That afternoon, just before three o’clock, Marcus called Thaddeus into the manager’s office. On the desk already lay a thick envelope containing three thousand dollars in cash. Marcus’s face was still tense, but he no longer dared to act as arrogantly as usual. “This… is your bonus,” he said, pushing the envelope forward. “Now answer me, Thaddeus. How did you master the Seven Knife Shadows? That technique is only taught to selected students. You never even entered the advanced weapons class. So… how?” Thaddeus took the envelope without saying a word. He slipped the money into his pocket with calm movements, then looked at Marcus for a moment. His eyes were flat—unreadable. There was no answer. Because even he himself did not know how it had happened. He simply gave a brief nod and walked out. Marcus stood in the doorway, mouth open, but no words came out. In the kitchen, several coworkers exchanged glances. No one dared to ask. A few of those who had seen the technique t