"Well then, I'm heading out for the day."
"Take care."
Upon reaching the office's closing hours without receiving any reports of unwelcomed incidents, Yu Ji is the first to stand up from the old sofa and take his leave.
"I'll be off as well."
Not a moment too soon, Qing Yue does the same, and just as Long Hua is about to follow—
"2nd Lieut. Long Hua, you able to make some time for a drink next week?"
"Hm?"
Pausing his footsteps, Long Hua turns his head to the side, and asks—
"Who's paying for the drinks?"
"It's only appropriate for the inviter to do so. Don't you think?"
"I see. In that case, you can pick the time, and place as well, captain."
"Alright."
Waving goodbye, Long Hua leaves the office.
Walking over from the self-serving bar area of the office with two cups of hot tea in hand, Li Xue asks—
"Are you going to leave me out cold after inviting someone to a drink right in front of me?"
"Maybe next time."
"What do you have planned exactly?"
Towards Li Xue's question, which was asked with a sharp change in tone, Ye Chen ponders for a brief moment before answering—
"Let's just say, I'm in the mood to be nosy. Don't you find it odd to see those two being so quiet, while we were talking about that incident in the morning?"
Setting one of the cups down, Li Xue asks—
"…You mean they might be involved?"
"Only a guess."
"And if they were?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Ye Chen replies—
"If they were, so be it. Nothing we can do about it. What each of us does in our private day-to-day life isn't something that we should interfere with—unless requested of."
"What a laissez-faire approach you're taking, colonel. You do realize how much damage that incident had caused right? Can you imagine the amount of unrest that may come as a result of similar degree incidents occurring on a daily basis? People on social media are all asking for a tighter leash to be placed around the necks of Sinners."
Raising an eye, Ye Chen answers—
"Unrest in the public? You do realize those sitting at the top couldn't give two shits about what those at the bottom may think, right? So long as money is forked out by those who had caused that incident, the influencers will all pretend like it never happened—even if the news is written on the front pages. If anything, they could use that as an opportunity to further antagonize those that they wish to paint in a bad light."
"…"
Hearing such a detailed answer from Ye Chen, Li Xue can't help but make a discomforting frown, as it is all too realistic.
Heaving a sigh, Ye Chen adds—
"In the first place, matters of this nature aren't in our job description; so why bother to care for them when it's unnecessary? I'd rather use my energy more productively."
"Such as establishing a good relationship with your subordinates and others of influence?"
"Establishing a relationship takes time and effort. Establishing a good relationship takes even more time and effort."
Hearing these words from Ye Chen, Li Xue's expression freezes. These were words that she had grown up hearing from her father.
Taking a sip of tea, Li Xue says—
"I can understand why you'd want to do that when it comes to those three, but some of your relationships are just… Strange, bizarre, odd, there's a lot of words that I can use to describe them, but generally, the people you entangle yourself with all seem very eccentric—with those that are normal being a rare exception."
"Hmm, kind of difficult to answer that question when you're describing most of them so rudely…"
Scratching his cheek, Ye Chen decides to openly dodge the question; and seeing him insistent on not answering, Li Xue shrugs her shoulders, and asks—
"Any place in mind for where you intend to head out for that drink?"
"Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you, since you'd just end up following along then."
"In that case, what makes you want to go out drinking with surnamed Long of all people?"
Contemplating for a bit, Ye Chen answers—
"When we were out in the wastelands, he said, "the price of the liquor matters not; what matters is who you're drinking with—for to drink, is to drink the mood." I said, it sounded like a fancy excuse to get wasted, but looking back, I truly do have to agree with him. Even the cheapest food can taste good—when eaten with others, after a day out in the fields. So, to answer your question, I suppose, I just felt like—going out with him for a drink might be an interesting experience?"
"Sounds like a boys will be boys sort of deal."
"Ahaha, maybe."
Glancing at the untouched cup of tea that is on the desk, Li Xue asks—
"Aren't you going to drink the tea I wholeheartedly brew for you?"
"I fell for that trick thrice in the past, won't ever happen again."
Blinking her eyes, Li Xue says—
"I only put a laxative in this time around."
Looking at Li Xue with an expression of amazement, Ye Chen replies—
"…Hardly makes it any better."
"You'd rather I spike it with something more lethal?"
"…"
...…
"A drink…"
Despite how odd that suggestion had been, Long Hua wasn't against it, however—
(The captain's a far sharper man than he lets on. He should have some other purpose for calling me out. Did he perhaps…? Maybe keeping quiet during their conversation this morning wasn't such a good call. Now that I think about it, Qing Yue kept quiet as well…)
Sitting on top of his bike, Long Hua thought back to the morning discussion, but just as his focus turns to Qing Yue, his phone vibrates.
"Hm?"
Displayed on the phone screen is a new message that came from Nian Yao Yao.
(So, the meeting place is the hospital, then?)
Between now and the meeting hour, there should be just barely enough time for him to go back to the yacht—to pick up Tian Cheng, and do some grocery shopping, while on the way over to the hospital.
(There might be a need to reaffirm a few things now that the cat's out of the bag. Ideal case scenario would be an adjustment to our contract, and in the worst-case scenario—a complete termination. Hmm.)
Storing his phone away, Long Hua starts the bike up, and after putting on his gloves and helmet, he departs from the office.