What should I do if my pet loves watching anime?

"Beep...beep..."

After a few beeps, the call was answered, and the projection screen lit up, displaying the background of Li Mingze's office.

Li Mingze seemed to be processing documents, not even looking up, his voice carrying its usual slightly drawn-out composure.

"Chen Xing, how was your annual leave? I heard you haven't been in for the past two days, and the staff can't even find you to sign a new employee evaluation report."

There wasn't much concern in his tone; it sounded more like a casual, routine remark.

To Chen Xing, it even carried a hint of "things will still work even if you're not around".

"Mr. Li," Chen Xing said, his voice calmer than expected, "I apologize for bothering you. There's something I'd like to formally report to you."

Li Mingze then looked up from the document, adjusted his glasses, and looked at Chen Xing behind the camera.

He noticed Chen Xing's slightly serious expression and the dim background. His eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, but his face still wore that formulaic smile with a hint of condescension.

"Oh? What's so formal that you need to report this? Could it be that you've set your sights on some particularly 'promising' newcomer and want to try and get another A-level contract from me?"

He spoke in a relaxed, even slightly teasing tone, but he emphasized the words "potential," clearly implying something.

"As I said before, it's too risky to recruit a new elf. Our arena resources are limited, so we need to use them wisely."

"An E-level trial is already a very good opportunity."

As Chen Xing listened to Li Mingze's almost undisguised questioning of his own judgment and emphasis on the rules, the lingering resentment in his heart dissipated.

He straightened his back slightly and looked directly at Li Mingze in the projection.

"It's not about the new contract, Mr. Li," Chen Xing paused, then said clearly, "I'm here to submit my resignation."

On the other side of the screen, Li Mingze's smile froze instantly, as if a pause button had been pressed.

He clearly hadn't anticipated this opening.

After a few seconds of silence, he leaned forward slightly, as if trying to get a better look at Chen Xing's expression. The lighthearted teasing in his tone disappeared, replaced by scrutiny and incomprehension.

"Resign?" Li Mingze repeated, as if he had heard something absurd.

"Chen Xing, you've been working at the Linhai Arena for fifteen years, haven't you? It's not easy to rise from a junior talent scout to a senior manager."

"What's wrong? Are you under too much pressure lately? Or do you have a problem with the decision regarding the E-level contract?"

He paused, his tone softening, carrying a hint of what seemed like heartfelt honesty but was actually a subtle warning.

"Old Chen, we've worked together for so many years, I know you."

You have a unique perspective at times, but you can also get stuck on minor details.

It's not worth gambling your future on an uncertain newcomer.

The arena is here, the rules are here; proceeding step by step, steadily and surely, is the way to long-term success.

At your age, with young children at home, jumping out into the world carries significant risks.

These words, seemingly out of concern, actually emphasize Chen Xing's irrationality, recklessness, and how wretched he will be after leaving the platform.

The subtext is: Chen Xing, you got to where you are today because of the arena. Your judgment may not be reliable. Once you leave here, you are nothing.

Chen Xing listened quietly, his face showing neither the excitement nor the defense that Li Mingze had expected, but rather a strange calm.

He even nodded slightly, as if agreeing with some of Li Mingze's statements.

"Mr. Li is right. I have benefited greatly from fifteen years in the arena. I also understand the importance of rules and the platform."

Chen Xing's tone was calm, but then he changed the subject, "However, sometimes, when you see someone with real drive and the ability to break the rules, sticking to the rules might cause you to miss out."

Li Mingze frowned. He understood the implication in Chen Xing's words, and his tone turned cold.

"Oh? It seems you're determined to bet on that kid named Gu Beiri?"

Just because he won a few unorthodox fighting matches in the square?

Chen Xing, aren't you being too naive?

How can those small-scale competitions compare to formal events?

How far can he go?

Don't end up losing both your wife and your army, ending up with nothing.

The subtle mockery escalated into more direct denial and warning.

He was questioning Gu Beiri's abilities, and even more so, he was questioning the foolishness of Chen Xing's decision.

A faint smile finally appeared on Chen Xing's face. It wasn't a smile of joy, but rather a sense of relief and ease after making a decision.

"Mr. Li, thank you for your reminder and for your care over the years. I will complete the resignation procedures and related work handover as soon as possible in accordance with the process."

He didn't respond to Li Mingze's words about Gu Beiri, but jumped directly back to the topic of resignation, his attitude polite but distant, drawing a clear line between them.

"As for the future, as you said, there are risks. But some risks are worth taking."

In this life, you have to follow your own judgment and intuition at least once and truly take a gamble.

Li Mingze stared at Chen Xing, seemingly trying to find even the slightest hesitation or regret on his face, but he failed.

Chen Xing's eyes were calm and firm.

Li Mingze knew that continuing the conversation would be pointless and would only make him appear petty.

He leaned back in his chair, his expression returning to its cold and businesslike demeanor.

"Since you're determined to leave, I won't force you to stay. Let's follow the rules and make sure everything is handed over properly."

He paused, and finally seemed unable to resist adding in a tone that was almost a sigh but actually contained sarcasm.

"Alas, what a pity. I hope that the dark horse you've chosen will really make a name for itself and not let your do-or-die effort go to waste."

Otherwise... the gates of the Seaside Arena, though with more rules, aren't so easy to cross back into.

"Thank you for your kind words." Chen Xing seemed oblivious to the sarcasm in his voice, and calmly replied, "Well then, Mr. Li, goodbye."

"Goodbye," Li Mingze said, and then cut off the communication.

The light screen dimmed, and the study returned to darkness and silence.

Chen Xing leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and let out a long breath.

My palms were slightly sweaty, but the weight that had been hanging over my heart for so long finally lifted.

He knew that from this moment on, he was no longer the senior manager of the Linhai Arena.

He is Chen Xing, a private agent who has staked his present and bet on the future.

The future is uncertain, but he has no way back and does not want to turn back.

To ensure Gu Beiri's freedom, Chen Xing set up his own studio without even registering it with a company.

In other words, if Gu Beiri fails, Chen Xing will be truly finished.

But will Chen Xing fail?

Thinking of this, Chen Xing smiled, full of confidence.

"This journey is like a bird soaring into the sky, a fish entering the sea—no longer bound by any constraints!"