CEO Zhang sat in his seat in heavy silence, eyes narrowed, fingers absently rotating the crystal ball on his desk. The translucent sphere caught the light with every turn, a delicate contrast to the storm gathering in the man's chest.
No one in the room dared breathe too loudly. Even the sound of shoes shifting was muffled, as though every employee had collectively agreed that silence was safer than oxygen. Their legs trembled from standing too long, but not one of them risked moving. Nobody wanted to be the poor outlet for their boss's temper.
Zhang Wei wanted to smash the crystal onto the floor—watch it shatter, scatter, anything to release the frustration pressing against his chest. But he stopped himself. Rage was costly. Losing composure now, in front of his staff, would cost him even more.
