+++
Sylvester dropped the landline receiver after speaking
with Agent Dakolo, he sat back into his seat, trying to
decide whether to attend to the Agent's request first or to
follow after Henry. He chose the latter and got up from
his seat. He picked up his phone from the table and
proceeded out of the office.
Two minutes later, he was seated in the visitor's seat
behind Henry's table. Henry wasn't paying much
attention to him but was focused on his work on the
laptop.
'Here's what I wanted to show you' Henry quickly handed
a paper to Sylvester and turned back to his laptop. 'How
was the interview? What position did she apply for?'
Henry asked.
'There was no interview' Sylvester answered without
taking a look at the paper he was handed. 'She only came
to submit her credentials in person'
'I see' Henry said in a low voice, acting less interested.
'You thought I invited her over for an interview?'
'Yes, of course. You are the Boss here and you don't need
my permission to interview anybody' Henry answered
with a slight chuckle.
'But we already agreed to work with those available and
not to take in anyone else for now. I wouldn't go against
our agreement'
Henry paused and looked up, he fastened his eyes on
Sylvester's face. 'I didn't suggest that in anyway' He said
and turned his face back to the laptop. 'Oh! You thought
that was the reason I didn't agree to see her?'
'What else could be the reason?'
'I wasn't aware of the interview before, neither do I know
the position the interview is for so I didn't think I had any
business to do with her' Henry answered, keeping a light
smile on his face.
Sylvester remained quiet for a while, staring at Henry's
face. He had thought Henry was angry but Henry's
demeanor and words have proved him wrong.
'So what do you …' Henry paused on seeing that Sylvester
had not checked the paper given to him. 'Come on, read
what's there'
Sylvester picked the paper and scanned briefly through
it. 'When did you start working on this?'
'It wasn't my work, Dayo did it' Henry replied. Dayo was
the new employee that was taken in the week before.
'It looks good but we have to find how crackable these
codes are' Sylvester commented.
'That's why I was in your office then, I wanted to check
through your history log but I've been able to check it
from here'
'So, are they crackable?'
'Yes, it's even made up of very easy combinations'
'Does that make it usable or not?'
'It's not usable. It would be easily cracked by the
opposition'
Sylvester folded the paper and dropped it on the table.
'Agent Dakolo called some minutes ago, he'll be here in
the afternoon to get a report on all that we've been doing
concerning the breach we've been experiencing'
'Okay, I've been expecting him to ask for it. I prepared a
report already and he doesn't even need to come here,
we could mail it to him' Henry said.
'I think he'll also like to get some explanations, that's why
he wants to come physically' Sylvester put in.
'No problem, we'll be ready for him'
'So what do we do now with Mr Dayo's piece?' Sylvester
asked as he got up from the chair, ready to leave for his
office.
'We'll just keep it and keep working, we need something
deeper' Henry tapped the enter key on her laptop
keyboard in a loud manner and then relaxed into his
seat, signifying that he was through with what he was
doing. He stared up at Sylvester's face. 'You know we are
trying to entrap this group, so we have to be wiser than
they are. We cannot afford to use simple keys and scripts
in tackling them, that'll be making mockery of ourselves'
'Alright then' Sylvester shrugged and turned to leave.
~~~
**Kabakawa, Batagarawa Katsina, Katsina State. **
After lodging in an hotel for two days, the team finally
moved into the rented apartment for which they had
paid the rent fee for a year. The house wasn't too
expensive but it was big enough to contain all of them. It
was already furnished to their taste before they moved
in.
They had chosen a flat with three bedrooms in the two
storey building house with a total of six flats. Theirs was
located by the left side on the middle floor. Tarasha had
carefully chosen an apartment for them in an open area
this time, it would reduce the rate of unnecessary
suspicions. But they also had to be extra careful and
watchful.
It was Monday morning and work had begun already.
Cole was seated behind a table, composing an email on
his laptop to inform the Ata's foundation of their team's
arrival into the country. Benny was in one of the rooms
where he and Cole had chosen for themselves, arranging
the new arms and ammunitions into the wardrobe. He
neatly arranged the various sizes of bullets and sealed
explosives in a section. He arranged the pistols in another
section and long guns in another. The last section was
used to store his clothes and Cole's.
Aisha was also in her room, setting the place in the order
she wanted. She hissed on seeing the little bag of clothes
which she brought to the place. Although the bag was
actually the biggest bag amongst all bags of clothes the
team had brought, she still thought it to be small. Their
kind of job would not satisfy her desire to always take
her best clothes around town.
She hissed again as she saw herself in the mirror on
bending to arrange the makeup kits placed in front of the
mirror. What did she even need the clothes for now that
her hair was gone? She looked like a man, she thought.
She gave a brief mockery laugh at herself as she rubbed
her palms on the head. She then turned back to pick a
small case which contained more makeup kits. That
wasn't for her but for the team, the team would
frequently need to change their appearances on this
operation. Another small bag was lying beside the case, it
contained camouflage materials like artificial beards,
masks, wigs and even skinlike gloves.
Benny walked into the living room after he was done with
arranging the tools, he met Cole already closing his
laptop.
'Have you finished typing the email?' He asked as he
moved to sit on the couch.
'Yes, we'll see it when we come back from the boutique'
Cole answered, standing up with his closed laptop in his
hand.
'You want us to go now?' Benny seemed not too
comfortable with the idea.
'Yes, what else should we do now?'
'Why don't you send the email now and let's see their
reply, they may probably engage you in a chat' Benny
tried to convince Cole.
'I've sent the mail to the Boss first for vetting, until she
replies us we cannot forward it to the foundation' Cole
responded with a wry look on his face. 'Dust your lazy a-s
and let's go out to get the clothes now. I'll go get Aisha.'
With that Cole walked away, leaving Benny who remained
on the seat tiredly. For Benny, it was always fun to get
new clothes but this one was different, the clothes would
have to be disposed off at the end of the operation.
~~~
**Abuja**
2pm
'You went this far?' Dakolo stared Henry in the face as he
read the report provided to him. 'Even the US CCTV
officials have not discovered up to this, nice job' he
commended cheerfully jamming his palms together.
'Thank you sir' Henry smiled.
'The only thing that looks similar in this their report is…'
Dakolo began but stopped abruptly. He bent to bring out
the report from the US CCTV from his small brief case
which was placed by the leg of the chair he was seated.
He placed the binded four pages report on Henry's table.
Sylvester was the first to pick up the report and open it.
Dakolo opened back Henry's report which was still in his
hands. He began to flip the pages until he got to the last.
'Here' he said, pointing a particular area on the page.
'This code looks similar to theirs'
Henry bent forward to look at where Dakolo was
pointing. Dakolo handed it over to him to have a better
view.
" BN 10354
' Encrypt XL
<< — t.a.r– n.e.f — >>
Run script = enter '
>>"
That was one of the most mysterious encryption code
Henry had ever come across. He had never seen the key
words anywhere else before and since he discovered the
script, he not been able to decrypt it.
Dakolo collected the report Sylvester was holding and
opened to the second page. 'Here ' he pointed another
area to for Henry to look at. The encryption script Henry
saw in the US report was similar to the one in his report.
"BN 20679
'Encrypt XL
<< — s.e.r— n.e.f — >>
Run script = enter '
>>"
'What??' Henry's lips vibrated as he fixed his eyes on the
code, looking slightly baffled. He took his eyes off to
Dakolo face. 'The assassin group is larger than we
thought, it's a worldwide organization'
Dakolo licked his lips slowly and silently as he watched
Henry fix his eyes again to the report.
'Can I…' Sylvester who was anxious to see the correlation
stretched forth his hand impatiently to collect the
reports from Henry.
'So now that we know that we are dealing with a
worldwide assassin group, we have to up our game'
Dakolo finally spoke. 'Your engineers have to be
informed about what they are dealing with. And I think
the corporation has to establish a strong connection with
the US corporation'
'Wow! I wasn't aware that there have been breaches in
the CCTV operations in the US too' Henry spoke in low
tones, relaxing his back in the seat.
'There have been' Dakolo replied him, tapping a finger on
the table as he stared into the air and inhaled. 'The breaks
always comes during the period of assassinations just like
ours'
'Hmm… Same strategies, same codes' Henry said
thoughtfully.
Dakolo stared at Henry's face for a moment. 'Henry E.G, I
need to ask you some questions' Dakolo stated after a
brief moment of silence.
Henry sat upright and adjusted himself to pay attention,
surprised at the Agent's sudden change of tone. 'What
questions sir?'
'You were kidnapped recently' Dakolo paused and stared
at Henry's face, noticing a change. It was obvious to him
that Henry wasn't comfortable with the new subject.
'Yes sir' Henry confirmed reluctantly.
'It happened after you got a job from the late Chief Jubril
Lawal?' Dakolo continued, making sure he maintained
eye contact with Henry. Henry noticed this and decided
to try as much as possible to hide his expressions, else
the Agent would extract every information from him
even if he tried to lie.
'Yes, I don't know if the job was for Chief Jubril but it was
brought to us by one of his workers' Henry answered.
'Chief Jubril sent him' Sylvester quickly put in.
Dakolo took a glance at Sylvester and fixed his eyes back
to Henry's face. 'Let's talk about your abduction first. It
lasted for less than a day. How did you escape?'
'I was told that they left us to go after they had a
disagreement amongst themselves' Henry replied.
'You were told?'
'Yes, I was knocked out. I only opened my eyes after
we've moved far away from there'
'You and your girlfriend?'
'No, but a very close lady friend'
'Well, I don't need to go into details of how you were
abducted that day. I know that you have been questioned
about that already.' Dakolo adjusted to a more
comfortable seating position and placed his chin on his
right fist. 'You mentioned during your interrogation with
the police that your suspect was Dare, Chief Jubril's son?'
'Yes' Henry confirmed with a nod.
'But you didn't mention to me that you've seen him
recently' Dakolo frowned.
'Sir, we've not really been able to discuss personal
matters since you came into town'
'That's true.' Dakolo paused and turned to Sylvester who
was already clearing his throat to announce his desire to
leave since he felt he wasn't concerned with the
questioning.
'Mr Sylvester' Dakolo called with a chuckle. 'You have to
wait, I also have some questions for you too.' Sylvester
nodded in reply and comported himself. Dakolo turned
back to Henry.
'Let's push the personal matters aside for now' Dakolo
continued with Henry. 'Did you ever think that the kidnap
could be related to the job brought by the late Chief's
PA?'
'No' Henry replied sharply after narrowing his eyes
thoughtfully.
'You don't think so?'
'Yes, I don't' Henry shook his head in negative to
emphasize. He thought again briefly. Omotara was the
suspect behind the number he was investigating, so was
it really possible that she had planned their kidnap.
'So you insist that it could have only been Dare Lawal?'
Dakolo pressed. 'Wait' he cut in before Henry could
speak. 'What was the result of your investigation?'
Henry's heartbeat increased thrice in speed. The question
he was scared of have been finally asked. Was he now
going to turn Omotara in? Knowing fully well that Agent
Dakolo would not stop until he fishes out who Alexander
Evelyn really was and probably even associate her with
the Chief's assassination which Henry believed Omotara
was innocent about.

