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The night sky erupted with a dazzling display of lights, the muffled explosions reaching Davis's skin with a slight concussive force. Yet he sat motionless, gazing upon the pyrotechnic spectacle without a shred of enthusiasm.
Alone on a park bench by the shoreline, Davis was surrounded by the occasional onlooker captivated by the scenic nightscape, his only companions a bag of miscellaneous items and a bottle of soft drink. Reflecting on the day's events, he mused that a beer would better suit his somber mood, though Davis had never been one for alcohol, even when socializing with friends - a childlike aversion that had now proven his undoing.
Earlier that morning, the company's general manager had summoned Davis to his spacious, impeccably tidy office. "The HR department discovered unauthorized changes to the attendance tracking system, allowing certain employees to be marked as on-time even when arriving late or leaving early." The boss's tone was measured, yet the implied threat was palpable. "Do you know who's responsible?"
Davis's weak response - "I'm not sure" - betrayed his knowledge of the culprit. As the head of the IT department, he knew full well that only his team had the system access to pull off such a feat. And he was painfully aware of one particular subordinate's proclivity for such mischief.
"I want you to figure this out by the end of the weekend." It sounded not of a request.
Leaving the manager's office, Davis's mind raced. The tampering had been discovered - there would be no simply reverting of the system and pretending like nothing happened. And the boss's directive made it clear that someone would have to take the fall. As the department’s head, Davis supervised only a handful of employees, with just one possessing the technical prowess to orchestrate this transgression - Jack, a recent graduate who had already established a reputation for prioritizing his gaming habits over punctuality.
Davis had previously turned a blind eye, gently admonishing Jack's tardiness. But the attendance records were meticulously documented, and further infractions would surely invite disciplinary action from HR. "No problem, I'll handle it," Jack had assured him. Now, that promise would be put to the test.
Davis was utterly stunned. He never imagined that Jack, of all people, would commit such an outlandish act, one that had now drawn the attention of the company's managing director. Not only was Jack's job put at risk, but he could potentially face even greater troubles that could impact his future prospects.
At the office, Jack appeared more diligent in his work than usual. Meanwhile, Davis continued pondering if there was any way he could spin this as a mere computer programming issue, allowing Jack to escape this predicament.
As the workday drew to a close, Davis resolved to have a frank discussion with Jack. But just as he made this decision, the telephone on his desk rang.
"Hello, IT department," Davis answered, picking up the receiver.
"Is this Davis?" The voice on the other end sounded somewhat cool and distant.
"Yes, it's me," Davis replied, glancing at the caller ID and assuming it was a colleague seeking computer repair assistance.
"Please come over to the HR department. Our manager would like to speak with you," the voice said, before promptly hanging up.
Davis sensed something amiss, but regardless, he knew he had to go and see what was happening. He figured he could deal with Jack’s situation afterwards.
Arriving at the HR manager's office, Davis knocked on the door and was invited in. The manager, with polite courtesy, requested that Davis close the door behind him.
As Davis approached the desk, the manager reached for a white envelope and handed it to him. "This is..." Davis hesitated, then opened the envelope and retrieved the letter within. His eyes widened in disbelief as he read its contents.
"Yes, you have been summarily dismissed," the HR manager stated calmly and coolly. "The company also reserves the right to pursue legal action for the losses you have caused."
"What have I done?" was all Davis could muster in response.
With a sigh, the manager's tone softened slightly. "The managing director spoke to you this morning, didn't he? We have since uncovered the facts. There's no need to conceal what you've done. The company is willing to let you go without further ado, which is the greatest leniency we can offer. Do you understand?"
"What have I done?" Davis repeated, still utterly bewildered.
"Davis, I'm simply carrying out the managing director's orders. There's no need for you to claim innocence in front of me," the manager said, shrugging.
Davis stood there, completely at a loss for how to react. Seeing this, the manager continued, "Someone in your department has submitted evidence to the managing director, clearly showing the login identity used to make those system modifications. If pursued, this matter could be quite serious. I didn't want to believe you'd do something like this, but I hope you won't make a mistake like this again in the future."
Davis's mind was in a whirlwind as he returned to his desk, only to find Jack tidying up his belongings. "What are you doing?" Davis inquired.
Startled by Davis's sudden appearance, Jack ceased his actions, nervously chuckling and scratching his head. "The manager told me to move to this desk. Is the company giving you a new office space?"
Davis found himself lacking the energy to even react to this ambiguous statement, unsure if it was a jab or a genuine inquiry.
