"The Mysterious Phone"

Hi everyone, I'm Shiny. As bright as my name sounds, my life hasn't always been as luminous. Coming from a middle-class background, owning a mobile phone was a luxury beyond my reach. However, my fascination with technology, particularly with the innovative products from Skyline, knew no bounds. I avidly followed their product launches and knew every feature of their devices by heart.

One day, a glimmer of hope appeared in the form of a pamphlet from Skyline. It announced a contest where the winners would receive an exclusive, never-to-be-reproduced model of their latest mobile phone. People started talking about things.

After seeing that pamphlet, only one thing raised in my mind. That is, 'I WANT IT'. Why don't I give it a try?!!! Ok, let's do this!!

As I thought, I participated and the shortlisted to the final round with 3 members. I didn't believe that I'm one of them. They had given us two choices, they are.

1. Compromising(i.e\, among three of us\, two should compromise and let the other person win)

2. We have to write another test\, tougher than before.

The two kind bros (other participants) graciously let me win. After presenting the mobile to me, the software designer approached and informed me of a secret surprise contained within it. Intrigued and excited, I immediately asked, “What is it, sir?” He smiled mysteriously and replied, “I'm not going to tell you. When the time comes, you'll discover it for yourself.”

Two years had passed since I received that phone, and I still hadn't uncovered the hidden feature. Fueled by my curiosity and passion for technology, I decided to pursue a degree in computer engineering. I believed that by delving deep into the world of mobile software, I might finally unlock the secret that had eluded me for so long.

I completed my studies and was thrilled to be placed as a software designer at Skyline. To my surprise, I encountered the same software designer who had originally given me the phone. He didn’t remember me at first, so I showed him the phone and said, “I'm the winner of that year's contest. You told me there was a hidden feature in this phone, but I still haven't found anything surprising. Could you please reveal the feature?”

He replied, “I remember now. I didn’t say there was a hidden feature; I said there was a hidden surprise.”

I pleaded, “Sir, at least give me a hint.”

He paused, then asked, “Do you know the ex-CEO of Skyline?”

I replied quickly, “Yes, sir! How could I not? He was Mr. Thompson, an incredible leader with remarkable qualities. His energy and the way he managed the company were truly inspiring! It was so tragic when he died at a young age in that car accident. Alas!”

The designer nodded thoughtfully and said, “Well… that's the hint.”

“What? But how, sir? How does this relate to Mr. Thompson?” I asked, puzzled.

He simply smiled and walked away, leaving me with more questions than answers.

That night, I returned home and immediately began searching for information about Mr. Thompson's death. Despite my efforts, I came up empty-handed. As the rain poured outside, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that lingered in the air. Determined to uncover the truth, I made my way to the lab, braving the downpour.

Clad in a raincoat, I trudged through the streets, each step weighed down by the weight of anticipation. Despite my efforts to shield myself, the relentless rain seeped through, drenching me to the bone. My hair plastered to my skin, I pressed on, driven by an insatiable curiosity that refused to be quenched.

Entering the lab, I wasted no time in dismantling my phone, eager to uncover any clues it might hold. With painstaking precision, I carefully examined each component, hoping to find a hidden memory chip containing information about Mr. Thompson.

However, to my dismay, my search yielded nothing but disappointment. Desperation clawed at my chest as I realized that my efforts had been in vain. As I leaned over the dismantled phone, a mixture of water droplets from my drenched hair and sweat fell onto the exposed circuitry.

Suddenly, sparks flickered to life, casting an ominous glow in the dimly lit room. Panic surged through me as I feared I had irreparably damaged the device. Hastily, I set to work repairing the phone, frantically trying to undo the harm I had unwittingly caused.

With trembling hands, I attempted to power it on, but to no avail. Despair washed over me like a tidal wave as the realization sunk in – I had inadvertently destroyed my one and only link to Mr. Thompson, a precious relic of a bygone era.

I fell on the ground and cried for nearly an hour. Suddenly, I felt like someone was calling my name. I stood up and looked outside, but there was no one there. I came back in and sat on a chair in front of the table where I had placed the phone. Again, I heard someone calling my name repeatedly. Then I realized it was coming from the phone. Immediately, I wiped my tears and grabbed my phone. To my shock, I saw Mr. Thompson on the screen.

