The manager felt very unhappy about this differential treatment that was being given to Alex!

When he had first joined the company, the director never gave him a friendly look.

In fact, the director had barely acknowledged his presence during those initial weeks.

He remembered standing awkwardly in the doorway of the director's office, waiting to be noticed, only to be dismissed with a curt nod and a pile of files thrust into his hands.

There had been no warm welcome, no introduction to the team, no carefully planned orientation.

Instead, he had been left to figure things out on his own, stumbling through the company's procedures and protocols without guidance or encouragement. The isolation had been crushing.

His treatment was completely different from Alex's treatment currently.

The contrast was so stark it felt almost intentional, as though the director was deliberately trying to showcase just how much more valued this newcomer was compared to how the manager had been valued all those years ago.

Every smile the director bestowed upon Alex felt like a personal slight, every kind word a reminder of the coldness the manager had endured. The wounds felt fresh.

And he had been assigned all the hard, dirty, and tiring work on his first day.

He recalled spending his entire first week organizing the storage room, a dusty, cluttered space that no one else wanted to deal with.

He had sorted through years of neglected files, hauled heavy boxes, and cleaned shelves until his back ached and his hands were covered in grime.

There had been no coffee breaks, no friendly colleagues stopping by to check on him, no director popping in to see how he was managing.

He had been alone, overlooked, and utterly exhausted. Nobody cared.

It is true unless one compares themselves with another, there is no harm, but once one does it, there was no escaping it.

The manager knew this truth by now. Experience had taught him.

Before Alex's arrival, he had been content enough with his position, satisfied with the incremental progress he had made over the years by his own wit and hard work.

But now, with this newcomer receiving treatment he had never experienced, the old wounds felt fresh again.

The memories of his difficult early days came flooding back, and with them came a bitterness he couldn't suppress. It consumed him.

This comparison made the manager feel tremendously resentful.

It gnawed at him constantly, poisoning every interaction he witnessed between Alex and the director.

What frustrated him even more was that ever since Alex arrived at the company that morning, many employees were talking about Alex constantly. The chatter was endless.

The office, usually filled with mundane chatter about deadlines and weekend plans, had become consumed with discussions about the new hire.

They kept glancing at him admiringly. Their eyes would drift toward Alex throughout the morning, watching him with great attention as if he was some celebrity. The worship was obvious.

Even his favorite junior female colleague was included among the admirers.

She had always been so respectful toward the manager, so attentive to his guidance and instructions. But now, even she seemed enchanted by this newcomer, her attention divided in a way that made the manager feel increasingly invisible and irrelevant. His authority was evaporating.

The marketing manager burned with jealousy over his handsomeness.

Apparently, he had thought that all were only looking at him due to his handsome face.

In the manager's mind, there could be no other explanation for this inexplicable attraction.

Alex couldn't possibly possess any real skills or talents that would justify such attention.

No, it had to be something as superficial as physical appearance, something the manager felt was completely unfair and unrelated to actual professional merit. Beauty meant nothing.

"Why is a newcomer showing off so much?"

"Does he not understand that one should be humble when one attends a new company?"

"Also, the director treated him far too well. I think I should make him realize that as a newcomer he should have been more aware of his place! I should give him some extra work!"

The manager's thoughts crystallized into a plan, one driven by a deep-seated need to see Alex struggle the way he himself had struggled years ago. Revenge would taste sweet.

In his jealous eyes, Alex could do nothing right as a newcomer compared to his years of experience.

Manager Arjun shook his head with disgust, watching Alex settle into his new workspace with an ease that seemed almost offensive. The casualness infuriated him.

Thinking about this situation, he stepped forward and approached Alex with purpose.

He spoke in a condescending senior's tone, "Newcomer, as someone who has been here for a long time, I have a piece of advice for you.

"When you come to a new company, you need to build good relationships with your colleagues.

"Here is my suggestion. Our marketing department, including the director and myself, has a total of thirty-two people. Could you go downstairs and purchase a cup of coffee for each of us?"

His smile was thin and calculating.

"That makes sense."

Alex suddenly seemed to realize something. He nodded in agreement without suspicion.

However, after this conversation was overheard by Director Divansh who happened to pass by...or maybe was keeping a close eye on the situation, his facial expression changed dramatically. His eyes widened.

"Oh no, wait."

"Why would they need you to buy coffee?"

"Our company has a coffee machine. There is absolutely no need for you to trouble yourself with such tasks."

"Haha."

The director laughed while defusing the awkward situation. He helped Alex refuse the manager's unreasonable request to buy coffee. His intervention was swift.

"Oh, I see."

"The company has a coffee machine, so I will go make some coffee for my colleagues."

After saying this, Alex turned around, preparing to make coffee. His willingness to help was genuine.

Unexpectedly, Director Divansh stepped forward quickly and blocked Alex's path with his body.

"No need to be so polite. There is no need for you to make coffee. If they want some, they can get it themselves. You do not need to make it for them.

"And even if you did make it, you could not control how much sugar to add. How would you know how sweet your colleagues prefer their coffee? Am I correct?"

"That is true."

Alex thought the logic made sense. He nodded in agreement and finally stopped. The reasoning was sound.

Manager Arjun stood there speechless, looking at them bickering with each other. His plan was crumbling.

He remembered clearly. When he had just started working at this company, the manager had asked him to buy dozens of cups of coffee to treat all colleagues.

He had spent nearly an hour walking to the coffee shop, carefully balancing the enormous tray of drinks, worrying the entire time that he might spill something and make a terrible first impression. The memory still stung.

Why was it that when it came to Alex, this requirement no longer applied? The question echoed in his mind, unanswered and infuriating.

He did not understand it nor did he want to understand it. Understanding would only make it worse.

This instead made him even angrier! His fists clenched at his sides.

After witnessing the director leave, Arjun immediately approached Alex again. His determination had not wavered.

He instructed him with false concern dripping from every word:

"As a newcomer, you need to be observant. Did you not notice your colleague is struggling to change the bottled water? Hurry and go help! Take this opportunity to improve your interpersonal relationships."

"Oh, very well."

Alex looked up to observe the situation with curiosity.

Only one petite colleague was changing the heavy bottled water dispenser. It appeared very difficult for her small frame.

There were twenty liters of mineral water involved. An enormous amount.

It was a huge bottle!

Alex stepped forward, wanting to help as any decent person would.

But who could have anticipated this? The colleague, upon seeing that it was Alex coming towards her immediately perked up with energy. She quickly changed the mineral water herself while waving her hands repeatedly:

"No need! No need to trouble you! I can manage on my own! Thank you for your kindness!"

Her voice was bright and cheerful now.

Alex stood confused. What just happened?

Manager Arjun stood bewildered. His second plan had also failed.

He kept looking for opportunities to make Alex perform menial tasks. There had to be something.

But why had nothing succeeded? Every attempt backfired.

Frustrated, Arjun frowned. His eyes darted around, calculating his next move. He approached Alex yet again with false friendliness. Speaking to him in an elder's patronizing tone, he said:

"Seeing you reminds me of my younger self. As someone who has been through this, I will teach you a few workplace tricks. Sit next to me at the morning meeting later. I will teach you valuable lessons during the meeting."

Alex blinked but nodded in agreement without sensing the trap being set.

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