Arriving home, Davis's girlfriend, who had clocked out earlier, was lying on the sofa, engrossed in her mobile device. "You're back," Davis forced a faint smile.
"Mmm," she responded, barely acknowledging his presence.
"I've been fired from the company," Davis stated calmly.
The girlfriend's gaze lingered on her phone for a few seconds before slowly lowering it, her eyes expressing a hint of disbelief. "What did you say?"
"I've been fired from the company," Davis repeated.
"Well, good riddance. It's not like that was a promising job anyway," the girlfriend dismissed, raising her phone again and continuing to scroll through her social media. "Was it a layoff? How much did they compensate you?"
"The company said I secretly altered their HR system, so they've terminated me without any compensation," Davis explained.
"Why would you do that? There's no way they wouldn't give you a severance!" the girlfriend exclaimed, lowering her phone once more, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"I didn't do that, but I suppose I do bear some responsibility," Davis sighed.
"You're joking, right? What are we going to do now?" the girlfriend stood up from the sofa, continuing to press him.
"'HeroFighter' just released a new update. Or maybe I'll just take a few days off to play some games," Davis tried to sound lighthearted, hoping to alleviate his girlfriend's concerns.
Her voice rose in pitch, "We were supposed to be saving up for a wedding and a house! Who's going to pay the rent now that you have no income?"
Davis had not anticipated such an intense reaction from his girlfriend. The barrage of questions left him without an opportunity to respond.
"And what's this about playing games? You're 35 years old, not a child!" she grew increasingly agitated. "That's just how you are - forever stuck in a childish mindset, always prioritizing play over planning for the future. I've told you before to look for a higher-paying job, but you always claimed the company treated you well and didn't want to cause them trouble by quitting. Now look what they've done - they've fired you without any compensation! Don't you know you should have accrued long-service leave after working there for so long? Or were they just looking to replace you with someone younger and cheaper?"
As the girlfriend continued her tirade, Davis felt a heavy weight in his heart, but he did not attempt to defend himself, only feeling exhausted.
"Let's break up," she declared, turning around to gather her belongings.
"You don't need to leave. I'll go," Davis finally responded, eliciting an expression of disbelief from his girlfriend. He figured he had nothing left to lose, and it would be simpler for him to depart, as her belongings filled the space.
Quietly packing his essentials into a bag, Davis opened the door, meeting the gaze of his speechless girlfriend. Before stepping out, he said, "I'm not 35 years old by the way. Today is my 36th birthday." Offering her a faint smile, he closed the door behind him and departed.
Leaving his girlfriend's home, Davis made his way alone to the harbor-side park. He purchased a soda from a small concession stand and sat by the shore, watching the fireworks bursting over the harbor - a celebration he did not deem worthy.
From a young age, his family and teachers had instilled in him the importance of being a kind and compassionate person, one who avoids harming others and protects the vulnerable whenever possible. Davis had internalized these lessons, but found that the reality of life was not as straightforward as these ideals. Trying to uphold these principles often meant having to make difficult choices, unable to care for everyone, sometimes even being the one who ends up getting hurt.
He had heard people say that growing up meant accepting that idealism is not practical. Davis had questioned himself, wondering if he was simply naïve. Yet each time his beliefs led to his suffering, he would quickly forget his bad experiences and steadfastly maintain his convictions, unwavering.
As the fireworks display concluded and the night returned to a tranquil stillness, Davis felt his agitation subside. As he prepared to head home, a commotion suddenly erupted behind him.
Turning around, Davis witnessed a group of men surrounding the very concession stand where he had purchased his soda. The leader, clad in a white tank top and sunglasses despite the evening hour, was aggressively demanding "protection money" from the elderly vendor, flanked by several burly accomplices wielding baseball bats.
Bystanders observed the scene but made no move to intervene. Davis felt he could not stand idly by. Striding towards the group, he called out, "What do you think you're doing?"
The gang leader, Mark, released the vendor's collar and turned to face the middle-aged Davis. Assessing Davis' unimpressive stature and lack of athleticism, Mark could not help but feel amused. "Were you talking to me?" he asked with a raised brow.
"Aren't you ashamed, a bunch of big men bullying this old man?" Davis retorted, his frustrations from the day fueling his newfound boldness.
"Quite the courageous one, aren't you?" Mark remarked, casually adjusting his sunglasses before suddenly lunging forward and delivering a powerful punch…
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