This story is about a Lady Assassin who was
trained in Russia, specially skilled in the art and
carrying out the job with no fears, restraints or
apologies.
She became so powerful and was greatly feared
by several of her male counterparts, including
some of the masters who trained her. She hated
so many things, God was number one on her
hatred list.
She came down to Nigeria and was still involved
in her profession until she met someone who
was willing to help her start a new life.
But people from the past came into her life
bringing back old memories. Then she met her
match, another fierce assassin

On the beach, Yve has fallen asleep beside Vince after eating the food they bought. Her workload plus the things that Vince revealed tired her up.  Having understood all of this, Vince carried her back to the car and settled her in the front seat and drove back to the hotel.

After ensuring that Yve is comfortable on the bed, he went to the bathroom to freshen up only to be interrupted by Sylvan.
"What is it?"
"Primo, they found a report about Nyelle's mother. I sent the details to your email."
"Okay. Thanks."

Thinking that it must be urgent for even Sylvan to call him late at night, he went to his study to check his email. He didn't like what he read and for sure Yve wouldn't like this, too. But he's bound by the promise they made at the beach.

---
A few hours ago while eating on the beach
--

"Vince?"
"Hmm?" Vince said as he stopped eating to look at Yve doing the same thing to him.
"To be honest, I feel nervous knowing the dangers that being in the underworld might bring."
"Do you want me to quit?"
Yve looked at him and said, "As if it would be that easy to quit."
"So what do you want me to do?"
"Just be honest with me."
"...."
"I don't need you to tell me the specifics especially when it doesn't concern me. Don't make lies like you're going for a business trip or something. Just tell me you need to do something Primo-like."
"Primo-like, ei…" 
"..."
"Please, Vince. Other than that, I want you to ensure your safety as well. After that, I guess everything is fine with me."
"I promise." 

---
Back at the present
--
Vince took a deep breath and turned his laptop off and decided to tell Yve everything tomorrow morning. Before heading for bed, he instructed Sylvan to inform the police station that both of them are coming in the afternoon for their interview.  He finally took a shower and slept. 

The following morning, Yve was the first one to wake up and so she took the responsibility to prepare a simple breakfast for both of them. A few moments later, she saw Vince coming down from his room with a brown envelope in his hands. She decided to ignore it thinking it was related to Gray Group.

"Good morning, King!"
"Good morning, my Yve." Vince said and kissed Yve on the forehead.

But his next actions caused Yve to be curious. Vince pulled back a chair for her and urged her to take the seat. Yve decided to follow and was handed with the envelope. She gave him a questionable look.

"As much as I would like to hide it from you but a promise is a promise." Vince said as he went to the kitchen and served the food on the table. 
Yve reads the contents of the envelope and was shocked to see the title. 
"Did you held them captive?" Yve asked.
"Yes."
"How are they?"
"Nyelle is doing much better than your step sister."
"I want to see Nyelle now. Take me to her."
Vince knew about this but didn't say anything. He sat on one of the chairs and looked at her.
"How about your interview in the police station?"
"Ahh!! I almost forgot! I'll call Sylvan to…"
"There's no need. Upon receiving the report late last night, I ordered Sylvan to postpone your interview. It will this afternoon with me." Vince explained.
"Thanks. So, will you take me to where you're keeping her?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"NO!"
"Then to avoid your dangerous methods, I'd rather take you there myself before my subordinates kill you."
Yve swallowed her saliva in fear of what she heard but in the happiness of Vince's decision, she hugged her and whispered,
"Thank you so much."

Today is another busy day for me. Work and home are the only places I go to for the past 3 years. The end of THAT relationship ended my happy, easy-going life. But then, when I think about it, it was not his fault but mine. My friends would tell me that I need to move on. I HAVE MOVED ON. It's just I don't want any side trips anymore in my life. I have my dreams and I am working hard for it. Little did I know what the destiny has installed for me.

"Mom, I still love her. She ended the relationship without any valid reason and I didn't agree."

"But son, what if the reason is that she doesn't love you anymore? Isn't that a reason valid enough for you?"

"I have to know it this time, mom. I did try to go out on dates but still failed. I think meeting her again will help me know what is happening with me."

"I guess I have no other choice. But remember, don't let her disrupt your plans and the family's business."

"I know, mom. Steph, book my flight to the Philippines tomorrow."

"Vincent! Why are you in so much rush?!"

"Because I believe that the early bird gets the worm."



Just wait for me, Yve. I will get you back by hook or by crook.

