For the Benefits Package, I'm In!
Zhou Yu said nothing. Leaning back on the sofa, he stopped drumming his fingers on his knee.
Dania held half a macaron, icing on her fingertips, and looked from Lupa to Zhou Yu, her cheeks puffed out.
After several seconds, she swallowed the dessert in her mouth and carefully tugged on Zhou Yu's sleeve.
Zhou Yu turned his head.
Dania looked up at him, the warm colors of the office's antique bookshelves reflected in her eyes.
Dania: (๑•.•๑)?
"Does... going to school include meals?"
Lupa's hand paused for a beat as she held her black tea.
Zhou Yu smiled.
Without answering Dania, he turned to Lupa, pulled the neatly folded Excel sheet from his pocket, and spread it out on the coffee table.
"Principal, let's set feelings aside for now and talk costs."
He tapped Dania's name on the sheet.
"First of all, she's not fighting alone. She's a money-guzzling beast with a bottomless appetite."
Lupa raised a shapely eyebrow.
"A money-guzzling beast?"
"Yes. Let me walk you through the numbers."
Zhou Yu ran a finger across the sheet.
"Breakfast: Old Wang's pork and scallion buns, five at a minimum, plus a bowl of sweet soy milk. At today's prices, that's twenty credits."
"Lunch: sweet-and-sour pork ribs on the second floor of Cafeteria Three, a substantial dish, with two bowls of rice. Dessert afterward is a must, and thirty credits won't cover it."
"Dinner, late-night snacks, snacks... and clothes for the changing seasons. They're all consumables."
He pushed the sheet forward.
"This is an academy, not a charity. Tuition, housing, books, and all the other expenses added together—I couldn't afford them even if I sold myself."
"So waiving all tuition and miscellaneous fees is the baseline for negotiations."
Lupa set down her teacup and leaned forward an inch.
"Mr. Zhou Yu, some things can't be valued in credits."
"Dania's existence concerns the future of all Solaris. Protecting her and keeping her somewhere safe is our shared responsibility..."
"Stop."
Zhou Yu raised a hand in a timeout gesture.
"Principal, don't sell me a pie in the sky. It'll only make me hungry."
He leaned back against the sofa and crossed his legs again.
"My old boss loved talking about responsibility and the future too. I ended up working overtime every day without overtime pay."
Lupa: (¬_¬)
"You want me to leave her with you? Fine."
Zhou Yu held up one finger.
"Give me a position. Paid, with accommodation."
Lupa set her teacup back on its saucer with a crisp clink of porcelain.
"Are you negotiating employment benefits with me?"
"What else? Ideals?"
Zhou Yu spread his hands.
"Ideals don't put food on the table. If you want to keep her here, you need to offer something concrete."
He counted on his fingers, listing his demands one by one.
"First, the full five social insurances and housing fund, especially medical insurance. I value my life."
"Second, two days off a week, every statutory holiday, and paid annual leave, so I can take her out for better food whenever I want."
"Third, no overtime in any form. Once my shift ends, even an immortal will have to wait until I've clocked out."
He paused, then added the most important condition.
"Fourth, put my workplace closer to the cafeteria, so I can keep an eye on the quality of your school's food at any time. The ingredients must be fresh, and the portions generous."
Zhou Yu: (￣^￣)ゞ
The office fell silent for several beats.
Dania looked from Zhou Yu to Lupa. She didn't quite understand, but she thought Zhou Yu was trying to get her more buns and pork ribs.
Dania: (๑ `･ᴗ･´๑)و
Lupa picked up her tea, now slightly cool, and took a sip. She closed her eyes and pressed her temples.
"Your terms are more generous than what I offer full professors."
"Professors don't have to watch your kid for you."
After a long while, Lupa opened her eyes, her flawless smile back in place.
"All right."
"Logistics Department, Warehouse Three: equipment manager and cafeteria food quality supervisor."
She looked at Zhou Yu.
"It's idle enough and close enough to the cafeteria. Satisfied?"
Zhou Yu's face brightened.
"Deal."
He stood up with excessive speed and casually picked up the entire plate of macarons from the coffee table, more than half of them still left.
"I'll count these as today's negotiation expenses. I'm claiming reimbursement."
Zhou Yu: (￣▽￣)~
He took Dania, who still hadn't reacted, by the hand, turned, and headed out.
As he pulled her along, Dania used her free hand to pick another macaron from the plate and stuff it into her mouth.
When they reached the door, Zhou Yu stopped.
Without turning around, he tilted his face to the side. The light from the window fell on only half of it.
"Principal Lupa."
He spoke slowly, delivering each word one at a time.
"I know what you want to get from her: nothing more than fragments of memories about Aleph One, the New Federation, and all that rotten business."
"My advice to you: don't try."
"I've already settled all the bad debts from her past with my own hands."
"Now, she's just a student who spends every day thinking about eating sweet-and-sour pork ribs and other delicious food."
"If anyone dares saddle her with more KPIs, don't blame me for disregarding labor law."