Nathan maintained a facade of seriousness as he nodded, busying himself with the documents in his hand without sparing Sonny a glance.
âWell, it seems you lack common sense.
Iâll have you sent to the training camp for half a month.
How does that sound?â
âNo!â Sonny remained in the standard squatting posture, his face contorted in a mixture of emotions.
âThe training camp means enduring devilish training for half a month.
Plus, Iâm up for promotion to deputy director.
Iâm swamped.
Please forgive me!â
Nathan responded, âIn that case, your half-year bonus will be deducted.
Alternatively, you can do 249 push-ups and spend 249 minutes doing wall handstands.
â
Such a decision didnât require much thought at all.
Sonny responded firmly, âIâll go with the push-ups and wall handstands.
â
However, he was a bit puzzled.
âBut why specifically 2497â³
Nathan sneered, fixing Sonny with a sharp gaze from his deep, dark eyes.
âBecause your IQ is insufficient.
â
Sonny stood there, rendered speechless by Nathanâs scolding.
Instead of anger, he offered a serene smile.
âYouâre absolutely right, Nathan.
Your words hold a sacred place in my world.
â
As long as Nathan refrained from docking his salary, Sonny welcomed his critiques with open arms, masking his true feelings behind a veil of flattery.
Nathan studied Sonny intently, and then sneered, âDo you find pleasure in being reprimanded? Are you perhaps a masochist?â
With a gentle shake of his head, Sonny replied, âNo, Nathan.
Itâs simply that your admonitions hold a unique significance to me.
â
Nathan was momentarily speechless, feeling an uncomfortable shiver run down his spine at Sonnyâs unexpected admission.
Quickly redirecting the conversation, he instructed Sonny to focus on the punishment.
âLetâs not waste any more time.
Complete your push-ups and wall stand.
Set your own pace; I wonât hover over you.
â
âUnderstood,â Sonny responded briskly.
âRest assured, Nathan.
I pride myself on honesty.
Even without your watchful gaze, Iâll adhere to the task diligently, not faltering even for a second.
â
With a dismissive glance, Nathan didnât delve deeper into Sonnyâs words.
Engaging in push-ups and maintaining a wall stand was a rigorous physical exercise for Sonny.
Though fatigue set in, he bore it stoically.
Following that, the only sounds in Nathanâs office were the rhythmic tapping of his keyboard and Sonnyâs occasional labored breaths.
Two hundred and forty-nine minutes upside down against the wall equated to over four hours-a formidable challenge, surpassing even the demands of push-ups.
As sweat cascaded down Sonnyâs body, pooling on the floor, discomfort gnawed at him, exacerbated by droplets seeping into his eyes.
With half the morning already spent, Sonny braced himself for enduring the remainder of the morning in this uncomfortable position solely to please Nathan.
For two hours, Sonny had persevered, his strong arms quivering slightly, adorned with prominent blue veins, while his breathing grew increasingly erratic.
Engrossed in his work, Nathan subtly monitored Sonnyâs endurance from the corner of his eyes.
Comparing Sonny to Mekhi, the former deputy director, Nathan couldnât help but notice the marked difference in their reactions to such arduous tasks.