Completing an interview looked as though there was only one on-camera reporter talking in front of the camera alone and it appeared as though it could be casually carried out anywhere and anytime but in fact, it was actually a huge project that required the precise cooperation of an entire professional team to complete, particularly an interview involving patronages.
Upon hearing the urging from the other side of the phone, Julie, an experienced interviewer, turned bright right away as she increased her pace. "Henry, I suddenly have a hunch that a good fortune is befalling us…"
"Your hunch is not bad, miss. That old fellow Patin actually quietly obtained an opportunity to interview the boss behind LS through some backdoor methods. In fact, even though that Asian skinny guy who looks prematurely senile always keeps a low profile, and there's a lot of 'news hit' on him. This is a very unusually rare opportunity. Seizing it will likely make you a real anchor... "
"Archers, you have 15 — no, 14 minutes to get to the Ocean Empire Building! We'll leave now immediately!" Stimulated by the words on the phone, the female reporter who rushed into the interview car yelled at the driver excitedly and shouted at her cell phone, "Of course I understand that this opportunity is very rare! Henry, stop talking, and quickly send me the information about the interview target and interview questions."
"Ok, I'll send them to you right away! I wish you success, girl!" The last sentence resonated from the other side of the phone and the call was hung up right away. After more than ten seconds later, when Cathy, who was the assistant, was fixing Julie's makeup, a compressed email was sent to the tablet of the female reporter.
Without wasting even one minute, Julie opened the mail impatiently while allowing Cathy to continue to touch up her face with a small delicate brush.
Due to the reason that the internet network in Noah World had just recently been established, and the sudden eruption of the chaotic war had turned to get a complete copy of the information into a dream. There was not much information about the young Asian boss of LS Group.
Other than some brief legendary introductions of how he had founded the LS slaughterhouse and established the foundation of the group that had a net worth of tens of billions of dollar at the age of seventeen, and had published a joint publishing paper in the world's top academic magazines such as 'Science' and 'Natural Biology' at almost the same time, and had directly entered Stanford to study a doctorate degree in Biology, there were only a few more news articles of mixed judgments.
Swiping her finger continuously to read all the information quickly, Julie was just about to study the interview question carefully when she suddenly found that the photo in the photo report on the tablet screen had an inexplicable familiarity, prompting her to murmur, "I should have seen this photo before but I don't have any impression about it at all. How strange…"
"Do you mean the photo of the boss behind LS, Miss?" Cathy, who had just finished touching up the makeup for Julie, tilted her head and looked at the tablet curiously, "Lisheng Zhang? This name is really familiar. Oh, that's right, Riley's Asian brother's name seems to sound like this as well. And their facial features are a bit similar. Maybe he can make an impression of the LS Group's boss ten years later if he starts to take drugs."
After becoming a god, Zhang Lisheng had become healthy and young, completely unlike his often pale and skinny appearance that he used to have when he had to feed his wizard guys with his blood essence.
On top of that, Asians looked similar in the eyes of the Westerners so even though the female reporter had sharp professional observations, she could not see through the truth just based on one old news photo.
She merely laughed and told her assistant, "Don't be so mean, Cathy. Riley is your good friend."
Since the time was pretty rush, Julie did not think too much and merely swiped the tablet and began to work out the interview questions.
At the same time, the interview car galloped under the hot sunshine of New Washington A and finally arrived at the entrance of the Ocean Empire Hotel early about ten minutes later.
"We've arrived, miss. 11 minutes and 47 seconds! It's a miracle! It looks like my destiny is not to be an ordinary interview driver but an F1 driver, isn't it?" The driver with a brownish-red Mexican face of the interview car remarked proudly as he parked the car steadily.
"The reason you could make such a miracle today is because you haven't encountered any red light all the way, and there's no red light on the F1 track anyway, so you know what? Just drive your interview car with peace, Archers." Jotting down the key point of the interview speedily, Julie breathed a long sigh of relief and got out of the car. Together with her assistant, photojournalist, lighting engineer, and so on, she entered the hotel.
Unlike the hot and dry weather peculiar to the daytime of a sandy oasis city outside, the lobby of the Ocean Empire Hotel, which had a combination of natural scenery and modern civilization, was cool and humid. Unfortunately, before the female reporter and her group of followers could even catch their breath, the reception staff of the LS Group had already gone up to greet them together with a group of their NBC TV colleagues.
After studying Julie from up to down several times in a scrutinizing gaze, one of LS' receptionists, a tall and solemn-looking middle-aged African-American woman wearing an old-fashioned gray suit extended her hand and said, "You must be Miss Julie Mihr, the anchor host from NBC. I'm Lans Flittel, the Director of the Media Department at LS Group. Nice to meet you."
"Good afternoon, Madam Lans, I'm very honored to be able to work with you but before this, may you please allow me to ask about the situation of my injured colleague first?" Julie shook hands with a middle-aged woman with force and asked sincerely.
"Of course, please feel free to do so."
"Tommy, how's Luke?" The girl smiled at Lans with a thankful smile and turned her head to ask her colleague.
Upon seeing that Julie did not mention the interview when she first arrived but asking about the competitor's injuries first, the ugly expressions on the few unlucky fellows, who had encountered the accident but was safe, but whose hard work had gone down the drain, eased a little. Somebody answered in a low spirit, "He's still being rescued in the hospital but he's out of danger now."
"That's good." Julie nodded with a relieved expression and immediately entered the main topic. Turning her head, she told Lans, "Madam Lance, I've already jotted down the interview questions on the way, but I have some new ideas. Can I have some of your time to discuss this with you?"
"Miss Julie, the interview questions were concluded after three full days of meticulous discussion." Lans said with a frown. "The reason I agree to you taking over the interview is because of your relatively gentle interview style. But now that you said so, just minutes before the interview…"
"I only need three to five minutes, Madam. I just need you to listen to my opinions, please. You can disregard it if you don't agree to it after listening to it."
"Alright then." Lans raised her hand and look at her watch. "You have 5 minutes."
"Thank you, Madam. It's like this, I hope that I can ask Dr. Lisheng a few innocuous personal questions at the beginning of the interview so as to shorten the distance between him and the general audience..." Julie voiced out her opinions rather quickly. amazingly, she managed to add three questions in just a few minutes' time, causing the colleagues who thought that she was merely lucky for obtaining this opportunity to see her in a new light.
After successfully reaching a consensus with the head of the LS Group's media department, Julie eagerly turned her attention to her former partner. "Hanks, I'm ready, can we start recording the opening credit now?"
"You're really anxious, Julie. Oh, if it wasn't for the fact that this Madam Lans from the LS's media department doesn't recognize my overly spicy interview style, this opportunity should have been mine..." Hanks seemed to want to crack a magnanimous joke but the apparent sullen expression on his face showed that he was actually in a bad mood at this moment.
However, when the camera that had turned on turned towards this ace reporter, his expression immediately became professional. "Good afternoon everyone, I'm Hanks Elton. I'm currently live from the hotel lobby that has a unique sense of style of the Ocean Empire Building, the landmark building of New Washington A… In a while, my beautiful colleague Julie Mihr will meet with a legendary person… Let us ask Julie together, are you ready?"
"Aww, Hanks don't be like this. I'm starting to become nervous again being asked by you and the audience in front of the TV..,"
Under the cooperation of two experienced and natural seasoned reporters, the opening credits of two to three minutes finished recording.
After that, the reception staff of LS brought the two interview groups, that had mixed together and appeared to be parading mightily, and more than half of the program department group to the staff-only elevator.
They went straight up the hotel's executive floor on the eighty-sixth floor, crossed a long corridor covered with red cashmere carpet and soon saw a huge scanning door standing tall in front.
Behind the door was a single desk used by a girl with a supermodel figure and a pretty face; further behind were more than ten burly men in police anti-riot gear who were standing straight against the wall.
The scene before their eyes took the knowledgeable TV station staffs by surprise. Then, when they were just about to remove all metal objects from their bodies automatically, Lans suddenly chimed in, "Everyone, this is not a metal scanner. You can safely pass through it as long as you're not carrying a weapon. Of course, if anyone has the habit of carrying a gun or a dagger longer than five centimeters, you'd have to take them out and we guarantee that we'll keep them well for you. We'll return them to you when you leave."
"Please rest assured, Madam Lans, we NBC staffs don't have the habit of interviewing people with weapons." After staring at each other in surprise, Julie replied with a wry smile on behalf of all her colleagues and took the lead to walk through the scanning door with brisk footsteps. Then, she told the young girl who looked like a secretary behind the door, "Miss, I'm Julie Mihr, a reporter from NBC TV and we have an appointment to interview Dr. Lisheng."
"I'm Alice Jolie, the head of the LS Group's security department. Dr. is already waiting for you. Please follow me, Miss Julie." The girl stood up and responded with a polite smile. However, she waited until all of the TV staff members had passed through the scanner without exception before turning around to lead Julie to continue this endless journey.
They walked through another long corridor and finally came to a huge classic carved mahogany arch at the end of the corridor.
Alice gently pushed open the wooden door and walked into the office the size of half a football field, before saying softly to a back bathed in dazzling sunlight, "Dr., the NBC reporters are here now."


A young man from the Miaowei Tribe brought up by his strict father, suddenly turned into Rank 1 Wizard on the day he was orphaned. He then obtained the ability to control giant worms. 
Soon after, he found his mother who was in a faraway foreign land by accident. From a small mountain village, he managed to jump into the amazing arena that was a global metropolis.
Thus far, we have a young man who inherited the legacy of mastering ancient demons from an ancient country. 
From Western civilization to other worlds, a fascinating saga is born.

