6.COMPANY RULE BOOK

COMPANY RULE BOOK

1. Employees must arrive at work before 8:30 AM.

2.Only formal office wear is permitted during working hours.

3.Gossiping during work hours is prohibited.

4.Employees are not allowed to raise their voices inside the company building.

5.Slamming office doors is strictly prohibited.

6.No employee may enter the CEO’s office without permission.

7.Food is only allowed during lunch break.

8.Drinks are prohibited around company files and documents.

9.Curse words and inappropriate language are forbidden inside the company.

10.Heavy makeup and flashy accessories are not permitted during work hours.

11.Unnecessary conversations between employees during work hours are prohibited.

12.Sleeping during work hours will lead to salary deduction.

13.Romantic relationships inside company premises are prohibited.

14.Employees must reply respectfully when spoken to by senior staff.

15.Personal phone calls during meetings are prohibited.

16.No employee is allowed to leave the office without informing the manager.

17.Employees must keep their desks clean and organized at all times.

18.Arguing with the CEO is considered insubordination.

19.Eye-rolling during conversations with senior staff is considered disrespectful conduct.

20.Repeated violations of company rules may lead to salary deduction, suspension, or termination.

Failure to obey these rules will result in salary deductions according to management’s decision.

Emma blinked at the paper several times, certain her eyes were malfunctioning.

No drinking water?

What if someone was choking? Were they supposed to evaporate professionally?

“This company is insane,” she muttered under her breath.

She dropped the rule book onto the desk dramatically before standing up from the chair. There was absolutely no way normal human beings survived in this place without developing anger issues.

Still grumbling to herself, Emma walked out of the office in search of Lucy.

The hallway stretched endlessly like some luxury maze designed to confuse poor people specifically. Employees walked past in neat suits, holding files against their chests like their lives depended on quarterly reports.

Emma looked down at herself.

Sweatshirt. Flare skirt. Sneakers.

Yeah. She looked like she accidentally wandered into the wrong movie set.

After a few seconds of debating internally, she finally stopped a passing employee.

“Sorry, sir. Just one minute.” Emma raised one finger for emphasis.

The man stopped immediately, adjusting his glasses. “Sure, miss. Are you looking for someone?”

Emma narrowed her eyes slightly as she noticed him briefly glance over her outfit before quickly pretending he hadn’t.

Interesting.

“Yes and no,” she replied carefully. “My name is Emma Jones. I’m the temporary manager for the CEO.”

The man’s brows lifted instantly.

“Oh! Really?” His expression brightened. “It’s nice meeting you, Miss Emma. I’m Silas.”

“Sure, sure,” Emma replied quickly, barely processing his name. “I’m actually looking for Lucy’s office.”

“Oh, Miss Lucy?” Silas pointed down the hallway. “Take a left turn, then another right. Count three doors. The fourth office is hers.”

Emma nodded rapidly.

“Ohhh. Okay. Thank you, Mr... mhm...” She squinted dramatically. “Silas. Right. Thank you.”

Before the poor man could say another word, Emma waved awkwardly and sped off down the hallway.

Silas blinked after her.

“Miss Emma...”

But she was already gone.

He chuckled softly to himself before adjusting the files in his arms.

“She seems interesting,” he muttered. “Maybe I’ll ask for her number another time.”

Meanwhile, Emma was already lost again.

“This place was definitely built by rich people with too much free time,” she grumbled while turning another corner.

Thankfully, after a few wrong turns and one accidental encounter with a cleaning staff closet, she finally found Lucy’s office.

Emma knocked twice before pushing the door open.

Lucy looked up from her desk, visibly exhausted already.

“Emma?” she asked slowly. “What brings you here?”

Emma walked in holding the rule book like evidence from a crime scene.

“Girl,” she began immediately, “what kind of military camp is this?”

Lucy sighed.

“Which part now?”

“The WATER part!” Emma exclaimed, flipping the pages dramatically. “No drinking water during work hours? What if I choke and collapse beautifully onto the floor? Am I supposed to die respectfully?”

Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Emma, I told you to read the explanations too, not just the rules.”

Emma folded her arms stubbornly.

Lucy leaned back in her chair before explaining.

“A staff member once spilled water on an important contract while working. It was a business deal involving one of the company’s biggest stakeholders. The documents got ruined.”

Emma blinked.

“Oh.”

“Exactly,” Lucy continued. “After that, the CEO banned drinks around important files unless absolutely necessary.”

Emma looked down at the rule book again.

Okay... slightly reasonable.

Slightly.

Still psychotic though.

Lucy narrowed her eyes suddenly.

“And don’t even think about trying it intentionally.”

Emma froze.

“How did you know what I was thinking?”

“Because your face screams bad decisions.”

Emma gasped softly.

“That’s offensive.”

“The employee who ruined the documents got fired,” Lucy continued calmly.

Emma’s eyes widened immediately a smile threatening to show at the new information.

“Fired?”

“And fined.”

“Oh, come on.”

Lucy nodded.

“He had to pay compensation because the company lost money from the damaged contract.”

Emma stared at her in disbelief.

“This company doesn’t play.”

“No,” Lucy agreed. “It really doesn’t.”

Emma slowly sank into the chair opposite Lucy’s desk.

For the first time since arriving here, reality started tapping her aggressively on the forehead.

She was trapped.

Completely trapped.

And unfortunately, the trap was owned by a rich, annoying man with expensive watches and emotional issues.

Emma sighed deeply.

“If he wasn’t so unbearable,” she muttered thoughtfully, “I might’ve tried seducing him a little.”

Lucy nearly dropped her pen.

“What?”

Emma shrugged.

“I’m just saying. Billionaires are useful.”

Lucy stared at her for a full three seconds.

“You are actually unbelievable.”

Before Emma could defend herself, the office phone rang.

Lucy immediately straightened before answering the call.

“Yes, sir?”

Emma watched her carefully.

Then Lucy’s expression shifted.

Very slowly, she turned toward Emma.

Emma already knew.

She knew.

And yet she still prayed she was wrong.

“Okay, sir,” Lucy replied politely before hanging up.

Silence.

Emma blinked once.

Twice.

“...No.”

Lucy folded her hands together.

“He said, and I quote: ‘Send Miss Jones to my office now.’”

Emma closed her eyes in pain.

“Maybe if we both pretend I disappeared, this problem will solve itself.”

“Nice try,” Lucy replied dryly.

Emma groaned dramatically and turned toward the door before Lucy stopped her again.

“Oh, and take this file to him.”

Emma turned slowly.

Very slowly.

Lucy pushed a thick document across the desk.

“It contains the financial records from last month’s transported goods.”

Emma stared at the file like Lucy had handed her a live snake.

“Miss Lucy,” she began carefully, “your legs seem perfectly functional.”

Lucy smiled without humor.

“And I’d like to keep my salary functional too.”

Emma pointed accusingly.

“Traitor.”

“Happily.”

Emma groaned loudly before snatching the file from her hands.

Lucy almost laughed at the amount of attitude packed into that single movement.

“Read through it before handing it over,” Lucy advised.

Emma flipped through several pages before looking horrified.

“How am I supposed to understand any of this? I wasn’t even here last month.”

Lucy paused.

Fair point.

“For once in your life,” she admitted, “you actually said something sensible.”

Emma looked smug instantly.

Lucy ruined it immediately.

“Just give it to the boss. He already understands the report.”

Emma sighed dramatically.

“Fantastic. Now I have to read financial records AND see that man again.”

As she marched toward the door, Lucy called out one final warning.

“Emma.”

Emma paused.

“Please don’t do anything stupid.”

Emma stared at her for a few seconds.

Then smiled suspiciously.

Lucy immediately regretted everything.

A second later, Emma slammed the office door behind her loudly.

Lucy flinched.

She slowly looked up at the ceiling.

“God,” she whispered tiredly, “please protect this company.”