Guardian: Returns

26

Luo Fei, wearing an old leather jacket and a pair of fashionably torn jeans, entered the S.I.D. Headquarters, taking in the familiar view of the place. He smiled at the secretary sitting by the front desk, then approached a large sofa. Chu Shuzhi stood up and folded his hands on his chest.

"Hi," Lou said to some surprised workers he didn't know. "Your boss in?"

"No, not yet," one of them responded.

"Um, can I help you?" Guo Changcheng approached the boy.

"Nah, I've got a meeting with the old man. I'll wait," he said, then jumped on the sofa and lay down in the far corner, putting a leg on the massive table next to it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Old Chu stepped closer. This wasn't the first time the kid was playing on his nerves.

"How does it look like?" the teenager looked up and spread his arms. "I'm waiting. Qiao Guo, make me some tea."

"Do not make him any tea," Chu's icy voice stopped the slim man from taking action.

"Still not very hospitable, huh? I'll remember that. Just you wait." Luo's index finger threatened the man. "The moment I become your boss, I'll cut off all your bonuses till you learn how to respect me."

"You little..."

A fat black cat jumped on the sofa and put his front paws on Luo Fei's chest. "You're here. Will you join us?" it asked, earning an incredulous look from Chu Shuzhi.

"I think it'll be something like being an intern at first." Luo scratched the cat's back.

"Well, that's a start," the cat walked to the other side of the used furniture and lay down. "Don't wake me up. I had a night shift."

"Didn't you sleep the whole time?" Guo blinked.

"You like that face of yours, right? Or do you wish to have it scratched off?" Da Qing narrowed his cat eyes. Guo laughed nervously and hid behind Old Chu.

Another teenager entered the spacious hall. This one was wearing a two-piece suit and an off-white shirt. He smiled and bowed politely to each worker in the office, attentively looking around. He spotted Luo on the sofa and walked over, then frowned as he stood over the relaxed kid. They both stared at each other for a moment.

"What are you wearing?" they asked at the same time. While Luo spread his arms again in a self-explanatory gesture, Jiang Feng's frown deepened.

"You should wear something more appropriate. It's your first day here. Don't you know how important the first impression is?" he asked.

"Oh, come on," Luo tilted his head back. "We've both made more than just first impressions already. And that's what I've always been wearing. Besides, nobody here wears suits anyway. Even the great detective Zhang Shi wears casual jackets, despite his age.

"Who's Zhang Shi?" asked one of the workers.

"Your boss, obviously," responded Luo, frowning a little. He got a quizzical look from Jiang Feng as well. "Oh, right. I forgot to tell you the details of..."

Chu Shuzhi grabbed Luo Fei by the lapels of his leather jacket and forcefully hauled him off the sofa, then dragged him away to an isolated area. Surprised, Jiang Feng ran after them.

"How the hell do you know this name?" Old Chu's voice was menacing. Luo Fei's mind raced.

"Oh," he finally got it. So the new members didn't know about the deal Zhao Yunlan made with the ancient Dixinian. Nor did civilians know, which, given the mood of public opinion, was probably a wise decision. Not everybody would be happy to hear that the unit responsible for dealing with the Dixing crimes was led by one. Luo looked at his friend standing nearby, clearly savouring the whole scene.