Great-Grandfather Fang was so caught off-guard by his wife's paparazzi-style filming that he burped.
The burp instantly erased all the simmering emotions that had built up inside him.
But he was done crying, which had taken a toll on him. Devoid of emotion, Great-Grandfather Fang felt refreshed. He sent out eight generous virtual red packets in his various chat groups and bragged away.
"In celebration of our Xiao Zhao winning the Galaxy Supernova Award! [red packet]"
Every time the former officials in the retirement home heard Great-Grandfather Fang tout Fang Zhao's latest song or acting role, they adopted the mindset of watching someone make a fool of himself. Even though they ostensibly congratulated Great-Grandfather Fang, in their hearts they were contemptuous.
The retirement home was quite big. Besides Great-Grandfather Fang, there were bound to be other retired officials whose descendants were doing well, especially those who were part of the establishment. But these fellow residents were much more low-key about their descendants' accomplishments. There was no way they would put these milestones front and center and brag about them like Great-Grandfather Fang.
But this time around, when they found out that Fang Zhao had won the Galaxy Supernova Award, Great-Grandfather Fang's fellow retirees offered their heartfelt congratulations.
Firstly, it was because the Galaxy Supernova Award was the real deal. Fang Zhao was the only person from Yanzhou among the winners—and he was only in his 20s. He had tremendous potential. The prize cemented Fang Zhao's transition from an entertainment celebrity to a genuine artist.
The second reason Great-Grandfather Fang's fellow retirees changed their minds about Fang Zhao was his role in the curing of the Hull virus. Regardless of whether or not it was serendipitous, Fang Zhao's contribution couldn't be disputed. It was worthy of respect.
"Congrats, Old Fang! Your family has produced another stalwart!"
"Your Xiao Zhao is only in his 20s. The sky's the limit for him!"
"This kid Fang Zhao is quite something."
Great-Grandfather Fang couldn't contain his delight. "Yes, yes, yes. Xiao Zhao takes after me the most!"
Great-Grandfather Fang wanted to speak to Fang Zhao via videoconference, but he decided to wait another two days because he figured his great-grandson was very busy. After sending a text message offering his congratulations and urging Fang Zhao to pay attention to his health and eat well, Great-Grandfather Fang, donning his new artsy outfit and with his immaculately polished walking stick in hand, went out for a chat with his friends. He wanted to see if his friends thought his new outfit was artistic enough. Should he get a new hairdo too?
In Huangzhou, after completing his second lecture, Fang Zhao had a huge backlog of messages to go through.
First, Fang Zhao read the email from the Galaxy Awards organizing committee and confirmed that it was a notification of his win. The email also asked Fang Zhao to respond with his address. The invitation to the prize ceremony would be delivered within 12 hours of organizers receiving his address.
After responding with the address of his dorm room at HuangArt, Fang Zhao responded to some of the other messages. While he was doing so, he got a call from Huangcheng TV's Channel Nine.
Huangcheng TV's programming wasn't heavy on commercial and entertainment content, and its Channel Nine specialized in high-brow documentaries. A small portion of its best work ended up in government archives and labeled with a golden sticker. 
Channel Nine was making a documentary about the curing of the Hull virus. It was a gold-sticker production.
As the composer of the music that paved the way for a cure to the Hull virus, Fang Zhao was naturally one of the key interviewees.
"We've already dispatched a team to shoot in Yanzhou. We're wondering when would be a good time for Mr. Fang? It's just going to be a straightforward interview and some additional filming. Half an hour will suffice. We'll also film you going about your day, but our cameraman won't be intrusive," the producer from Channel Nine said.
Crews had already been dispatched to all 12 continents. There were people involved in the project to cure the Hull virus on every single continent who needed to be filmed, but the team sent to Yanzhou had a heavier workload. When Fang Zhao had composed the "100-Year Period of Destruction" series, he had been working for an entertainment company in Yanzhou. The Yanzhou crew also had to film Fang Zhao's fellow team members who had helped create the virtual idol Polar Light.
"No problem," Fang Zhao said.
"Then when might you be free, Mr. Fang? Let's set up a time. We can conduct the interview at HuangArt. We'll send our team over."
"How about tomorrow at 4 p.m.? I have class in the morning and a one-hour lecture in the afternoon that's being broadcast live. The lecture ends at 3:30. I can start filming at 4."
"Great, let's make it tomorrow at 4 p.m., then."
After making the appointment with Channel Nine, Fang Zhao called Nanfeng to brief him so he could start getting ready.
Already ecstatic about Fang Zhao's Supernova win, when Nanfeng learned about the Channel Nine interview, he profusely promised his boss that he would be on his best behavior and not reflect poorly on Fang Zhao.
After hanging up, Nanfeng also secretly commended himself, See, what a great eye for employers I have!
He also reminded himself to perform on the job so he could keep it for as long as he could. He was going to attend the Galaxy Awards presentation ceremony with his boss! How many award-winning actors and actresses coveted an invitation? The entertainment industry figures who could attend were a minority who had accumulated a critical mass of works and gained sufficient status.
As a newly hired assistant, Nanfeng was already feeling the trickle-down effect of his boss's success.
The day after Fang Zhao was awarded the Supernova, he had class in the morning and gave his third live lecture in the afternoon. As soon as the lecture started, the viewership skyrocketed to 100 million people and kept growing rapidly.
Yanzhou's entertainment media put its ability to judge where the winds were blowing and to bullsh*t accordingly on full display. Once word that Fang Zhao had won a Galaxy Supernova award got out, they started putting him on a pedestal. Most of the viewers for the final lecture were from Yanzhou, folks who were curious and eager to witness the spectacle.
The 10 winners of the Supernova prize hailed from nine of the world's 12 continents. There were two winners from Huangzhou.
Media outlets from those nine continents went all out in their self-promotion, eager not to be outdone by their competitors.
The comments section for Fang Zhao's live webcast was flooded with congratulatory messages, but Fang Zhao didn't study them carefully. Instead, he completed his lecture series according to his lesson plan before smiling at the camera and thanking viewers for their good wishes.
After going offline, Fang Zhao got a video call from Xue Jing.
"Fang Zhao, have you received your invitation to the awards ceremony?" asked Xue Jing.
"I have. It was delivered to my dorm room last night," said Fang Zhao.
"Good. Remember to be humble when you attend the presentation ceremony. You carried yourself well during today's lecture. Keep it up."
Xue Jing was worried, having read all the inflated coverage by the shameless media. He was concerned that Fang Zhao might be swayed and get a swollen head. He figured if he had won the Supernova at such a young age, he would have felt like he was God. Many senior artists who had won Galaxy awards in the past would be attending the presentation ceremony, and Xue Jing didn't want Fang Zhao to leave a bad impression.
Fang Zhao knew what Xue Jing was thinking. He was about to respond when an alert popped up on his bracelet and caught his attention.
"Teacher Xue..." Fang Zhao said.
"Listen to me, don't dress like a rock star at the awards ceremony. Just pick something simple and elegant."
"I understand. Teacher Xue, I wanted to..."
"I'm not done yet. Listen, kid. The venue will be filled with senior artists. Regardless of whether they are award winners, their presence means they have made significant contributions and racked up accomplishments in their respective fields. Watch your behavior before them," Xue Jing continued.
"I understand, Teacher Xue..."
"Let me finish first!" Xue Jing scolded before realizing he might have been too harsh. He paused and asked, "What was it you wanted to say?"
"Teacher Xue, you've won the Galaxy World Medal. It was announced two minutes ago," Fang Zhao said. 
The Galaxy World Medal wasn't awarded every year. It wasn't uncommon for there to be a three- to five-year gap between winners.
The reason that Xue Jing worked so hard at his age to accumulate even more accomplishments and make greater contributions to his field was to win a Galaxy World Medal, which was the pinnacle of any artist's career.
Judging simply from how many outstanding pieces he had and his influence as a composer, Xue Jing paled in comparison to musicians like Mo Lang. In contrast, his range was also limited. There were other competent composers who specialized in the same genre. He fell just short in terms of artistic achievement. But all these years, he had kept toiling away. 
Xue Jing applied for a Galaxy World Medal every three years. He had applied this year as well. That was why he wasn't a member of the organizing committee for this year's Galaxy Awards and hadn't joined the selection panel for the Supernova award. 
News had not been forthcoming, so Xue Jing figured he had been passed on again. Little did he know...
Xue Jing froze when he heard what Fang Zhao had said.
Xue Jing's assistant looked on with concern. He had just received official word of the prize, but Xue Jing was on the phone with Fang Zhao, so he hadn't interrupted.
The assistant handed him a glass of warm water. "Venerable Xue, calm down! Have a sip of water first!"
Xue Jing's eye gradually focused on the glass. He accepted it, but his hands kept shivering. The glass was only half full. By the time it had reached his mouth, another half had been lost to the trembling.
He also accidentally hung up on Fang Zhao at some point.
When Fang Zhao called back, it was Xue Jing's assistant who answered.
"Venerable Xue is just in shock. He needs some time to recover," the assistant said as he cast a glance at his boss, still paralyzed in his chair.
"Good to know." Fang Zhao had been worried that Xue Jing was so emotional he had collapsed or something.
Nanfeng was already waiting when Fang Zhao emerged from the classroom.
"Boss, the folks from Channel Nine are here."
The crew from Channel Nine was standing by. The venue for the interview was a quiet park within the HuangArt campus. The questions posed to Fang Zhao weren't as pointed as the ones he had learned to expect from entertainment journalists; they mainly revolved around his creative process and the Hull virus.
Fang Zhao answered in detail.
A giddy Nanfeng delivered tea to his boss and the interviewer.
After the interview, most of the crew left. "If we need additional footage, we'll reach out ahead of time. Does that work for you, Mr. Fang?" the producer asked.
"No problem." Fang Zhao was willing to work with the crew on minor details like that.
One cameraman remained to tail Fang Zhao and shoot him as he went about his daily routine.
"Fang Zhao, just go about your business as usual. Pretend that I don't exist. If you think something is off-limits, just let me know."
The cameraman followed Fang Zhao back to his dorm room. The first thing he noticed was the Fiery Bird gaming helmet.
To prepare for the Channel Nine shoot, Nanfeng had wiped many of Fang Zhao's personal items repeatedly, especially the gaming helmet.
"Wow! Fiery Bird's limited-edition souped-up eighth-gen gaming helmet! It's no longer available for sale!" The cameraman was a Fiery Bird fan as well. His gaze became fixated on the helmet.
"Nowadays, only celebrities like you who work with Fiery Bird can get one. Can I take a look?" the cameraman asked, looking at Fang Zhao expectantly.
"Of course," Fang Zhao said, nodding.
"Can I take a picture of it?"
"Sure."
"Thanks so much! Oh, Mr. Fang, just do your own thing. I've set up the camera already. It will follow you automatically. I'm just going to sit here and not interrupt your work."
The cameraman cradled the gaming helmet like a baby. He was giddily taking a selfie with it when he felt something was off. He scanned the room and his gaze met that of the curly-haired dog lying next to Fang Zhao's feet.
"That dog is looking at me. I feel like it wants to bite me," the cameraman whispered to Nanfeng.
Nanfeng, who had been pondering what to wear to the Galaxy Awards presentation ceremony, glanced at Curly Hair and said, "Little Curly Hair is such a good boy. Why would you think that?"
"No, I really think it has something against me. Look, it's still staring at me."
"Why don't you switch places?" Nanfeng suggested.
The cameraman broke his promise of sitting still and moved to another chair, still cradling the gaming helmet. Yet Curly Hair's gaze lingered.
The cameraman poked Nanfeng and whispered, "It's staring at me again."
Curly Hair kept on staring, snorting every few minutes or so. 
The cameraman panicked. What did I do wrong? Why do you keep staring at me?


