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The fluorescent lights flickered above as Auron sat amidst a sea of forms, stamps, and regulations.
Bureaucracy was no mere paperwork — it was a riddle wrapped in red tape.
Every new request bounced back with cryptic notes: *"Incomplete documentation,"* *"Refer to section 4B, paragraph 12,"* *"Requires secondary approval."*
Auron's eyes scanned the labyrinthine manuals, deciphering the convoluted language.
The system was designed to stall — to drown initiative in protocol.
But Auron saw beyond the chaos.
Patterns emerged.
The tangled red tape was a puzzle, with rules not random but meticulously crafted.
He noted the cyclical dependencies, the hidden hierarchies, and the unwritten codes.
It wasn't just about rules; it was about power, influence, and control.
Auron realized that winning here meant more than logic.
It demanded understanding the human web behind the paperwork — the interests, fears, and alliances.
He started strategizing, anticipating the moves of faceless bureaucrats and silent gatekeepers.
By playing the system's game, bending its rules subtly without breaking them, Auron began cutting through the red tape.
Each solved riddle was a small victory, each approved form a step forward.
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*"In a maze built to confound, the greatest key is understanding the minds that built it."*
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