"Your pay?". The manager asked with a type of bewildered facial expression.
"Yeah, my pay". Leonard retorted.
"Don't you know how things work in a company? All employees receive their pay at the end of each month. And it hasn't even completed two weeks since you started working in this company".
"Yeah, I know that, sir. But I'm in serious need of money, there's a lot of things I want to do with money. And if I wait before the end of the month, a lot would happen. Please, sir, help me with this". Leonard pleaded.
The manager scratched his head and uttered, "This isn't just right, like, it would seem like I'm being partial to the other workers. What of the weekly bonus I gave to you, wasn't it enough to solve your money problems? You know, your bonus was the biggest of all the workers in the marketing department. Wasn't it enough?".
"To be honest, it was something, but it wasn't enough. There's a lot I wanna do with money, and it didn't even solve half of them". Leonard responded.
"This isn't just right, but since you said you're in serious need of money, I'm gonna give you your pay".
With smile on his face, Leonard voiced out, "Thank you, sir, I really appreciate it".
"I'm also giving you this 'cause of your hard work and punctuality, you deserve to collect your salary on time. But just so you know, by the end of this month, don't expect anything, you wouldn't be given a single cent".
"I'm aware of that".
The manager brought out his phone from his pocket and said, "I don't have your bank account number, so just give me your account number so I can transfer the money directly into your bank account".
Oops! now, there was problem, Leonard didn't have a bank account, he hadn't opened one yet. Well, he'll just have to tell the manager so he'll give him the money in cash.
"Umm..sir, I don't have a bank account currently. Something happened to my former one, and I haven't opened another one since then. You can just give me the money in cash".
"Well, that's where there's a bit of problem, I don't have much cash with me right now. The money I have with me now isn't even up to a quarter of your salary". The manager stated.
"Oh! Is that so? So, what are we gonna do now?". Leonard inquired.
"You'll just have to wait until tomorrow, I'll give you your full salary tomorrow".
So, he was gonna wait another one day? There was no time. But there's nothing he could do about it, it was his fault for not opening a bank account yet.
"OK then, I'll wait". Leonard uttered.
"I promise you, I'll give you your complete salary tomorrow".
Leonard smiled a little before he stood up from the chair and sauntered to the door of the manager's office, opened it, and stepped out. He hadn't even reached his desk before the poke nosing Felix asked him,
"Leonard, what did you go do in the manager's office?".
"Wow!, Felix, you didn't even let me reach my desk before you asked me that question". Leonard said.
"I'm sorry, bro, I was just being insensitive".
"No, no, don't refer to yourself as insensitive. What I did in the manager's office wasn't a big thing, we just talked about some things. So, that's it".
Felix smiled and nodded his head a little, then Leonard walked away from his presence. Reaching his desk, he sat on it and began thinking about the discussion he had with the manager. Yeah, he does think a lot nowadays, right? Well, who wouldn't think when he has a time limit on his head which was concerning life and death?
And the fact that the manager had agreed to give him his salary was making his heart glad. It doesn't matter if he was getting the money by either bank transfer or cash, all he knew was that he was getting his pay soon...and he'll finally be able to accomplish his quest, most likely. Once he's given his pay tomorrow, he'll make sure to call John when he'll be less busy or when he was heading home.
The rest of the day activities took place, Leonard went back to work, and the manager left on time...seems like he had important things to handle. He came out of his office dressed in his black suit and carrying his suitcase in his hand. Before he strolled over to the staircase and descended from it, he sauntered to Leonard's desk, patted Leonard on his back, and said to him in a low tone of voice,
"Don't worry, you'll get your pay tomorrow, I promise".
Leonard just smiled at him, that was so reassuring. If he can collect his salary tomorrow, he'll have only Eva to start worrying about...if what he planned on implementing would make Eva fall for him. After the manager left, some of the employees focused more on discussing amongst themselves...after all, the manager wasn't present anymore.
Not like they don't chat amongst themselves before and they don't take their work seriously, but now that the manager was gone, they focused more on it. Well, Leonard didn't chat with anyone, he just focused on his work, even Felix wasn't in the mood to.
********
It was closing hour already, many employees were already departing from the company, but some were still sitting on their desks. They had some things to complete before they'll start heading home...extra work. Meanwhile, Leonard hadn't completed the current job that was handed to him, but he wasn't in the mood to wait behind and work some more...he was in the mood to go home.
He wanted to go home and think of the other things he'll use his pay to handle apart from accomplishing his first quest. But accomplishing his first quest was the first and foremost, the other things would come later. Many workers on the first floor had evacuated already, and Leonard and Felix were already on their feet...it's time to depart from this company.
They did the usual, dismounted the staircase, reached the last floor, and evacuated the company completely. When it was about time for the both of them to part ways, Felix said to Leonard,
"Maybe you'll find an apartment in my street so the both of us wouldn't have to part ways here. We'll be going home together, wouldn't that be nice?".
Leonard laughed a little before uttering, "That would be nice, but, that would be a hassle. There's no money to even start searching for an apartment in your street".
"What I said was partially a joke, I know how much of a hassle it is to start searching for a new apartment now. And why? Just so we could be going home together?".
The both of them laughed at Felix's statement, then they shook hands and went their separate ways. Leonard boarded a cab that drove him straight to his apartment, boarding cabs was already becoming a norm for him...the money was there.
********
Leonard was sitting comfortably on one of the couches in his parlor with his phone in his hand, but he wasn't operating it. He just kept on thinking about his salary, he was gonna collect it tomorrow. But let's say Leonard goes to the manager's office tomorrow to collect his pay, but the manager tells him that he forgot to bring it, do you know how heartbreaking that would be?
Leonard thinking about it was making his heart ache, if that happens, another day has been cut short from the time he has remaining to complete his quest. He was expecting the system's reminder, it was a norm, so he wasn't shocked when he heard her voice,
[ Four days to go, seduce and bang Eva, or you die]
Leonard spoke, "Yeah, working towards it, I'm gonna collect my pay tomorrow".
[ That's good to know, you did as I told you, right?]
"Yeah, I told him I'm in serious need of money, and he agreed to give me my salary. I should have collected it today, but I don't have a bank account, so he's gonna give me cash tomorrow".
[ Good. Once again, Leonard, don't die, this is just your first quest. Accomplish it so your points and Exp would move from zero to certain digits. She Lord, gone]
And as usual, Leonard heard her voice no more, he just nodded his head to all that she said. Then he thought to himself,
'Once I've gotten my salary, Eva, please, don't make it hard for me. Just fall for me so I can screw you, and mission complete. Please, do that for me'.