Zodiac Sigh!

Author's Note: ---

Chapter 2 – Revenge of the lowly Subordinate!

"You're leaving?" Mr. Butajiri said in disbelief.

If ears can be judgmental like its cousin, the mouth, it would be a war of the opposing words. For the first time, Shizuru saw the calm and sheep-like attitude boss of hers waning from her resignation letter. It was indeed a bold move from her as she is not the type of person who could quit the game. However, if situations need a sudden change of history and a survival of its integrity, she may choose to be unconventional.

"I'm giving you a two-week notice, sir. Being part of this incredible corporation is already an honor."

Her paranoia instincts are acting up against it's superego sibling.

Honor? When this word became so applicable to this type of environment whereas this creep is giving you the itch?

Every day, you have waived yourself to get through for a day and now you are getting the nerve to say an honor? Who paid you to advertise that anyway?

Mr. Butajiri's face turned himself from meek sheep to a growling sinister wolf as he said something that would make her retreat the words.

"You may leave this corporation right now."

"That easy?" she questions.

"You've done enough damage for today." He said as he places her letter in the "out" file.

Surprisingly, this boss knows how to treat his employees down to the lowest level as Shizuru immediately left him in his private office. She started to pick up the empty box as she began to fill up her things. Her co-employees didn't seem to be disturb for they had already been a part of Mr. Butajiri's "body and soul". They seem to be lifeless, empty shells and worst, work like machines.

I don't want to be part of this! Never again will I step into this inferno.

As soon as she finishes packing up, her main problem now is to transport four medium-size boxes to her home. If only she has a car, it would be a smooth ride. Calling a taxi is another thing but doing it is expensive as it would take her at least Y4, 500 from her ever slim wallet. Shelling it out is already far from her mind.

She carried one box at a time down to the building's main lobby as she glance at Tomomi's office table. It was all clean and worst she was gone. I wonder how she was able to carry her things in a flash. She thought in deep sense. As she got herself into the elevator, she meet the man who is so striking that she almost dropped the box that she was carrying.

A long raven-black hair transcends from his head to shoulders as she observed to be fragile looking yet sturdy strands, his scar drives vertically down to his face and the most intriguing is his deep blue eyes that sends her to heaven immediately. He stands so tall and proud as if Shizuru started to think that he might be a CEO, too.

She couldn't help herself feeling all the blood rushing up to her face. A blush might be noticeable to anyone aboard in the elevator. She manages to get a slight glimpse of this dreamy man. If this man is her chief executive officer then she should have done 365 hours of consecutive overtime. As if Shizuru would think she was his secretary, there must be a scandalous relationship. Her mind is going hentai as she remembers reading in an article in the daily tabloid. A certain CEO-secretary relationship is on the rise in an unprecedented manner. Juicy stories reveal illegal romance of how a boss divorces his wife just to be his mistress. Worst, urban legend of 'behind close doors' starts to vamp up women's imagination. No wonder a salary in a high polish corporation is the sought after of females these days.

The elevator door opened automatically as she realizes they were now in the ground floor. The man exited first as Shizuru tries to catch up with him. However, he was too fast for her as she stumbles into the ground. A loud crash of her office tools were all over the floor. The man stops at his tracks as he went back towards her.

Stupid shoe heels! This is humiliating! She thought cursing her own lowly shoes.

"Need help?" The man asked.

Shizuru looked up to him and lo and behold, her prayers answered her pleas in an overdue time. Her prince 'rescues' her as he hurriedly picked up the ball pens, folders, computer diskettes and calculator. He packed it in her box as she tries to fix herself up.

"Sir, I would like too…"

Shizuru spoke in an empty space as she saw the sight of her prince gone. Well, not exactly, as he was now outside of the building trying to call his driver to pick him up. She saw a luxurious black Aston Martin car park in front of him. A driver immediately opens the door for him as he rides inside like a royal person. The sight of him slowly fades from her as she kneel herself to pick up the box left.

"He must be rich."

If only she could ask his name or even say 'thank you' is enough to start a lengthy conversation. Nevertheless, he was gone in a flash of a lightning. Does he work here in this building? If he is a CEO, what company does he own or manages? Is he single? Perhaps the most important question of all is…

Will I ever see you again?