"Every time background music plays in my head, I feel like there is nothing to be afraid of." —Fang Zhao
Toward the end of the apocalyptic period, Fang Zhao lost his life. However, instead of dying, he found himself 500 years later in the body of a young and aspiring composer who shared the same name. Having received a second chance at life, Fang Zhao sets out to achieve the previous owner's dreams.
Armed with the experience of living through an apocalyptic age and his profession as a composer before that period, Fang Zhao uses his talent, wits, and knowledge to make his mark in the entertainment industry of the future.

Arthur Tullett always led an average life. All he ever wanted was to get a stable job, marry a caring wife, be a fun father, and live without regrets.

All that came crashing down when his magic wielding, tentacle swinging, Cthulhu horror of a baby sitter paid him a visit. Before he knew it, things escalated out of control, and common sense became a thing of the past.

Now he has to venture across the universe solving mysteries left unexplained for eons. Meet bizarre civilizations full of alien wonders, and save them from cosmic terrors out there to gobble them up.

Join him on this fantastic journey full of laughter and passion through the stars.



Important Disclaimers:

Releases: 2 per week.

Chapter length : 1.5k - 2k words on average. Maybe be more but definitely not less.

This story contains no harem. I will show when I have to, and tell when I have to. English is my 4th language.

After Sato was finished with his introduction, silence permeated the room. It was only after 3 seconds when Siara started flipping through his job application. Her face frowned as she read through the information provided.

How did this man get past the selection phase of the job site? Shouldn't it have only been available for people who had a degree? Siara questioned.

After a short while, Siara took the paper with Sato's information and placed it to one side. "Well there has been a problem with the job site that we had used. There should only be degree holders here for this interview. I hope you can understand where I am coming from, Mr Sato." Siara spoke first. 

Her words rang in Sato's head loudly, even though she spoke normally. I... I am not valid for this interview? No chance given?

"But..." He was speechless, yet he needed to say something. Even if it would've made not difference. "Please give me a chance to get through this interview, Ms Siara!"

"I am sorry, but this is the requirements that was set by the higher ups. I have no right to question their request." Her words were painful, but were indeed the truth. Why would such a high paying job not require a degree holder? It was definitely an error of the job agency. " Now, I am sorry to say this, but could you kindly leave the room now as we would have to continue with this interview."

The final words crushed all of Sato's hope of having a chance. He felt condemned and his body heavy. He slowly pushed his chair backwards and walked out of the room with his head low. No one looked at his leaving shadow. All but the Major General. He watched the entire process.

Sato walked by the other 10 interviewees outside. They were either sniggering or looking down on him.

"Look at how pathetic this man is. He can't even stay in the room long enough to finish the interview."

"Yeah. He was probably uneducated or something. Isn't he also the one that reached the venue late? It is no wonder that he would be kicked out early."

His heart hurt, but he could not blame anyone. He was the one that was lacking a degree. He was the one that was late. He was not qualified at all. As Sato walk down the business avenue once again, he realised this time he came down this road with an injury on his stomach. It hurt but it did not hurt as much as the rejection he received.

Even on the train back home, he just stared out of the window and did nothing. No thoughts ran through his head, only the fleeting clouds and occasional birds that could be seen flying by. He felt empty. 

By now, the interview that concluded with the 19 interviewees and the conference room had 5 people left. They were the ones that are making the final decision. 

"I personally think that this lady, Myra Wilson is a good candidate. She spoke fluently and with confidence during our questioning. She was the one that shone out of the people in group 2." Colonel John gave his comment.

"Yeah I agree with John on his observation. The other 9 of them were rather mediocre when it came to speaking skills, which is something that is very crucial in the job scope of a PA." Colonel Cyrus agreed with him.

"Alright. We shall let Myra Wilson get through to round 2 of selections." Siara wrote down her name while looking for any form of response from her boss, Gray. He had kept his silence as per usual. Not many people could ever get him to talk, not even his closest colleagues or Personal Assistant. " Now let us look at group 1 then. I personally think the first person that introduced, Holly Windlock is quite good."

"Yes yes. I also thought that that lady Holly had a certain charm. Her smiles and the way she spoke could probably lead weak hearted males astray." Ms May commented while looking at the two Colonels.

"Hey! What are you talking about? I'm not weak hearted ok? However, she was definitely the prettiest candidate out of the 18 females." Colonel John shouted out.

"Hmm. She would be perfect when having to deal with public relations. Well let her through to the second stage, Siara." Colonel Cyrus agreed and Siara wrote down her name.

"General Gray, don't you think that Ms Holly looked really beautiful?" Cyrus asked Gray, to which he only received a glare from him. Cyrus then stood up and bowed slightly to him. "Sorry sir!" 

"Well we need one more candidate. Who do you guys find special or is a suitable candidate?" Siara cleared her throat and got back on topic. This time no one spoke out for the third candidate. Those two were the only ones that really stood out. "If there is no one, then I will just be training and observing two individuals." 

"I have one person in mind." Just then, Gray spoke out. Everyone was shocked at how there was someone that caught the General's eye. Which lady was it? Or could it be that man from group 2?

"Sato Takahashi. Put his name down." With that, Gray left the room first and the other four kept silent in shock. Sato? The young man that was kicked out even before the interview truly started? What was the Major General thinking? 

"Well I guess you should write his name down, Siara. We can't actually go against out Sir's choice." Colonel John broke the silent atmosphere. 

"Yeah. I do not know what my boss is thinking, but I will definitely keep an extra eye on this mysterious young man." Siara noted him down and the meeting concluded. 

At home, Sato was listlessly lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. What should I do? Work at a construction site to make ends meet ? Go back home to mother and father? 

His best friend, Ming had been trying to call through to him all day, but he had not pick up his phone. He just lied there, unmoving and still. 

At this moment, a different notification sound came through. It was for an email. Sato turned around to pick his phone up to see who is it from. It was from the Central Defence Base. 

Hmphh was this mail coming in to state that he had not gotten in? Sato clicked into the email. His eyes immediately widen into a circular ball.

 "I GOT IN!!!" Sato jumped out of his bed and was extremely ecstatic. He felt like he was brought back from the dead. He immediately called Ming back and told him about the good news he had received. However, Sato did not become complacent as he knew that this was just the beginning of everything.

Sato had to drop out of university as he lacked the funds to continue his education. Due to some unfortunate encounters, his original scholarship funds had disappeared and now he was forced to earn enough to carry on his education journey.

As such, he saw a advertisement ad recruiting a personal assistant in the military. Anyone could be eligible and not only that, the pay was high too. Immediately Sato applies for it, where he soon finds out that it was to be the Personal Assistant for a Major General of the Army of Country Z.

Read this novel as you start to see the relationship that blooms between these two contrasting individuals!

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'We settled here too soon' was the thought that kept running through her head as she ran down the cramped hallway in the low gravity, crystallized blood splatter covered most of her helmet, but her head was only filled with figuring out how to get home. How naive we were as a species? We looked at the bright gray rock in the sky and our only thought that went through our heads was 'mine', even as we kept on killing each other for petty reasons and started ruling over our small dirt rock that floated through space we believed that we were the rulers of our world, oh how wrong we were.

----- Sometime before that ----- 

In the end, it was not any of the major private or state owned space agencies that established the first permanent moon colony, but the Artemis collective. Formed in the year 2010 by a series of medicine, manufacturing, aerospace and energy conglomerates it initially looked to be just another PR move and went under the radar for the general public. But in 2020, 10 years after their establishment they unveiled plans to form a lunar colony within 5 years, backed by their unveiling of the Artemis 1, the world's first fully functioning SSTO. An SSTO, or Single Stage To Orbit craft is a spacecraft able to reach a stable orbit without shedding any hardware or staging propellant tanks, in essence, a spaceplane straight out of science fiction. 

