Cheung Qi clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind him.
"Cheung-ge! A-Zhan and A-Feng are here!"
It was Shen Jiu.
Noticing the irritated expression on his face, Shen Jiu walked over with a puzzled look.
"Is something wrong?"
Cheung Qi stared at his phone for a long moment before letting out a defeated sigh.
"...He hung up on me."
Shen Jiu blinked.
"Someone actually hung up on you?"
Before Cheung Qi could answer, Huan Zhan jogged over, a bottle of water in his hand.
"I heard that."
He chuckled.
"Someone really hung up on Cheung-ge?"
He looked genuinely impressed.
"Who would dare?"
"It's the boss," Cheung Qi replied flatly.
The smiles on Shen Jiu's and Huan Zhan's faces immediately disappeared.
"...Ah."
"That explains everything," Huan Zhan muttered with a knowing nod.
Cheung Qi lowered his phone and looked at the three young men standing before him.
Gou Feng, Shen Jiu, and Huan Zhan.
It wasn't difficult to tell they had just finished sports training at the university.
A sheen of sweat still clung to their faces, and all three were dressed in simple athletic wear.
Towels hung around their necks, while half-empty water bottles remained in their hands.
Even after what had clearly been an exhausting training session, the three of them had rushed over to meet Cheung Qi, as this promised them free treats.
Some things never changed. They were still like a trio of eager cubs.
Even years ago, whenever Cheung Qi casually mentioned treating them to something good, they would appear without fail, no matter how busy they were.
That hadn't changed one bit. The thought brought an unconscious smile to his face.
With a quiet shake of his head, Cheung Qi let out another exaggerated sigh.
"I seriously thought he'd been kidnapped."
Huan Zhan raised an eyebrow.
"Who would be crazy enough to kidnap the Pact Leader?"
"Exactly," Shen Jiu agreed without hesitation.
"And even if someone did..."
He shrugged.
"They'd return him in less than a second."
Cheung Qi immediately pointed an accusing finger at him.
"That's rude."
"It's true." Shen Jiu looked completely convinced.
"I'd apologize and drive him back myself."
A laugh escaped Gou Feng before he could stop it.
Even Huan Zhan covered his mouth, trying to hide a smile.
Cheung Qi looked at the three of them in disbelief.
"So this is what betrayal feels like."
Without warning, he slung one arm around Shen Jiu's shoulders and hooked the other around Huan Zhan's neck.
"Fine!"
He grinned dramatically.
"Since our beloved boss is having a mental crisis, we will do the opposite."
Huan Zhan immediately grabbed Cheung Qi's arm and tried to pry it off, but it didn't budge.
"Cheung-Ge, is surprisingly strong."
Cheung Qi smirked.
"Flattery will get you nowhere."
"...I wasn't complimenting you." Huan Zhan replied.
"Too late."
Ignoring Huan Zhan's deadpan expression, Cheung Qi happily tightened his grip.
"So!"
He looked at the three younger men around him.
"What should we do first? Eat? Go shopping? Cause a little trouble?"
"You cause enough trouble by yourself." Gou Feng spoke calmly from beside Huan Zhan, his expression as indifferent as ever.
Cheung Qi placed a hand over his chest.
"A-Feng. I'm touched. Thank you for believing in my talents."
"That wasn't a compliment," Huan Zhan said matter of fact.
"It really wasn't," Shen Jiu added with a nod.
The four of three young men looked at one another, and laughter broke out among them.
Cheung Qi smiled despite himself.
At least. Not everyone around him was as impossible as his second elder cousin.
A moment a ago, he didn't truly forgot what he was going to say, he was merely teasing his elder, as it will not be him if he won't do such a thing. Usually Hei Bao would go with the flow on it, however today he just hung up.
Which only proof something truly have happened back then in the restaurant they just went through this morning. Where Hei Bao meet his friend Hao Mingyu.
Actually he still didn't know what have happened as that grumpy cousin of his refused to open it up about it and he didn't want to forced it on him, cause he know well about his limit and temper.
He can't afford to pressure him or else hell will break through without even limit on it.
Just thinking about it, made him sigh helplessly.
He called him, intending to invite him with their outing today, but I guest is not just their day today, again.
Anyway there's always a next time, if there will be one.
This kind of life they're all living on, risk and death are not surprised anymore. That is why he live his life without boundaries and just constantly think positively, even if he knew he offended some people sometimes.
But who cares?
As long as this life ain't done with him yet, he will continue to live it according to his rules.
