2. Tying Loose Ends
Nigel Oneal sat on the living room sofa, deep in thought, as he got surprising answers from the system.
'You are telling me that your founder has gone through an apocalypse while he the only one surviving?' Nigel seeks the answer as he continues, 'If he the only one surviving, then how come he can set up businesses that span multiple galaxies without help from anyone?'
[Yes, he is the only one who survives the apocalypse in his world. And sorry, you still don't have enough clearance to that answer yet.]
'I don't have enough clearance? What do you mean, Iris?' He asked Iris while getting up and heading to the door of his apartment.
[Well, for starters, we have information, product, and services that you can unlock once your VIP level goes up. You can upgrade the VIP level by getting to the corresponding amount of achievement or buy it with Origin Point.]
'It just looks like a game at this point, you gonna make me do missions too?' Nigel said sarcastically to Iris in his mind as he leaves the apartment room.
[We do have missions you can choose from time to time and we're gonna reward you with achievement points or items from the reward list.]
'...' Nigel stood beside the lift entrance door and reached up his hand to touch the inverted triangle button, not saying anything to Iris.
[That's basically all, for the time being, we have said all we need to say to you. In the meantime, you can do what you want to do and prepared for the introduction package and complimentary service delivery on March, 20th.]
'Right, thank you for choosing me. I will reach out to you if there is anything I need.' He got into the lift and press the B button.
[You're welcome Mr. Oneal, it's our pleasure in meeting you and may you be happy with our Shopping System]
'Happy my ass..'
As Nigel heads to the parking lot and went to his car that has been accompanied him fatefully for the last 5 years, he can't help but thinks back to what Iris tells him about 'The Apocalypse Shopping System'.
And his own rebirth for bringing him back to the present time where everything is just the way it should be, a lawful place full of orders.
'Just be grateful right now that I'm not dead becoming a zombie and still alive, kicking this new opportunity I got. But, first, let us get a sumptuous hot meal before quitting my job.' Nigel finally starts his car and drives it to his favorite Chinese restaurant since he was still a kid, where he used to eat there with his late parents.
When he arrives at the parking lot of the restaurant, park his car, and walk to the entrance, there was his childhood friend, Brian, talking with someone with a stoic face.
"Oooh, what a rare sight to see you here in the morning, Nigel. Let me introduce you to my uni friend, James Peter." as Brian catches sight of Nigel, he quickly called out to him with an excited face and introduces the person beside him.
Nigel sees someone with a face so serious without an expression as it reminds him of the military guy he used to hang out with.
"Hello, Mr. Peter. My name is Nigel Oneal, you can call me Nigel if you want." Nigel said to the stoic face of James Peter as he brought out a smile and holds out his hand for a handshake.
"James, just James is enough, Nigel." James then reaches out to his hand to shake with Nigel.
Seeing the two handshaking friend of him, Brian said to Nigel "So, what brought you here in the morning? Aren't you suppose to get to work already?"
"To eat your dad's cooking of course! am I not welcome here anymore?" Nigel ends the handshake with James and lightly punches Brian's shoulder as he joked with him a little.
"Of course not, you're always welcome here and why did I kick out a customer? But, technically it's the chef we hired that cooks your food, and damn your punch hurt you know!" with a pained look plastered on his face, Brian rubs the spot where Nigel punches him.
'eh? but I just used a little force on him, why does his face look like it hurts so much.' Nigel thought as he saw the face Brian making, as he forgot that his 'light' punch is not light at all for he still using the standard strength from the apocalypse.
'Hmm? The way he punches is interesting.' There was a slight change on the stoic James face as his eyebrow raise a bit.
"Well, sorry if it hurts.. but either way, I'm going to resign soon from my job and..." Nigel apologize as he felt sorry for Brian seeing the pained look on his face but before he talks more he got cut by Brain now weird look as Brian said
"Why are you quitting the jobs after you painstakingly endure all that inhuman treatment you got from them?" Brian asked as he always suggests Nigel abandon his jobs before, but alas, all his suggestions went in from one ear and out of the other ear.
'inhuman treatment huh..' Nigel think back to the time where he worked creating and editing design for his boss and clients from morning to midnight just like a horse with a little break in between, he felt the need to laugh right now reminiscing all the work he does like there's no tomorrow.
"Well, a happy heart is better than a full purse, right? that's why I'm going to resign today. Are we going to stand here all day or what? I'm starving you know." Nigel said to Brian as he is starving.
"Sorry, but I still need to go. Thanks for the meal Brian and let's meet up sometimes Nigel, to talk about that punch of yours" James eyed Nigel while he waves at Brian to say goodbye.
