Jared Pond was sitting on a Qantas flight back to Australia. His mission had been a failure. He hadn't managed to befriend/seduce Eileen and he had got himself arrested due to altercation in the cocktail bar.
Jared's boss, Greg Steel, who sat next to him in the business class of the flight decided to discuss the matter.
Greg:
- What a debacle, Jared. All this because you couldn't keep your dick in your pants!
Jared:
- Stop moralising. You were the one who sent me to seduce Eileen in the first place.
Greg:
- That didn't work out, did it?
- Instead you got into a bar fight because of your latest indiscretions with that Celeste Florentino woman.
Jared:
- You should be thankful that I wasn't seriously injured?
Greg:
- Well, then I wouldn't have to call Scurry Morrisette and plead him to call Deidrick Dump to get you out of jail.
- We are a secret intelligence service. The secrecy part fails if I have to get you out of jail because of your stupid private fights.
Jared:
- I apologise, Greg.
Greg:
- Too little and too late. We will have to reconsider your position with RAKI.
Hearing this, came like a heavy clump in Jared's chest. Serving Australia was all he knew, and he didn't know what he would do with himself if he lost the job. He had no remaining family, he was unable to keep a long-term partner, and he would get restless without the danger of his job.
Jared:
- Please give me another chance, Greg. I live for this job.
Greg:
- I will discuss your employment with Scurry when we return to Australia. For now, don't discuss this debacle with anyone.
Jared sighed and sat silent for a while. He closed his eyes, and he saw the cute and quirky smile of Eileen Lu. He knew that she was genuine and telling the truth and he couldn't get her out of his mind. Eileen's rejection of him was a testament of her integrity, and Jared knew that he needed her.
Jared:
- Eileen is telling the truth. Jing Xi is up to some more villainy.
Greg shrugged his shoulder and replied:
- Oh really? What a shame you stuffed up your mission so we won't get the chance to verify it.
- We have a sixteen-hour flight ahead of us. Please be quiet. I am intending to get some sleep.
Having said this, Greg put on a set of noise-cancelling earphones and a blindfold to ignore Jared.
Jared sighed. What a terrible mission. He was about to lose his job, and worse yet, he had become obsessed with a woman who rejected him. Following Greg's example, Jared put on his noise cancelling earphones, started a play list with meditative music, and closed his eyes.