The Artemis 1 was able to straight up just fly into space by utilizing a revolutionary new engine design that was able to breathe air inside the atmosphere like a commercial aircraft, and in space function like a normal rocket engine by supplying liquid oxygen to the fuel mix. Overnight the Artemis collective turned into a sensation, they suddenly had usable technology governments and companies around the world had spent billions of dollars unsuccessfully developing, and it looked like they were going to dominate the private space industry, but in the end that was not the case. 'The Artemis 1, and all future design variations are only designed to, and will only ever carry Artemis collective payloads and personal' with that single statement the anonymous head of the Artemis collective underlined that they were not looking to enter the commercial space industry, and went on to establish a gateway station in moon orbit within that year. After the initial gateway station was established the Artemis collective only seemed to increase launches to an almost daily occurrence, with an ever increasing fleet of SSTO's they moved tons of cargo into 200 kilometer parking orbits, and then to the gateway station. The first moonbase, dubbed Site 1, they had promised was landed in a crater on the dark side of the moon exactly 5 years after the original announcement, with the fist crew inhabiting it a mere month later.
5 years after that historical event it was finally revealed why the base had been established, and presumably billions of dollars had been poured into the project, the Artemis collective had achieved viable fusion energy. By fusing deuterium, a relatively common hydrogen isotope with helium-3 mined and refined on the moon they had replicated the endless power generation of the sun, in a neat and clean package completely safe for the environment with no carbon emissions and only extremely minor leftover radioactive material, it was able to produce a magnitude more energy than even the most advanced nuclear power plant. Within that year the first reactor opened in Shenzhen China, entirely fulfilling the region's energy demand and proving the concept, rushing the world into the age of fusion power, with The Artemis collective as the sole supplier. The year 2030 marked multiple milestones of for the collective, Site 4 and 5 had opened on the moon and they now supplied 65% of the world's energy needs, but more importantly for the 24 year old certified pilot and PhD in engineering and theoretical physics, Isabelle Hansen, the year marked the first time in the Artemis collective's sought new employees, not only for normal operations, but also maintaining their ever growing lunar operation. 

[Age?]
"Emm, 24."
Finding herself in a tiny room with only a single chair, which she sat in, Isabelle faced a computer monitor and microphone speaker combination that was currently interviewing her.
[Confirm age]
"24 years old"
[Any history of radiation exposure?]
"What?"
[Failure to answer immediately affects this interview negatively.]
"Um, I've been x-rayed a few times."
[Calculating score of the interview, standby….]
"..."
As her robotic interviewer fell silent, Isabelle wondered why she flew all the way to central Africa for a job interview that appeared to fail harder than when she forgot she applied as a college lecturer, and gone directly into the interview after a solid week of drinking at a festival.
[Interview complete, please leave the room]
"Eh?"
[Vacate the room, or you will be vacated.]
"O-okay.."
In the end, she had no idea how she did. Leaving the cramped interview room she passed multiple lines of people in ties and left the Sci-fi like branch office and started looking for a taxi. Reaching the airport she took the first flight home, after suffering next to a crying baby she, at last, reached her hometown. Haggard like an exploited blue collar worker after a week long death march she deeply sighed, creating a cloud in the early morning fog.
"I need a beer… Or 10."
Looking around for an open bar she dragged her suitcase behind her looking for a place to drown her sorrows, until she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket,
"Mom please, not now… EH!?"
Expecting a massage from her overly worried mother, Isabelle lazily dragged out her phone to check the message, coursing her to make an exceedingly stupid sound as she rapidly refreshed her email client.
"Eh? EEEEHHHHHHH!!?"
"SHUT UP, PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!!!"
"SORRY!"
Since coming out of airplane mode she had received a single new email.

FROM: The Artemis collective
SUBJECT: Result of the interview 
-------------------------------------------------

Congratulations!

We have reviewed your qualifications and the recent interview, concluding that you fulfill the basic requirements for the next round of selection. Please report to the collective branch office #5 in New York within 10 days for physical evaluation and training.

For the betterment of the human race
The Artemis collective.
-------------------------------------------------

"I definitely need a beer.."

At the dawn of the 20th century, the world seemed like it would come to an end. After decades of overexploitation, the earth's natural resources were running out and the United States of America and the Chinese-Soviet federation both started to suffer from energy shortages to sustain the zero sum game they had been playing for the last 94 years, the cold war finally seemed like it was starting to warm up. 

But then it seemed like a single corporation saved the world overnight, the Artemis collective solved the energy crisis by achieving viable fusion energy by using a rare element mined on the moon. The Artemis collective saved the world, but in doing so, and establishing a permanent presence on the moon they might have awakened something the human race was not ready for.

➿
17 Hours Before..



River Kennedi enters the relative calm of his small, shared Apartment Complex. A rundown space, with second hand Furniture and displays of amateur art. A place kept spotless, except for the litter of completed, half finished and discarded paintings and drawings. The only case of disarray, against the washed out, but immaculate decor. 

River whisked his Raven black hair, away from his face. Squinting his emerald green eyes, against the burning haze of oil paint and acetone. He kicked off his old converse Sneakers, shaking off his knapsack--discarding it on the floor beside his shoes. He yawned marginally, feeling his body grow fatigued as his clothes rustled. His baggy Denims and Pullover Hoodie, a size to big for his petite frame. 

His face was contrite with weariness, and his legs ached from working a twelve hour shift. Something he was accustomed to, yet still found the side effects to be entirely bothersome. 

A loud clang in the Kitchen echoed throughout the Apartment. Capturing River's attention as he shimmied out of his grey Pullover, dropping it on the old, cloth Couch. 

"Shit!" The voice of his Roommate followed shortly after, making River chuckle lightly as he walked towards the Kitchen. 

James Bordeaux, the Roommate,  was standing over a spilled bucket of Canvas paint. A gruff frown on his subtly handsome features. His dirty blond hair caught up in a messy ponytail, and his blue eyes scowling at the predicament he faced. 

The paint had splattered all over the low, wooden cupboards--forming a puddle on the tiled floors. It's bright tint leaving speckles of red across the small, old doors. 

"That's gonna be a little hard to remove," River said, jolting James out of his terrified trance. 

"River! Goddammit, you scared the crap out of me!" James exclaimed frowning--his British accent as deep and attractive, as his magazine worthy face.

"You'll get over it, once you get that mess cleaned up. We can barely afford to pay for this place as it is and I'm pretty sure Ms. Corrigan won't appreciate your splatter art all over her Kitchen Cupboards." River mused and James mocked his smile. 

"Ha ha, you're a bloody comedian." James deadpanned, entirely annoyed. 

"And you're a bloody mess." River faked a British accent, causing James's bushy eyebrows to scrunch up in confusion. 

"Are you going to help me or not?" James asked, his ocean blue eyes pleading. 

River scoffed lightly, knowing well that he needed rest for the next day to come. Another five hours at the Burger Joint, and the next few hours of daylight searching for a new Job. 

"Nope." River said, walking towards the Refrigerator. The only decent piece of electrical appliance in the small, stuffy Apartment. 

"I hate you," James griped out and River grinned. 

"I'll live with myself." River said, removing a bottle of spring water. "Besides, I need to rest. I have a long day ahead tomorrow. You know I'd have helped, if I wasn't so sleepy." 

"This is why you should have chosen Art as a Major, yah bloody wanker." James implored, watching River down the bottle of Water in just one go. 

"I don't think your Professors would appreciate my stick figures, and smearing of paint with my tiny and not so manly fingers. Enigmatic my ass." River scowled with a thoughtful glance at James who rolled his eyes. 

"Fine I'll do it my damned self, meanie." James sassed and River smiled, nudging James as he passed him. Careful not to step into the paint, that would have surely stuck to his feet for days. 

"Where's Cassie?" River asked, noticing that James' character of a Girlfriend wasn't around. "She's usually strolling around half dressed, speaking crazy and screaming at you." River grinned at James. 

"Watch it, Mr. I can't get a Boyfriend because I'm too busy with my Business Degree." James mocked in a freakishly squeaky voice, and River frowned at the inaccuracy of it. 

"Hey, I don't sound like that! And I sure as hell don't have time to be coddled and fondled by a man." River challenged, but James simply scoffed. 

"And I presume fondling yourself while you think I'm sleeping is better?" James grimaced at River, who's cheeks tinted in abysmal embarrassment. 

"Dammit those old, squeaky ass beds," River cursed under his breath. James only smirked at River's rant, but he instantly realized he was allowing the paint to dry. 

"At least you're man enough to admit it," James gibed, roaming through drawers for something to clean the mess with. 

"Shut your Pie-hole, and clean that paint up, Mr. Bordeaux." River retorted, throwing the empty, water bottle at James' head. 

"You bloody wanker!" James screamed as River sped-walked away. 

River loved the banter between him and James. It was the one thing he looked forward to, after a long day of rude customers and a nagging Boss. He however felt the urge to tell James that he had been fired, but he also hoped that the high paying internship that he had been contacted about, would be granted before he had to. 

It had been days since he submitted his resume. He thought of it almost every hour, which led to him being distracted. It also roused up a sudden confidence in him. A confidence that made River talk back at his Boss, Mr. Bash. Who then proceeded to fire him. He thought if only he had kept his mouth shut--then again. River was tired of being spat on, walked over and screamed at by a man whom was much shorter than him. A man who in James's most colorful opinion, was an Arsemonger.

•

River entered the cramped interior of his Bedroom. A rectangular space, with mismatched wooden, metal, and plastic furniture. He hurriedly stepping out of his Denims, grimacing at the sudden coldness--seeping through his pores. Caused by the stone floor, that was the same bland, cream color as the papered walls. Murky and as boring as River thought himself. A trait he hated, yet lived with because of his past. 