Meanwhile, Hei Bao had barely made it halfway down the street when something felt off.
His hand instinctively reached for his shoulder.
Empty.
He stopped mid-step.
A faint frown appeared on his face as he stood there, trying to remember what felt wrong.
For a few seconds, he simply stared ahead, retracing his movements from earlier, until a realization hit.
His eyes narrowed.
"My coat..."
He must have left it at the café.
Turning on his heel, Hei Bao headed back.
The moment he stepped inside, the entire room fell silent.
Conversations cut off mid-sentence.
The soft clatter of cups ceased.
Even the music playing overhead suddenly seemed too loud.
Employees who noticed him immediately straightened, their expressions turning tense.
At the counter, Chu Yan froze halfway through a conversation with the manager.
Nobody moved. No one dares to.
Hei Bao paused near the entrance, staring back at the room.
"..."
Seeing all their reactions, he couldn't help but release a sigh and shook his head.
Ignoring all the nervous stares, he walked straight toward the table he occupied earlier.
And, proof enough his forgotten black coat sat exactly where he had left it.
He immediately picked it up, turned around, and walked back toward the door, not a word was spoken.
The café remained so quiet that the sound of his footsteps echoed across the floor.
When the door shut behind him, silence lingered for another second, before the cafe was filled with everyone exhaling.
A barista nearly collapsed against the counter.
"He finally left..."
Another employee pressed a hand to their chest.
"I thought I was about to die."
"You weren't even doing anything."
"I know, but he looked at me."
Several minutes later, Hei Bao arrived at the company's underground parking garage.
The private elevator recognized him immediately. This opened and Hei Bao got in without a thought.
The ride to the top floor was smooth and silent. Exactly how he liked it.
His office occupied the entire floor, but calling it an office felt misleading.
It looked more like a luxury penthouse that happened to contain work documents.
The doors slid open, and Hei Bao entered.
He tossed his coat onto the couch, and dropped down beside it with a tired groan.
Finally, some real peace, and quiet. Or at least, that was what he hoped for.
Closing his eyes, he attempted to push today's events from his mind. Unfortunately, one particular word refused to disappear.
Mate.
His eyes twitched.
Mate, and again.
Mate.
Still there.
"...FUCK!"
A muscle jumped in his jaw.
He sat upright.
The couch creaked beneath him.
Mate.
That damned word refused to leave his head.
With a scowl, he pulled out his phone, and dialed a number from memory.
The call connected after a single ring.
"Book me one seat, and a person to serve me tonight."
A brief confirmation came from the other side, before Hei Bao ended the call without another word.
He stood. Grabbed his coat, and headed toward the door. Before he could leave, however, his phone rang.
This time he glanced at the screen, and saw the caller ID.
Gou Feng.
Without hesitation, he answered.
"What's the matter?"
"The corpse has been disposed of."
Hearing Gou Feng's voice somehow calmed Hei Bao's irritation a bit, but then he noticed the other tone of voice seemed to be hoarse.
As though he hadn't slept or had been shouting for hours. It's rougher than usual, which made him frown.
Hei Bao stopped walking.
Something was off.
"What happened?"
His tone lowered unconsciously.
On the other end, Gou Feng fell silent.
The young man's hesitation only deepened his frown.
"A-Feng, why does your voice sound like that?"
He waited for an answer, but still the young man stayed silent. Another hesitation, long enough to be suspicious.
"A-Feng?"
Gou Feng bit his lower lip, not sure what to answer.
Beside Shen Jiu and Huan Zhan, Gou Feng was one of the two who is not good at lying.
"I…"
Before he could complete a word, another voice suddenly erupted from the background.
"A-Feng! Cheung-Ge, already reserved the table! Hurry up!"
It was Shen Jiu.
Hei Bao recognized the voice immediately.
His expression darkened.
"You're with Cheung Qi?"
"Yes." This time Gou Feng answered quickly.
"He came to our dorm earlier and invited us out to eat. It's a newly opened restaurant near the university."
"I see."
Hei Bao briefly paused as if he was thinking, before he says,
"Where?"
This time it was Gou Feng's turn to be caught off guard.
For a moment, he wondered if he had misheard. It had been years since Hei Bao had asked where they were going.
Years since he had voluntarily joined them.
"Ge..." Gou Feng began cautiously.
"Aren't you busy?"
Hei Bao said nothing, as if contemplating the young man question before saying,
"No. Send me the location. I'll come."