Die, Replay, Repeat

It had been a day since Fang Xiu took on the role of Acting Chief Commander, and now he was officially in charge.

Sitting calmly at his large desk, Fang Xiu was framed by the warm glow of golden sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. His tall figure was supported by a sleek leather chair. 

On his desk were several leather folders filled with documents, all neatly organized. To his right, a beautiful rosewood teacup rested quietly.

A striking woman in a tailored outfit prepared tea nearby. She wore black stockings and high heels, her lips painted a bold red. 

As she poured hot spring water over the fragrant tea leaves, steam swirled into the air, filling the room with a lovely aroma.

Once the tea was ready, she gently lifted the teacup, blowing softly on the surface. The scent mingled with her breath, creating a warm vibe.

“Sir, your tea's ready,” she said with a bright smile.

Fang Xiu, however, was engrossed in his work. His long fingers gripped a black pen as he went through the documents. 

Noticing this, the woman pouted and took a sip from the cup.

“Wow! This tea is fantastic. No wonder it's exclusive to the higher-ups,” she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.

Dropping the pretense, she settled onto a nearby leather couch, crossing her legs and savoring the tea. 

After a few sips, boredom struck, and she pulled out her phone, scrolling through videos and laughing freely.

Fang Xiu frowned at the distraction. 

“Xiao Chuxia, send this document out immediately. Inform everyone that they must adhere strictly to the guidelines for Specter incident reports.”

Xiao Chuxia, still lounging on the couch, rolled her eyes. “Really, Xiu? You actually have work for me to do?*”

“Say one more word, and I’ll dock your salary and bonus for the month.”

Startled, Xiao Chuxia jumped up so quickly that one of her heels slipped off. 

She landed softly on the carpet and scrambled to find her shoe. After slipping it back on, she grabbed the document and shimmied out of the office.

Fang Xiu watched her leave, his frown deepening. 

Weren't it for Xiao Chuxia's vital skills, he wouldn’t have chosen someone so seemingly lazy as his secretary. 

He needed her around for protection. Xiao Chuxia's a huge liar, and there was a high risk for her to die because of that. 

If she died and Fang Xiu triggered death reset multiple times before he knew, he wouldn't be able to go a few resetting points back and save her then.

Honestly, Fang Xiu couldn't care less if Xiao Chuxia was dead; he just couldn't afford losing her ability.

The previous battle had made it clear just how essential her skills were. Without her, Fang Xiu knew he would struggle, no matter how many resets he attempted.

A short time later, Xiao Chuxia returned, shimmying back into the office.

“Xiu, are you sure about this document? Your first order as Chief Commander is to make the psychics standardize their Specter incident reports? Some people are complaining about it, saying psychics aren’t exactly obedient and that many don’t even write reports themselves—those are handled by their contacts. Focusing on this kind of small issue feels a bit excessive for a new commander.”

Fang Xiu calmly sipped his expensive mineral water. He wasn't having the tea since Xiao Chuxia had used that cup.

“You don’t need to worry about what they say. Just follow my order. Also, inform all department heads: anyone who fails to submit reports or commits fraud will face consequences—one offense means a 50% cut in their Spiritual Energy materials, two offenses lead to a full deduction, and three will get them fired.”

“Yeah, yeah, understood, you’re the boss here,” Xiao Chuxia replied, her tone hinting at resignation.

Fang Xiu didn’t elaborate on his reasoning. Many viewed this command as unnecessary bureaucracy. After all, who cared about paperwork when they could just deal with the Specters directly?

But Fang Xiu had a purpose behind it. He needed to prepare for future death resets. 

There were too many psychics at headquarters, and he couldn’t question each about their encounters with Specters. He required detailed reports on the processes, causes, and events after every incident.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.”

A staff member entered with a serious look on his face. 

“Sir, a Specter incident just occurred in the west part of Shangjing. It’s in a large shopping mall. Thousands of people are currently trapped in the Specter Domain. Here are the details.”

“Thousands?” Xiao Chuxia gasped at the number. This was a huge incident that could easily lead to social unrest, if not handled carefully.

Fang Xiu took the report, reading it closely while noting the time, location, and specifics.

“Send someone at it.”

The staff member hesitated, surprised by Fang Xiu's calm demeanor. 

“Anything else?” asked Fang Xiu.

“No... nothing else.”

The guy left to make arrangements.

Before long, another guy entered with news of yet another Specter incident.

Fang Xiu followed the same pattern: he read the report and simply said, “Send someone at it.” 

This continued several times, each report ending with that same response. 

After the last big fight, numerous Specters escaped, leading to multiple incidents in Shangjing within a single day.

Fang Xiu spent the entire day in his office, listening to the reports. 

As work wrapped up, Xiao Chuxia approached him. 

“Xiu, being Chief Commander seems too easy. I feel like I could do it too.”

Fang Xiu cast her a brief glance but didn’t reply. 

He had no interest in explaining; people saw only his apparent ease and ability to predict outcomes with a few light words. They admired how he managed dangers effortlessly but had no idea how many times he had quietly faced death behind the scenes.

Translator's note: You actually have work for me to do——I’m quite sure this is part of a very crude Chinese internet slang: "If you have work to do, let your secretary do it; if not, you do your secretary."

Yeah, that's very crude and sexist.