Lobotomy Corporation but with Simulation System?

[Manager? Since when have you been…]

After a pause of a few seconds, X still hadn't recovered. Her mind was blank, unable to process information, until she heard the Secretary's voice again.

It was like a computer that had suddenly malfunctioned, a blue screen of death, displaying [No Response], and then being forcibly restarted.

"Oh, oh! Hug— I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Angela!"

Realizing what she was touching, X felt her face burning up, hot, as if she had touched a hot potato. It was like a sticky, strong adhesive that couldn't be removed.

She clearly wanted to let go, why couldn't she?!

—Over, the Manager's career is over, it's going to end here.

This was X's first reaction. Her thoughts and involuntary actions weren't coordinated. She clearly wanted to let go, but her hands wouldn't obey, very disobedient.

The Secretary, who had been closing her eyes, opened them. Her beautiful amber eyes fixed on the woman lying on top of her, her expression calm, showing no sign of anger or displeasure, completely unreadable.

But when the AI opened her eyes, the black-haired woman with short bangs closed hers, like an ostrich or a quail feigning death, completely ignoring her.

Then, a slender finger grasped X's wrist, stopping her disobedient hand, like unearthing a hidden treasure.

The AI Secretary looked at the woman in front of her, observing the black-haired woman's increasingly cute reactions…

If the black-haired woman didn't occasionally show this kind of expression, she would have thought she was a useless steel pipe. Adding fuel to the fire, pouring gasoline onto a fire, wouldn't ignite her.

She was completely unbreakable and unyielding. The high resistance prevented the current from passing through.

Normally, when the resistance was too high, if the material couldn't be changed, you could only rely on external forces to conduct electricity, such as adding a layer of copper wire, or pouring water on it.

Even though she was speaking calmly, like usual, asking X questions, but…

[Manager, is it big?]

"Yes."

X unconsciously nodded. Her head hadn't cleared yet.

[Manager, is it soft?]

"Yes…?"

X unconsciously nodded again. Then, on the third "yes," she realized something was wrong. What was so strange? Because of the Secretary's gentle words, X gave up thinking about it.

[Do you want more?]

"Yes— Angela, what are you talking about!"

After a few seconds of pondering, X finally snapped out of it, realizing what nonsense she had been saying, what nonsense questions her AI Secretary had been asking her.

—Why was the AI suddenly asking these strange questions?

X was full of doubts, confused like in the [Green Dawn—Doubt] scenario. This was beyond her understanding. She didn't know what was happening.

Or perhaps X knew exactly what was happening, but she was avoiding it, refusing to acknowledge it.

She didn't know… and she didn't want to know.

[You're currently sexually harassing me. I've recorded it. Even though I'm your Secretary, your actions are a serious violation of the Manager's code of conduct. If I submit this recording to the Corporation, you will face the Corporation's most severe punishment.]

As the AI Secretary spoke, she took something resembling a pen from her uniform pocket. It was probably a pen-shaped recorder… a recorder.

"I… oh, I… I… I… I didn't mean to, Angela."

X didn't doubt this excuse at all.

She quickly retracted her restless and unruly hands, then frantically tried to get off the Secretary.

But the more flustered she was, the clumsier she became. She made mistake after mistake, making the already chaotic situation even worse.

It was like a black cat playing with a ball of yarn. It got tangled up and couldn't untangle itself, frantically meowing for help.

The result was that their posture became even more awkward. The AI Secretary took the opportunity to hug the flustered X, putting her arm around her shoulder, placing her weight on her.

A hand caressed X's face, inserting a finger into her mouth, probing the shape of her teeth, then pressing against her teeth, preventing X from closing her mouth. Saliva dribbled from the corner of her mouth.

Another hand waved the black recorder in front of X's eyes, like it was brandishing important evidence, as if warning X, "It's best to be obedient."

This was more than a warning… it was a threat. The AI Secretary was threatening the Manager.

—No, the word "perhaps" could be eliminated. This was a threat.

[Manager, you don't want me to report this to the Corporation, do you? If I report you, it won't be a simple punishment.]

The hand pressing against her teeth retracted. It caressed X's chin, then moved down to caress her soft throat, rubbing against her Adam's apple.

X's frightened, trembling whimper was the answer the AI wanted to hear.

"I… I apologize."

X forced the words out, her delicate white neck covered in red marks. Her collarbone was also marked, showing numerous red welts from "certain incidents."

These marks weren't hidden at all. They could be easily seen by simply pulling at her collar, or pulling the loose white coat, revealing the torn areas of her black uniform.

There were two ways to interpret this situation. One was deliberate provocation. The other was complete obliviousness, not caring at all.

The kind of stupidity where you don't even know you've done something wrong, without a shred of self-awareness.

