C7 He Lost

"Alright, the loser picks up the tab at the Di Hao Club!"

"Deal."

Bruce's declaration made everyone's eyes sparkle with anticipation. The Di Hao Club wasn't cheap, and it was a favorite haunt of theirs. Bruce offering to foot the bill was an opportunity they couldn't pass up.

They weren't worried. To them, Bruce's offer was just a façade. They all knew Bruce's condition – a man who tired from a bit more walking than usual, whose running pace barely exceeded a normal walking speed. Could he possibly lose? Highly unlikely.

"Laugh it up now, because you won't be laughing later. After today, let's see who dares to mock my running," Bruce muttered to himself, his hefty frame swaying.

But the race unfolded in a way Bruce hadn't anticipated. His running speed was no better than usual, and just a few steps in, he was already sweating, panting, and feeling exhausted – a stark contrast to his trial run with the shoes the day before.

Watching the others pull ahead, Bruce's fury grew, especially as some glanced back with smirks on their faces. He couldn't contain his anger any longer.

He'd been played!

"They dared to make a fool of me! I'll make them pay!" Bruce stopped in his tracks, realizing victory was out of reach. He was consumed by the thought of being duped. These weren't high-tech shoes; they were garbage, not even worthy of that title!

"Bruce, why have you stopped? We're just getting started, and you're already throwing in the towel?"

"Yeah, Bruce, come on and catch us! If you do, we'll let you..."

"Man, you challenged us to this race, and I thought you had some secret training up your sleeve. But you're giving up so soon? I haven't even warmed up yet."

"Bruce, come on, give us a chance to see you at the finish line!"

The group ahead noticed Bruce had stopped and began to taunt him, some in jest, others in genuine mockery. Bruce was well aware, and it only fueled his rage. He despised the middle-aged man who sold him the shoes even more now. He had lost face, and worse, he had done it to himself. He was certain this fiasco would spread like wildfire, turning him into the butt of jokes within his circle.

With that thought, Bruce forcefully flung off the borrowed shoes and slipped back into his own. The discarded pair lay quietly where he left them, the crudely crafted silver pattern on the heels catching the sunlight and glinting faintly.

"What are you doing?" Huang Feng was still puzzling over the changes he'd noticed in himself when a woman's voice unexpectedly reached his ears.

He turned to find a woman indeed addressing him. "Oh, not much. It's my first day on the job, and I'm just exploring a bit. This area's accessible, right?" Huang Feng, unaware of her identity, offered an explanation nonetheless.

Zhang Yun certainly knew who he was; she had processed his hiring paperwork after all. Since the Security Department had only hired him this time, he had made an impression on her.

Zhang Yun hadn't found Huang Feng particularly remarkable at first, just easy on the eyes. However, earlier that day, while accompanying the company's vice president on business, she was surprised to learn that Deputy General Manager Su was acquainted with Huang Feng. She hadn't probed further but had made a mental note of Huang Feng.

She had just happened to walk by and noticed Huang Feng lost in thought, so she decided to initiate a conversation.

"Of course," replied Zhang Yun. "You're the new security guard, Huang Feng, right?"

"Yeah, you know me?" Huang Feng was puzzled. He had only just started today and had met only his colleagues in the Security Department. How could she recognize him?

Zhang Yun appeared to be in her mid-twenties, slightly younger than Huang Feng, and was also dressed in professional office attire, her short hair giving her an air of efficiency.

"I was the one who took care of your onboarding," Zhang Yun explained. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Zhang Yun, from the HR department."

"So, you're Manager Zhang. Nice to meet you," Huang Feng said.

"Manager Zhang? I'm just a jack-of-all-trades," Zhang Yun demurred, downplaying her role. She might not be a department manager, but she held a significant position within HR. Despite her youth, she was more versed in workplace dynamics than Huang Feng, which is why she had made a point of approaching him after discovering his connection to Deputy General Manager Su.

"By the way, since you're new here and not yet familiar with the company, would you like me to give you a tour?" Zhang Yun offered with a warm smile.

"No, that's okay. I wouldn't want to trouble you, Manager Zhang. This morning, one of my colleagues already gave me a brief rundown," Huang Feng replied, slightly puzzled by Zhang Yun's eagerness but politely declining her offer. He kept in mind brother Wang's advice from earlier that day; the Heaven's Pride Group was a good place to work, and he intended to stay on without stirring up any unnecessary issues.

"I see. Well, if there's anything else you need help with, feel free to come to me. I'll be on my way now," Zhang Yun said, unfazed by his refusal. Her visit was simply to make her presence known; after all, she wasn't yet certain of the exact nature of the relationship between Deputy General Manager Su and this security guard.

Once Zhang Yun had departed, Huang Feng also made his exit. Having already done his due diligence, there was no point in lingering outside in the sun any longer. The indoors offered a much more comfortable environment, and his shift was about to start.

While every other employee at Heaven's Pride Company had access to a computer, the security team did not. Nonetheless, no one seemed to mind; their work didn't require computer use.

Settling into his own space, Huang Feng's thoughts turned inward. Aside from their duties at the entrance, those in the Security Department were responsible for patrolling the premises, but it wasn't time for that just yet, so the other guards remained in the office.

Huang Feng pondered the recent changes in his body and Zhang Yun's behavior, finding both to be perplexing and oddly unsettling. These weren't issues he could unravel quickly.

Luckily, being a security guard afforded him ample time to mull over his thoughts, even while on patrol.

"I had knife-sliced noodles for lunch yesterday and Yangzhou fried rice for dinner. I've eaten both dishes before, so they couldn't be related to the changes in my body," Huang Feng mused, starting to methodically piece together his observations.