Chapter Text
FROM: [email protected]
SUBJECT: Reassignment
As per your last conversation with Director Shang De, your managerial duties will be transferred from Hero Nice (deceased) and Hero Moon (deceased) to Hero Commoner, AKA Lin Ling.
Discussion around your benefits package and scheduled raise will be tabled until after the Hero Tournament in two weeks. No disciplinary action regarding your behavior will be taken at this time, but a thorough HR investigation will be conducted shortly.
The Director has high hopes for Hero Commoner. Do not let him engage in any activities that may lead to his ranking falling prior to the Tournament. Failure to comply with this will result in the immediate termination of your employment contract with Treeman Corporation.
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VOICE NOTE TRANSCRIPTION (17:34:20):
Commoner’s floor needs to be redecorated. The Nice statue has already been dismantled and removed, but the lack of anything personal in his space is clearly having a negative impact on his mood.
Nothing from his old apartment was salvaged—when he was declared missing, his landlord either sold off or threw away his belongings and immediately rented it to another tenant.
I’ll need to compile a list of things for him to choose from. He’s shown little interest in deciding on furniture himself now that he has the option to do so. I assume he got used to Nice’s minimalist lifestyle.
We have a fair amount of Moon merchandise in storage. We could—
[EXTENDED PAUSE]
Scratch that. I’ll come up with something based on the profile we compiled of him.
END OF VOICE NOTE
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JUAN TIAN: (file attached) This is your schedule for next week. Look it over and also read through the interview prep notes I’ve included at the end. It isn’t scripted this time, but there are topics you’ve been instructed to avoid and you’ll need to have an appropriate response so you don’t appear like you’re dodging the question.
COMMONER: Got it.
JUAN TIAN: Any questions?
COMMONER: Just one.
COMMONER: Why isn’t there more combat training? When I was Nice, I had two hours every morning where I had to study his previous fights and test myself against the dummies in Treeman’s R&D department.
JUAN TIAN: The goal there was to perfect your performance as Nice. We had to make sure you didn’t slip up anywhere. Though if you’ll recall, you deviated from Nice’s fighting style. Often.
COMMONER: I did apologize for that. And it’s not like anyone noticed.
COMMONER: … except for Enlighter, I guess. Or God Eye. Whatever.
JUAN TIAN: You developed your own style in the end, which I turned out to be a good thing. The X Tournament is almost here. We don’t need you wearing yourself out beforehand.
COMMONER: But I barely know what I’m capable of as The Commoner. Shouldn’t I be practicing MORE so I know the full extent of my powers? So I can actually have a shot at winning the tournament?
JUAN TIAN: The time we’ve allotted for training is sufficient for that. We’ve also brought in experts to help determine the extent of your capabilities. What’s most important now is maintaining your image so your Trust levels keep you at Rank 10.
COMMONER: ok but. I need to be ready.
JUAN TIAN: Commoner.
JUAN TIAN: Lin Ling.
JUAN TIAN: Rankings don’t determine the tournament brackets. I told you that before when you asked. You’re just as likely to go against Rank 4 as you are Rank 9 for your first fight.
COMMONER: ok
JUAN TIAN: Read the schedule. Study the notes. We’ll meet tomorrow morning for a debrief if you have any more questions.
COMMONER: ok
JUAN TIAN: Get some rest, Lin Ling.
message read 22:56
_____
COPY OF ARTICLE — X CITY TIMES (FOR REVIEW BY MANAGER JUAN TIAN)
Written by XU MING; photography by GAO YUXUAN
A new hero arrived on the scene this past week, and already he’s come out swinging.
The Commoner, AKA Lin Ling, isn’t a new hero, though. The public already knows him as Hero Nice, Treeman’s former golden boy.
By Lin Ling’s own admission during his fight with the villain God Eye, he took over as Nice when the Perfect Hero unexpectedly died. It was Lin Ling who fought Nice’s nemesis, Wreck, at his wedding with Hero Moon—Nice’s girlfriend and partner. It was also Lin Ling who held Moon and cried for her as she died in his arms in the aftermath.
Lin Ling eventually brought Nice’s Trust to Rank 10 after the skirmish with Firm Man’s nemesis, Wolf Girl.
To many, this serves as proof that The Commoner has already proven himself as a hero, surpassing Hero Nice’s own feats and capturing the hearts of every woman under the age of 30 with his sincere reaction to Moon’s death and subsequent attempt to rescue her from God Eye.
For others, though, the question is this: Can Lin Ling—a man who blatantly lied to the public, who donned another hero’s identity like a simple mask and stole not only his life, but his girlfriend and his hard-earned fame—be Trusted? Can we attribute any of his success to his own merit rather than the jumpstart he was given by pretending to be Nice?
It’s also unclear whether Moon herself was aware that her boyfriend had been replaced by Lin Ling at any point in their co-habitation. While Lin Ling’s feelings for her, especially his grief, seemed sincere, we cannot overlook the fact that he was a primary member of her marketing team and likely a fan of hers.
Was this all perhaps a ploy to—
[the rest of the article is illegible—scratched out with red ink to the point of blotting out half the page]
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SECURITY LEADER: He’s gone out again.
JUAN TIAN: Where?
SECURITY LEADER: His old workplace. Where Nice jumped.
SECURITY LEADER: Do we bring him in?
