Earth sat in his office, surrounded by stacks of files pertaining to the village land dispute case his father had passed onto him. He glanced at his calendar, mentally mapping out the logistics of his upcoming trip to the village. It was clear that he needed to visit the site firsthand to gain a better understanding of the situation and to assess the needs of the farmers.
"I need to make a trip down to the village," Earth muttered to himself, his mind already racing with plans and strategies.
Without hesitation, he pressed the intercom button on his phone, summoning Mix to his office. Within minutes, Mix appeared at the door, his usual slightly frazzled appearance softened by a hopeful expression.
"What is it, sir?" Mix asked, his eyes widening with anticipation.
Earth leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on Mix as he contemplated his next move. "I'm going out of town this week," he began, his voice firm and authoritative. "Make sure not to mess up anything while I'm not here. Do you understand?"
Mix nodded, his expression turning serious as he absorbed Earth's instructions. "Yes, sir. I'll make sure everything runs smoothly in your absence."
But before Mix could retreat, Earth noticed a hint of hesitation in his demeanor. "Actually, sir," Mix spoke up tentatively, "I have a request."
Earth raised an eyebrow, curious to hear what Mix had to say. "Speak."
Mix took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to ask. "I would like to take a week off to go back to my hometown."
Earth's initial reaction was one of reluctance. If he was going to be out of town dealing with the land dispute case, having Mix away from the office could potentially lead to disaster if things went awry. But then, a different thought crossed his mind. Perhaps keeping Mix away from the office for a week would be the best way to ensure that he stayed out of trouble.
After a moment of contemplation, Earth made his decision. "Alright, Mix," he said finally, his voice softer than usual. "You can take the week off."
Mix's eyes widened in surprise, clearly taken aback by Earth's unexpected generosity. "Thank you, sir. I won't let you down."
As Mix left Earth's office to make preparations for his trip back home, Earth couldn't help but feel a twinge of apprehension about the week ahead. With Mix out of the office and him away dealing with the land dispute, anything could happen. But for now, all he could do was trust that he had made the right decision and hope for the best.
