While the tension lingered in the meeting, Izhan's eyes wandered around Rozman's small office.

A framed photograph on the wall caught her attention.

It was SMK Putra.

She tilted her head.

The picture wasn't a normal photograph.

It had been assembled from dozens of jigsaw puzzle pieces.

Some pieces sat perfectly in place.

Others had loosened over time, leaving tiny gaps in the image.

Izhan quietly stood up.

"...That's interesting."

The picture itself was beginning to fall apart.

A few puzzle pieces along the edges had loosened, leaving small gaps in the frame.

Izhan frowned.

"Why is there a picture of SMK Putra in your office?"

Rozman turned from his laptop for a moment. On Google Meet, Krishna was still questioning the Management Sector.

"It was a gift from SMK Putra's first principal."

He smiled faintly.

"The staff assembled it before I transferred to PPDKB."

"That would've been..."

He thought for a moment.

"...2016."

Izhan stepped closer to the frame.

"Looks like it needs repairing."

Krishna continued pressing Wanzar.

"As a sector head, you should know how to manage data on this scale."

Wanzar cleared his throat.

"I... I would consult the Service Unit—"

Krishna interrupted.

"Which officers?"

Silence.

From another office, Casdee watched the exchange while sipping her hot chocolate.

"Ouch..."

"The Management Sector is taking quite a beating today."

Meanwhile, Izhan's eyes drifted back to the jigsaw puzzle.

Her gaze stopped on the loose pieces around the edges.

"...Small pieces..."

Rozman looked up.

"Hm?"

"Small pieces can form one big picture."

Iskandar turned towards her camera.

"What do you mean?"

Izhan pointed at the puzzle.

"This picture wasn't assembled all at once."

"It was built piece by piece."

She turned back to the laptop.

"The payroll Excel..."

"...it's one huge file, isn't it?"

Rozman's eyes widened.

"But it's compiled from individual schools."

He leaned forward.

"If Wanzar breaks it down by zones first..."

"...each section becomes manageable."

Iskandar nodded enthusiastically.

"We can't do the work for him..."

"...but we can point him in the right direction."

He grinned.

"Besides..."

"I'd like my salary adjustment too."

Izhan looked at the puzzle once more before turning to Rozman.

"Can we take it down for a while?"

Rozman glanced at the frame.

"...Go ahead."

He carefully lifted the jigsaw picture of SMK Putra from the wall and placed it on the table.

"Let's refine this," Izhan said.

She unfolded a small tripod from her bag and positioned her phone above the table.

"Iskandar, could you join the meeting using your phone as well?"

Iskandar immediately caught on.

"You want everyone to see this?"

Izhan nodded.

"Especially the Management Sector."

Iskandar joined the meeting from his phone and angled the camera above the puzzle.

Rozman pinned his video feed, causing the jigsaw puzzle to fill everyone's screen.

Casdee noticed the shared screen had changed.

"Sir..."

She smiled.

"You might want to look at what the Planning Sector is doing."

Krishna turned to Iskandar's video.

The spreadsheet had disappeared.

In its place was a table with dozens of jigsaw pieces scattered across it.

"A commercial break in the middle of a meeting?" Casdee joked, sipping her hot chocolate.

Krishna raised an eyebrow.

On the screen, Rozman and Iskandar carefully arranged the puzzle pieces.

Just outside the camera's view, Izhan's voice could be heard.

"That one doesn't fit."

"Try the left side."

"No... rotate it."

Krishna blinked.

"...Really, Planning Sector?"

Even the overwhelmed Wanzar was baffled by the Planning Sector's antics.

"Why are they arranging a jigsaw puzzle..."

"...when I'm drowning here?"

"Wanzar."

Krishna's voice cut through the meeting.

"Look at Iskandar's screen."

Wanzar frowned and leaned closer to his monitor.

Rozman and Iskandar continued fitting the puzzle together, one section at a time.

Off-camera, Izhan quietly inspected every piece.

"That one belongs to the top corner."

"Now it fits."

Krishna folded his arms.

He had already understood the message.

But this time...

Wanzar needed to see it for himself.

"We're done, sir!" Izhan announced.

Rozman couldn't resist.

"Funny thing..."

"We didn't solve the whole puzzle at once."

He tapped the frame.

"Piece by piece."

Iskandar smiled.

"Only then did the full picture come together."

Wanzar stared at the puzzle in silence.

"Piece by piece..."

He glanced back at the spreadsheet.

