First day, First Clash

My Top Husband

Episode 3:

Trip stood in front of the towering glass building, staring up at its intimidating height. He adjusted his worn-out hoodie, already feeling out of place among the sea of business suits walking past him.

"9 AM sharp," Sanzo had said.

Trip yawned and checked his phone—8:57 AM. Just in time.

As he entered, the sleek lobby screamed money. The floors were polished marble, the receptionist looked like she belonged on a magazine cover, and everyone walked like they had somewhere important to be.

Trip walked up to the front desk. "Hey, I’m here for…" He paused. "Crap. I don’t even know the department name."

The receptionist gave him a once-over, her eyes lingering on his ripped jeans. "And you are?"

"Trip," he said. "Uh, Sanzo’s new illustrator?"

Her eyes widened slightly before she quickly masked her surprise. "Oh. You’re the one Mr. Sanzo mentioned."

"That sounds ominous," Trip muttered.

Before she could respond, a voice cut through the air. "Trip, follow me."

Trip turned to see a sharply dressed man with glasses. Unlike Sanzo, he had a friendlier face—but his tone was all business.

"And you are…?" Trip asked.

"Ren, Mr. Sanzo’s assistant," the man replied. "Come with me."

Trip followed Ren through a maze of hallways, finally stepping into a spacious open-office area. Huge windows let in natural light, and people were already at their desks, working away.

Ren gestured to a desk. "This is yours. You’ll be working on character concepts for our new gaming project. The files are on your computer."

Trip plopped into the chair, stretching his arms. "Nice. Does this place have free coffee?"

Ren’s lips twitched, but he said nothing. "Mr. Sanzo will meet you later. Don’t waste time."

With that, Ren left.

Trip cracked his knuckles and opened the files. The artwork was high-quality, and he had to admit—this job might actually be fun.

He was about to start sketching when a shadow loomed over him.

"You’re late."

Trip turned to find Sanzo standing behind him, arms crossed. His black suit was immaculate, and his sharp gaze made Trip sit up straighter.

Trip glanced at the clock. "Uh, no? It’s 9:02."

Sanzo raised an eyebrow. "And what time were you supposed to be here?"

Trip groaned. "Jeez, two minutes? You’re seriously that strict?"

"Work starts at 9. Not 9:02." Sanzo’s voice was cool.

Trip rolled his eyes. "Okay, Mr. Punctuality, noted."

Sanzo didn’t react. Instead, he leaned over Trip’s desk, scanning the computer screen. "You’ll be designing character models for our latest game. I expect quality, not laziness."

Trip smirked. "I did take the job, remember? I’m not here to slack off. Well, not too much."

Sanzo ignored the comment. "Finish the first draft by the end of the day. No excuses."

Trip saluted mockingly. "Aye aye, boss."

Sanzo gave him one last unreadable look before walking away.

As soon as he was gone, Trip exhaled. Man, this guy is intense.

But Trip wasn’t about to let some stuck-up CEO boss him around without a little pushback.

With a grin, he cracked his knuckles and got to work. Let’s see if Sanzo can handle me.

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