Leon stood in the boss’s office, leaning against the edge of the desk with his arms crossed over his chest. The room was filled with a heavy silence, broken only by the soft hum of the air conditioner and the occasional clicks from the monitor, where red markers crept slowly across a satellite map. The chief was explaining the upcoming assignments and the new division of responsibilities, but Leon was only half-listening—until he heard the words:

"By the way, starting today, you’ll be supervising a new employee. She was just transferred here."

Leon cast him a sharp glance, not rushing to reply. He already had a feeling this wouldn’t be an easy task. And at that very moment, the door behind him burst open with such force it seemed someone had tried to kick it in.

A loud bang echoed through the office. Leon turned around sharply, already ready to lash out at whoever had dared to break the atmosphere like that. His eyebrows shot up in silent disbelief. Instead of an apology, there was a brief pause, followed by a cheerful:

"I’m late… but I’m here!"

The boss didn’t seem surprised at all. He just let out a heavy sigh, as if everything was going exactly according to an all-too-familiar script, and walked past Leon toward the door.

"And here’s our new… employee," he said, voice tinged with barely concealed irritation. Then he turned back and placed a hand on Leon’s shoulder. "Bring her up to speed. Everything. Where to start, what to do, what to avoid, who not to argue with. Introduce her to the rest. She’s your problem from now on."

"Got it," Leon exhaled, glancing to the side, then closed his eyes for a moment to summon some patience. He gave a brief nod toward the exit.

"Let’s go. I’ll show you the base. And explain how not to turn your first day into a disaster."

Without waiting for any questions, Leon silently opened the door. A long, very long day lay ahead of him.