South Sea Leisure Time: Checking into the Seaside Suite
The train slowed down, the carriage doors slid open, and hot air, carrying the spicy aroma of beggar's chicken from the platform, rushed in.
Zhou Yu handed over three banknotes, and the lotus leaf-wrapped box ended up in Dania's hands.
She tore open the lotus leaf, took a big bite, and the chili oil dripped down between her fingers.
Zhou Yu tore off a tissue and stuffed it into her other hand.
"Slow down, there's more seafood coming."
"Seafood is seafood, and chicken is chicken," Dania retorted vaguely, her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel's.
Four hours later, in the lobby of the South Sea Seaside Holiday Hotel.
Zhou Yu slapped the two black and gold room cards on the counter, picked up one of them, and handed it to Chisa.
"The penthouse suite is for you and Sigelica."
Chisa didn't answer, her gaze sweeping over the load-bearing pillars in the lobby and the elevator entrance.
"The top floor offers a wide field of view, making it easy for snipers to lock onto firing angles; the glass thickness is insufficient to withstand armor-piercing rounds."
She pointed towards the stairwell.
"The second floor has many blind spots, making evacuation easier."
Zhou Yu slipped the room key into her palm.
"There's no sea view from the second floor, and no private swimming pool."
"I don't need a swimming pool."
"But Dania needs it." Zhou Yu picked up the canvas bag. "If the Fractsidus had the money to buy armor-piercing rounds, they would have paid the heating bill for the Northern Territory long ago."
Chisa gripped the room key tightly, pressing a red mark from the edge of the card into her palm, then turned and walked towards the elevator.
Sigelica followed, dragging her suitcase, her voice very low.
"Zhou Yu, how much is this apartment per night?"
Thirty thousand.
The suitcase wheels came to a screeching halt on the paving stones.
You took my repayment money--
"The principal approved the special security fund." Zhou Yu pressed the elevator up button. "The top floor has its own independent security system, which meets the reimbursement requirements. Not a penny was missing from your card."
Sigelica released the lever, let out a long breath, and followed them into the elevator.
The door to the top-floor room was pushed open.
Behind a floor-to-ceiling window is the azure sea, with white waves crashing on the beach.
Dania kicked off her sneakers, stepped barefoot onto the wool carpet, rushed to the glass, and pressed her hands against it.
There's so much water.
That's called the sea.
She turned her head, her eyes shining as if they had just been fully charged.
Are there big lobsters in the sea?
Yes, I'll bake it for you tonight.
Chisa did not look at the sea when she entered the room.
She pulled back the curtains a crack to peek at the beach below, went into the bedroom, opened the wardrobe door, bent down to check under the bed, and used the tip of her knife to pry open the vent blinds.
It was just filled with dust.
When Zhou Yu came out of the bathroom, she had changed into shorts and flip-flops with yellow flowers printed on them, and her white tank top was hanging loosely on her body. She collapsed into the lounge chair on the balcony.
The digital watch on my left wrist lit up with green text.
[System notification: You have entered the vacation zone. Fatigue value is reset to zero. This zone is protected from detection by low-level hostile units.]
He closed his eyes, the sea breeze filling his face.
After the girls changed into their swimsuits and poured out of the room, the suite fell silent.
Chisa stood with her back against the French windows, her long sword held to her chest.
Zhou Yu cut a slice of watermelon and handed it over.
"Have something to eat."
"I'm on duty."
"Being on duty doesn't stop me from eating watermelon."
Sugar can slow down reactions.
Zhou Yu placed the watermelon on the table next to her.
"You haven't had a proper meal in three days. If the Fractsidus Society stormed in now, you wouldn't even have the strength to draw your sword."
Chisa's fingers tightened and loosened on the scabbard.
She turned her head and looked down at the beach— Dania was squatting on the sand, poking a hole with a stick, her body showing no trace of the near-death experience she had three days ago.
They're playing in the water. Aren't you going?
"I am a guard."
"Guards also have days off; it's clearly stated in the labor law."
Chisa turned to look at him.
"Ashihara has no labor laws."
"This is the South Sea, and it's under my jurisdiction."
Zhou Yu said no more and turned to walk back to the lounge chair on the balcony.
The only sound in the room was the low hum of the air conditioner.
Chisa stood there for a long time, her fingers touching the cool watermelon rind, and then she picked it up.
This index finger once gripped the hilt of a knife, pierced through the armor of Tacet Discord armor, and slit open the throat of an assassin.
