Training Department, Director's Office.
"Take a look at this, Hod."
X handed the report to her, looking at her with clear sympathy.
"Do you really think what you're doing right now is actually helping that addict?"
"Compared to prescribing even more mental stimulants just to get him into your programs, I think it would be better to start with an Enkephalin addiction assessment."
When kindness was exploited in such a malicious way, the person involved was bound to suffer deeply.
And precisely because of that, X felt he had to tell Hod the truth—to prevent her goodwill from being taken advantage of any further.
"Why…? Why did it turn out like this?"
Hod took the medical report and read it line by line, carefully and slowly.
When she saw the cold data describing Tiffany's abnormal metabolism, neurotransmitter imbalance, and suspected substance dependency, disbelief filled her clear blue eyes.
"Why… why don't the employees take my goodwill seriously?"
She murmured to herself.
"I'm helping them… I'm helping them!"
"Is it really true that the reason employees like Tiffany actively participate in counseling programs is just for a bit of Enkephalin?"
"That can't be right…"
"Actually… Hod."
Seeing that something was clearly wrong with her state, X couldn't bear it any longer and spoke up cautiously.
"Sometimes, um… not interfering too much with others can also be a form of help."
"I don't think you need to pull all the Training Department employees into your programs right away."
"Maybe you could start on a smaller scale—only invite those who are genuinely interested in counseling and willing to accept professional help."
He tried to keep his tone as gentle as possible.
"Once your programs produce positive, satisfying results for them, they can then use their own experiences to encourage other employees who might have similar needs to join."
"Don't you think that approach might work better?"
"Because, at the end of the day, Hod, you don't actually know whether they truly need these things…"
X 's intention was simply to offer constructive suggestions in a relatively tactful way.
What he hadn't expected was that his words would strike a raw nerve.
Hod's emotions suddenly erupted—like a wounded animal lashing out.
"Are you saying I'm helping them just to satisfy myself?!"
The sudden outburst—loud, intense, and overflowing with hurt—left X momentarily at a loss for words.
He froze, unsure how to respond.
After a brief pause, he lowered his voice, trying to calm her.
"No, that's not what I meant…"
"How could I be that selfish?! I'm not that kind of bastard!"
"Calm down, Hod. I'm not accusing you. I'm just—"
"No! Shut up! Shut up!"
Hod shook her head and shouted.
"No! I'm not! I'm doing this for their sake! I—I…!"
Her words became fragmented, her reasoning unraveling with every cry of denial.
To be honest, the sudden, desperate explosion of emotion caught X completely off guard.
At first, he thought her anger was directed at him.
But as her emotions intensified while her awareness steadily deteriorated, X realized—
This wasn't really about him.
She was completely trapped in her own inner world.
"I'm not… I didn't… I just wanted to save you all! I…!"
"..."
X said nothing more.
He slowly began moving toward the door.
If his department head was clearly not in the right state of mind, there was no reason to keep provoking her.
By the time Hod might regain clarity from her tangled thoughts, X had already slipped out of the Training Department director's office without a sound.
Once outside, he broke into a brisk walk—almost a run—back to his own room.
"Huff… huff…"
After closing the door, breathing in the familiar atmosphere of his room, X leaned against the door and slowly slid down until he was sitting on the floor.
What rotten luck…
Aside from work itself, today in the surface world had been nothing but trouble from start to finish.
Sometimes, the Inner Lobotomy Corporation was honestly far less stressful…
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