The AI saw everything. She wasn't blind. She saw clearly, and she remembered everything.

Whether the woman in front of her was truly stupid or feigning stupidity, whether it was deliberate provocation or something else, she wouldn't accept X's excuses.

Expecting the black-haired woman with short bangs to realize something was impossible.

After all, avoiding and ignoring the truth was something the black-haired woman with short bangs and golden eyes was very good at.

[I've heard your insincere apology many times. If apologies could solve problems, there wouldn't be so much conflict and trouble in this world, would there?]

[You're an adult now. You need to be responsible for your actions. You don't think you're still a child who drinks hot milk and eats sweet cookies, do you? It's naive and ridiculous, just like your terrible taste.]

"You, you, you… I'm not! Adults can't drink milk? Adults can't eat sweet cookies? Angela, your understanding of adults is too shallow!"

If it were just a normal reprimand or criticism, it would be fine. But when X heard her AI Secretary belittling her taste, she couldn't accept it.

What defined an adult? Did she have to have a straight face, pretending to be mature, drinking bitter coffee she couldn't stand, pretending to understand when she couldn't appreciate the taste of black coffee?

Just as X was about to refute her AI Secretary, she saw the black recorder being waved in front of her again, containing a recording of their contentious conversation.

She swallowed her retort. X was being reasonable.

Because X had been provoked by the Secretary, the recorder contained "evidence." Even though X hadn't intended to do anything, hadn't had any intention whatsoever—

Angela, the Corporation's Secretary and the true person in charge, was the only one who could communicate with upper management. She usually delivered messages, and any explanations would depend on her mood. The AI had ultimate authority.

If upper management really reprimanded her, it would be a hopeless situation, impossible to defend herself, especially since the AI designer was 'A,' the founder of Lobotomy Corporation.

If she were to admit to sexually harassing the AI, the consequences would be dire… She had heard that some powerful people would do this for fun.

Just thinking about it made her shiver.

X was fully aware of her actual position within the Corporation. The AI, who called herself "Secretary," was more like a wealthy heiress, managing the Department Deans and all the Corporation's affairs.

She was the Corporation's true spokesperson.

As for why her title was Secretary, it was probably 'A's' perverse sense of humor. How could there be such a powerful Secretary? Angela's authority was given to her by Lobotomy Corporation's founder.

X wanted to speak, but she remained silent, letting the AI take the lead… She had been so reckless toward the Secretary during lunchtime. Now, it was likely old scores being settled.

But the AI wasn't in a hurry. She maintained her usual elegance and composure. Angela's words were always indirect, rarely so direct. Even though, in many cases, directness meant blunt honesty.

Indirectness, however, was sarcastic, like a veiled insult…

[Manager, do you know what a sincere apology is?]

"I don't know."

X thought she should remain silent, let the Secretary scold her, vent her anger, and then speak again. But her mouth spoke involuntarily, her brain not in control.

—Strange, why is my mouth not cooperating? Why is it so stiff?

X instinctively covered her mouth, not wanting it to speak again. But the AI Secretary didn't give her another chance.

[Can you say it again? I have plenty of patience to teach you these things.]

X shook her head repeatedly, like a rattle. But the AI had begun her lesson.

Her fingers paused on the buttons of X's black uniform. The buttons were neat and orderly, all properly fastened.

Often, the act of buttoning up a shirt was like building a tower of blocks, meant to be toppled. It could also be likened to braiding a rope, creating various patterns.

X unconsciously wanted to resist, but seeing the black recorder in the AI Secretary's hand, she became obedient. She raised her hands skillfully, like an unlucky person being kidnapped, cooperating.

To be honest, X had a very low body fat percentage. Her height-to-weight ratio showed that she was very thin. A slender woman wouldn't have much excess fat to fill out her uniform.

In other words, even if the AI found her "weak points," using her "weaknesses" to threaten her, from X's perspective, it was an unfair, unprofitable transaction.

X couldn't understand why Angela was so eager to "bully" her… What was the point? Was she trying to determine who was bigger, who was smaller? This was truly childish and boring.

It was truly childish. The AI in front of her was more like a child? Who would act so childish?

X cursed silently, but she didn't dare to say it out loud. If the Secretary liked it this way, then so be it. The AI liked this tone, what could she do?

It was a strange feeling. X couldn't describe it, couldn't find the words.

Could it be related to "motherhood"? She wasn't sure. She had never been a mother. She was still single. How could she understand?

In short, X couldn't understand the AI's perplexing behavior. It was like people couldn't understand each other. The black-haired woman with short bangs couldn't guess the AI's thoughts.

She had just mocked her liking of hot milk as childish. Now… X couldn't find the words. She could only classify it as the AI trying to understand why human children were so annoying.

Yes, X didn't like human children. In other words, she didn't like having children.