Guanxi

Chapter 5: Shichiro and...Third Wheeling?

Across space you could find a variety of colors taking up the sky on planets. A deep green hung above the ground of Hagiriba, bright yellow dotted across the clouds of Operis, and the list could go on. However, humanity has always remembered the blue skies of Earth. It is coveted, hyperbolized, and replicated in various ways. A single person, covered in robes, sat crossed-legged atop stones facing toward a blue sky, one reflected in the endless waters surrounding him. 

His eyes were closed as he was meditating. For him it was a near necessity to meditate, so that he could keep himself in order and maintain a composed image in his daily life. If he were to lose that image his career would die, for you see he was a fixture of television. More than that, he was a trusted reporter of facts.

Shichiro McDermott exhaled and stood up before he took out a pair of cables connected to him right above his eyebrow. The robes he was wearing faded to reveal a chiseled physique, and the blue skies vanished with the stones and water. A high rise apartment replaced the endless blue, the sky now gray and visible only through the windows. 

Shichiro was saddened by the weather, but he didn't much care for the pink color of Feyer's sky anyway. He was always more concerned with his forward momentum, driven to succeed in life. He was so driven that he barely put stock in the decor of his home, the whole thing a collage of different grays provided by the walls, floor, and especially the sparse furniture. The only decorative additions here were paintings Shichiro had bought at random to fill space.

In the spirit of this disinterest with the home, let's not waste time. Shichiro threw on his suit, a custom gray outfit made by a local tailor, and quickly sped out of his abode. He made sure to live close to his workplace to avoid a long commute, in fact it was only a short walk for him to arrive at Wequane News Network's main office. You could even say that his path through the building was longer, factoring in how he'd greet all of his coworkers and the building staff.

To Shichiro he was only really awake once he reached the newsroom. He felt like he could breathe in all the information flying around, both the urgent news and the investigations...Well, also the stories that're only made to get clicks and keep the whole operation running. Shichiro didn't much care for those.

He had made his way through this room countless times, both as a humble desk worker on the main floor and as the famous crime reporter who had a corner office. As he sat down in that office Shichiro made sure to brush an ever-so-light layer of dust on a photo of him and his sister outside their father's old museum. He didn't get much time to ogle at it, as soon enough his assistant burst through his doors.

"Shichiro, finally you're here!"

"You have something for me so early Edmund?"

"Our contacts just told me the cops finally got proper evidence of Werner's drug use, it was Nebula like you said! They're about to move out and make the arrest, we need to go now."

As soon as he heard 'evidence' Shichiro was up and Edmund was following behind him. He'd been waiting for this story to pick up for a month. "Do you know how much time we have until they get to him?"

"I mean considering he's just wrapping up a win at Remy Stadium I'd say the cops are giving us...Twenty minutes, if they take the fastest route."

"We'll need to be there in ten. Is the car ready?"

"It is, but traffic is tight."

"We'll be fine."

The two enter an elevator and jet down to the garage where Shichiro's film team were ready with all the equipment. Their van had already pulled up to meet them, and as soon as they climbed in the vehicle was off. They didn't run any red lights, but if the light was yellow that was good enough to speed through.