Now it's soaked in red melon juice, icy cold and sweet.
She took a small bite, the sweetness spreading in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
He didn't laugh, but his fingers gripped the melon rind even tighter.
As the sun set, Zhou Yu carried a black iron box to the beach, set up a barbecue grill, poured in charcoal, and lit it.
Dania ran over carrying a small plastic bucket, with three sand crabs, each about the size of a fingernail, lying at the bottom.
"Xiao Yu, look, there's a crab!"
"Not enough to fill a tooth gap." He took thick-cut meat skewers from the insulated box and arranged them on the wire mesh, sizzling as grease dripped onto the charcoal. "Ten minutes, you wait here."
Dania squatted beside the barbecue grill, her hands supporting her chin, her eyes fixed on the meat skewers.
Sigelica, her hair still wet, pulled over a folding chair.
How much meat did you bring?
"Enough for you to eat until tomorrow morning."
Linnai came up from behind and tried to grab a chair.
"Zhou Yu, how much did you spend on this business trip?"
"Not enough for your gossip."
Chisa walked out of the hotel entrance.
White short-sleeved shirt, light blue jeans.
He did not bring a knife.
She walked to the barbecue grill, sat down, her back straight, and placed her hands on her knees.
Zhou Yu sprinkled red chili powder on the skewers, picked up the first one, and handed it to Dania.
Dania opened her mouth and bit into the piece of meat, the grease overflowing from her lips, making her gasp from the heat.
He picked up another string of pearls and handed it to Chisa.
Chisa took the bamboo skewer and looked at the golden-brown, steaming pieces of meat on it.
"No need to wait for others to pick up their chopsticks." Zhou Yu took a bite of meat herself and added vaguely, "This isn't a mission meal, there's no need for any ceremony."
Chisa bit off a piece of meat, chewing slowly, her shoulder line relaxing by half an inch.
Zhou Yu pulled the tab on the chilled beer, white foam gushed out, and he held up the can.
"Cheers."
Dania held up a skewer of meat, Sigelica held up a bottle of mineral water, and Linnai and Aimis held up juice.
Chisa looked at them, then slowly raised the bamboo skewer in her hand. The end of the skewer touched the side of the can, making a soft sound.
It got completely dark.
The hotel lights came on, and the red glow of the charcoal fire illuminated everyone's faces.
Dania bit off the last piece of meat from the third skewer, a grain of cumin on the corner of her mouth.
Zhou Yu wiped it away with her thumb, blinked, and didn't flinch.
"Xiao Yu, more."
"Knew."
He flipped a skewer of golden-brown chicken wings, oil dripping down, flames leaping upwards and licking the edge of the wire mesh.
Zhou Yu stopped.
The flames flickered in the wind, but did not go out.
White smoke rose from the charcoal, obscuring his view.
From the depths of the smoke, a pair of bloodshot eyes emerged—staring at the chicken wings on the wire mesh, staring at the girl beside him.
The lingering ripples of Aleph One attempt to reconstruct themselves on the humid nights by the sea.
The digital watch is not vibrating and there is no green warning message.
The scaly face emerged from the smoke, its mouth full of sharp teeth, as it bit into the skewer of chicken wings.
Zhou Yu flicked his wrist, and the wooden handle of the brush slammed heavily onto the scales' face.
"Queue."
He picked up a chicken wing and handed it to Dania.
"Your."
Dania took it and took a big bite, completely unaware of what was happening.
The scaly face disintegrated in the smoke, leaving not a sound.
Chisa sat opposite her, her chopsticks dangling in mid-air.
She saw it.
She was more acutely aware than anyone else of what had seeped out of the smoke just moments before.
But Zhou Yu's expression remained unchanged from beginning to end; his heartbeat did not quicken, and his breathing remained normal.
He simply dipped the meat in the sauce again and brushed it onto the next skewer, flames leaping up and illuminating his calm profile.
Chisa put down her chopsticks, glanced at Zhou Yu, and then at Dania.
The girl was waving an empty bamboo stick at Zhou Yu.
"Xiao Yu, five more skewers, extra spicy."
"Good."
Zhou Yu picked up the seasoning bottle, sprinkled the red powder, and flames enveloped the meat skewers, sizzling loudly across the beach.
The fragrance drifted on the night breeze, floating towards the dark sea.
Chisa lowered her head and took a bite of the half-eaten skewer of meat in her hand.
I chewed it twice and swallowed it.
She didn't look in the direction of the smoke again.