Time was far too short.
That was true for everyone.
At lunch, Huai Shi finally met Russell's friends within the Unified Bureau—or rather, allies, or perhaps something else...
If they had to be precisely defined, they were people who, beyond their mutually exploitative relationship, still retained some measure of trust in one another.
Reality was cruel, especially in London. Being able to place even a little trust in someone was already far from easy.
One could not ask for more.
It was only a brief, simple meal. Limited by time, they made do with a few bites in the restaurant.
Samuel, deputy director of the Current Realm Defense Bureau; Machina, former head of the Sublimation Management Department under the Central Decision Room... Both figures, now influential throughout the Present Realm, hurried over through the rain.
In their haste, no one cared about the overly modest setting. Even while eating, they paid little attention to manners.
They got straight to the point.
"I know what you're worried about, Mr. Huai Shi."
Samuel lifted his lukewarm black tea and drained it in one gulp. Having finished his lunch first, he assured him, "Don't worry. What you're concerned about won't happen."
"To be honest, the Unified Bureau is currently incapable of preventing the reconstruction of Utopia, nor will it do so. We would be delighted if someone could step forward and hold this situation together.
"The prerequisite is that they must be steady enough. Don't be too radical—the current situation cannot withstand any more upheaval."
Huai Shi was slightly taken aback. He caught the implication in Samuel's words. "The Unified Bureau is incapable of maintaining the situation?"
Samuel and Machina exchanged a glance. Machina answered, "The Unified Bureau is currently in a state of total paralysis. All we can do is prevent the