A "reunion ending" might feel like the conclusion, but it is only temporary. Life, on the other hand, is permanent.
Even if the crisis in one's mental state is resolved for the moment, time still flows as it always does—just as the sun rises on schedule, just as the twin moons hang in the night sky.
Sometimes people genuinely feel as if they've reached the "final chapter." As if once a major, stage-by-stage problem is overcome, everything afterward is meaningless filler—unworthy of recording, unworthy of watching.
But real life is rarely tied to those neat milestones.
Only when you truly face reality do you realize how massive an impact some casual choice can have—something you did without thinking. And those painstakingly calculated plans you obsessed over? They can end up changing almost nothing at all.
That's the world: chaotic, irrational, and indifferent.
Every second is a node in your life. Every moment is a stretch of the journey.
And in the midst of all that, Li Lin once again found himself thinking about running away.
"Li Lin… at this point, trying to escape would look pretty bad," Exusiai said.
"And no one told me I had to come too," he shot back.
"You're Penguin Logistics' 'Director of Direction.' If you don't show up, who does?"
"You're joking, right? Penguin Logistics' direction is having no direction!"
"Eh… so all that stuff you say when you're with Texas doesn't count as Penguin Logistics' 'direction,' then… hmm… if I tell Texas that, she might be really sad, you know?"
"If I'm left here alone, I'm the one who's going to be sad!"
Li Lin stood rigid in a corner, clutching a glass of Gaul-era champagne, staring at the well-dressed crowd as they mingled and toasted in the glossy, upper-class atmosphere. He felt uncomfortable in at least ten thousand different ways.
Especially because people kept looking at him with faint surprise, lowering their heads to whisper to one another—each glance felt like a thousand needles. Everything itched and stung at once, and he wanted nothing more than to bolt straight out the door and run back to his cheap rental apartment.
Penguin Logistics was a "comprehensive" company—meaning it operated in the gray zones.
They didn't just handle deliveries. They handled protection jobs. Raids. And certain tasks that were, frankly, not exactly clean.
Compared to legitimate businesses, Penguin Logistics was undeniably suspicious and morally gray.
But compared to gangs? Penguin Logistics was undeniably on the bright side of the line.
To Lungmen, this impulsively formed company had, in some ways, become a kind of "necessary evil."
And because Li Lin himself had been running his mouth and showing off all over the place—his "hidden fame" climbed higher and higher—until it reached the point where even an event like this "had to" have someone from Penguin Logistics present.
If it were a moment where he could control the showmanship, Li Lin loved it.
But this was not the kind of "showmanship" he liked.
For him, that meant pure torture—sitting on needles, hating everything he saw.
"Relax, relax. You're handsome, and you've got personality. You'll be fine," Exusiai said lightly.
"If we swapped roles, that'd be great. You have no idea how nervous I am right now."
"But you don't look nervous."
"Then you're looking wrong."
"Ehh~"
Li Lin took a small sip of champagne, maintaining a calm front while scanning the brilliantly lit hall.
Exusiai, meanwhile, wore her Penguin Logistics uniform with a shameless, delighted expression—like a lackey enjoying a show.
Texas had disappeared somewhere.
Sora was far away on stage, fully immersed in her singing—one of the tasks assigned by Siren Records.
After all, the Emperor had fought hard to secure Sora a measure of freedom. In exchange, Penguin Logistics had to shoulder part of the socializing and protection work.
That was how this bizarre team had formed.
Exusiai, who specialized in ranged combat and had the particular traits of a Laterano, was assigned as an internal guard.
Li Lin—an office worker with no combat strength whatsoever—was placed inside as an "invited guest" to observe, because his appearance made him look "mysterious," and because his face was already known in various corners of Lungmen.
And Texas—the close-combat specialist—was sent outside, along with Croissant (a shield operator type), to lie in wait for potential attackers.
To be honest, this deployment made Li Lin's soul want to flee his body.
It was too unsettling.
He liked being a behind-the-scenes manipulator. He did not like standing in glittering crowds like this.
He looked at the golden, extravagant banquet hall—the champagne tower, the servers weaving through the guests—and exhaled slowly. He casually motioned to a server and replaced his drink with a fresh glass of champagne.
And in that brief exchange, a tall, broad-shouldered man approached.
A Forte—large-framed, upbeat—wearing a black suit stretched tight across his chest. He excused himself from a man in a white suit beside him, then came over with a wide grin, lifting his glass high and opening his arms as if reuniting with an old friend.
"Ah, Li Lin! I'm so happy to see you again!"
He laughed loudly, stepping to Li Lin's side with easy familiarity.
"It's really for the best that Penguin Logistics finally sent someone for formal交流. You know how it is—we have to observe. But you people hide too well. That Emperor of yours is impossible to track down. What a headache."
"We welcome all orders and customers, and naturally we welcome settings like this as well," Li Lin replied smoothly. "But on matters related to confidentiality, I'm afraid we must remain discreet. Lungmen's industries are prosperous; we simply benefited from the era's tailwinds. We are not a true large enterprise. Compared with you at Peakrun Logistics, we merely pick up the scraps giants cannot be bothered to notice."
"Hahaha! That's a lot nicer than the Emperor's mouth. That penguin's always yelling some nonsense."
"That may simply be our boss's unique way of expressing private goodwill toward you. The Emperor is a very good boss. His emotions may be clumsy in expression, but his sincerity is genuine."
"With you around, the Emperor basically gets a loudspeaker that can actually talk. At last, he won't have to piss people off half to death before anyone understands what he's trying to say. Now, about business—"
"Ah, Mr. Peters."
Li Lin smiled and raised a hand, gently cutting him off.
"Discussing that here would be extremely unsafe—for you. Even normal contact between Peakrun Logistics and Penguin Logistics can be exploited by interested parties, let alone in the current… environment."
He scanned the busy, clinking circle of guests around them and gave Peters a small nod.
"If we continue this conversation, it may produce undesirable consequences. That said, I'm confident the Emperor would be very pleased to speak with you directly."
"Careful. Excellent discipline. Then I'll contact the Emperor later. Want some camel-beast jerky? From Karlan Trade—Shambala-quality stuff."
"Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Peters. In exchange, I recommend this Victorian wine. If you pair it with the hotel's cheap sugar, it produces a surprisingly interesting flavor. Personally, I find it excellent—worth trying."
"Cheap sugar and wine? All right, I'll try it. See you later!"
"Goodbye, Mr. Peters. I wish your commercial plans smooth operation."
Li Lin raised his glass in polite acknowledgement as the Forte man strode away.
Then he returned to his corner, holding his champagne and adopting the posture of someone naturally "observing the room," as if he belonged there.
Exusiai, who had watched all of it, parted her lips slightly and stared at him in genuine surprise.
"Li Lin… you were seriously impressive."
"As long as you don't state your real thoughts, and you talk in circles, you'll look impressive too," Li Lin said calmly under his breath. "Because from start to finish, you said nothing."
Just then, the Originium communicator on his ear crackled with a cool, restrained voice.
"Visual contact on unidentified intruders. Li Lin—what do we do next?"
"Coordinate with the security team first and confirm identities before engaging. We can't rule out overzealous private forces from certain families or companies deliberately escalating the situation. Priority is to push liability away from us."
"Understood."
The line went quiet.
Li Lin stared at the glittering scene in front of him, lifted his glass again, and took another sip of champagne.
If only this were cola.
....
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