JUAN TIAN: Not yet. Just observe him for now. Lin Ling isn’t stupid. And he’s not Nice. If nothing else, he has one thing to live for still.
SECURITY LEADER: You sure trust him a lot more than you ever did Nice.
JUAN TIAN: I didn’t ask for your opinion. Watch him. If he comes back with so much as a scratch, it’ll be your head on the chopping block.
SECURITY LEADER: Yes ma’am.
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VOICE NOTE TRANSCRIPTION (21:16:04):
He’s not sleeping. Concealer can only hide so much, and he doesn’t have Nice’s powers anymore—or the expectations that shaped them. People are going to notice.
We can spin it in our favor, I think. “Look, even heroes need to recharge!”
He had an athleisure brand interested in sponsoring him… we could find an energy drink to pair with it. Or a sports drink, maybe. Something refreshing.
Director Shang said he doesn’t need to be perfect. He just needs to keep the momentum he has going through the tournament.
[PAUSE]
[MUFFLED, AS IF TO HERSELF]
We never told Nice that. That he didn’t have to be perfect. What makes Lin Ling different?
[THROAT-CLEARING SOUND]
What matters is making it through this week. We’ll figure something out after the tournament.
[END OF VOICE NOTE]
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FROM: [email protected]
SUBJECT: THE COMMONER
Director Shang requests that you accompany Hero Commoner to his office this afternoon. I’ve sent you the calendar invite—please clear both your schedules for the rest of the day. The Director has much he’d like to discuss with him.
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EXCERPT OF AI-GENERATED MEETING NOTES — Director Shang De, The Commoner, Manager J
Tuesday XX/XX/2XXX
Director Shang De: You understand what it is I’m asking, Commoner.
The Commoner: I do, sir.
Director Shang De: Then that’s all. You’re dismissed. Manager J, stay behind for a minute.
Manager J: Sir?
Director Shang De: I want your honest opinion. How far is he willing to go for what he wants?
Manager J: As far as it takes. He resisted the weight of Nice’s Trust to try and rescue who he thought was Moon. I’ve never seen another hero manage that, aside from some of the higher ranks.
Director Shang De: And how far can he be pushed?
Manager J: …sir?
Director Shang De: Losing Nice was a pity. His brand deals earned Treeman a not inconsiderable sum during his tenure as a hero. Moon, too, is frustrating. Neither of them lived up to their full potential, though. Or maybe it’s better to say they reached their limit far sooner than they—or we—anticipated. So what about The Commoner? How long will he be an asset? How much use can we get out of him? When does he become a… flight risk?
Manager J: I—I don’t expect that to happen, sir. Lin—The Commoner’s reason for officially signing on with Treeman is his reason for being a hero now. And he’s agreed to stay as Treeman’s asset even after he reaches his goal. He isn’t one to break promises.
Director Shang De: This is your professional opinion?
Manager J: It is, sir.
Director Shang De: Good. He’s making up for the unexpected loss of two heroes. One of which he facilitated. I’ll hold him to what he owes us.
Manager J: Yes.
Director Shang De: Dismissed.
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SCHEDULE:
0700 — Wake up
0715 — Breakfast (fruit)
0745 — Morning run (indoor track)
0845 — Morning debrief
0900 — Final costume fitting
1000 — Photoshoot w/ official hero costume
1200 — Lunch (no carbs)
1300 — Marketing strategy meeting
1345 — Follow up interview with X City Times (IF PREVIOUS JOURNALIST SHOWS UP, WALK OUT; VERBAL CONTRACT FOR INTERVIEW IS VOIDED)
1500 — Free time
1700 — Dinner
1800 — Evening debrief
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SECURITY HEAD: The roof again.
JUAN TIAN: And?
SECURITY HEAD: Nothing. He just stands there. It’s… kind of creepy.
JUAN TIAN: What did I say about opinions.
SECURITY HEAD: My apologies. Not concerned. Just updating you as you asked.
JUAN TIAN: He knows you’re there. Get him back to the Tower by 22:00. He needs to sleep.
SECURITY HEAD: Will do, ma’am.
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VOICE NOTE TRANSCRIPTION (23:55:14):
Lin Ling knows about the cameras. He waved directly at one when he finally got back to his apartment before he went into the bathroom. I’ll have to make a note to have them moved again while he’s participating in the tournament tomorrow.
Nice never noticed. Or maybe he did, and he just didn’t care. He was used to having an audience. I don’t even know where the mask ended and the real Nice began.
I—
[AUDIBLE VOICE CRACK]
I sometimes think about what I said to Lin Ling. About Nice, and the choice he made. How little I cared about the loss of a human life—or cared only about how it would impact my contract with Treeman if it came out I’d let their golden boy kill himself.
I told Lin Ling he’d come to the same crossroads Nice did eventually. That he’d have to make a choice. That he’d best make the right one.
The problem is that I don’t know what the right choice is anymore.
I don’t blame myself for Nice. Whatever was wrong with him was there long before I became his manager.
I didn’t help him, though. I didn’t even think to try. Director Shang’s orders were all that mattered. Nice knew that, too. So did Moon.
The only one who didn’t was Lin Ling.
[EXTENDED PAUSE]
[INHALE]
What’s done is done. I’m not going to dwell on it.
For now, I’m going to focus on the hero. Not the brand.
[END OF VOICE NOTE]