Swire left in a hurry.
No looking back—so hurried that once Li Lin got into the car, he could already see her retreating figure that was, for all practical purposes, running.
It wasn't hard to imagine why. Maybe something went wrong because he'd delayed her. To be honest, Li Lin felt a little guilty about that.
As for bumping into Swire halfway through—just a small detour in the day—it barely registered anymore. Lungmen was that kind of place: once you squeezed into a certain tier, you realized you kept seeing the same handful of people over and over. Look down, look up—there they were again.
The "rich kids" circle, you know how it is. They always rotate through similar places because this is the period where they're "gaining experience." Paying their dues, building résumés—whatever you want to call it. In Lungmen that meant Swire, Lin Yuhsia (the Rat King's daughter), Ch'en, and—somehow—Hoshiguma, who had slipped into the orbit without making it weird and always kept her boundaries immaculate.
In any case, the roster was packed. He couldn't exactly get deep into the inner circle, but he could always see them.
Which made it especially difficult to keep himself… restrained.
No—right. Not that.
Which made it especially difficult to break free of a first impression.
Li Lin's plan was to leave a strong, unmistakable mark in the minds of these young people—heirs to their parents' resources and status, now beginning to shine in Lungmen.
Approachable. Calm. Willing to listen to their dreams. And firmly, decisively, on their side—helping them break the "rich kid" shackles that clung to them.
That said, Li Lin didn't even think the stereotypes were necessarily wrong.
In the end, they were the ones who would call the shots. If he built rapport early—got his face remembered—proved his credentials as Penguin Logistics—then he could happily eat his fill in the greatest trade city on the planet.
That was what "information advantage" looked like. If you didn't know the future, how would you ever guess that the people who would shape Lungmen's tomorrow were a bunch of wealthy heirs who spent their days in the LGD beating up bullies and helping the weak?
As for the "assets" and the figures—
Those were secondary.
Probably.
Maybe not entirely secondary.
Possibly… a little important.
But not that important.
Or maybe it was simply that one or two—no, two or three—were the kind of stunning beauties who looked good just standing there, making you want to walk closer.
But so what? Was Penguin Logistics lacking in that department? Swire had sheer outfits—Penguin Logistics had waists just as slim.
…Seriously, though. Was he getting a bit too pent-up lately?
Looking at the gangsters sprawled all over the floor, Li Lin felt his brain slipping into a worrying kind of runaway mode—like the "little head" was beginning to take control of the "big head."
As if she sensed something off, Texas—standing among the unconscious thugs—flicked an ear, lifted her head to look at him, and blinked.
"Li Lin…?"
"Ah—sorry." Li Lin coughed lightly. "I was thinking about our future."
"Oh."
With a chocolate stick between her teeth, Texas raised an eyebrow as if she understood.
Li Lin wasn't sure what, exactly, she thought she understood, but he shook his head anyway, cleared the clutter from his thoughts, and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Good work, everyone. The raid was a complete success. I've already contacted Officer Swire from the LGD—people should arrive to handle cleanup before long. We can withdraw safely. Nothing to worry about."
"Senior, you're really amazing." Sora hopped out of another room, eyes wide. "When did you manage that?"
Li Lin only shrugged.
"Just a coincidence."
"Ehh A coincidence, huh"
Sora smiled with the unmistakable expression of someone who didn't believe a single word.
In her mind, he seemed to have become this flawless mastermind who always had the answer.
But it really was a coincidence.
And perhaps thanks to Swire's… refreshingly light outfit earlier, Li Lin found himself able to stay calm and objective even while looking at Penguin Logistics—who, at the moment, were dressed properly and normally.
Penguin Logistics was work.
Watching the LGD was life.
No—forget it. Stop thinking.
Li Lin shook his head and, with the most businesslike tone he could muster, asked:
"By the way—did we recover the boss's vinyl records?"
"Vinyl records?" Croissant, buried in a box of miscellaneous junk, popped up with bits of packing straw stuck all over her head. "What vinyl records? I didn't see any."
"Huh? Weren't we here because of the boss's business?" Li Lin frowned. "I remember him saying the gangsters seized his stuff a while back, and he got into a fight with them. Wasn't this the follow-up to that?"
"Nope. We just felt like fighting." Croissant said it like it was the most reasonable thing in the world. "They attacked, we counterattacked. That's all."
"…Alright then." Li Lin sighed. "Anyway, they don't have Lungmen household registration, so legally they basically don't exist. There probably isn't even anyone to compensate."
"Okay, okay, enough of that!" Exusiai, glowing with triumph, slapped Li Lin hard on the back as if fatigue was a myth.
He staggered, and she smoothly hooked an arm around his shoulder, leaned in close, and grinned.
"Let's go back and throw a party! You bailed halfway yesterday—we didn't even have fun properly!"
"But haven't you all been awake for a full day?"
"Doesn't matter!" Exusiai waved it off. "It's just one day without sleep and one day of work. Totally fine!"
"You're sure?" Li Lin glanced toward Texas. "Texas—what do you think?"
"…Dismiss. Go home. Rest."
Texas finally decided the matter after crunching down the remaining Pocky stick.
Chaos was practically Penguin Logistics' signature, but exhaustion wasn't. You might not feel it immediately, but fatigue still branded itself into your body all the same.
They came in like a storm and left just as cleanly—no dragging feet, no lingering. That was Penguin Logistics' style. So within minutes, Li Lin and Exusiai had already opened the door to their rented apartment and stepped inside.
Yes. Even if they didn't interact much at work—
They lived together.
The moment they entered, Exusiai let out a long breath, stretched, and put a hand on her jacket zipper.
Then she yanked it down in one smooth motion.
Like peeling the shell from a boiled egg, a warm, heat-damp silhouette was suddenly exposed right in front of Li Lin.
Her hands were absurdly fast—no warning at all. Before Li Lin even processed what was happening, she'd already stripped off the Penguin Logistics jacket and tossed it straight onto him.
"Ah—so hot." Exusiai wiped her brow, entirely unbothered. "Here, hold that."
"…What are you doing?"
"Still playing dumb?" Exusiai planted her hands on her hips, wearing nothing but a breezy bra top and shorts, eyes shining with mischief. "Getting ready for the party, obviously."
"You mean that was your plan from the start?"
"Heh. What else would it be?"
She raised a finger and pointed it right at his nose, smile widening.
"Tonight is our party night. No sleep. Don't even think about running away again."
"..."
Li Lin wasn't sure he could withstand this.
Exusiai bent forward without a care in the world, her back and hip lines clean and effortlessly pretty as she rummaged through the fridge for drinks. Li Lin took a slow breath—
Only for his nose to fill with Exusiai's scent.
A scent he'd grown familiar with over time—so familiar that it clung to him even after he woke up. More familiar than anyone else's.
Far too familiar.
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