Chapter 4: Reload or Be Banished

Now the system responds again, still cold, but with a hint of snark: “Host, do you wish to reload at the newbie trial checkpoint? Friendly reminder: you can only reload up to five times, or you’ll be stuck here forever.”

You: …

Do I even have a choice? If I don’t restart, I’m toast!

Reload. Restart.

The autumn wind sighs, leaves scatter before you, and you’re back again to the morning when Thirteenth Brother comes looking for you.

Thirteenth Brother bursts in, sees the housekeeper kneeling at your study door, and before he can speak, you throw open the door and shout, “Come on, let’s go take care of business!”

Thirteenth Brother: ...

That day, you make up your mind and decisively fire Carl Zimmerman. You clean house on every official involved—Public Works, city staffers, even the Mayor’s son’s people.

Meanwhile, the Finance Office stays quiet. Carl Zimmerman’s little case, you turn into a full-blown purge.

Soon, the city’s jails are overflowing.

And then the Mayor returns and chews you out again.

You’re stunned: “Dad, you told me to investigate! These people are all corrupt—none of them are any good!”

The Mayor points at you: “You’ve been meditating for years, but you’re still as reckless as ever. You fire people without hesitation, and you’re targeting your second brother’s people—how do you think he feels?”

You: ...

Wait—you already cut him out, and you still care how he feels?

What kind of twisted logic is this—only I get to discipline my son, nobody else can touch him?

The worst part is… if going hard doesn’t work, and going soft doesn’t work, what the hell am I supposed to do with this case? If there’s a middle ground, where is it?

You mope in your house for months, stumped.

Not that those months were wasted. You watched plenty of drama in the city—like the Mayor’s son being guarded by the First and Fifth Sons.

Fifth Son is a lost cause—eight years old and still can’t read, but gentle by nature.

You frown, recalling the Mayor’s earlier warnings. The Mayor clearly still cares about his son. But if he cares so much, why didn’t he see him on the way back, or listen to his defense, but instead sent the First Son to escort him?

Somewhere deep down, you feel you’ve grasped a key point.