After they can't see James. Brian and Nigel head into the restaurant and talk all the topic and gossip as Nigel get excited just like seeing a long lost friend that hasn't talked to each other for a long time.
"By the way, who is that James Peter, and what kind of man he is?" Nigel asked Brian as he remembered what James told him about his punch before he left.
"Well, he used to be my friend when we are in uni. But, someday he just disappeared and nobody knows what he is doing... However, today he comes to me for a meal and we talked a bit, he kinda has a scary aura surrounding him now." Brian talks while shivered a little thinking back to the time he talked with him.
"What disappeared, kinda funny no? I think he just drops out of uni." Nigel too feels the blood aura, an aura that someone who has killed a dozen people or more.
"I don't know, but let us not talk about him." Brian said as he doesn't want to remember his encounter with James.
As the food arrived, they continue to converse while Nigel slowly ate and reminisced the food and taste that has long gone as the apocalypse proceed to make life difficult.
After having his fill and finished all the food he ordered, he said goodbye to Brian, pay up at the counter, and went to his workplace to put in the resignation letter he prepared hastily in the restaurant.
When he just step his foot in at his office, his boss Ahu, as if waiting for him, quickly left his room and went straight to Nigel while yelling along the way
"Do you know what time is right now?! It's 1 pm! Why are you so late! We have many delayed assignments here because of you!" Ahu yelled at him with an obvious angry look on his face while pointing his finger to the clock on the wall.
"..." Nigel doesn't bother taking a look and replying to his boss as he went cleaning and packing his desk that was full of his own stationery items.
"You dare ignore me?! What are you doing cleaning up your desk!" As if offended that he got ignored, he tries to pull Nigel's shoulder. But, before he can do it, Nigel turned around and Nigel then slaps his resignation letter that was in an envelope to Ahu's round belly.
"Why didn't I dare? You know, they used to called me Nigel 'Daring' Oneal. And with this, I hereby that I quit from this shitty job!" Nigel finally couldn't take it anymore as he talks coldly with a raised voice to his boss and resumes to clean up his desk.
"You...!" Ahu with an angry and annoyed look quickly open the envelope and read the letter within, after that he tossed the letter to Nigel back and said loudly "You can't leave right now! You still have many assignments that haven't been finished yet or else you can't get your salary!"
"I don't care, just shut up and go back to your little office." Nigel fights back as he is fed up with his boss's attitude.
Meanwhile, all the employees there have been struck speechless by the usual kind and docile Nigel that they were surprised by how he can react like that.
"Damn, I don't know he got this side of him." said an employee who likes to hang around Nigel.
"Look at the boss' face, I wish he doesn't faint because of his high blood pressure." seeing the sarcastic look on his face, you know he doesn't like the boss.
"I hope Nigel is alright after this, but if he leaves our workload will go up." another employee whispering to himself with a sigh at the end.
As Ahu heard the murmur of his employees, he finally harumphs at Nigel and went back to his office while closing the door hard as there was a bang quickly followed.
"It's loud enough to call it talking instead of whispering, you know that don't you?" Nigel said to his colleague that soon will be an ex-colleague.
When Nigel said it to them, they can't help but chuckle and approach him one by one
"Hahaha! you are so brave back then talking back to Ahu's like that. So where will you be going to work after this? If the boss there is at least half as bad as Ahu, don't forget to tell me, alright!"
"Why are you resign at this time, Nigel? We just got back to work from our new year holiday, and there must be a lot of assignments to do."
"Yeah, Nigel, you're the most hardworking among the bunch of us. How can we get through it now..."
Looking at the complaining bunch in front of him, Nigel just chuckles before he said "Now, now. You can just resign yourself and enjoy life while there is still time, just like me. I will enjoy this unemployed status of mine to the fullest, haha!"
Glancing at the now chuckling Nigel, the bright smile he shows and relaxed demeanor as if he was free just like a bird that escapes his cage. They were tempted to resign themselves, but swiftly put out the thought away.
"How can we be like you? We still have many responsibilities."
"Well, if you excuse me, I will be leaving now and I hope that you all will be safe in the future. If fate allows it, we will see each other." Seeing the uncertain look at their face, Nigel just sighs to himself and hope the best for them.
After Nigel ties up all the loose ends at his workplace, he quickly went back to the car and whip up his phone to search for the best gym near his house. When he set up the navigation to the gym, he looked in the direction where he spends his brain muscle and sweat for the last 5 years and sighs to let out his sadness, relief, and tiredness.
"It will be a more tough work down the road from now on, that not only sweat and brain but blood and wit is also needed." Nigel mumbles to himself as he stepped on the gas and picks up speed following the arrow on the map.