HPDBC Chapter 20 20: I Really Messed Up!
Chapter 20 20: I Really Messed Up!
Three million as an "Outstanding Employee Award"?
If this had happened just yesterday, Orson wouldn't have cared if it was a joke or not; he would've snatched that card without a second thought and shoved it in his pocket. But now? A measly three million was nothing more than a joke.
"Oh, Lauren, you're just too much."
Orson chuckled, watching Lauren's stiff, uncomfortable smile. He'd practically read her intentions at a glance. This supposed "bonus" wasn't a reward; it was an investment—a down payment for Orson's continued allegiance.
She thought her sly moves and pretty little waist could keep him tied down? Please.
Lauren obviously had kept an eye on Orson's dominant showing in *Infinite Dimensions*, and it was clear she wanted to keep him in Rank Studios, under her thumb.
"Business not looking so good for the other games these days, huh, Lauren?" Orson asked with a half-smile.
Lauren's smile faltered, but she forced herself to keep calm. "It's alright, I guess."
Lauren had been doing well as an heiress, building competitive teams and making decent money from pay-to-play studios in games like *Sword and Conquest*. But ever since *Infinite Dimensions* had launched, other games had been losing players fast. The investments she'd poured into *Sword and Conquest* were tanking daily. She had no choice but to throw all her resources into *Infinite Dimensions*, expanding her studio into a larger guild in the hopes that the game's massive player base would finally pay off.
Orson, with his undefeated "three-crown" reputation and current meteoric rise in the game, had clearly become Lauren's prime target.
Orson looked her over, unable to hide a smirk. "Gotta hand it to you, Lauren—you're pretty sharp."
"You flatter me, Orson." She forced a smile, though his piercing stare made her uneasy.
In just the first 30 hours since launch, the name Orgod had dominated the leaderboards, even surpassing *Dragon's Kiss Guild* and its leader Usher. If Orson agreed to rejoin Rank Studios and helped launch their guild, the buzz alone would skyrocket *Bright Galaxy* into the spotlight.
It was the perfect business play—textbook Lauren.
In the previous timeline, *Bright Galaxy* had indeed been a top-tier guild in the early days, and Orson himself had even led one of its 100-man farming teams. Back then, there wasn't much difference between players' skill levels, and *Bright Galaxy* had risen fast, clearing tough instances with Orson and several retired pros. Things were looking good—until the first contested Guild Outpost event came around.
"Really?" Bradley perked up. "Is it a cute girl or something?"
A loud smack and a scolding from his girlfriend were heard on the other end: "Girl my ass—get lost, you pig!"
Orson chuckled. "Don't worry, my ears are 'closed.'" He turned on speaker and handed the phone to a visibly uneasy Charles.
Lauren shot him a death glare, but Charles stammered out a reluctant, "D-dad... I'm sorry."
Bradley's gleeful voice crackled through the phone. "What? Signal's spotty—I didn't quite catch that. Louder!"
Charles turned beet red and nearly shouted, "DAD! I messed up, okay?!"
Satisfied, Orson hung up, sending Bradley off in high spirits and leaving Lauren and Charles both speechless.
After brushing them off, he took the bouquet of flowers and went to the door of hospital room 414. Orson took a deep breath, standing just outside, his hand shaking slightly as he clutched the flowers.
"I don't care how many times I'd have to do this over again... I swear I'll make sure nothing goes wrong this time."
Orson braced himself, taking a few moments to gather his courage, telling himself it was just to be the brother she deserved. Finally, he peeked through the window.
There, under a beam of gentle sunlight, was a young girl with chestnut hair sitting on the hospital bed. She looked so delicate, her pale skin almost translucent. Her long hair lifted softly in the breeze as she swiped through a tablet, the faintest smile on her lips.
In that instant, Orson felt his heart shatter and mend all at once, his vision blurring as tears slipped down his cheeks.
It was real—his nightmares had been vanquished, his dream come true.
He opened the door and, ignoring the glances from the other patients, strode over to her and wrapped her tightly in his arms. He gently brushed a hand over her hair and murmured in her ear, "I'm back for real this time. I'm really back."
"...Brother, aren't you supposed to be at work?" The girl looked up at him in surprise, a soft blush coloring her cheeks, her innocent face beaming in the sunlight.