Despite the efforts of the Liu family and Zhou Chun to erase digital rumors and fake news about Liu Leah, they couldn't stop people from saving the content on their private phones, laptops, tablets, and other digital devices. Nor could they stop people from talking about it, as everyone had their mouth and mind.
+++++
On that same day, Leah and Zed relaxed after an enjoyable lunch.
Leah was sitting cross-legged on the couch, staring at the blank screen on her laptop. She had just finished a video call with Zhou Chun. Still, after receiving yet another report about another attack on Liu Leah on social media, tabloid magazines, and newspapers, Zhou Chun couldn't hold her anger and threw her laptop across the office, destroying it in the process.
A few minutes later, Leah received a call from Zhou Chun apologizing and telling her that it would be better to report in person before she destroyed all the computers in the company, including her phone.
"Alright, see you later," Leah replied and ended the call.
She then looked at the man sitting next to her, close but not touching.
Zed, who looked like a bear looming over a tiny laptop, was sitting stiffly. His long fingers flew over the keyboard on his lap.
"You're going to give yourself a bad posture and body ache sitting and typing like that," Leah muttered beside him.
"I could say the same to you," Zed replied without looking at her.
"I wasn't doing actual work. I was just receiving a report from Chun Chun," Leah retorted. She then closed her laptop and set it aside.
Leah got up and took her phone with her. She walked towards the door and opened it. Zed did the same, following her outside while holding his laptop.
"That's new. You never carry your laptop with you, just your phone," Leah commented as they walked towards the back garden.
"I'm starting a company with my buddies." Zed went straight to the point.
"What kind of company is it?"
"A security company."
…
Leah and Zed talked as they walked towards a two-story, glass-covered greenhouse filled with tropical plants.
Leah slid open one of the double doors to the right and entered while Zed closed it behind them and followed her inside. They approached the center of the greenhouse, which appeared small from the outside but was large and spacious on the inside.
In the center of this rainforest-like environment was an open rectangular pavilion equipped with a lounge area, a kitchen with a dining area, and a fireplace centerpiece.
Leah adjusted the pillow and lay on the shorter side of the L-shaped couch. Zed was about to sit next to her when she stopped him.
"Sit and do your own thing over there," she ordered, pointing at the dining table.
He glanced in the direction she was pointing and then looked back at Leah. After a moment, he decided to comply and walked towards the dining table, choosing a seat with a perfect view of Leah.
On the other hand, Leah was looking at the sighing man before focusing on her phone. She was finalizing the announcement about the dissolution of her engagement with Wang Haoran. The announcement was set to be released at midnight the day after tomorrow on all of Liu Leah's official websites, social media accounts, and anything connected to the Liu family's official news sites.
"Done," Leah muttered, tossing her phone onto the cushion.
She looked around the greenhouse, admiring the different kinds of butterflies fluttering around the perennial flowers. The sight was serene.
She closed her eyes, feeling the sun's warmth on her skin even though she was in the shade. She could hear birds singing in the trees, accompanied by the rustling of leaves.
"It's so peaceful…" Leah murmured before she drifted off to sleep.
…
Clunk—
Tap. Tap. Tap—
Leah opened her eyes when she heard a noise from the pavilion's kitchen and dining area.
She turned her head to look over her left side and saw not Zed but Zhou Chun typing away on a laptop.
"Friday, what happened while I slept?" Leah called out to Friday.
"Master, when you—" Zero suddenly cut off Friday.
"Why don't you ask me? I can see as much as Friday about what's happening around you."
Zero had been experiencing something no other system had since Leah last saw him.
Boredom.
Watching his hosts did not elicit feelings when he was just a system. He had no desire besides ensuring that all the hosts assigned to him completed their quests sent by the God System.
Time did not affect him before. A nanosecond was no different from a millennium.
He was no longer an "it," yet he was not human either.
His memories, though only brief clips, would surface occasionally, enough to give him some sense of the past until they caused his head to hurt.
He did not have a physical body, so he did not feel hunger or thirst. He did not need to use the toilet. He did not sweat. He did not need sleep, and so on.
According to his memories, he used to be more than just a system. That something else was a workaholic. Now, he has started to feel agitated about not doing anything.
He needed to do something, anything...
Leah closed her eyes to check on Zero; sure enough, he was pacing anxiously inside the cage. Leah smiled and said, "From now on, Zero will be my eyes and ears in this world."
As soon as Leah finished her order, Zero felt a sense of authority returning to him.
Friday floated next to him, chirping happily. "Brother Zero, we can finally work together for Master!"
Zero did not care anymore. His need to do something overcame his loyalty to any being. It was part of him to do something, anything...
Zero went to work immediately. "When you went to sleep, a guard guided Zhou Chun in. She then sat in the dining area and decided to wait for you to wake up. On the other hand, Zed took the delivered ingredients and started preparing them. You only slept for almost one hour."
Leah got up, fixed her hair, and covered her mouth while she yawned. Zed and Zhou Chun stopped what they were doing when they noticed her. Leah smiled at Zed and then approached her assistant.
Zed went back to cooking while Leah and Zhou Chun talked about business.
"Miss, I have bad and good news," Zhou Chun said anxiously.
Leah looked at her assistant and asked for the bad news first.
"A lot of rumors against you have been spreading. That's the bad news. The good news is, we can still remove all traces of these online, but—"
"We cannot stop people from saving them on their devices and cannot stop their mouths from speaking about it. Huh," Leah cut off Zhou Chun.
Leah frowned as she looked at her anxious assistant. Her assistant kept expressing her frustration about the troublemaker spreading these rumors in every report she gave. Even more annoying was that this internet troll kept slipping through her assistant's fingers whenever she thought she had them.
"Chun, let me handle this. You focus on the files I've given you." Leah gazed at Zhou Chun and didn't break eye contact until she nodded in agreement.
Zhou Chun agreed immediately when she noticed Leah's serious expression.