Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan
Upon hearing these words, He Gu's scalp instantly tingled with numbness.
It was this very sentence, at this very place, that He Gu had just repeated to his supervisor 411 last night!
Intriguing!
He Gu immediately asked with a cold face, "What do you mean by that?"
449 revealed a smile that seemed restrained yet laced with a hint of mockery, "It means that if I encounter any problems while on duty, I hope you can come over to help me in time. Because I've heard that other supervisors would do so, and I hope you would do the same."
After hearing 449's words, He Gu fell silent.
There was definitely something off about this 449!
If it weren't for the restrictions of the several instant-death rules in "Rule Five," He Gu would have liked to strike first and "deal with" him!
Alas, the fourth clause of Rule Five states: "Do not harm immature 'fruits' unless they pose a direct threat to your life."
And that was an instant-death rule.
At this thought, He Gu suddenly realized another problem.
The rules stated not to harm immature "fruits"… but the 449 before him had a clean face, indistinguishable from a normal person!
Forget "mature," he didn't even have the black or white markings on his face like the other "fruits"!
Was it because he was a newcomer just arrived at the factory area?
Or was there another reason?
The more He Gu looked at 449, the more he felt something was amiss. He was definitely not just a simple newcomer to the factory!
After some thought, He Gu immediately took out the portable scanner from behind his waist and said expressionlessly, "Almost forgot, it's your first day at the warehouse, I need to check if you're carrying any prohibited items!"
411 had used this tactic on He Gu before, so what He Gu was doing now was definitely not against the rules.
449, upon hearing this, seemed completely unconcerned, willingly spreading his arms to accept He Gu's inspection.
He Gu emptied everything from his pockets, scanned him from head to toe with the scanner, and even patted him down again.
However, apart from a walkie-talkie, a small medicine bottle, and some sausages—typical items—there was nothing else on 449!
It seemed likely, given 449's demeanor, that even if he did have something, he wouldn't be so foolish as to carry it on his person.
After a moment's thought, He Gu rushed back into the warehouse, flipping over the old sponge cushion on the chair.
But there was nothing in the sponge cushion either.
449, watching from the side, commented indifferently, "Oh, so things can be hidden here too."
He Gu glared at him, his face cold as he turned the warehouse upside down, even reaching into the gaps beneath the conveyor belt and inside the delivery port.
Despite his efforts, after checking everywhere, He Gu still came up empty-handed.
449 stood by with a restrained smile, but his eyes betrayed undisguised mockery, "Supervisor, what are you looking for?"
He Gu looked at him deeply and said coldly, "Nothing, carry on with your shift."
With that, He Gu quickly left Warehouse 44.
At that moment, He Gu truly understood how 411 must have felt the previous night.
That feeling of knowing your subordinate is plotting against you, yet being unable to eliminate the threat in advance… it was truly suffocating.
Back in his office, the more He Gu thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
449 was definitely not just some newcomer; he had come for He Gu!
And his deliberate mention of "will you also arrive promptly" seemed to hint at a desire for revenge for 411?
At this thought, a chill settled in He Gu's heart.
Could it be the manager?! Because He Gu had eliminated 411, had the manager, dissatisfied, specifically arranged someone to deal with him?
***
By now, the sky had gradually darkened.
The lights in the glass-partitioned offices on either side began to come on one by one.
Sitting in his office, He Gu pondered anxiously over a strategy.
If he could find the items 449 had prepared in advance, especially the black cat blood, then the threat to He Gu could be minimized.
But seeing 449's confident demeanor, it was likely going to be difficult for He Gu to find those items tonight.
If he couldn't find those items… between midnight and one in the morning, since He Gu was wearing blue clothes, he would likely enter a period of weakness…
At that moment, He Gu realized that the items in the box had played a crucial role in his successful elimination of 411 the previous night.
If it weren't for the items in the box that helped him control 411, even during 411's period of weakness, He Gu would not have been a match for him!
With this in mind, He Gu immediately stood up and left his office, returning once again to Warehouse 44.
At this time, 449 was leisurely sitting in a chair with his legs crossed, listening to a love advice program on the radio, looking quite content.
"Is there something you need, Supervisor?"
He Gu said coldly, "Nothing, I'm just bored in my office. I'll take the radio to listen to for the night."
Without giving 449 a chance to refuse, He Gu grabbed the radio from the table and left.
According to He Gu's experience, the items in the box would only start talking after ten o'clock.
Now, by taking the radio away, he would see how 449 could reach an agreement with the items in the box!
Returning to his office with the radio, He Gu still felt uneasy.
After some thought, he headed to the office of his neighbor, 369.
369 was still sitting at his desk, with a document folder open, writing something.
Seeing He Gu enter, 369 naturally stopped writing, closed the folder with a smile, and asked, "What's wrong, my ally? You seem troubled."
He Gu took a deep breath and got straight to the point, "My subordinate might make a move against me tonight."
Upon hearing He Gu's words, 369 visibly paused, "On the first night of the newcomer's arrival? That seems unlikely…"
369's words trailed off, and after a few seconds of silence, he gave a wry smile, "But it's hard to say, after all, you replaced 411. Who knows what kind of surprise the manager has in store for you!"
With a strange look on his face, 369 added, "We all think that new supervisors are far from their maturity period and won't become targets. But there's an exception, and that's if your subordinate wants to replace you, they don't care whether you're mature or not!"
He Gu also sighed, then said, "So, as an ally, I need your help."
369 frowned slightly, "But… as you know, if he doesn't pose a direct threat to my life, I can't act against him."
He Gu said firmly, "You don't have to act against him, I just need your help at the critical moment to deal with the items in the box!"
369's eyes lit up, "In that case… it might be worth a try…"