Chapter 22: Chapter 22
The office was unusually lively that morning. Alex could hear the excited murmurs as he approached his desk, the usual hum of printers and keyboards drowned out by a sense of anticipation. He quickly set down his coffee and turned to Jane, who was already deep in conversation with a few others from their department.
"Have you heard the news?" Jane asked as soon as she saw him.
"News?" Alex raised an eyebrow, slipping into his chair.
"New boss coming," she said, leaning in with a grin. "Finally, someone to shake things up around here. Mr Harris though is good, but he had been here for a long time. Everyone's hoping it'll be someone good, you know? Someone who actually knows what they're doing."
Alex wasn't too invested in the office hierarchy, but the idea of someone competent taking over was appealing. He nodded, but before he could respond, one of the older employees, Rick, chimed in from across the room.
"Don't get your hopes up too high, folks. Last time we got a new boss, half the team quit within a month."
The group turned toward Rick, their initial excitement dampened by his words. Rick was a veteran of the company, having been there long before most of them joined. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, clearly enjoying the attention.
"Yeah, we got a guy who had no clue what he was doing. The workload tripled, and people were running around like headless chickens trying to clean up his mess. People started resigning left and right. Me? I nearly walked out myself."
Jane frowned. "That bad?"
Rick nodded. "Worse. If this new one's anything like that, I wouldn't be surprised if people start jumping ship again."
The room grew quieter. Everyone seemed to be processing Rick's warning. Alex, on the other hand, wasn't overly concerned. He had his own way of handling stress, and unlike the others, he wasn't intimidated by a heavier workload.
"I don't think it'll be that bad," Alex said, shrugging. "Even if it is, I'll manage."
"You're too calm about all this," Jane said, laughing. "What's your secret?"
Alex smiled slightly, but he didn't answer. His secret was something far beyond what his colleagues could imagine—his mental strength was growing steadily, and he could handle pressure in ways they couldn't. Plus, with his system's help, finishing work quickly had become second nature.
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During breaks, Alex had adopted a new routine: meditation. It was a practice he had been exploring for months, and now, with his enhanced mental abilities, it had become even more rewarding. He would sit in the break room or head outside, close his eyes, and sink into a deep mental focus. His recall was now so sharp that he could bring back any piece of information instantly, without needing to access Cognichip.
In fact, since his mental breakthrough, Alex realized something: the old "normal mode" was useless to him now. He no longer needed to shift between modes to control his cognitive processing. The smart mode, which allowed for rapid thinking and problem-solving, had become sustainable for longer periods. And when he didn't need to be operating at full capacity, he could easily drop into a semi-smart mode, conserving mental energy while still being more efficient than the average person.
By the time Alex returned to his desk, he often found that he had already solved problems others would struggle with for hours. The extra time allowed him to meditate more during work, something he quietly enjoyed without anyone noticing. He had begun visualizing bigger and more complex ideas—things like the solar system, galaxies, and the universe itself—concepts that helped him push his mental strength even further.
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As the workday ended, Alex couldn't help but overhear more whispers about the new boss. The office was abuzz with speculation, but for now, it didn't weigh on him. While the others worried about what was to come, Alex knew that whatever happened, his growing mental prowess would help him stay ahead. He could handle a bad boss, extra work, or anything else they threw at him.
However, as he packed up for the day, a thought lingered in his mind: What if Rick was right? What if this new boss is worse than expected?