"Cheers!"
An adult man raised his beer glass.
"Cheers!"
Five others—three men and two women—followed enthusiastically.
They gulped down their beer and let out satisfied sighs.
"Hah…" The man smiled contentedly and looked at his friends with a gentle expression. "Thank you, everyone. Our team finally achieved this month's sales target. At the end of the year, we're going to get a lot of bonuses."
The five people exchanged smiles.
One of the men chuckled softly and replied, "You're welcome, Leader Allen. We're grateful to you too. Thanks to your help and guidance, we were able to reach that target."
The others nodded in agreement. A woman named Lisa added, "Yes, I agree with Dave. This month's sales target was almost impossible to reach. Even teams two, three, and five couldn't do it. Only our team, team one, and team four succeeded."
Another woman, Tina, took a sip of her beer and sneered, "Team four only succeeded because their team leader had an insider in the company. Otherwise, it would've been impossible for them to finish it."
The others didn't comment, but they clearly agreed with Tina's blunt statement.
"Alright, let's not talk about the other teams. Focus on the party! Don't worry, I'll treat you all!" Allen said proudly, patting his chest.
"Oh!" Everyone's eyes lit up. Tristan, who was sitting next to Allen, took a sip of his beer and shouted, "This one's for you, Leader!"
"Hahaha! I don't want to be left out either!" Tina took another sip of her beer, followed by the others.
"Pfft!" Allen chuckled. "Thank you. Come on, let's start eating too. I heard this restaurant has delicious meat and all kinds of seafood dishes."
"Okay!" Everyone nodded in agreement and immediately started grilling the prepared meat.
The simple party was lively yet still under control. They exchanged laughter, gossip, and all sorts of stories.
Eventually, the clock struck eleven, and they decided to head home.
"Well then, we'll be going now, Leader Allen," Tina said, winking playfully.
"All right." Allen smiled and nodded slightly. "Be careful, especially you, Dave. You look pretty drunk."
"Me? You must be joking, leader. I… ugh…" His words trailed off as dizziness hit him.
Tristan and the others quickly supported him.
"Didn't I tell you?" Allen rolled his eyes. He folded his jacket and hung it over his shoulder. "Anyway, be careful. And Tristan, I remember your apartments are close to each other. Please take him back. I'm worried he might cause trouble later. That could be bad for him and for the company."
In this modern era, crimes—intentional or not—could easily attract public hatred.
If that happened, the company they worked for could be sued. It could ruin his career and his team's future as well.
"I understand, Leader. Leave it to me," Tristan assured him.
Allen didn't say anything more. After exchanging a few more words, he turned around and left.
Watching him walk away, Tina nudged Lisa with her elbow.
"Hey, I heard the leader still doesn't have a partner even though he's thirty-six," she whispered softly. "Didn't you say you liked him? Why don't you confess tomorrow?"
At her teasing words, Lisa blushed. She pinched Tina's waist and scolded, "Don't talk nonsense! Or I'll hit you."
"Ouch! Don't be so fierce, okay? You're really scary!" Tina complained in frustration.
Lisa didn't reply and simply shook her head. But her eyes drifted off as she watched Allen walk away.
'What Tina said… maybe it makes a little sense. Should I try tomorrow?'
...
"Ugh… My stomach feels queasy," Allen muttered, holding his rumbling stomach.
Dizziness was starting to wash over him, and his body felt hot.
He had drunk quite a lot earlier. He'd been dizzy since the beginning, but he forced himself to stay composed so he wouldn't embarrass himself in front of his friends.
"I shouldn't have drunk that much," he whispered helplessly.
He walked to a vending machine by the roadside and bought a bottle of cold water.
After taking a sip, the dizziness lessened a bit, but not completely.
He forced himself to keep walking, even as his vision grew blurry.
Suddenly...
"Help… me…"
Allen's eyes widened. He looked around in confusion.
"What was that? Did I hear wrong?"
"Help… Anyone, help me! I can't swim!"
The voice rang out again, clearer this time.
"Someone's asking for help!" Allen snapped out of his daze. "Where is it?"
"Help…"
The sound came from his right. He turned and noticed a park on that side, dimly lit by only a few streetlights.
Without a second thought, he ran toward the source of the sound. Moments later, he stopped at the edge of the lake.
Under the bright moonlight, a woman in a business suit was struggling in the middle of the lake.
She raised her hands weakly, trying her best to keep herself from sinking completely.
Panic struck Allen. He looked around and saw no one else.
"I have to save her!"
That was the only thing on his mind. Without hesitation, he jumped into the lake and tried to swim.
Only then did he remember—he couldn't swim at all.
"Damn it!" Allen panicked and flailed, trying to stay afloat.
But his efforts were useless. With alcohol clouding his mind, everything felt chaotic.
On top of that, he had just come home from work, and his body was exhausted and stiff.
Slowly, his body began to sink, and his vision darkened.
"Am I going to die?" The thought flashed through his mind.
His breath faded, and he felt his consciousness being pulled away by something unseen.
But just before everything went black, an old voice echoed in his mind.
"You're actually very brave, kid. I can see the goodness in you. Now, I'll give you a second life. Enjoy it…"