Reinette looked at Emperor, who was
grandstanding from a high position, then at the spotlight made from her water
behind Emperor, and smiled without speaking.
After all, this alley was just one that Exusiai and
her team happened to run into randomly. How could there just happen to be a
spotlight here?
As for the reason, it was because Emperor thought it was cool,
and even wanted to ask Reinette if she
would be a long-term lighting technician, but Reinette refused.
As for this time, Reinette just found it interesting.
"Red, don't kill anyone, just knock them out. This is
probably just a business dispute." Reinette patted
Red's head.
"Understood, Mom."
— — — Penguin Logistics Outpost — —
—
Texas pulled
open the iron gate and stepped aside, allowing everyone to enter.
Bison stood behind the others, looking
over the crowd at the interior: "This is Penguin Logistics'
outpost..."
He had originally been somewhat anticipating what the legendary Penguin
Logistics' safe house would be like.
According to his imagination, it should have high-strength
concrete walls? Ample weapon storage, and a well-maintained outpost
environment. But the current environment was quite different from his
imagination.
'...So messy, and so dark.'
Bison looked at the environment that
greeted his eyes. How to describe it? It wasn't just different from his
imagination, one could say it had no relation at all.
A cluttered environment, old boxes placed everywhere, only the
floor was relatively clean.
A few dim incandescent lights overhead tried hard to illuminate
the entire space, but ultimately they were willing but unable, only lighting up
a small area in the middle, where several sofas that looked like they were
already molding were placed.
Rather than a safe house, to be honest, Bison felt
more like it was an abandoned warehouse found by scavengers.
Texas glanced
at Bison, whose steps had frozen: "It's
just one of our outposts. We haven't tidied it up much, just sit wherever you
like."
Reinette, from the side, also turned back and
said: "In fact, I even cleaned it once. Otherwise, when Texas opened
the door just now, you might have gotten a puff of dust in your face."
"Ah, thank you... I don't think I've formally thanked you
all, members of Penguin Logistics." Seeing
that Texas and Reinette both
said so, Bison could only lift his foot and
enter.
Texas shrugged:
"Just doing our job. Let's do introductions first."
"Messenger, codename Bison, from Lungmen's Mountain Dash
Logistics. Instructed by my father, I've come to your esteemed company
for observation and learning. Please take care of me."
After Bison finished
speaking, he looked at Emperor: "Regarding the terms of my contract with
Mr. Emperor, although they have been confirmed before, still..."
Emperor raised his hand to interrupt Bison: "Wait,
I have a small question. How did your burly father raise you to be so..."
...Boss." Texas sighed.
She knew her boss was scatterbrained, and Penguin Logistics had
long grown used to it. But for a newcomer like Bison, it might
take some time to adapt.
"Okay, okay, you continue."
Although interrupted by Emperor, Bison cleared
his throat and continued: "Ahem, regarding the recent attack, it is
undoubtedly a provocation against Mountain Dash Logistics and Penguin
Logistics."
"This matter must not be underestimated. If necessary, I
will inform my father and the LGD. This
incident should be regarded as a malicious attack..."
Before Bison could
continue, Emperor lost interest and turned to look at Texas:
"Hey, Texas."
"Hm?"
"What are we eating tonight?"
Texas pointed to Reinette, who was
petting Red: "Go find Reinette, she's in
charge of cooking."
Yes, Reinette had become Penguin
Logistics' cook, because she found that the people at Penguin
Logistics ate very unhealthily. Except for Sora, who ate
some vegetables to maintain her figure, the others basically went for whatever
was heavily oiled and spicy.
The kitchen in Penguin Logistics'
main hall was basically just for show. The bowls and chopsticks inside had
mostly never been unsealed, except for the few they were currently using.
Perhaps the most frequently used item inside was the microwave.
As for the reason, one only had to look at a certain Angel who
often used the microwave to make Apple Pie.
To reduce the impact of these unhealthy eating habits on her
colleagues, Reinette resolutely became the glorious
cook.
As for the results, they were very significant. After all, the
dietary therapy Reinette mastered was not just for show.
While she wouldn't make glowing dishes, the taste wouldn't be bad.
Even if she really wanted to make glowing dishes, Reinette could
exchange for the corresponding skills from the system, but Reinette felt it
was unnecessary, so she didn't bother.
Before Reinette could
say anything, Exusiai spoke first:
"Welcome party! Why even ask? Reinette, I want
dessert!"
