Under the piercing, questioning gazes of the group, an exhausted Dr. Schrödinger slowly tucked her hand back into her pocket. She tilted her head up at a 45-degree angle, gazing at the ceiling with a smile of absolute, transcendent liberation.
Honestly, I'm out of options.
The unique, detached aura of a saint descended upon the centenarian scientist, making it seem as if she had completely seen through the illusion of life and death and had achieved ultimate enlightenment.
"Is that so? Is that how it is? ...Is that really how it is?"
Schrödinger murmured softly, taking a deep breath.
"A man who ruthlessly exploits himself is simply treating everyone else by the exact same standard... Perhaps this is merely a case of 'let them eat cake'?"
Smiling, Schrödinger shakily reached out, pulled a chair over, slowly sat down opposite Otto's body, and peacefully closed her eyes.
I... don't need to fight anymore.
As her breathing steadied, the master of quantum mechanics demonstrated to everyone present what it truly meant to "burn out until only pale ash remains" by slipping into a coma right in front of them.
"Ah! The invincible Dr. Schrödinger has fallen too!!" Kiana shrieked in horror.
The office, which had previously been filled with a mix of scrutiny and gossip, instantly exploded into chaos.
Everyone rushed forward in a panic. They grabbed the instantly-asleep Schrödinger and the playing-dead Otto, hoisted them up like two corpses, and sprinted frantically toward the Medical Department.
Shu, who had been preparing to use his [Wish] to casually transport them, was forced to swallow it back down. He watched the group panicking out of genuine concern and chuckled helplessly.
They didn't just leave Otto lying there. It seems their hatred for him is mostly just talk.
...
A few minutes later, in the Fire Moth Medical Department.
The faint smell of disinfectant had replaced the lingering scent of jalapeño hot sauce from the office.
The group surrounded a hospital bed, looking at the recently "resuscitated" Otto with varying expressions.
Otto leaned comfortably against his pillows. His face was still deathly pale, completely devoid of color, but his emerald eyes shone with an unprecedented, deeply relaxed light.
Smiling, he calmly accepted the medical report handed to him by the doctor.
"Extreme exhaustion and neurasthenia. The medical staff has ordered you to undergo mandatory rest, Grandpa." Theresa held the report, clearing her throat to deliver the verdict.
"Grandpa! Your physical condition has reached its absolute limit! You must immediately cease all work and enter a mandatory hibernation cycle!"
"Hehe. Is that so?" Otto smiled warmly, his tone filled with absolute relief. "That is wonderful news.
"To be perfectly honest, I also feel that I can finally take a proper rest."
Seeing the Overseer acting so obediently, the heavy stone in Theresa's heart finally dropped.
She nodded, preparing to breathe a sigh of relief. But then, Otto furrowed his brow slightly, adopting an expression of profound, forced reluctance.
"However, Theresa..." Otto sighed, his gaze drifting toward the stack of unsigned documents resting on his bedside table.
"If I simply rest now... who will handle the administrative affairs?
"The reconstruction of Arc City, the budget for the Shenzhou branch... ah, and Dr. Schrödinger's experimental reports... We can't just let them pile up, can we?"
"Oh, Grandpa!" Theresa stomped her foot in frustration. She planted her hands on her hips and spoke with righteous conviction. "Delaying them for a little while won't hurt anything! It's not like everyone else can't help share the burden! Just focus on recovering!"
"So... you are merely letting me off the hook temporarily?"
Otto turned his head. Those piercing green eyes, which seemed capable of seeing into a person's soul, locked directly onto Theresa. A sly smile touched the corner of his lips. "Does this mean my next 'vacation' will only come when I collapse in my office from sheer exhaustion again?"
"Of course not!" Theresa waved her hands frantically, swearing a solemn oath. "From now on, you have to rest on a strict schedule! We can absolutely never let today's situation repeat itself! I will personally monitor your schedule!"
Hearing this, Otto's smile deepened.
He spread his hands helplessly, asking in an almost entirely innocent tone:
"But... if I don't work myself to the bone, that mountainous backlog of administrative work will never get finished.
"Since everyone agrees I haven't done a good enough job, shouldn't I take advantage of the fact that I'm still breathing to get out of bed and finish signing the rest of those documents?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the air in the hospital room froze once more.
Looking at Otto's pale face and completely flawless, watertight smile, a collective chill ran down everyone's spines.
This despicable capitalist! He's genuinely trying to squeeze every last drop of surplus value out of his own impending death?!
I can't believe you would actually go this far!
Theresa bore the brunt of Otto's smile-draped dagger. She remained silent for a long moment, took a deep breath, and slowly raised her hand, pointing a trembling finger at her own nose as she asked the fatal question:
"Grandpa... you aren't suggesting that I... should also start working to help you share the burden, are you?"
Faced with Theresa's suspicious, terrified gaze, Otto simply continued to smile at her, saying nothing.
This ambiguous response—neither explicitly confirming nor denying it—plunged Theresa into agonized contemplation.
After all, Otto had genuinely collapsed amidst a mountain of documents; it wasn't an act.
If she heartlessly refused an "old man" who had just crawled back from the brink of death, wouldn't she be an incredibly cruel and unfilial granddaughter?
Compared to the severely overworked Otto, wouldn't she just be an irresponsible, hedonistic slacker?
In an instant, Theresa felt the crushing weight of countless moral obligations crashing down on her head.
"I..." Theresa gritted her teeth, her eyes turning red.
Ultimately, carrying a burning heart toward the most forgiving execution ground, Theresa formally accepted Otto's job offer.
She turned around, her back to Otto, and began delivering her final requests to the group.
"Kiana... you have to be a good girl from now on. Don't constantly cause trouble. If I have to run back and forth between the hospital and the office every day, I'm going to go bald."
"Bronya... no more staying up all night playing games. If you're really that bored, help me calculate the budget gap for the Arc City reconstruction project."
"Seele, you need to take care of Bronya. Keep an eye on her, understand?"
"Shu... wipe that smile off your face and go find me some reliable assistants!"
Finally, Theresa walked over to Mei, tightly grasping her hands, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
However, just as Theresa prepared to deliver her final dying wish, Mei hesitated.
Mei looked at Theresa's tragically heroic face, then glanced back at Otto, who was still smiling peacefully on the hospital bed, and quietly asked:
"Um... Principal... Since you're taking over the administrative work, doesn't that mean we can now publicly recruit administrative personnel from all of Arc City? You aren't actually planning on doing all of this by yourself, are you?"
Theresa: "..."