"Why did you bring her here, Josh?!" Ian whispered harshly as the three of them gathered in the spacious room. The morning had arrived, and they were eager to discuss the situation at hand.
"Where did you find her, Josh? How could she know that we were involved in Mr. Cheng's death?" Roe asked, confusion evident in his voice.
Josh scratched his head, unsure of how to explain it. But what did his friends expect him to do when he encountered Yue yesterday? Ignore her? Abandon her? Become heartless?
They couldn't even bring themselves to chase Yue away!
"So, you think I should just let her wander the streets? Sleep on the pavement? After everything Mr. Cheng has done for us? His daughter just arrived here, all the way from another continent! Do you want her to die while searching for answers about Magenta on her own?" Josh finally voiced his opinion.
"Arrrgh! The problem is, our own position is not safe, Josh. Don't you remember that we're caught in the midst of the conflict between Bartwin and Magenta? And now you've added to our burden!" Ian exclaimed, frustrated. He had always been annoyed by the weaknesses of women, in his opinion. They were fragile and relied too much on tears. And if you gave them power even once, they were quick to misuse it.
Unbeknownst to them, their heated conversation was being listened to attentively by Yue.
'Hmm... Magenta? And from their conversation, it seems that man is dangerous... But I should respect their concern for wanting to protect me. It seems Baba's judgment about them was correct. But still! They're the ones who caused Baba's death! Tsk! Now I'm confused about how to approach this.'
After debating with herself, Yue clenched her fists and resolved to cooperate and not attract attention. Regardless, she needed a place to stay.
She swung open the door wide. The three men in the room fell silent.
"Hey! Can't you knock? You can't just barge into someone's room like that!" Ian protested.
"Breakfast!" Yue shouted, paying no mind to Ian's protest. She had a large tray of freshly cooked food in her hands, which she had taken from the kitchen.
The enticing aroma of warm and flavorful food immediately permeated the room, awakening their appetites. When did they ever have the luxury of enjoying a warm meal at home? This was truly an extraordinary experience!
Like Hyenas circling their prey, the three men licked their lips, eagerly waiting for Yue to arrive and distribute their bowls.
When it was Ian's turn, Yue held onto his bowl while Ian's hand was already poised to receive it in mid-air. Ian looked at Yue's face, confusion evident in his eyes. 'That's my portion...' his gaze seemed to convey.
"Do you see this porridge with its chicken toppings and thick broth? I made it since morning using a recipe passed down by Mama. This porridge is made with a blend of spices you won't find here, and every spoonful will spread in your mouth, releasing an explosion of umami flavor. The chicken! The chicken is so juicy and delicious! Do you want it?" Yue intentionally held the porridge close to Ian's nose, allowing him to catch a whiff of the tantalizing aroma.
Like a buffalo being enticed with a scent, Ian nodded eagerly, unable to contain his anticipation of getting his share. But Yue wasn't finished yet.
"This bowl will be yours, along with the subsequent breakfast bowls, but on one condition."
"What?" Ian asked.
"You let me stay here."
"Check!" Ian exclaimed impatiently, and Yue felt victorious. At least she wouldn't have to worry about finding a place to stay for the time being. She handed the bowl to Ian, who accepted it with delight.
The three of them ate heartily until there was nothing left. Yue was pleased to see them appreciating the food she had prepared.
"How is your cooking even better than Mr. Cheng's, Yue?" Roe asked as he scooped the last bite into his mouth.
"Pssst!" Ian and Josh simultaneously reprimanded Roe, who had reminded Yue of her father. Realizing his mistake, Roe reflexively covered his mouth with both hands. He really lacked of sensitivity!
"Well, at least you guys had a chance to taste his cooking..." Yue lowered her head.
Josh and Ian nudged Roe's arm simultaneously.
"Sorry, Yue, I didn't mean to make you sad..."
"Yeah, I know. By the way, does anyone want seconds?"
The three of them raised their hands together.
In another location.