Suddenly, the colour-coded zone columns no longer looked like clutter.

They looked like a plan.

"Of course..."

"The zones are already there."

He looked up at the camera.

"We'll tackle it one zone at a time."

“That’s how a leader should think.”

Krishna finally leaned back and took a sip from his water bottle.

Across the screen, Izhan flashed a quick thumb-up.

“And thank you for watching our accidental livestream.”

For the first time that morning, several microphones unmuted with laughter.

The relief didn't last long.

Ping!

Krishna's phone vibrated.

A new notification from JPNS appeared on his screen.

Due Date: 2:00 p.m.

11 May 2021.

Krishna read it twice.

Then...

He nearly choked on his water.

"...They've shortened the deadline."

Krishna cleared his throat.

"JPNS has updated the deadline."

He glanced at Wanzar.

"Start the mending immediately."

"We'll monitor the progress by zone."

The meeting gradually came to an end as each sector returned to its responsibilities.

Back in the Planning Sector's room, Iskandar stretched his arms.

"So..."

"Quick money?"

Rozman chuckled.

"If only it were that simple."

He turned to Izhan.

The intern was already packing her tripod away, but her eyes remained fixed on the Management Sector's office across the corridor.

Rozman smiled.

"You want to help them, don't you?"

Izhan nodded without hesitation.

"You have my consent," Rozman said.

He paused before adding,

"As your supervisor."

Izhan waited.

"Do PPDKB's part."

"Let Wanzar lead his team through the zones."

Iskandar glanced at the staff list and smiled.

"PPDKB only has 54 staff."

"That should be manageable for you."

Izhan gave a firm nod.

"Copied."

With her laptop tucked under one arm, she headed towards Block B.

The mending had officially begun.

Since Izhan did not have access to HRMIS, she collected each officer's Surat Perubahan Gaji along with the relevant supporting documents. She compiled them into a zone-based Excel tracker, sorted each submission accordingly, and forwarded the completed documents to the Finance Unit for payroll processing.

She even contacted officers who were away from the office, sending them a Google Drive link so they could upload their documents remotely.

Even then, time was against them.

Across Block B, Wanzar coordinated his Customer Service Unit. The team split the workload according to zones—secondary schools, followed by the East, West, North, and South Zones for primary schools.

Meanwhile, Krishna and the other sector heads continued with the remaining agenda: reviewing the MySTEP interview results.

The workday finally came to an end.

Krishna leaned against the pantry counter with a cup of coffee. Several zones had been completed, but a few were still pending.

Ping!

The notification sound almost made him flinch.

Krishna unlocked his phone.

Fortunately...

It wasn't from JPNS.

It was from Pans.

Pans: Another hectic day, Kris?

Krishna smiled to himself.

Kris: You always know when my day goes downhill.

Pans: Lucky guess?

Kris: No. You're just suspiciously good at timing.

A few seconds later, another message arrived.

Pans: Did you eat properly?

Krishna glanced at the untouched cup of coffee beside him.

Kris: Coffee counts.

Pans: No, it doesn't.

Krishna chuckled.

Kris: You sound like Rozman.

Pans: Then maybe you should listen for once.

Krishna shook his head before typing.

Kris: Payroll issue. Whole district.

Pans: Solved?

Kris: We found the way.

Pans: Good.

Pans: Then stop carrying today's problem into tomorrow.

Krishna stared at the message for a moment.

Kris: Easier said than done.

Pans: That's why you have a team.

A faint smile appeared on Krishna's face.

Kris: You're right.

Pans: Drive home safely, Kris.

Kris: You too.

Krishna slipped his phone into his pocket and looked through the pantry window.

The rain had finally stopped.

The evening sky over Kota Belud was painted in soft shades of orange and blue.

One by one, the lights inside PPDKB went out as officers headed home.

Only a few rooms remained occupied.

In Rozman's office, the jigsaw puzzle of SMK Putra had returned to its frame.

Every loose piece was back in its place.

Rozman smiled.

"Looks much better."

Izhan packed her laptop into her backpack before taking one last look at the picture.

"One picture..."

"...fixed piece by piece."

Krishna overheard her as he walked past the office.

He smiled to himself.

"Just like PPDKB."

Nobody replied.

They switched off the lights together.

Tomorrow...

the mending would continue.

At the parking lot, Izhan sat inside her Mini Cooper with her phone resting on her lap.

She looked at the last message again.

A small smile appeared on her face.

"Good."

She locked her phone.