I thought it was some A.I. bot created to look like Mr. Thompson. I replied, “Yes, sir.” He said, “Don't cry, Shiny. Your phone will work again. And as you thought, I'm not an A.I., I'm the real CEO, Mr. Thompson.” I was completely shocked and speechless. After a minute, I asked, “S… sir, is it true? The company announced that you died in an accident. How can you be here?”

He said, “No, it wasn't an accident. My soul got trapped in this phone. When it was touched by salt water, it made me appear on your mobile screen.”

Many questions raised in my mind, like, how is that even possible? How salt water worked? I zipped all my thoughts and replied, “What! Then, sir, how can I bring you out? And where is your other half soul?”

He said, “My body is preserved in Mr. Robert's lab, and I know how to merge the two halves of my soul back into it.”

I responded, “Sir, I'll help you. Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it.”

He smiled and said, “It's not as easy as you think. There are different materials needed, and only one person can perform the process from start to finish. I don’t want my soul to be at risk from my enemies. Mr. Robert already knows this, so don't even discuss it with him because someone might eavesdrop.”

I nodded and said, “Okay, sir. Just tell me what materials you need, and I'll get them ready.”

He said, “It's really costly, and you can't afford it. Just use Mr. Robert's lab for the process. Before you go there, bring a small sealed test tube of your blood.”

I said, “Okay, sir. I'll call Mr. Robert now and ask for permission to use his lab.”

He quickly interjected, “Not now. Tomorrow, ask him personally.”

At that moment, I felt a surge of happiness knowing I had my phone back and the rare opportunity to speak with my role model personally. Wait! Does that mean he was watching me ever since I got the phone? Oops! I said that out loud. He smiled and said, “Yes, but I couldn't do anything about it. That second front camera on your phone was specially made by Mr. Robert for me.”

I nervously asked, “Oh! It's okay, sir. So, it's through that camera that you can see me, right? I guess that means you've seen many embarrassing moments.”

He said yes with a smirk on his face.

The next day, I approached Mr. Robert and politely requested the use of his lab, asking him to turn off the CCTV cameras. With a knowing smile, he complied with my request. With determination in my heart, I made my way to the lab, ready to carry out Mr. Thompson's instructions.

As I began the process of combining his souls in his body, following his guidance to the letter, I felt a sense of hope rising within me. However, when I received no response from his body. Tears streamed down my face as I grappled with feelings of failure and guilt.

I couldn't shake the nagging thought that perhaps if the phone had ended up in the hands of my fellow competitors, they might have been able to bring Mr. Thompson back to life.

Feeling lost and helpless, I knew that crying wouldn't solve anything. I forced myself to push aside my tears and focus on finding a solution to bring Mr. Thompson back to life. With a determined resolve, I decided to take action.

Taking a deep breath, I administered a small electric shock to his body, hoping to kickstart his pulse. When that proved ineffective, I hesitated for a moment before proceeding with artificial breathing. As I watched anxiously, he began to breathe, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath.

Slowly, his eyelids fluttered open, and he sat up on the bed, blinking in confusion. Relief flooded through me as I realized that my actions had succeeded in bringing him back from the brink of death.

In that moment, I was overcome with happiness, so much so that I found myself wrapping my arms around him in a tight embrace without even realizing it. Suddenly coming back to my senses, I quickly released him and stepped back, apologizing profusely for the unexpected hug. But before I could fully regain my composure, he surprised me once again by pulling me close and kissing me passionately.

In my confusion, I assumed he must have felt suffocated and unable to breathe, so I didn't resist. His lips finally parted from mine, but his arm remained securely around my waist, a smile playing on his lips. With a doubtful expression, I asked, “Sir, do you still feel suffocated after doing that? Should I get an oxygen cylinder?”

Instead of answering, he pulled me closer and kissed me again, this time with even more intensity. As he continued to shower me with kisses on my forehead, cheeks and hands, I gradually realized that he wasn't pretending to need artificial breaths – he was genuinely kissing me.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and my voice trembled uncontrollably. I struggled to form coherent words under his intense gaze, unable to meet his eyes as I once could. But with him looking at me like that, what choice did I have?

Finally, mustering all my courage, I managed to stammer out, “Si…. Si…sir, wh…what was th…that?”

He responded with a teasing tone, his deep voice only serving to deepen my blush. “You don't know what that was? I think you're not under 12,” he quipped.

With overwhelming embarrassment and uncertainty clouding my thoughts, I hastily apologized and dashed out of the room, unable to endure the tension any longer.

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