The desserts Reinette made
were incredibly delicious. Exusiai felt they could even
rival some of the dessert masters in Laterano.
But what made Exusiai feel
indignant was that Reinette rarely made desserts. As a
staunch dessert lover, having someone nearby who could make delicious desserts
but chose not to was undoubtedly a form of torture.
Having finally caught a legitimate reason, Exusiai would
absolutely not let it go!
Seeing Reinette engrossed
in petting the wolf and ignoring her, Exusiai looked
around, intending to find someone to bother Reinette with,
but then realized someone seemed to be missing from the base.
"Where did Sora go? Wasn't she supposed to be left to guard
the house?"
"You just noticed?" Croissant said
nonchalantly, "Anyway, as long as Texas contacts
her, she can rush back immediately, right?"
Then Croissant saw the confused Bison: "Ah,
sorry, you continue."
'Sora?' Although Bison was
puzzled, he still cleared his throat, trying to draw everyone's attention:
"...Ahem, the top priority is to investigate the enemies who attacked us.
Do any of you at Penguin Logistics have any
leads?"
Exusiai rested
her feet on the coffee table, seemingly realizing that Reinette wasn't
going to make her dessert, and looked dejected. Hearing Croissant's
question, she casually replied: "Leads? Isn't it just a regular business
dispute?"
Bison heard Exusiai's
words and was a bit confused: "Uh, business dispute...?"
What kind of company's business dispute involves using bombs and
thugs, and a considerable amount of bombs at that, enough to directly collapse
the highway?
Emperor walked to the table, pulled out a drawer, and finding it
empty, shouted: "Texas! Where are my cigars in the
drawer!?"
"Boss, we haven't been back to this base in a long time.
They've probably gone moldy by now." Texas looked
at her boss, then pointed at Reinette: "Sora
and Reinette cleaned up this morning, they
probably threw them away then."
"Don't look for them, I threw them away this morning. They
were almost growing mushrooms." Reinette replied
casually, playing with Red's bouncy wolf
ears.
Hearing this, Emperor slumped onto the sofa like a dying
penguin: "Ah, then I'm going to die tonight. No, this won't do..."
"Ah, you continue, don't mind me."
Bison looked around and realized that
no one seemed to care, but he thought this matter was very important, so he
continued: "First, we should clarify the enemy's objective..."
Emperor, who was sprawled on the sofa, suddenly sat up as if he
had remembered something: "Wait, music! My vinyl records! Didn't I leave a
box of them here?"
Croissant thought
for a moment then interjected: "Ah, I think I moved them. That box is
worth several months of my salary."
Exusiai looked
around and pulled out a box from under the table: "Here it is. Which one
do you want to listen to?"
"Any one will do. What I choose will only be a cosmic,
doomsday-level masterpiece." Emperor waved his hand, letting Exusiai choose
freely, "Ah, music. Life without art would be boring. Praise music, and
myself!"
Exusiai casually
picked a record and placed it on the turntable on the table. As the record
spun, a Columbia-style jazz tune began to
play.
Emperor comfortably nestled into the sofa, enjoying himself:
"Life with music is perfect. Bison,
continue."
Bison, who had been repeatedly interrupted,
seemed to have forgotten what he was about to say: "...I, where was
I?"
"Their objective."
"Right! Their objective should be me. Perhaps it's to stir
up trouble between your company and ours."
Emperor said nonchalantly: "What? Such a small matter. I
thought it was just revenge for previous events..."
Bison looked at Emperor: "Do you
have any leads?"
"Cough cough! Texas!
Go investigate them!"
Texas, munching on a Pocky, said:
"Boss, it's break time now, so overtime pay, triple."
"Hmm, this level of fighting happens seventeen or eighteen
times a month. Isn't this how couriers work?" Exusiai looked
at Bison, seemingly a bit puzzled why he was
making such a fuss over a simple business dispute.
"What do you mean?" Bison looked
at Exusiai with even more confusion. He couldn't
understand why she would think a courier's job was so violent.
"Couriers should be more discreet, faster... It's never
been about brute force."
Reinette put down Red from her
arms and said with strong agreement: "When I first joined, I had the same
thought as you. We're clearly a logistics company, so why are we always getting
dragged into Mafia fights?"
Emperor slapped the table: "Because their taste is too low,
their taste for being human is too low."
"Also because the boss pays us." Croissant paused,
then added, "But we are still transporting goods in accordance with laws
and regulations. It's just that most of the time it turns into armed
transport."
