Chapter 171: A Welcome Distraction
In the grinding routine of Elora City. Here, the concerns were more terrestrial, more mundane, and for Moon and Kai, a welcome anchor to a simpler, if more frustrating, reality.
They rode through the crowded streets on their sleek black hoverbike, a vehicle as anonymous and functional as their current roles. Their destination: the Mountbatten Bank, the site of their long-term undercover operation. The towering, polished edifice of the bank loomed ahead, a symbol of cold, impersonal order.
As they entered the familiar, marbled lobby, they were immediately met by a presence that had become a predictable part of their daily ordeal: Lisa Mingrui.
The moment her eyes landed on Kai, her entire demeanor shifted. A wide, predatory smile spread across her meticulously painted lips. She practically glided across the floor, ignoring Moon completely and positioning herself uncomfortably close to Kai, invading his personal space without a hint of shame.
She leaned in, her voice dropping to a low, husky whisper that was meant to be seductive, her breath ghosting past his ear. "Hey, handsome... ready to do today's work?" The double entendre was as subtle as a brick.
She didn't stop there. Emboldened by his silence, she pressed further, her tone dripping with false sweetness. "And you know... we have been working together for around two months now. So, I've been wondering... what's your opinion on me?" She batted her eyelashes. "Do you see me as your... wife?"
To emphasize her point, she made a show of adjusting her blouse, a movement that drew unnecessary attention to her chest. It was a cheap, transparent tactic.
Kai, as he had for the past sixty days, remained an island of stoic professionalism. He didn't engage, didn't flatter, didn't even frown. He simply took a smooth, deliberate step back and to the side, creating a respectful distance, his face an unreadable mask. It was a silent, polite rejection.
But Lisa, focused solely on her target, had failed to account for the other brother.
Moon, who had been watching the entire exchange with the weary patience of a man observing a recurring bad play, saw his opening. As Lisa was off-balance from Kai's movement and her own exaggerated gesture, Moon executed a move of pure, unadulterated petty genius. With the casual, almost lazy precision of a seasoned fighter, he delivered a soft, precisely placed kick to the back of Lisa's ankle.
It wasn't a violent strike, but a deft, tripping motion.
"YAAAH!" Lisa let out a short, undignified yelp as her legs gave way. She tumbled forward, her arms flailing, and landed hard on the polished marble floor. The impact was solid and humiliating. The face she had spent an hour perfecting with layers of foundation, blush, and lipstick was now pressed firmly against the cold, dirty ground.
A stunned silence fell over the immediate vicinity. A few bank employees stifled gasps.
Moon looked down at her, his expression as deadpan as ever. He didn't smile, didn't gloat. He simply stated a fact, his voice flat and clear.
"Now, that's your real face."
Lisa scrambled to her knees, her composure shattered. Her makeup was smeared, a streak of foundation and dirt marring her cheek. She shot a look of pure, venomous hatred at Moon, her eyes narrowing into slits.
Her voice was a sharp, accusing hiss. "Moon... you're not getting jealous, are you? Is that it? Are you burning up because I'm giving all my attention to your brother and none to you? Huh?"
A low, genuine chuckle escaped Moon's lips. It was the first sign of real amusement he had shown in weeks.
"Hahaha. Thank god," he replied, his tone dripping with sarcastic relief. "I don't want it either. Your attention... you attention whore."
Moon's statement cut through the tension like a blade, instantly boiling up the already charged situation. Seeing the confrontation spiral, he stepped forward, his voice a low, firm command that brooked no argument. He physically moved between Moon and the still-kneeling Lisa, a human barrier enforcing a temporary peace.
"Enough," he said, his tone leaving no room for debate. He then turned his gaze fully to Lisa, his eyes serious and unwavering. "Lisa, I have said this over a hundred times. I am not planning on marrying anyone, nor am I looking to tie myself to anyone in that type of relationship." He paused, letting the absolute finality of those words sink in. "And even if I were to ever change my mind... there is already a person."
This last part was a new addition, a definitive shield he had rarely used. Each time he delivered this rejection, Lisa's face would contort into a familiar, petulant pout, her features twisting in frustration. But her resilience was as remarkable as her lack of shame. Almost instantly, she wiped the expression away, replacing it with her trademark flirty smile as if the entire humiliating episode had never happened. Without another word, she turned on her heel and strutted off towards Ms. Shale's office, leaving the brothers in her wake.
With their immediate business concluded, Kai and Moon took their usual posts, leaning against the cool marble wall near the main gate of the Mountbatten Bank, waiting. They stood in comfortable silence, two sentinels amidst the flow of clients and employees.
About an hour later, Lisa returned, a folder of documents tucked under her arm. Her demeanor was all business now, the earlier flirtation shelved for the moment. "This time the party is a big one," she announced. "And for the payment handover, they've summoned us to a mall." She checked a note on her device. "It's called the Hajun Park "
Moon and Kai exchanged a brief, barely perceptible glance. An off-site meeting was always a variable, but not an unusual one. They offered no comment, simply nodding in acknowledgment.
