Prologue

- It means so! - the chief looked around with a sly look and wiped the sweat from his brilliant baldness with a handkerchief, - You have a new department, just formed. No one else knows each other. Because no interaction. And I made a decision.

He sustained a solemn pause, as if fomenting intrigue, and then continued.

- The day after tomorrow, team building is organized for you. So that means everyone got to know each other better. Understand who to expect. Well, to make a team out of your crowd. The case is useful and ... very expensive, I tell you. So, I expect from you full dedication and serious attitude. Remember: this is not a rest - this is work! The program is completely new, brought from Japan. And it will be the Japanese. Honestly, I have no idea what will be there. But such a condition is the organizers.

- Well, why even prepare?, - asked Olga, - How long will it take? Clothing?

- Oh yes! Clothing. Thank you for reminding ... uh-uh ...

- Olga Tonkova, - prompted the girl

- Olga. That's right. So ... Clothes. The organizers asked me to convey that you all should be dressed, according to the office dress code. Suit, shirt, tie for men. Skirt, blouse, jacket and ... well, everything else is for women.

The head of the department, Stepan Krasnobayev, grinned, having guessed that by “everything else,” the chief meant pantyhose for the employees.

- By the time, they said, it will take no more than 4 hours. Collection at the office at 9.30, the beginning - at 11 am. Our minibus will take you and pick you up. Look like that's it. Although ... I almost forgot one more. Easier things there select. I don’t know what the Jap had in mind when we spoke with him, but he recommended that you write out all the prizes in the amount of 5-10 thousand rubles, because, they say, some items of clothing may become unusable. Type of compensation. I have already signed the order, they will list over 5,000 cards tomorrow.

- Who would doubt that 5, - Ilya Chernov growled under his breath.

- I'm sorry, what? I did not hear! - the chief started up.

- Nothing, Yegor Sergeevich. So simple...

- Well, well ... And since there are no more questions - thank you for your attention. You can go back to work.

All together they stumbled into the monitors, but barely behind the boss the door closed, as the stormy discussion of the news began.

- We had such crap in our previous work, - Lida Kostareva was the first to express her opinion, - one thing is self-indulgence.

- We also dragged. Rope labyrinths and all that, - Roman Kovacs replied arrogantly and with intonation to everyone who met him, - Charlatanism.

- Yeah. And at us the heads organized the same hogwash, - Olya reported, - I just didn't understand about compensation for the damaged clothes?

- We once bullet paint bullets into each other ...

- ... Paintball is called, - Roma put in with an air of know-it-all

“Yes, I know paintball!” Snapped Lida, “I say that we had a test at team building.” True, we were given special overalls ...

- I'm not going to spoil my suit! I have the cheapest 18 thousand worth., - Ramil Ilyasov, nicknamed “Rama”, declared a pleasant basque.

No one, however, paid any attention to this statement, and Svetochka Tiunova’s office manager, a young creature in the guise of an anime heroine, timidly asked a completely different thing:

- Does it hurt? Balls?

The youngest of managers, Kostya Lyubimov, who received a diploma only a month ago, wanted to answer her, but then he came across the bored look of Stepan. In principle, Kostya was a normal sociable guy, but for some reason having settled his first job in his life, he decided that the key to success was to obey the boss in everything and imitate him. Therefore, he did not say anything, and changed his facial expression to indifferent.

The discussion quickly turned into a bazaar, where everyone vied with each other and began to tell who participated in what similar events, and what was going on there. Only three were silent.Kostya listened to everyone with interest, while trying to keep his chosen mask on his face. The majorka and the fashionable woman Milena Moskaleva politely detached their marigolds, and Stepan honestly tried to work. But it took him 10 minutes.

“So, colleagues!” He shouted to everyone, rising to his feet with a formidable air, “Team building - the day after tomorrow!” There you will see everything! In the meantime, everyone has a job! And in the evening I will ask everyone for the tasks set for the day !!!

Kostya began concentrating on sorting out some papers on the table. With a tempo of 300 words per minute, Lida tried to have time to tell her story to Ole. Milena, looking frowningly at the chief, as if at a complete idiot, shrugged her shoulders with a loud snort, and for some reason Svetochka blushed.

- How do you say, boss! - Roman said loudly and slammed smackingly on Ramil's raised hand.

- No, guys, really, - Ilya stepped up for Stepan, trying to maintain the authority of the boss, and at the same time his authority as a senior manager, - Let's work.

However, despite the fact that neither one nor the other had any authority, the noise gradually subsided, and all the department employees returned to their main duties.

* * *

Having unloaded from the minibus, the Department of Integration of Innovations in full force headed from the parking lot to the entrance to a large building, which was once, apparently, a kind of production facility. Towards them, with a broad smile, a small puzatenky Japanese was already in a hurry, accompanied by a thin and tall man of Slavic appearance. While the Japs did 3 steps, his companion is only one. The contrast was so funny that Milena squealed unhindered. Others also could not hide their smiles. The Japanese smiled even wider, and his narrow eyes turned into slits at all.

“Thank you,” he said in Russian, folding his hands and bowing.

“Good afternoon, sensei!” Answered Illya, which already caused a few chuckles to his voice.

Then the organizer spoke already in his native language, and the kalancha next to him translated. The speech was verbose and florid. Its essence was as follows:

The team had to go through 10 rooms in succession. In order to get to the next one, it was necessary to solve the quest by joint efforts or to take some joint actions. It was possible to use only that which the participants have. In some rooms, the team will receive instructions or hints, while in others it will be necessary to rely only on themselves. If the team refuses to go to the end - it will lose. If the team does not solve at least one riddle - it will lose. If during the passage more than one person is lost, she will lose. If an attempt is made to physically hold any door, she will lose.

In principle, everything was clear. The participants were ready to start, but the Japanese added one more thing, which did not please anyone.

- The cost of the program, - translated with a malicious smile, a long one, - $ 20,000. But we will give you half back if you reach the end. And your director asked me to convey that if you do not cope, then those 10,000 will be withheld from your salary.

“What? Oh!”, Roman said boldly, “For what reason is that ?!”

- Egor Sergeevich assumed that there would be such a reaction. And asked to remind you of your employment contracts. It says that employees are trained at the company's expense, but the cost of training can be withheld in the event of an early termination of an employment contract or ... as decided by management.

- Hmm ... It seems something like that was, - said Olga thoughtfully.

- Krasnobaev, what a divorce? - Mila almost jumped at the head, - Call the boss! Find out! I did not subscribe to this!

Stepan was so taken aback by the swoop that he automatically pulled out the phone.

“He doesn't catch mine,” he said gloomily after a second.

“And mine,” added Ilya.

Everyone immediately pulled up their devices, but only to make sure that there was no connection. The excitement grew. Jap continued to smile, and his translator was unabashedly serious.

- Come on you guys! ...