Die, Replay, Repeat

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.

Two days later, the Director came to see Fang Xiu.

His face was a mask of disappointment, the kind that only came after years of accumulated failure.

"Fang Xiu, is this really the future you wanted?" he asked, his voice carrying a weight of unspoken sadness.

Fang Xiu didn’t answer. It felt like the Director had aged a decade in that instant, the weight of his shoulders sagging as he left the office in silence.

The office soon returned to its usual rhythm. The evening light filtered in through the windows, casting a warm glow across the room, wrapping Fang Xiu in a sense of quiet solitude.

Xiao Chuxia sat lazily on the couch, her attention fully absorbed in her phone, scrolling through video clips with a happy smile.

Everything seemed normal, almost peaceful.

But only Fang Xiu knew the truth—things would never be the same again.

Because he had returned, and with him, the future was about to unfold.

Without warning, Fang Xiu grabbed the black pen on his desk and began to write.

The soft scratching of the pen against paper was the only sound in the room, blending with Xiao Chuxia’s giggles and the distant hum of the short videos on her phone. 

In that quiet, unassuming moment, the wheels of change were set into motion.

After a long silence, Fang Xiu finally put down his pen. His notes filled two whole sheets of A4 paper, densely packed with his sharp, meticulous writing. Without a second thought, he tore the pages into strips, one by one.

“Xiao Chuxia, go get some fortune bags.”

Xiao Chuxia looked up from her phone, confused. "Fortune bags? What do you need those for?"

"I said, Fortune bags."

Her confusion only deepened. “Why do you need those?"

"One more dumb question, there goes your bonus for the month."

The sound of Xiao Chuxia leaping off the couch echoed through the room. Her heels slipped off and tumbled onto the carpet.

The threat of bonus deductions hit hard. She’d spent a lot of money on new secretary outfits and heels for just this kind of job.

Without another word, she quickly slid her heels back on and dashed off to get the bags.

Moments later, Xiao Chuxia returned with the fortune bags.

Fang Xiu carefully placed each strip of paper into a separate bag, one by one.

Xiao Chuxia was curious about what was written on the strips, but they were all folded neatly, keeping the contents a mystery.

“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.

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