Sounding Human to His People

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Date: September XX, 20XX

To: All Employees

From: Sinclair King, CEO and President of King Industries

Subject: Health Concerns amid the Unnamed Disease

Greetings. In light of the recent developments regarding the unnamed disease, I would like to tell everyone that everything is under control. I understand that the discussion points of the previous meeting last Friday had made everyone worry, but I would like to announce that the board's notion to invade the rights to privacy of all employees of all offices is downright stupid.

===

Ainsley held onto his mouth. He was trying to keep his laughter to himself, but he was getting nudged by his friend, who was reading it with him. Apparently, everyone in the office was reacting to the CEO's blatant insult to the board. Those who knew the CEO personally could very well attest that he would indeed speak like this.

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There is no need for such a policy. Based on the findings of the police and related science departments of both public and private sectors, the substance in question can be taken with other products and can only get into the body's circulation through inhalation and digestion. As it appears in the form of a normal household item, it would take a lab to process every suspicious item.

A lab that even we cannot spare resources to build.

Moreover, everyone is as safe as they want to be. The substance has been marketed as a harmless supplement/protein powder that is a substitute for table sugar. Adverse effects will only show up as withdrawal symptoms. As long as you haven't fallen for such marketing or have no knowledge of such a powder, there is no need to panic.

===

Giggles had started to echo in their office. The girls who fawned over the CEO were already nudging at each other, while the old people in their office chuckled as they shook their heads. Wasn't this the reason why Sinclair would rarely send a memo to everyone?

Most of the time, those memos were out of spite.

Ainsley stopped reading and snorted in his seat. He probably just sent this to the secretaries and forbade them to change most of it. Even if Sinclair was an excellent speaker in meetings, he would take the liberty to be honest in company-wide memos. Perhaps, he needed to at least sound like a human to his people.

===

Those who had ingested such a substance, please contact HR personnel immediately. The withdrawal is deadly. The company has established connections with medical professionals that will take care of you should the symptoms start. It will be covered by your health insurance benefit given by the company.

Discrimination towards those who had unknowingly ingested the dangerous substance in their respective offices would be dealt with accordingly.

King Industries has always prided itself to be a gateway to innovation, one of the pillars rallying the business world to the future. Let us all be knowledgeable amid the healthcare situation and pull all the pieces of ourselves together. Brains included.

===

Ainsley could only wonder what could have happened in the CEO's office after this memo was released. He figured the board would be asking for an apology Sinclair wouldn't even give. It's just that the memo did contain a few things that the employees should know.

It was now up to their HR department how to handle those who were going to exhibit the symptoms soon. Hopefully, none of them would be sent to the hospital… worst, to the morgue.

Almost all the employees had read the memo when lunch started. Everywhere Ainsley eavesdropped would be where they discussed the memo. Some were shocked at the tone taken by the CEO, while the older employees were all very excited about it. Receiving a memo from the CEO occurred only once in a blue moon, and it was always worth the entertainment.

Ainsley had picked up packed lunches from the company canteen at the basement. He rode the private elevator up to their floor before taking the other wing to proceed to Sinclair's office. Before he could enter the room, he saw the Chairman walk out of the office. He had this very angry expression, and he only glared at Ainsley as if he was the culprit.

In the end, the Chairman couldn't be bothered, so he just left.

The employee chuckled before knocking at the door. It was the bubbly second secretary who opened the door for him and led him to the inner office of the CEO. When he walked in, Sinclair was standing in front of the glass wall, looking down at the city.

"From this height, Leo, can you find anything familiar?" Sinclair didn't need to take a look to know that Ainsley walked in. He could the other half of his heart pulsing, after all.

"Let me see…" Ainsley didn't stand close to the glass wall and just looked at the view. It was at the same height as the 'drone view', but the sight was very different. "I might have to take a look at nighttime instead. The sky by then was very dark."

"Alright, come here before you clock out. Let's eat then." Sinclair sighed as he walked to the waiting lounge in the office. They both unwrapped their lunches, and the CEO ate what was served to his employees in the canteen. He even ate steadily like he was not even thinking at all.

At this sight, Ainsley couldn't help but feel bad. It seemed that none of the so-called servants had found Roth yet. He should find a good spot later to look for the view he had. Then again, he wasn't even sure that it was inside the city.

No, he couldn't be this pessimistic. This dragon heart inside him was the strongest of its kind. In any case that Roth was not within its reach, it shouldn't be pulsing this strongly. Roth should be inside the city… but how long would he be able to call out?

…

As another meeting came to make Sinclair impatient and mad, Ainsley didn't get to enter the inner office to check the view. He just decided to look for a way to get to another building that high.

While he was looking around, he actually ran into a man he had met once. The certain figure was speaking to another person, and they just finished their conversation when Gavyn turned to find Ainsley waving at him.

Gavyn only smiled at the prancing human. "Hey, Ainsley. Can I help you with something?"