Ethan Cooper responded and was about to go in, but she grabbed his sleeve.

“What are you doing? The boss is watching—it’s not good to be pulling and tugging like this,” Ethan Cooper whispered.

Emily Bolton was startled and immediately let go. Her pretty face flushed as she pouted, “Go to hell! Even now you’re still joking around. Are you really planning to take that thing in with you?”

Ethan Cooper looked down and realized he was still carrying a travel bag. It did look a bit inappropriate. But the things inside were tied to his very life; if he left it here, he’d feel even less at ease.

With a chuckle, Ethan Cooper said, “What’s in here is basically my lifeline—I can’t put it down.”

After saying that, he winked at her twice and went in with a smile.

Once inside the inner office, he closed the door behind him. Thinking of Emily Bolton’s radiant, peach-blossom smile just now, a wave of warmth rose in his heart for no reason.

“Wenbing, have a seat.”

The boss’s words pulled him back to reality. Ethan Cooper hurriedly said respectfully, “Manager, I’m sorry, I—”

Eric Bennett suddenly interrupted him: “You don’t need to say anything.”

Ethan Cooper’s eyes widened slightly; all the explanations he’d prepared were suddenly useless.

But Eric Bennett’s attitude seemed a bit odd. Although they weren’t especially close, they had worked together for years.

Ethan Cooper knew this boss was shrewd, but when it came to his own people, he was still reasonable and understanding.

In this society, bosses like this were rare, which was why the company’s staff were so motivated. The company’s current standing in the province owed a lot to him.

Even though he’d disappeared for several days without reason, that day when the boss called, he’d told him to rest well. Although the break had been a bit long, it shouldn’t have warranted such a harsh attitude.

“Wenbing, where you’ve been these past few days doesn’t matter, and you don’t need to tell me.”

Ethan Cooper was surprised—had he misunderstood the boss’s intentions?

Eric Bennett smiled slightly and said, “Actually, after I called you in that day, I regretted it. But since you’re okay, I’m relieved.”

Ethan Cooper’s surprise deepened. Suddenly, a thought struck him and he whispered, “You mean John Harris?”

“That’s right.” Eric Bennett sighed. “I’ve dealt with people all my life. I can usually tell what kind of person someone is at a glance. But that John Harris…”

His expression suddenly changed, a hint of lingering fear in his eyes. “That day, John Harris came to see me, saying he needed someone to transport an item. That in itself wasn’t anything unusual, but that man—he gave me a very dangerous feeling.”

Ethan Cooper’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected Eric Bennett to feel the same way. Could he be a psychic too?

But as Ethan Cooper looked him over—clearly overweight, with a big head and ears—he looked less and less like a psychic, and more like… some kind of animal.

“I don’t know who he is, but I had this absurd thought: if he wanted to kill me, it would be extremely easy.” Eric Bennett continued.

He nodded slowly. Judging by what John Harris had shown in the restaurant, killing someone would be all too easy for him.

“At the time, I had only one thought: get rid of this… this plague god as quickly as possible. That’s why I called you up.”

Ethan Cooper couldn’t help but laugh. “Plague god”—he definitely agreed with that.

“That day, when I saw you hadn’t come to work, I called you. Your voice sounded off, and I got really worried. After that, I called two or three times a day, but never got through. I almost went to the police. Luckily, you finally showed up.”

Eric Bennett let out a sigh of relief and said, “Where you’ve been these past few days, I don’t want to know. But to show my apology, your salary will be doubled from now on. Just a small token from me.”

“Thank you, Manager.” Eric Bennett smiled indifferently and said, “But, Manager Cheng, there’s one more thing…”

As for the salary, to be honest, Eric Bennett didn’t really care. Even if he got five times his salary, it would still take most of his life to buy those two houses.

“What is it? Just say it.”

“I’d like to take a few days off.” Ethan Cooper found it hard to ask. He’d already been absent for ten days, and now, right after coming back, he wanted more time off. No matter how he put it, it sounded bad.

Unexpectedly, Eric Bennett agreed cheerfully: “Sure! Go wherever you want to relax. Have a good time—consider it paid leave. Take as long as you want.”

He pulled out a pen, signed a personal check, and said, “Here’s ten thousand yuan—a bonus for you.”

“Thank you, Manager.”

Chapter Four: Farewell

Ethan Cooper left the manager’s office, feeling a bit grateful to Eric Bennett. He really was a considerate boss. With another sigh, he thought to himself: bosses like this are truly rare these days.