CHAPTER TWO

Three years later

"Is Li Sir in yet?" a young man around twenty asked, nervously glancing at the glass door that led into the bureau quarters. The VEB quarters was an oppressing gray, skyscraper building, abided with six floors. Each floor represented the status of the officer. The bureau was infected with allium sativam ward off 'rodents' as they put it. It was heavily guarded in and out by elite officers.

The youth heaved a nervous sigh before turning back to his paperwork that laid in heaps on his desk. His colleagues exchanged perplexed glances. Too suspicious. They nodded to each other and leaned across the other party's desk.

"Say ,Bai Lou, do you know something?"

"N-No! I don't know anything!" he answered hurriedly, burying his head behind the heap of paperwork. The other two exchanged knowing glances. 'Affirmative, he knows something!' They smiled ambiguously then shrugged their shoulders making Bai Lou a headed chicken within caged entrance.

"Then why are you nervous?"

"I'm not nervous!"

"I saw a man walk into the Chief's office. Like bloody hell, he was ripped and lalala," the female colleague said exaggeratedly, fanning herself as if she was actually hot.

"If you talk like that people are going to think that you're a dog in heat!" her partner teased, nudging her lightly in the ribs. The girl simply laughed like a lunatic, holding her sides as the laughter subdued into a hacking .

"They already say that so what's the use of worrying?" Bai Lou muttered stapling the papers he had finished writing. The girl looked at Bai Lou incredulously, scrutinizing him up and down. She held her hand on her chest and said dramatically, "Who are you? You must be the devil. Where is my sweet ,innocent Bai Lou?"

"Innocent my foot," the male colleague snorted through his nose. The two were about to argue more when Bai Lou unexpectedly jolted up from his chair like he had been placed on a heated plate. He drove his hand into a military salute and greeted the approaching figure with such respect that the other two's skins involuntarily pickled with goosebumps.

The two followed suit and saluted the man in front of them in unison.

"Good morning, Li Sir!"

The mentioned man barely swept a glance in their direction instead he just gave them a stiff military nod. They didn't take it personal since they were quite used to his cold persona. He was a man of few words, ambiguous and puerile and mysteriously cunning. He only spoke when asked to and he didn't look like he had much interest in social-interaction. 'A human rock' they called him.

Apart from his reason to why he joined the VEB they certainly knew nothing else about him. Of course he was infamous for never having a partner. Rumor had it that he turned them all down leaving the Chief in a helpless situation. The Chief could do nothing but accept his sentiment since he had filled a resignation paper. Alas, he worked alone.

A lone bird is an easy target for hovering wolves, wasn't he afraid of getting killed without a partner to watch his back for him in the field. Nobody understood his reasons and they were afraid of knowing them so they left the empty bowls to the wind.

He had an appearance of jaded lotus and his eyes although cold and distant had a hidden radiation of warmth and child innocence. In spite the lines of tension in his soul people found themselves helplessly attracted to him. Maybe it was the pureness of his frigid heart.

After Li Sir was completely out of sight and out of audible-presence, Bai Lou and his two colleagues huddled together.

"He's also headed to the Chief's office and the man that got in is not out yet. What do you think is happening, Little Bai?" the female colleague asked , looking above their heads towards the Chief's office where the door was closed shut. Bai Lou shook his head vigorously. "I don't know anything. I'm just as clueless as you're!" The girl squinted her eyes at Bai Lou whom now had a blanket of cold sweat covering his forehead. Her face had grown grim and the tension lines grew visible on her neck.

"Is that so? Fine then," she said shortly, nodding her head lightly as if she had finally understood. If the girl had planned on scaring the tiger by moving the mountain she had completely succeeded without doubt because Bai Lou blurted out suddenly, " I think it's Li Sir's new partner!" The girl looked at Bai Lou skeptically, her brows drawn in concentration. "Partner?" she asked ,dragging the word to make sure she digested the fish well than the fishbone.

Bai Lou knew that he was being suspected so he immediately defended himself. "I happened to have heard the Chief speaking to someone over the phone when I was returning the files to the File Storage room."

"What where you doing there and----"

"What time was it?" the boy finally chipped in after being in silence since the beginning of the conversation. Was this interrogation? Bai Lou balled his hands into fists and exploded. "Stop treating me like a criminal! Fools , am I not allowed to feel you in with the exact information?! That man is probably Li Sir's new and first partner!" He hammered the table with his fist, sliding back into his seat. The other two stood inn silence and no onr dared to talk.

There was nothing more to say.

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