As expected, Fujitani Nisuke was crushed by Alister in their battle, losing all ten matches without causing any damage. Afterward, he went offline in a state of melancholy and exhaustion, likely to smoke and relieve his sorrows.
With Fujitani Nisuke out of the picture, Alister found himself idle again. He lay on the couch in the living room, browsing the internet aimlessly, chatting with Yumikou, who was slacking off at work, and checking video recommendations on his homepage.
He spent a pleasant morning in this leisurely manner, with everything going well and the sunlight still warm and gentle.
At twelve noon, after finishing his lunch, Alister changed into a black jacket and placed the necessary documents in his backpack. He then headed out.
It took him forty minutes to reach the city center of City A. Ten minutes before the appointed time, he entered Moonbucks Café. At Table 17, there was a woman in a suit engrossed in her work on a laptop.
This beauty in the workplace, just like Himizuki, had black hair and crimson eyes, exuding an air of professionalism and a sense of "work, work, and more work."
And there was one aspect about her that was impossible to ignore, though it was both unexpected and predictable.
—"Rank B, 3552nd in line."
Come to think of it, it made sense. A strong woman like her, who became the head of the Human Resources Department at the Himesaki Group, couldn't possibly go unnoticed by the ranking game.
Adjusting his demeanor, pretending to be an ordinary person who couldn't see the ranking title, Alister approached Table 17 and sat across from the woman in the suit, placing his backpack beside him.
"Hello, are you the head of the Human Resources Department at the Himesaki Group?" Alister sighed.
The woman in the suit paused her work, raised her gaze to scrutinize Alister, confirmed that he matched the information, and said calmly, "Good afternoon, Mr. Alister. My name is Ji Yi, the head of the Human Resources Department at the Himesaki Group. Thank you for coming to meet me."
"No need for small talk. What kind of position is it that the esteemed head of the Human Resources Department is so eagerly inviting me for?" Alister picked up the coffee prepared for him and blew on it, letting out a breath of hot air.
Ji Yi, with a professional smile, slightly leaned forward, her already straight posture pressing slightly against her arms crossed on the table. She explained, "Simply put, considering your identity as an outstanding graduate of A City University, your leisurely lifestyle, and your exceptional appearance..."
She took a breath and sipped her coffee before continuing, "Adhering to the principle of the capable taking on the role, we sincerely want to hire you as a psychological mediator in our 'Department of Psychological Rehabilitation,' responsible for alleviating the negative emotions of female employees within the company."
Cutting to the chase, it meant that the Himesaki Group valued Alister's extremely attractive appearance and wanted him to serve as a mascot in the female employees' department to relieve work-related stress.
"...Just because of that, you want me to join?" Alister still found it hard to believe. "Psychological mediation is not my area of expertise..."
"On that matter..." Ji Yi gave Alister a meaningful look. "Do you not have a correct understanding of your own appearance?"
Truly a perfect pretty boy, even I'm a little tempted. I thought I was prepared, but I still underestimated it, tsk...
Ji Yi had indeed thoroughly reviewed Alister's information, trying her best to acclimate herself to his appearance, but even so, she couldn't help but feel a bit absent-minded during their afternoon meeting.
"Yes, you are genuinely handsome. Just looking at you can bring joy to people's hearts. This position suits you perfectly," Ji Yi acknowledged, as she finished her coffee.
Alister crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, contemplating for a moment before speaking up, "Let me confirm again. I'll be working as a psychological mediator and won't have any other tasks. I just need to sit in that role as a mascot, correct?"
"Yes, the salary is 30,000 per month, working hours are from 9 AM to 5 PM with full social security benefits, as well as various welfare subsidies," Ji Yi provided him with very generous compensation.
Upon hearing this, Alister straightened up, facing Ji Yi, who was slightly leaning forward, and spoke seriously in a low voice, "Am I the only one in the 'Department of Psychological Rehabilitation'? I assume I'm not the first employee?"
"You will be the second employee in the 'Department of Psychological Rehabilitation.' The previous employee was responsible for the psychological work of the entire group," Ji Yi replied without flinching.
"One person? Responsible for the entire group's psychological work?" Alister furrowed his eyebrows slightly. "That doesn't seem possible, no matter how niche the field is."
With the large scale of the Himesaki Group, it was unlikely that there would be only one person in charge of psychological mediation.
"Strictly speaking, she was responsible for the psychological mediation of the entire Himesaki family within the group. The psychological mediation for other employees was handled by externally hired professional psychologists," Ji Yi explained, unfazed by Alister's scrutiny.
"Then, how many members are there in the Himesaki family within the group?" Alister wanted to understand the situation.
"Sixteen, and all of them are women. This information can be made public," Ji Yi stated emotionlessly.
"So, the 'Department of Psychological Rehabilitation' was specifically established for these sixteen individuals?" Alister confirmed.
"Each case is handled individually. The members of the Himesaki family have demanding requirements, and their conditions for employment are very high," Ji Yi sighed. "I often find it headache-inducing. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them indulged individuals."
"If it's only for these sixteen people, then the workload shouldn't be too heavy, right? Couldn't one employee handle it?" Alister pointed out the suspicious aspect.
"While she can handle it, or rather, she is capable of handling it with ease... the 'Department of Psychological Rehabilitation' actually has a seventeenth person in need of psychological mediation," Ji Yi expressed some concern. "That would be the other employee?" Alister confirmed once again.
Ji Yi nodded slightly. "Yes, I believe she also requires psychological mediation to relieve the monotony of her work."
"As a specially hired psychological mediator, does she have psychological issues?" Alister wanted to understand the situation.
"She doesn't have any issues. It's more accurate to say that she has a very healthy and positive mindset, very optimistic," Ji Yi replied.
"Then why?" Alister wanted to understand the details.
"Not having any issues is the biggest problem. Sometimes, unnoticed cracks can grow until they become unmanageable," Ji Yi paused, speaking with concern, like a mother worried about her child. "She's a lovely child who needs care."
After that, Ji Yi resumed her usual demeanor and spoke as the head of the Human Resources Department, "Therefore, prevention is better than cure. I've decided to use the surplus funds to hire you to take care of that employee. Are you willing to accept?"
Alister considered for a minute.
"Of course, your work will be limited to sitting there, and you won't need to engage in unnecessary conversations," Ji Yi said calmly.
In the end, Alister compromised. Leaning on his chin, he said, "Alright, I'll give it a try."
"Thank you very much for joining us." Ji Yi smiled and took out the necessary documents for him. "Please read and sign the employment contract carefully."
Taking the documents and a black pen handed to him, Alister read them carefully and suddenly asked, "The leader of your group is Himizuki, isn't it? How is she doing?"
"Though her presence is awe-inspiring, she is a dedicated and exceptional leader," Ji Yi spoke with certainty. "Why do you ask?"
"It's nothing, just a casual question."
...