Darwin knocked on the door, accompanied by Finn and Camden who were joking around. With a cold stare, Darwin faced them, and they immediately fell silent.
"Come in," a cold voice came from inside, and the atmosphere among the three of them instantly turned serious.
"Thank you for your time, Sir."
"No need for pleasantries, Darwin. You know I despise that. Stop your ass-kissing habits."
Finn and Cam exchanged glances, not expecting to witness Darwin being ridiculed right before their eyes.
Darwin's face reddened, but he quickly regained his composure.
"I hope you reconsider your assessment of the new recruit, Sir."
"Why? Is your position threatened?"
'Damn it! I've worked hard to reach my current position within the Hexad Squad, and now I'm suddenly going to be replaced by some inexperienced brat. I won't accept it!'
"Not like that, Sir. I'm concerned that your judgment may not be based on solid grounds."
Upon hearing Darwin's words, Cam and Finn wished they could disappear from that place right away! How could Darwin doubt their leader's judgment? They were being dragged into it because Darwin couldn't keep his mouth shut!
Magenta, who had been busy writing some important papers, suddenly stopped and leaned back in his chair, folding his hands and attentively observing Darwin.
Darwin seemed unwilling to reconsider his previous statement and waited for a response from their leader.
"After what he did to you in yesterday's game, you have the audacity to question me? You were clearly deceived."
Darwin's teeth gritted in anger. "He was just lucky, Sir! Put me up against him again, and I'll prove that yesterday was nothing but luck."
"That's where you differ from him, Darwin. You're arrogant, failing to carefully assess your opponent's abilities. Meanwhile, he had already calculated how to outsmart you. Just from that, you've already lost. When do you think he started planning ways to trap you?"
"Since he realized that I was tailing him when we both fell among the rocks."
"Wrong! He set the trap after I warned him about the game rules not forbidding sabotage between players. You didn't even bother to show your intentions from the beginning of the game, yet he could read you, and both of you!" Magenta pointed at Cam and Finn, who immediately shrunk in their places.
Despite Magenta presenting these facts to him, Darwin's heart remained reluctant to accept them. He was determined to prove that Magenta was wrong! That kid meant nothing.
"He's just a vagabond compared to us, who are respected individuals. Do you think he deserves to be in our group?"
BANG! This time, Magenta slammed the table, unable to believe the shallow thinking of his subordinates. What kind of group were they? Bullying elementary school children?
Cam and Finn, no longer able to bear it, joined forces to elbow Darwin in the back. But Darwin, the spoiled brat of wealthy parents, didn't budge. Magenta wouldn't dare to do anything to him. His father was a person of great influence and reputation. He wasn't afraid.
"Because of shallow thinking like yours, it's no wonder he wants to annihilate all of humanity from the Earth. You're not worthy, Darwin. Do you think your parents' money and status will matter when the day of reckoning comes? Do you think he'll let you live because you give him money? And do you think I built all this for what? Just for appearances? Get out now if you still want to live! Leave!"
Magenta's anger made the windows tremble, and this time Finn and Cam forcibly dragged Darwin out of the room, cursing him incessantly.
Meanwhile, Magenta regulated his breath. He was deeply disappointed with the mindset of his subordinates. It was his mistake to recruit a group of secluded children from high society. In his mission, anonymity and high-level secrecy were crucial to avoid detection by external forces, especially the AI. And these children, with their ample free time and advanced knowledge, seemed to be the right choice.
Back then.
And now he started to doubt his judgment. He had encountered political conflicts of interest with the parents of these children several times. As the dean of a special campus for the children of nobles and esteemed individuals, he was supposed to remain neutral and undetectable.
He realized that he had built an elitist group and those children had become arrogant. He could observe how his elite group looked down on other children when it should have been the opposite, considering their main goal was to save humanity! He had provided a platform for their egos. Now, he had to teach them to refocus on their true purpose.
Magenta took a deep breath; it seemed like a good idea to recruit Ian and his friends. He could see that the three of them still had pure souls, blank canvases that he would be happy to paint upon!