"Xiao Chuxia, show her out," ordered Fang Xiu, coldly.
"You think you can just—" Li Xiaoru slammed his palm onto the desk, furious.
Fang Xiu didn’t even flinch. He met his gaze coolly.
"Li Xiaoru, I am the Chief Commander."
"You’ll regret this, Fang Xiu!" Li Xiaoru snapped. He stormed out, his anger seething as he slammed the door behind her.
It was a tense moment, a moment no one in the headquarters had expected. At a time when Specters were running rampant, the one in charge—the Chief Commander—was doing absolutely nothing.
“Xiu, what’s written on them?”
“The future.”
That only deepened her curiosity. She inched closer, itching to peek.
But Fang Xiu’s calm voice cut through her thoughts. "One more glance, and there goes your salary this month."
Startled, Xiao Chuxia pulled her hand back instantly, pouting. "Fine, I won’t peek. It’s not a big deal anyway."
Once all the strips were tucked safely inside the bags, Fang Xiu grabbed the landline and dialed a number.
“Have the group leaders from Groups 1 to 10 come to my office.”
A voice, tinged with both respect and a hint of nervousness, replied from the other end.
“Yes, boss.”
A short time later, the office was filled with a quiet bustle of people.
A staff member spoke up with respect. "Sir, the group leaders from Groups 1 to 10 are here."
Fang Xiu nodded, his gaze scanning over the ten leaders now standing before him.
Each leader stood quietly, some respectful, others curious, all silently wondering why they had been summoned to Fang Xiu’s office.
“See the numbers on the fortune bags? Each of you will take the bag that corresponds with your group,” Fang Xiu’s steady voice cut through the silence.
The group leaders exchanged glances, confusion written across their faces, but they stepped forward, each picking up a fortune bag as instructed.
It was then that the leader of Group 1 spoke up. "Sir, what exactly are these fortune bags for?"
"They’re your future."
Fang Xiu’s words hung in the air, quiet but forceful, like a thunderclap that echoed through the group.
"Our future?" For a brief moment, the casual concept of "future" suddenly felt far heavier, laden with meaning.
Some leaders began nervously scratching their heads, their impatience growing. They were eager to open the bags, to reveal what was inside.
"Do not open the bags yet," Fang Xiu continued, his voice unwavering. "Wait until you face danger, then you may open them."
Some muttered to themselves, "Danger? What does he mean by that? Is something dangerous coming their way?"
Fang Xiu’s cryptic instructions only fueled the group’s curiosity. The idea of danger made them even more eager to see what awaited them inside the fortune bags.