"I'm really very sorry, I misunderstood the relationship between you, Senior Texas, and that person, I'm truly very sorry!!"
"It's fine."
"I, what should I do to compensate? Senior, do you need coffee? Ah, I remember Senior, you're quitting smoking, do you want cessation chocolate? I specially bought some here, Senior, please see if this compensation is acceptable…"
"It's fine, I don't think it's anything."
"But I really care! If Senior doesn't accept it, I, Sora, will really feel very bad!"
"...Alright."
"…"
What's going on?
What about the other me who was misunderstood?
Does the damn man just get a casual two-sentence apology and that's it? I want gifts too?
Li Lin sat beside Exusiai, watching that figure beside Texas inquiring solicitously about her well-being, feeling his head full of question marks.
Sora, Penguin Logistics' new operator. Although said to be a somewhat new operator, she actually arrived much earlier than Li Lin, considered a formal employee. But because of her identity as an idol, she only occasionally comes back to report here at Penguin Logistics. In summary, she is an operator with a very subtle status.
Moreover, it was obvious she didn't come alone today; although she came into the dormitory asking after well-being and apologizing, two guards in black armor marked with the logo of some security company stood outside the door. Wearing helmets, it was impossible to see their faces clearly. Anyway, they just stood outside very professionally, looking exactly like Sora's private bodyguards. And they were carrying large and small bags, frantically bringing things inside, claiming it was compensation because she hadn't come these past few days.
Who has ever seen an employee insist on stuffing compensation into someone's hands?
"This Sora, feels a bit strange…"
"Hm? Where?"
Exusiai, leaning against Li Lin with her eyes closed, resting, asked strangely.
"Sora has always been like this, hasn't she?"
"Everything is strange, right… Whether it's the conversation or the emotions. Ah, not in a bad way, how should I put it?"
Sitting next to Exusiai organizing files, Li Lin looked at Sora huddled together with the reluctant-faced Texas across the partition, thought pondered randomly based on past experience reading web novels, and muttered somewhat strangely:
"I always feel like she came to Penguin Logistics just for Texas alone. Her ears don't seem real, like they were deliberately made that way. This kid isn't a Lupo, right? Although I haven't seen many, my intuition tells me she probably isn't. Also, she doesn't have the temperament of someone trained, her reaction just now was also very simple, and most importantly, why would an operator have security company personnel around her? How much money would that cost?"
Pointing at the two very professional security personnel who had been standing at the door since long ago, Li Lin looked speechless.
How is this coming to work? Isn't this a young lady coming down to experience life? And looking at her attentive manner towards Texas, she probably has some yuri tendencies, right? No wonder she showed that expression like her man was stolen, as if the sky was falling.
But speaking of which, is this Penguin Logistics really okay? Feels like the personal relationships are very chaotic. Sora has a one-sided crush on Texas, Texas has some feelings for Exusiai, Exusiai has an ambiguous relationship with me in others' eyes; thinking about it carefully, this Penguin Logistics is simply chaotic beyond belief. Comparable to having five chat groups for a four-person dorm room back then.
Thinking carefully, I, what should a newcomer like me do? Should I go chat with Croissant?
'Achoo!'
Croissant, who was dozing off nearby, suddenly jolted, shuddered all over, and looked around warily.
"What's wrong? Croissant?"
"No, I just feel like someone put a very malicious curse on me…"
Looking around neurotically, Croissant scratched her head blankly, casually tied a protective amulet onto her horn, then lay back down on the reclining chair and started snoring again. This made Li Lin's expression also become somewhat subtle.
Sorry, Croissant. I didn't mean it.
Apologizing silently in his heart to the girl who had always been happy, Li Lin couldn't bear it and turned his head aside.
"Hm, security personnel? Spending money?"
Exusiai picked up on Li Lin's earlier words, listened, then poked her head out, immediately spotting the two tightly wrapped security personnel.
"Ah, people from Blacksteel International? Actually, no need to worry too much, Blacksteel International's main target has recently shifted to Lungmen, they've been losing money to gain publicity lately, very cheap. They couldn't stay in Columbia anymore, wanting to come to Lungmen, they can only compete on price, right? So considering Sora's status, it's very normal."
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't it chaotic lately? Columbia is almost having a civil war over there. So security companies like Blacksteel International are also in a delicate position there. Blacksteel International mainly handles protection for high-level figures, biochemical and mineral virus processing aspects. But isn't Columbia recently in turmoil precisely because of high-level infighting, biochemical and mineral viruses? Before, the several companies still had some rationality, so Blacksteel International was doing okay. But it's different now."
"How is it different now? In times like these, isn't there more need for security companies like Blacksteel International to handle safety protection issues? Shouldn't it be a time to make huge profits?"
"That's premise is that the group of people haven't gone crazy. Here, look at the news."
They've all gone crazy.
Exusiai casually picked out a few newspapers from the file pile and placed them in front of Li Lin. Li Lin took them and glanced, immediately seeing the bombing case on the headline.
Rhine Lab biological laboratory exploded due to a gas pipe leak, several studios claimed safety couldn't be guaranteed and subsequently left. Below that was a series of various pipeline repairs, area lockdowns, epidemic infections, and the like. There was also news of several political figures suddenly falling critically ill and dying abruptly at home.
Even a fool could see that Columbia over there had completely reached the point of bloody fighting ( cìdāo jiàn hóng - idiom: bayonets see red/fighting gets brutal). Forget security companies, if this were a less powerful government jurisdiction, perhaps even the government troops couldn't suppress the situation. It's unknown what could drive a region leading in economy and technology into such a frenzy. Even the renowned security company scrambled to flee from there, preferring to come to Lungmen to seek survival rather than stay in Columbia.
That place is probably somewhere you could get hit by an RPG just walking around now.
Blacksteel International is also quite miserable.
"But speaking of which, even if it's cheap, is it excessive for an operator to hire two dedicated bodyguards?"
"Hm? Didn't I say? Sora isn't just an operator, her primary job is an idol."
"Ah? Idol?"
Looking at the figure desperately sticking close to Texas, looking less like an idol and more like a simp , Li Lin shook his head somewhat disbelievingly.