Chapter 125: Heading Out
Though they could stay in the space like they did when they were outside the city, they figured it was more comfortable to check in a hotel while they were in the City.
Anyway, they wouldn’t be able to enjoy much of the hospitality industry after the Fall.
"Captain?" she voiced out, very startled. She didn’t even realize Kael had appeared next to her.
Luke was wearing civilian wear this time, though the air of uprightness oozing out of him, people would likely be able to guess what his profession was.
His stern expression, however, softened when he saw Naia, though it quickly hardened again when he saw the handsome man right next to her.
A young man and a young woman in a hotel on a weekday made people’s imaginations run wild, and Luke was no exception.
His hands unconsciously formed into fists. When he realized this, his fingers loosened awkwardly. "You’re back," he said, studying her state, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her unharmed.
Luke then cleared his throat, eyes passing over Kael. "And this is..."
"Kael," she said. "My...friend."
"How...are you?"
He found out she was attacked when a large number of gangsters were mobilized to her village. He drove there with a squad, ready for a bloody fight. He did not expect that she and her entire family would’ve long been gone by then.
He was relieved but also very worried because there had been no contact with her since then. He couldn’t find a trace of her, either.
So when he (and the other officers) received the duffel bag from her, he immediately went to contact her. After a bit of investigation, he quickly found out where she was and headed straight there.
Logically, a call would’ve sufficed. Going here did not have any use at all. But...he went anyway.
"We’re all fine, don’t worry."
"I was worried. I feared you were in danger."
At this, a scoff sounded from the side. "You knew she was in danger? Yet you expose her by approaching her."
Naia rolled her eyes. If it were that serious, they wouldn’t have checked into the hotel.
However, Kael still believed Luke was incompetent and didn’t think straight, while Luke thought Kael was an eyesore.
"Those people have been neutralized now," Luke said, his voice lower than usual. "They wouldn’t dare make moves."
"No thanks to you."
"What?"
Luke did not appreciate the smug look on the other’s face.
Naia felt some weird tension going on and stepped in front of Kael while facing Luke. The movement actually displeased the two men. In Kael’s perspective, Naia was siding with Luke. In Luke’s perspective, Naia was protecting Kael.
Naia was unaware of men overthinking and shifted the topic. "Oh, did you see the book we placed in the duffel bag? Be sure to read it."
Linlin’s book now included events showing meteor, the tsunamis, the volcanic winter, the floods, extreme heat, and then some hints of the aliens’ incoming.
It really was quite condensed, but the Chapters were long and quite detailed. Not to mention the disaster, even character development was there.
They also gave it an open ending. It would not only save energy by thinking of a good ending, but it would also give rise to possibilities.
These disasters were inevitable, but what came after that...only time would tell.
...
Later that night, during a long and ongoing overtime, Luke decided to take a look at the book. They were now waiting for some criminals to be taken in and had nothing better to do anyway.
His mood today was quite complex, and he would need a bit of a distraction. He went to the hotel and saw Naia with another man, and then he was promptly ’excused’ because they were about to head out to the Capital.
Luke himself was unaware why his gut felt heavy, or he felt uncharacteristically irritable lately, but it is what it is.
Then, his eyes landed on the words on the page. The more he read, the more his eyebrows furrowed.
He didn’t even notice when he shot out of his seat, standing upright with a solemn expression on her face.
...
"I thought we were staying until noon..." Naia asked the driving Kael. After they ate the buffet breakfast included in the booking, Kael convinced everyone that it was time to leave the City already.
The thing was, they had initially planned on relaxing for a bit. The twins and Gale even planned on going to the movies tonight.
Look at them, they looked so disappointed!
"They can watch movies in the capital," he said dismissively. "The facilities there are better."
His eyes passed over the rear-view mirror to look at the aforementioned teenagers. They all flinched, not daring to complain anymore.
Naia, seeing as the teens had gotten quiet, assumed that they agreed to Kael. She just shrugged and looked out, wondering when to take in things again.
They were going to the Capital by car instead of train, even if it took several times longer. It was a conscious decision on their part, planning on taking in bits of land along the way.
Interestingly, Kael went a little out of his way an hour later, but he was obviously driving with a goal in mind.
"An herb farm?" Naia blinked as she read the sign.
He nodded. "I bought the entire place," he said. "You can do whatever you want with it."
He paid twice the land cost as the owner insisted that that was the value of the herbs still planted. Kael didn’t know much about herbs, but he was sure it was a lie. However, it didn’t matter. The value of this piece of land would multiply in Naia’s hands.
Naia’s eyes were sparkling as she ran inside. She saw the herb farm sprawled across a few acres of gently rolling land, organized into neat blocks of cultivation.
Each section was dedicated to a different herb—whether it was basil, rosemary, mint, or other things— it was there.
There were even buildings at the center, and she realized they were part of the processing complex. There were places to dry herbs, grind them, mill them, package them, and so on.
It was wonderful. She had planted a bit on her own, but frankly, she hadn’t really thought of looking for an established herb farm.
"My Kael is the smartest!" she couldn’t help but exclaim as she looked at this unexpected gift.
Kael looked at her and sneered. "So you do have eyes."
"..."
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