Exusiai strongly
agreed with Croissant: "Exactly, what's
wrong with that?"
"Is that really okay?" Bison's gaze turned
to Reinette.
"Don't look at me. I can only say you'll have to get used
to it. This is how Penguin Logistics operates." Reinette shrugged,
"Otherwise, why do you think there are rumors that packages delivered by Penguin
Logistics, along with the recipients, might disappear?"
Texas turned her head away and
sighed deeply. She wanted to explain, but it was the truth.
"Hold on." Texas pointed
to a box nearby. "Here, this is the code Sora left."
Bison walked over and saw a row of
broken biscuits: "Biscuits...?"
Exusiai looked
at the biscuits with regret: "Ah, why open them and leave them here? They
won't taste good if they get damp."
"The chocolate side is long, the tail is short. This is the
code, Sora once said." Texas explained.
Croissant looked
surprised: "What? Was she serious then? Not joking?"
"I just wrote down Sora's words." Texas replied
casually, "Suspicious individuals." Hmm, Sora might have chased them
out.
"Let her go. It's already after work hours," Emperor
said nonchalantly. "Today is Annihilation Night. No overtime,
no capitalist oppression, otherwise even the dead won't rest in peace."
"Who wants to go for a drink tonight?"
Croissant immediately
followed up on Emperor's words: "Ah, is the boss treating? You just got a
batch of expensive aged wine last time~"
Emperor grinned: "No problem at all. Anyway, you all have
plenty of salary I can deduct."
Reinette looked at Croissant and
said: "If you want to drink, I can treat you. In return, remember to drink
with me..."
"Forget it!" Before Reinette could
finish speaking, Croissant immediately lost
interest and turned her head away.
Drink with Reinette? Was she
trying to donate her life? She just wanted to take advantage of the boss, not
get herself involved.
Bison, seeing the topic gradually drifting,
quickly said: "Wait! That... don't we have any countermeasures?"
"No need."
"Just let these mafias run wild?" Bison looked
at the indifferent crowd. Why did it feel like he was the only one worried?
"We'll take it one step at a time."
...Won't the Lungmen Guard Department intervene?"
Exusiai thought
for a moment: "Probably not. They should be used to it. As long as we
resolve it before they hold us accountable, it's no big deal."
"Uh..." Bison really
wanted to throw something now. This was completely different from what he had
imagined!
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Don't think so much.
Since you've joined Penguin Logistics, dealing with the Lungmen
Guard Department will be a daily occurrence."
Hearing Texas's words, Bison nodded
resignedly. "Then, what about the usual work?"
"Deliver goods according to the commission, then fight. If
there's a fight, fighting takes priority... Ow." Before Exusiai could
finish, a candy hit her on the head.
"Don't listen to her nonsense. Prioritize completing the
work. If the employer has a problem... then we'll discuss it."
Bison looked at Reinette, thinking to
himself: 'Is it possible that what you mean and what he means are similar?'
Emperor slapped the table, attracting Bison's attention:
"Hey, kid named Bison, your dad
entrusted you to us, even if it's only temporary, you're a member of Penguin
Logistics now, understand?"
"Understood, uh, I guess."
Bison had originally thought he had
made all possible preparations, but clearly, he hadn't.
"Then you must remember, the first important rule of the Penguin
Logistics Employee Handbook is: 'Don't fuss over
trifles.'"
Exusiai, standing by,
raised her hand and said: "Wasn't it 'Entertainment to Death'
yesterday?"
Croissant recalled
an even earlier rule: "I remember it was 'Seize the Day.'"
...More or less." Emperor, whose employees were constantly
contradicting him, also felt a bit embarrassed and shifted on his seat.
"There are quite a few criminals who want to kidnap a young master like
you. According to our rules, if one comes, we'll beat one. It's that
simple."
"Wait, why does my butt feel strange? Is there something
under my perfectly ergonomic sofa chair?"
"Hm? Let me see." Exusiai walked
over, picked up her boss, and lifted the cushion.
"Ah, what a cute candy box! Boss, you're actually hiding
snacks under your chair!"
"Nonsense, how could I be so stupid as to hide snacks in
such a... candy box?"
Exusiai nodded,
picked up the iron box, and pointed at the text on it: "It is a candy box.
It even says 'Victoria Fruit
Gummies'..."
As Exusiai spoke, she was about
to open it. Texas quickly said: "Stay
away, Exusiai, that's probably a trap,
don't open it..."
"Eh?"
Texas sighed: "Ugh, get
down!"