--

Sakyo rides into his black Aston Martin car and close the door beside him. A woman started to pick up the box as she searches for him. Too late, the car drove away from the building. He knew she was going to say something but he can't stay longer. He needs to attend an important meeting with his subordinates on how to overtake the rival Goliath Database Corporation. For now, his own company, Purple Eye DBC, began crawling up from its roots. He started this company barely three years with a starting investment of Y448, 000. Now, it climbs from 120th spot to 10th spot of being the most promising company of all Tokyo businesses. In fact, he is few steps away from being the youngest and self-made billionaire.

Sakyo Valdez is something that every chairperson fears. He is the most dynamic, creative and the best leader in managing his employees. Delegating the task to his colleagues and subordinates is a mandatory rule. Earning respect from them is necessary for he needs them, in addition, function the company properly. Just like a pyramid, he stand on the top as the peak falls when the base of the pyramid is not closely compact to support the upper structures.

His masterful touch of dealing the problems, thinking of solutions and executing them leaves the employees in awe. The company's net profit skyrocketed from the limited graphs as some business analyst started to think who this person is. Why did he succeed in a fast manner? Did he inherit some money for him to invest that easily? No! He knew how things should be done and he did it with unquestionable leadership. Just like a military tactician, he analyzes every angle of opportunity from his strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, his enemy's availability and vulnerability provide him an idea how to tackle him.

The book of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" is like a bible to him. Ever since he was a teenager, his father bought him that book for his sixteenth birthday. At first, he thought it was a historical military novel. However, when he read it change his life forever. It became a ticket for him on how to succeed in life by knowing yourself who you really are. It provides a general rule on how to be a leader, how to manage an army and how to maximize your resources. Let's put it this way.

A General is like a CEO of the company.

A group of semi-generals is like the CEO's semi-subordinates.

An army is like a group of employees.

The building is like the military camp.

The enemies are like the company's rivals.

The military map is like the stock market.

Lastly, the Kings of other countries are like the business analysts from the government.

Analyzing every bit of it and mastering them makes him invincible from self-destruction. Sakyo is quiet but purposeful as he unleashes his power that nobody from his surrounding sees it coming. Unless of course, if you have spies, then it is much better to avoid his wrath in order to be alive for another day. He manipulates figures as if there were chess pieces. He is indeed unstoppable. Even CEOs in their later stages in their lives revitalize the stories if he was in their younger years.

He remembers a brown-eyed girl he meets in the building's lobby. Her face fascinates him as he wonders if she works there. If it is, she must be working for his rival Goliath DBC.

Working as what type of job? He wonders.

If she is a creative consultant, he has to win her for he needs another feather in the company's cap. If she is a marketing officer, he needs her for it will make the company as a primary endorser of products.

What if she is working as a secretary?

A secretary is the first and foremost priority in his list since he needs at least three of them. Like a press secretary for dealing the TV and newspaper journalists since they were in the constant surveillance of his life and the company. A financial secretary who would track on in the company's spending since it was slightly out of control. Lastly, an office secretary who would eventually organize his crazy work that would need straightening.

The last one will have the opportunity working with him closely.

--

Shizuru brought the last box from the taxi, as she was able to get out from that dungeon. She feels like she wants to sing "Alleluia" in the bathroom. No more Mr. Butajiri's constant nagging on how the deadline would be met.

Somehow, she needs to find another job to meet the financial demands from her apartment.

That would require another challenging phase on how to find a new and sincere company. For now, she develops a phobia in applying which employer serves best between her and the company's interest.

She opened her computer in order for her to research which one stands out. By the way, she also needs to revise her resume to she will face another wave of applicants. She was surfing the net when her eyes caught her attention. It went out from the ad a few days ago when she was composing her resignation letter.

A small company called Purple Eye DBC is looking for employees with secretarial backgrounds. As if the flow of fate is in her favor, she applied online and submitted her resume. For once, she was able to do things that will be easy in her part and that is typing and doing it electronically.

These days are sure easy when time is your enemy.

Computers today serve it primary purpose…convenience.

Shizuru glance at her watch as it was now 9:00 pm and amazingly, she was able to beat that time for dinner! She was so glad that her office nightmares were over. She can now relax and plan carefully for tomorrow. Her future is unpredictable for she prays it would be in her favor. Planning is excellent but fate can be sometimes unfair especially it will ruin your hard worked plans that would only destroy by seconds.

She turns off her computer as she went to her bedroom. It was peace and quiet. It was far away from the bustle and hustle of city like. Her bedroom serves as if a meditating retreat for it re-energizes her whole being. She undresses herself and slips to her nightgown. It was a nice feeling as if the wind refreshes her. She lies down as she stares up in the ceiling. Finally, her eyes shut for another day is yet to come.

-To be continued-