He discarded the Blue Denims atop his bed, yawning and covering his mouth. 

River huffed heavily as he fell backwards into the Bed--in his boxers and an old but favored Band Shirt. Frowning as the loud squeaking resonated throughout the entire Bedroom. He gazed up at the lightbulb in the ceiling, his facial expression neutral. 

He quickly fished his phone from his left pocket. Sliding the cracked screen across, hoping to find something interesting. He then decided to check his emails, a small twinge of hope, inspiriting within him. That hope burst into nauseating nervousness, as he saw the brand new email in his inbox. 

Titled; Black and Co. Application. 

He swiftly flew up, in a sitting position. His heart palpitating so loud, he could hear it beating as if within his eardrums. With a fidgeting thumb, he opened the email. But his mobile data seemed to be slowed down, as it usually did when his megabytes ran dry. 

So he waited ten seconds, but nothing. 

Another ten seconds, then his patience ran dry--yet still there was nothing. 

He opted to wait another ten, but he gave up after just three seconds, the moment he remembered his Laptop. The only thing in the Apartment, that was connected to the Neighbor's Wifi. 

"Crappy phone!" River cursed under his breath, dropping the cellphone on the Bed. 

He then rose to his feet, hurriedly striding towards his cluttered Computer Desk. Where his HP laptop sat, halfway opened. He hastily opened it up, narrowing his gaze as the screen lit up. Within seconds, he entered his password and smiled. For the screen was already on the email tab. 

He paused for a second, even more agitated than before. His head felt swollen, and he feared if he water any longer. 

His brain would explode. 

River squeezed his eyes shut, clicking the mouse once. He let out a dry huff of air, slowly opening one eye. 


From: Grace Keller, CFO. Black & Co. 
Received 12:55 pm. 
Subject: Re:Application.

After reading that first line, both of River's eyes opened. Peering at the screen, with squinty yet eager eyes. 

Hello Mr. Kennedi, 

           This reply is in regards to the Internship Application that you have submitted. I have to say I'm quite pleased with your Resume, and I look forward to you attending a scheduled Interview. 


An excited scream erupted from River's lips, but both his hands swiftly covered his mouth to stop himself. River looked around, to see if James was nearby--unable to contain his excitement. He soon squeaked almost inaudibly, continuing the email. 


I have taken the liberty of setting up an interview on the nearest date possible. I hope that you will be able to attend on such short notice. I am aware that you have been recommended, by a well known Professor at Lockwood University here in New York. 

However, I wasn't able to review your Application until earlier today, but it is to my understanding that it had been sent to us a week ago. 

My apologies for the wait, and I sincerely do hope that the chosen date of the Interview is convenient to your daily schedule. 

See below. 

January 21, 2016. 3:00pm. 

Looking forward to meeting you, Mr. Kennedi!

〰

River's eyes widened as he read the date out loud. He was finally rudely interrupted by James--bounding into the Room. A bottle of Jergens Lotion, clutched in his hands--almost defensively. 

"Umm," River grunted and James's frightened expression, changed to one of relief. 

"Thank heavens! I thought someone attacked you!" James said, clutching his chest with genuine concern written in his eyes. 

River however, glanced from James, to the bottle of Lotion in his hands. "So you came to my rescue with a bottle of Lotion." It was more of a statement than a question, and James frowned at the revelation. 

"Uhh, yes?" 

"What were you going to do?" River asked and James's left eyebrow rose in limpid puzzlement. "Moisturize them to death?" River queried, and James's gaze flattened. 

"Has this bloody thing ever been in your eyes?" James asked, walking into the Room. 

"No, it hasn't." River said, sounding a little bit concerned. 

"Oh, well." James dropped the bottle of Lotion on River's bed as he plopped down lazily. "The least you could do is say, 'thank you James, for coming to save me. What a true knight in shining armor you are." James recited, almost too dramatically and River groaned in angst. 

"Thank you James, for coming to my rescue with a bottle of Lotion, obviously almost empty due to your rigorous amounts of masturbation." River mused and James cocked an eyebrow in his direction. "Your beds are squeaky too." River smirked at James's horrified look. "But as you can see, I'm fine. Just excited." 

"That's what that girly scream was?" James asked, befuddled and River face-palmed himself roughly. 

"No, you moron, well, kind of!" River seemed confused, and James seemed even more baffled. "I'm excited because I got the Internship." River deadpanned finally and James scowled. 

"The Black & Co.?" He asked and River glared at him incredulously. 

"No, for Men.com." River muttered, "Yes! For Black & Co., twit!" River snapped and James glared at him, but it soon turned into a broad smile. 

"Now way!" James exclaimed excitedly and River grinned proudly. 

"Yes, way!" 

"I knew you would get it, babe!" James said confidently and River blushed, a big grin on his lips that hurt from smiling a bit too much. 

"The interview's tomorrow!" River said, rising from his seat and sitting down beside James. 

"Uhh, tomorrow, tomorrow?"James's smile faded, worrying River immensely. 

"Yes tomorrow," River answered, his smile fading a little as he saw the look on James's face. "Aren't you excited?" River asked with a pout and James sighed heavily. 

"I am, I am but-," he paused and River frowned marginally. "You have to go see your Mum tomorrow. You know that visits to that God- forsaken place is complicated enough as it is." 

River scowled as he pondered the outcome of not going to see his Mother. 

He considered not going, but the Hospital only allowed visits twice per week in that Ward. So River had a decision to make, and it was enough to down his spirits. 

"Ugh, you're right." River said, falling back on the Bed. 

James followed suit, and they both gazed up at the ceiling. River was lost in thought, and James opted to remain quiet. To give River time to think about his options, and come up with a solution to his problem.

"Do you think she'll wake up?" River asked and James shrugged. "What if she does and I'm not there?" He queried, but James didn't have the answers he sought after. 

"I don't know, babe." James sighed, his worry for his Best Friend, obvious and genuine. "This Internship is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If your Mother does wake up from her Coma, I'm sure she'll understand why you weren't there." James advised and River gritted his teeth, considering James' words deeply. 

"The Interview is at 3:00, and visiting hours starts at 2:30pm." River acknowledged, and James nodded. 

"Go see your Mother, if even for ten minutes then go to your interview. Your Mother lived her life, despite how terribly it turned out. Don't let anything stop you from living yours," James said as he rose from the Bed, nudging River's cheeks in the process. 

"Ok," River pursed his lips, rising up to a sitting position. 

"I'm going to make us some Pasta, and you can tell me all about this new internship." James grinned and River blushed lightly, smiling up at James. 

"Ok," River nodded and James rose an eyebrow at him. "Babe," River let out exasperated, and James pointed a finger at him--clearly pleased. 

River watched in angst as James exited the room--his feet pattering against the floor lightly. He then turned to his Laptop--a slight grimace masking his features. 


〰


Soundtrack - Remember I Told You by Nick Jonas ft. Anne Marie and Mike Posner

Highest Rank | #1 in the LOVEWINS category | Book FOUR of the Color Of Love Series. 

In the pursuit of happiness, River Kennedi inherits a new life through sheer luck, or quite possibly his own potential. His secrets, his vulnerabilities, and the very best of him, is brought out when Sebastian Black walks into his life. Bringing with him, just enough baggage and just enough of the real and genuine him to make his own place in River's heart. 

| CAUTION | - This story contains sexual relations between two MEN. If you aren't a fan of LGBT Stories, then Color Me Black ISN'T for you. 

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the Publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Copyrighted Material. (Proof of Copyright- https://static.copyrighted.com/images/seal.gif )

