[Cheat] Chapter 124: Stay Strong

“A twisted bond is still a bond. Ever heard of Naruto and Sasuke? Their bond is even more messed up than mine and Timmy’s.”

Paimon didn’t want to hear it, didn’t understand, and didn’t want to understand.

Huh. While Timmy wasn’t around, there was a stranger sitting alone on the bridge.

> Quest Triggered: The Meaning of Life

Zephyr froze for a moment. The Meaning of Life? What kind of quest title was that? Why did it sound so profound?

Suddenly, the stranger dove headfirst into the river.

“Not good!”

Amber didn’t hesitate—she rushed forward and jumped in right after him.

“Amber!”

Zephyr immediately followed, helping her drag the man out of the water.

Cough cough…

The man lay there for a while, finally regaining consciousness. “Why did you save me…”

Paimon snapped, “Hey! We just saved your life, and that’s the first thing you say?!”

Amber scolded, “Why would you do something so foolish? Life is the most precious thing—how could you think about jumping into a river like that?!”

The man looked dazed.

“Tell me… do honest people deserve to be bullied?”

At those words, Zephyr’s expression instantly changed. He gave the man a look full of sympathy. In his mind, this guy’s hair was practically glowing bright green.

He patted the guy’s shoulder and said solemnly, “Be strong.”

Everyone else was baffled and confused.

“Even if your wife cheated on you, you have to be strong! That’s her fault, not yours! Don’t punish yourself for someone else’s mistake. Worst case, just find another wife!”

“Don’t be afraid of what people say. Look at anime fans—they rotate through three waifus a month, and nobody bats an eye. Believe in yourself! You have the potential to build a harem!”

“…”

“…”

Paimon said, “Traveler, is that how you comfort people?”

Amber narrowed her eyes. “So you do want a harem?” Her hand drifted toward the bow on her back.

“I don’t—I swear! Don’t misunderstand, I was just encouraging this guy!”

“As if that kind of encouragement would ever work… Wait, what?!”

“Thank you! Your words really moved me!”

“……”

Amber muttered, “Is it too late to throw this guy back into the river?”

Paimon quickly intervened, “Stop, Amber! It would’ve been one thing if you hadn’t saved him in the first place, but throwing him back now would be a crime!”

Amber’s expression started to darken.

“It’s fine,” she said with a sweet smile. “As a Scout Knight of Mondstadt, I do have some connections in the Knights of Favonius… Just kidding—ehe~”

The man shivered. Just kidding? With that look? It didn’t sound like a joke at all.

Zephyr checked the quest log—quest still not completed. So just a few words clearly weren’t enough.

“Alright, spill it. What’s your wife’s name? Who’s the homewrecker? We’ll go take care of him right now.”

“Relax, this lady here is a Scout Knight of the Knights of Favonius, and I’m the newly appointed Honorary Knight. We’re good friends with Acting Grand Master Jean.”

“No worries. We’ll chop him up for you, and the Knights won’t hold you responsible.”

Paimon sighed, “There goes Jean getting name-dropped again…”

“……”

The man shook his head. “Uh… actually, my wife didn’t cheat on me.”

“Bro, I get it—but don’t run from the truth!”

“I’m not running from anything! She really didn’t cheat!”

“……”

“…So you’re single?”

“I’m married.”

“Then how can you say your wife didn’t cheat? Bro, stop lying to yourself!”

Amber coughed, “Okay okay, enough with the jokes. Seriously now, what’s going on?”

“Well… here’s what happened…”

The man finally began to slowly tell his story.

The story was simple, but the journey had been long.

Thirty years ago, when Colu was still a child, his teacher said something that stuck with him ever since:

“Only by listening to your teacher can you be a good student. When you grow up and work, you must listen to your superiors and your organization—only then can you be a useful person.”

Colu deeply believed in this principle. So he was obedient from a young age—never mischievous, always finishing his homework on time.

Then, he grew up and started working.

One day, his supervisor asked, “Colu, do you have any hobbies?”

“My hobby is fishing. I even won first prize in a fishing competition hosted in Mondstadt.”

“You’re very talented, young man. But once you start working, you’ll need to set personal hobbies aside for now. Focus on your main responsibilities, master your duties, integrate with the team. That’s what matters.”

A few years later...

“Colu, I noticed you leave work around 8 every night?”

“Oh, I go night jogging—to stay healthy.”

“You’re still young. Don’t be so protective of your life. Look at your peers—everyone’s working overtime. The office lights should be blazing if you want a bright future. Don’t let your peers outpace you.”

Several more years passed…

“You’re looking to move into management?”

“Yes, I’ve been in frontline tech for years now. I’d like to take the next step.”

“Just because you’re good at tech doesn’t mean you can go into management. Someone has to stay on the frontlines. Management positions are limited, after all.”

“Then what’s the future for someone like me?”

“Become a technical expert. Technical skills are a long-term competitive edge.”

Years later...

“Colu, we’re about to have layoffs. You’re over 35. Be prepared.”

“Why?”

“Leadership says you’re too specialized and lack cross-disciplinary skills.”

“But it was management who told me to give up my hobbies and side talents!”

“They also said your health isn’t great—you take too many sick days.”

“Because they made me overwork and burn out!”

“And now they say you’re still doing technical work with no growth potential.”

“Because they told me to double down and specialize!”

“In any case, the truth is: compared to the younger hires, you’re not cost-effective anymore.”

And just like that… Colu was laid off.

His wife suffered with him, and he was in such despair that he began to consider ending his life.

…

“That’s how it all happened…”

When Colu finished, Paimon was the first to react—furiously.

“What kind of boss is that?! He was doing his job just fine—why would they fire him?!”

Amber was equally angry. “Exactly! And that teacher was wrong too. What makes someone a ‘good student’ or a ‘useful person’ isn’t something that can be measured so simply.”

“And I can’t believe a company like that exists in Mondstadt! How did I not know about this?”

“What’s the company’s name? Who’s the boss? I’m reporting this to the Knights of Favonius!”

“I don’t know the boss’s exact name. Just that… he’s from Liyue.”

Oh great, now Liyue’s taking the blame.

Amber said firmly, “Colu, don’t worry. I’ll personally handle this. Not tomorrowtonight I’m going straight to the Knights.”

After offering him some more words of comfort, the group escorted Colu home before saying their goodbyes.

---

The Next Day

Amber brought Zephyr with her to the Knights of Favonius. She pushed open the door to Jean’s office.

“Jean, how’s the investigation going?”

Jean rubbed her temples, looking as though she hadn’t slept all night. “After you told me about it yesterday, I immediately sent people to look into it. Everything that Colu said... was true.”

Amber clenched her fists. “And? What’s the outcome?”

//END