The three of them walked out to the parking level where a sleek, futuristic car awaited. The seating arrangement was a silent comedy in itself. Moon, without a word, slid into the front passenger seat next to the silent, professional driver. Kai and Lisa took the back. A palpable distance was maintained as Kai took the seat by the right window, and Lisa the left, the wide leather bench between them feeling like a chasm.
As the car pulled into the flowing traffic of Elora City, Moon rolled his window down partway. He pulled out a single cigarette, placed it between his lips, and with a mere thought, generated a tiny, precise spark of electro-elemental energy at his fingertip to light it. He took a long, deep drag, the stress and boredom of the day seeming to exhale with the plume of smoke that was snatched away by the wind rushing past the window.
The journey was quiet, the city's neon-lit canyons blurring past. Fifteen minutes later, the vehicle glided to a smooth halt. They had arrived.
Before them stood the imposing, multi-tiered structure of the Bailey Square Mall, its entrance a bustling hive of activity, little knowing the undercurrents of danger and duty that had just parked at its doorstep.
With a confident clip in her step, Lisa led the way through the sprawling, neon-lit concourse of Bailey Square Mall. Moon and Kai fell into their practiced roles, following a few paces behind like shadows, their eyes constantly scanning the environment, categorizing every shopper and storefront as a potential threat or irrelevant background noise.
Lisa's path was direct and purposeful. She bypassed luxury boutiques and tech hubs, heading straight for the bustling food court. Her target was a specific, brightly lit burger stall. She approached the counter and, after a brief, hushed conversation with an employee, was gestured toward a secluded seating area tucked away in a corner.
There, lounging with an air of casual ownership, was their contact. He was a young man with striking purple hair and vivid, amethyst eyes, dressed in a vibrant green tracksuit. His entourage was impossible to ignore: four girls were draped around him, two on either side, their body language speaking of a familiar, possessive intimacy. The purple-haired man, Hajun, seemed entirely at ease in the center of this attention.
Lisa moved to greet him. Following their protocol, Moon and Kai didn't accompany her to the table. Instead, they took up a position at an adjacent table as instructed, close enough to intervene if needed but far enough to grant the illusion of a private meeting. A waiter appeared, and without even looking at the menu, the brothers placed an order. Their focus was split—one eye on Lisa's interaction, the other on the perimeter.
At the contact's table, the exchange was cordial and efficient. Hajun rose to his feet, a slick, professional smile on his face as he shook Lisa's hand. "Hello, Mrs. Mingrui. I hope you had no trouble finding the place," he said, his voice smooth. He gestured dismissively at the girls clinging to him. "Please, ignore my girlfriends." The following conversation was a low murmur, a dance of formalities and coded language that ended with Hajun discreetly sliding a sealed data-chip across the table—the payment. Lisa secured it with a nod.
Meanwhile, a different kind of consumption was taking place. While the meeting unfolded, a steady stream of food had been delivered to Moon and Kai's table. They ate with a quiet, mechanical efficiency, not as men enjoying a meal, but as engines refueling. By the time Lisa concluded her business and stood up to leave, the evidence of their endeavor was stark: eight empty burger wrappers sat stacked neatly between them. Seeing her ready to depart, they each snatched one final, massive bite from the burgers in their hands, their jaws working in unison.
Lisa, her primary objective complete, walked over to the burger stall's payment counter to settle the bill for the food. She had offered, after all—a small price for a successful transaction. She tapped her wrist-comm against the payment terminal, expecting a modest deduction.
The digital display lit up with a number that made her blood run cold.
[ CREDIT TRANSFER: 10,000 ]
Her professional composure shattered. "What? Ten thousand credits?!" she hissed, her voice a mixture of shock and fury. "How?!"
She jabbed at the screen, pulling up the itemized receipt. The list loaded, and her eyes widened in disbelief:
· 16 x Prime Burger: 8,000 Credits (500 cr. each)
· 2 x Mega Cold-Drink: 2,000 Credits (1000 cr. each)
Sixteen burgers. Two gigantic, probably barrel-sized, drinks. Her head snapped around, her furious gaze searching for the two gluttons, ready to unleash a torrent of rage.
But the table was empty. Save for the mountain of crumpled wrappers and two empty, condensation-covered troughs that had once held drinks, there was no sign of them. She scanned the food court and spotted them already striding across the mall's main atrium, moving with an infuriating calmness toward the exit.
Her fists clenched. Through gritted teeth, she uttered the only words that fit the situation: "You… you food-devouring monsters!"
Back in the sanctity of the car, Kai and Moon were already buckled in their seats, their expressions as unreadable as ever, their impromptu feast already a memory. The mission was accomplished, the payment was secured, and their stomachs were full. For them, it was just another successful, if expensive, day at the office.
To be continued…