Williams got into his own office with several newspapers. He was in a very good mood.
"Good morning, Mr. Williams." His secretary greeted him the moment she saw him.
"Good morning, Jenny." Williams smiled nicely and then said, "Go to Mr. Frey and tell him to come to my office."
"I was about to tell you that Mr. Frey is waiting in your office. He came in very early this morning," Jenny said.
"It seems like someone was even more excited than me." Shaking his head with a smile on his face, he stepped into his office.
Frey had been waiting for quite a while. He stood up when he saw Williams. He was about to speak when Williams threw the newspapers at him.
"Good job! We won four medals in one day. This is the best results we've ever gotten. Almost all of the media is talking about this. You as the COO must have done quite a lot of work behind the scenes," Williams said with compliment.
"I have been in contact with the media. The front pages of newspapers had already been decided when I talked to them and had them changed. Of course, we paid for it. I promised them that we will print some advertisements in their newspaper," Frey said.
"It's worth it. The dosing scandal inflicted us with a lot of negative attention. We really needed some good news to boost our public image," Williams said, nodding.
Frey continued, "Mr. Williams, I think we should hit the iron while it's hot and increase our publicity. I hope I can get some more funding."
"We have quite a big budget this year, right? The dosing scandal has cost us a big sum of PR expenses. We have been trying to cut the expenses recently so you need to give me a good reason," Williams said, frowning.
"Yes. We do have a bigger publicity budget this year due to the Olympics. I assure you, it is absolutely worth it to increase the budget. We did very well in the Olympics, and this will get us more sponsors. We can get twice the amount we spend now from sponsors," Frey said.
Williams nodded. Weighing the pros and cons of the whole thing, he did not speak.
Frey continued, "Mr. Williams, our track and field team has won 11 gold medals so far this Olympics. This is more than we won in the last Olympics, yet it is now only the fifth day of this one. Besides the marathon in the last day, we have four days left to get even more gold. We can win at least 15 gold medals even according to conservative estimates. With a little luck, we may even win 20 gold medals!"
"The national team of this year will be historic. This is a heaven-sent chance for us to expand our influence! We can wipe off the negative influence caused by the dosing scandal and gain more recognition from the public. It would be such a pity to miss this opportunity and we may never have a chance like this again."
Williams was finally convinced. He nodded, saying, "You are right. It is a rare opportunity, I agree with you. I'll try to persuade the board to increase the budget."
"I also want to go to Europe. So I need some PR expenses," Frey said.
"What is your plan?" Williams asked.
"I want to meet the officers of the Laureus World Sports Academy," Frey said.
"You want to lobby them?" Williams understood immediately what Frey was going to do.
Frey nodded. "The Team of the Year award should be ours. I want to see if Alwyn or Alexander can get the Comeback of the Year award. Each of them has gotten a gold medal in the Olympics, which makes them both successful comebacks."
"About Laureus, I heard some rumors that they will have three more awards this year: Action Sportsperson, Sporting Inspiration, and Coach of the Year," Williams said, unconcernedly.
Frey hesitated as he was not so sure about what Williams was trying to say. He then asked, "Mr. Williams, you mean, you want me to persuade them to give the Coach of the Year award to Dai Li?"
Williams nodded, "We hired him because we wanted him to be our scapegoat, but he saved us. Don't you think we should thank him?"
"We should," Frey lied. The Williams he knew was a person who didn't care about repaying his benefactors.
"You didn't follow," Williams said, with an expression showing full seriousness, "I want to show our faith to Dai Li through this. He has shown us sufficient coaching and leadership abilities. He has earned it. Now you see my point?"
"I got it. I'll try to persuade them and get Dai Li nominated for the award," Frey nodded immediately.
If Dai Li hadn't been as good as he was, he would've been used as a scapegoat.
Dai Li had been an excellent coach and had helped the U.S. team recover from a scandal, so they should recognize his excellence.
Dai Li had become valuable for the U.S. Track and Field Association. Dai Li proved that his coaching and leadership abilities were better than other coach's.
Only the best earns the respect of others. It is human instinct to please the more powerful ones.
…
Winning 4 gold medals in a single day was great encouragement for the U.S. track and field team. The gold medals for the man's high jump and 110 meter hurdles especially inspired the athletes because they hadn't been supposed to win them.
Up to now, the US team had won 11 gold medals. In the last Olympics, they won in total 10 gold medals. The Olympic Games was just halfway through and they had already won more gold medals than they had in the last Olympics. In all likelihood they were going to get more medals as well. A better overall result this was already secured'.
On the sixth day of the Olympic track and field games, there were some parts of the men's decathlon. There was only one final match scheduled - the men's 3000 meter steeplechase.
The men's 3000 meter steeplechase was an extremely demanding event. In terms of energy consumption, it was more or less the same as the 5000 meter run. Furthermore, the runners had to jump every few steps to stride over the obstacles, which negatively affected the rhythm of the athletes.
The difficulty of this game showed in the results. Of the 15 runners, only ten finished the run. The tenth runner was 40 seconds later than the first one.
The "king of obstacle race," Hengelo from Kenya, won the championship. He dominated this event. Dai Li had detected him once and found that he had a S+ level. If everything went smoothly, no one could challenge him in the next five years.
The athlete from the U.S. team won the silver medal of the 3000-meter steeplechase. Dai Li was satisfied with this as the gold medal was unlikely with Hengelo in the game. Silver was the best result that the U.S. team could hope to get.
There were no events in the afternoon. Dai Li, however, was busy with the interview with the Sports channel of the Central TV.
…
"Coach Li, it is said that you aren't an American. So, you are the first non-American head coach in the history of the US track and field team?" the reporter chose to start the interview with this question.
"No. I don't have American citizenship and I don't intend to apply for it. I do have a green card, as I mainly work in U.S. and it is much more convenient for my work and my life," Dai Li answered.
"The U.S. track and field team was thought to be the weakest it has ever been this year. Now, you have gotten very good results. How did you achieve this?" The reporter began to ask the important questions.
Dai Li thought for a while, and then said, "The team did have some problems before I was appointed at a kind of difficult moment. The first thing I did when I began my work was change the normal rules for athlete selection. They used to select the athletes for the Olympics according to their scores in the qualifiers. I, however, didn't choose that way…"
Dai Li went on without interruption. He didn't mention anything about the training nor did he give a comment on any athlete. He only told her some non-essential things.
Dai Li was not so silly as to reveal any secret, such as the weakness of the athletes and the corresponding training he had prescribed for them. Dai Li would never make such a stupid error.
Dai Li's answer was not valuable, but the reporter thought it was sophisticated
"Coach Li, as the head coach of the US track and field team, what do you think of the Chinese track and field team? What suggestions do you have for the Chinese track and field team?" The reporter asked another question that was of some significance.
"The development of sports team is a long term endeavor, the success of which requires the efforts of several generations. It needs a long term plan and just a few pieces of advice are not be enough to improve the ability of a nation," Dai Li answered, smiling.
"Coach Li, I have an irrelevant question. Are you interested in coming back to China to be a coach on, our national team?" the reporter asked.
"Actually, I used to be a coach on our national team. For me, going back to the national team was like going back home. I surely am willing to go back if I have the opportunity. However good it feels to be abroad, it is never as good as being home," Dai Li said with a sigh.
"I have noticed that. You stayed quite a long time at the training camp of the national team when you were in China and went to the Asian Games with the national team." The reporter then asked, "Why didn't you stay in the national team after that?"
"My position was actually in the Sports Bureau of the Hanbei Province and I was temporarily transferred to the training camp of the national team, which was quite common. When the Asian Games ended, I had the opportunity to get a job on the national track and field team. As chance would have it, I came across Coach Zhizhong Gu, who recruited me onto the national pingpong team as a fitness coach. The national pingpong team was composed of the top athletes in the world. As a coach, I wanted to coach the best athletes; so I went to the national pingpong team. It was the national team, right? It just wasn't the national track and field team. It was the same for me as long as I was serving my country," Dai Li said.
"According to your resume, you went to Dingtian Football Club after you left the national pingpong team. Why did you leave the national pingpong team? Did the Dingtian football club headhunt you with higher pay? Everyone knows that Dingtian football club is always willing to spend huge money on excellent talent," the reporter said.
"About that." Dai Li hesitated but finally said, "I didn't want to leave the national pingpong team at that time. After the strike, I was transferred from the team to an intangible cultural heritage application committee for Taijiquan as a committee member. I am a coach and I don't know anything about intangible cultural heritage applications. So, I quit the job. There was a friend of mine who recommended me go to Dingtian football club. I went there to be a fitness coach."
"Intangible cultural heritage application committee for Taijiquan? It was a promotion-like demotion? It seems you were shelved," the reporter said in a joking tone. This was quite unprofessional, or seemed like some careless mistake.
Dai Li, however, believed that the reporter setting him up.
The reporters for the Olympic Games are really hard to deal with, Dai Li thought to himself.
However, Dai Li was not the ignorant young lad anymore. He would not say tell the truth although he had really been demoted and shelved.
"I am only a sports coach. I don't know about anything but leading and training my team." Dai Li shrugged his shoulders, "For me, it is good enough to do the things I'm good at. For example, I am leading a team in the Olympic games. This is what I am competent at."
The reporter was a little disappointed that Dai Li didn't answer her question on the "shelving" but she didn't show it. Retaining her professional smile, she asked another question.
"Coach Li, I heard that you are running a fitness training center in the U.S. Could you tell us something about it?" she asked.
"Sure. I prepared some documents for you to reference." Dai Li took a pile of files from his assistant and then said, "Ms. Liu, I can email you the information if you give me your email address. Now, I will tell you something about my training center. Oh, this is not advertising, right?"
"Coach Li, you are so humorous. This is an exclusive interview to learn about what it's like for you to be the head coach. This is a necessary part of this interview," the reporter said with a even bigger smile.
"OK then. I know it is not allowed to utter the words like the best, or the number 1 in a commercial, or you'll be fined by the industry and commerce bureau. Since this is not a commercial, I'll be honest and tell the truth: my fitness training center is definitely the best of its kind in the whole world."
A glittering of admiration brightened up the reporter's eyes. At that moment, Dai Li seemed to be shining with confidence.


How could a poor graduate student without any background or connections become successful? With a coaching system? An upgrade? This is not a computer game, but real life we’re talking about!
 
This will be a fantasy based on reality. Dai Li will fight back against all those who would mock and humiliate him with his astonishing and awe-inspiring training skills. From a nobody he’ll try to become the most illustrious coach in the sports world, so join him in proving to everyone who’s the real master here!

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