Inside the room, Mary and Lisa exchanged glances.
"Is this really your man?"
"No, I don't know him…"
Lisa sighed, watching the two men bicker at the doorway, finally unable to hold back. "Are you two done? If you don't shut the door, all the warm air in here is going to escape!"
"Scram, illiterate!"
Miles took advantage of the moment to kick Ansel out and slammed the door shut with a bang.
Lisa rubbed his reddened cheeks from the cold, scolding, "You're a leader now. Can you stop acting like a child?"
Miles stiffened his neck and retorted, "So tell me, what does being a leader have to do with literacy?"
"Get lost!"
Mary couldn't help but laugh, covering her mouth, then quipped, "Technically speaking, leadership does require a bit of education. Otherwise, how do you settle disputes?"
"There, you see?" Miles pointed at Mary with a thumbs-up. "This comrade here may be a bit smug sometimes, but her perspective is right on point!"
"But!"
Mary's face darkened as she continued, "If someone like you can become a leader, then it clearly proves education isn't a prerequisite for governance."
"..."
Miles was left speechless, choking on her words, and tossed the letter onto the table.
Mary picked it up without hesitation, glanced over it carefully, and remarked, "So this is a recruitment letter from the Cody family? Quite generous of them—if you go, you'll be their third-in-command."
"Here, I'm the undisputed top dog. Why would I care about their offer?" Miles scoffed with disdain.
Mary ignored his reaction and said seriously, "The letter's wording is subtle, but it's enough to confirm two things: first, your identity as an 'enhanced individual' has been exposed; second, they likely know about the resources you have. Otherwise, they wouldn't have reached out so quickly."
"Could someone have leaked it?" Miles asked coldly, his gaze fixed on her.
Mary rolled her eyes. "Are you an idiot? Cloud City is such a prominent neighborhood—some information is impossible to keep under wraps."
"But based on the tone of this letter, they don't have a full picture of you yet," she continued, frowning thoughtfully. "I suspect the team of soldiers that got wiped out yesterday wasn't sent on the base's official orders. It feels more like a private decision by someone in leadership."
Miles chuckled. "They didn't expect their men to be annihilated, so now they're trying to make amends by offering me an olive branch."
"That's likely the case," Mary nodded.
"What should my response be?" Miles asked.
"Respond? You're actually considering replying?" Mary gave him an exasperated look. "This is obviously a stalling tactic. The moment you show up, I can guarantee they'll make their move."
"But isn't it rude not to reciprocate?" Miles smirked. "If they want to stall, I can play along. I could use some time to prepare, anyway. Dragging this out works for me too."
"Fair enough…" Mary conceded, then added, "In that case, reply that you understand their intent but need time to consider. Subtly hint that you're expecting some benefits in the meantime."
A short while later, Miles finished drafting the reply.
Mary, arms crossed, glanced at it and nodded slightly. "Your handwriting's decent, and the tone is alright. If it weren't for that annoyingly cheeky undertone, it might even be respectable."
"Sorry to disappoint you," Miles replied dryly. "Cheekiness is my only talent."
With that, he picked up the radio and called out, "Nathan, come in."
After a moment, Nathan's voice crackled through the speaker. "What's up, boss? I'm out here with the guys and Thomas, scouting for ambush spots. Thomas says it shouldn't be too far, but not too close either."
"Come back for a bit. I've got something for you to do."
"Huh?" Nathan hesitated. "Is it urgent? I'm driving one of those big trucks for the first time, and man, it feels amazing!"
"Just get back here already!"
Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang.
"Ansel? What are you doing here?" Miles stared at him, puzzled.
"Nathan called Ryan over the radio, and I happened to overhear, so I volunteered," Ansel replied, his arm still in a sling as he hobbled forward. "Boss, I delivered the last letter. Let me handle this one too."
"You're still injured, and you want to do this? Are you out of your mind?" Miles said, exasperated.
"It's just a scratch! Nothing to worry about!" Ansel scratched his head sheepishly. "Honestly, I just feel bad sitting around at home doing nothing while everyone else is working hard."
Miles's face darkened. "Are you implying someone here is slacking?"
"No! That's not what I meant!" Ansel quickly clarified, his tone turning meek. "I just don't want to be useless. If the day comes when we lose everything, I'd rather die alongside everyone than be kicked out."
"Kid, you've got quite the mouth on you."
Miles sighed, visibly moved, and after a brief pause, he tossed the letter at him. "Fine. Take two people with you and follow the southwest route. Go no more than five kilometers. If you don't encounter anyone, just leave the letter by the roadside and come back."
"Why make it so complicated?" Ansel stretched out his hand and grinned. "Boss, lend me the snow truck! I'll drive straight to their door!"
"Oh, please…"
Mary walked in, her lips curling into a teasing smile. "I bet delivering the letter is just an excuse. You've been eyeing that snow truck for ages, haven't you?"
Cloud City had three snow trucks.
Miles owned one but rarely used it. Ryan had another for supply runs, while Isaac kept the third, though he only used it for long journeys.
"Whoa, you two are living together now?" Ansel exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise. "So Nathan was right—you two really have a thing going on!"
Mary's face turned crimson with anger. Her fists clenched tightly as she hissed through gritted teeth, "Do you have a death wish?"
"Uh… I'll leave now! You two have fun…" Ansel muttered nervously before scurrying away.
"Damn it, Ansel! If you screw this up, don't bother coming back!" Miles yelled after him, then turned to Mary with a helpless shrug. "You heard that, right? This is all Nathan's fault. I already explained it to you before, but you didn't believe me!"
"You're no saint either!" Mary snapped, her face still flushed. "The rotten leader always corrupts the followers. You're all cut from the same cloth!"
"…" Miles sighed, utterly defeated.
Mary turned away, her fists still clenched as she muttered under her breath, "Nathan, I swear I'll make you pay for this!"