Little Fish. Chapter 12

Spending two hours guiding Wei Zangchen, Gu Lang was left in a complicated mood. The esper had been stripped and cleaned; the sheets covering his modesty didn’t hide the metal embedded in him. Shirtless and exposed, scars covered less of the esper’s body than he’d expected, and if not for the exoskeleton, he’d be inclined to believe that the esper’s problems were entirely mental. It’d be some time before he could take a statement credible enough to present.

Returning to his office, Gu Lang took a shower, dressed in a loose robe, then took his tablet to bed with him. He hadn’t forgotten Xiao Li or Gun Wen, yet it seemed temporarily safer for them to remain at Chi Ren’s office. Gun Wen insisted that only Wei Zangchen could supply him with the documents pertaining to the children from Perpex. It seemed to Gu Lang that Gun Wen had been desperately attempting to give him a reason to provide Wei Zangchen the medical treatment he needed. As special as Wei Zangchen was, he wasn’t the only esper with elemental control.

Glancing at the time in the top corner of the tablet, he pulled his phone off charge and called Shi Min. She’d sent him continuous messages to keep him apprised of the situation on her end, but that wasn’t why he was now calling.

“Major. Were you successful?”

Gu Lang rolled his eyes.

“Who do you think you’re talking to? Of course, I was. I’m ringing about that request—I mean, about the Sun Bay apartment. Have the staff already been dismissed?”

“Yes, sir. Tomorrow new security will be installed, and the new staffers will be installed the following day.”

Gu Lang did love when his plans came together.

“Excellent. I’m going to need two clean phones. Make and model don’t matter. I’ll be sending two deliveries to the apartment tomorrow—have the security guys sign for them.”

Shi Min would make it happen. She was a grade-A esper with the spirit to match. She was also the reason he kept Wang Bu around, to remind her what it was to be human and not just too proficient.

“Sir, the commander…”

“I’ve scheduled to see him tomorrow morning. Book me an appointment with the older children from the institution. I only want to speak to those who were subjects.”

“Sir?”

“Humor me. How did you go with the townspeople?”

“They’d already submitted a report to the authorities. I’ve contacted them, explained that Wei Zangchen was having a mental breakdown, and they’ve accepted the explanation. I don’t think they’ll accept so willingly, but he’s already in your custody.”

“I want you to look into what compensation that town received. From what I saw, the standard of living there wasn’t high. They should have been entitled to compensation in line with property prices.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll check the household registrations for applications.”

“Thank you. I also need you to book a vet appointment. I seem to have a stray cat that’ll need to be neutered. The cat is the property of Gun Wen. Have they demanded his return?”

“They have. I explained that he was consulting on the excavation, but they’re pushing for him to come back and complete formal debriefing.”

Gu Lang’s smile wavered. He wasn’t prepared to let Gun Wen go into their clutches yet.

“Schedule the meeting for two days. Preferably in the morning, and let them know I will personally accompany him. Also, bring in a lawyer. I can’t have his testimony interfering.”

“Very well, I’ve made a note. When you get a chance, you also need to talk to Cai Dan again.”

“Send him for compulsory guiding. Don’t take no for an answer. If he fails to comply, then I’m going to need to find the most remote location to redeploy him to.”

Shi Min chuckled. Cai Dan had been threatened with transfer more than once, only this time, Gu Lang’s anger was at new heights.

“I will. Major. What are you going to do now that you’ve caught Wei Zangchen?”

“I’m going to teach him a lesson he won’t forget. You don’t need to worry there. Chu Ren’s got him sedated. He won’t be causing trouble for a long time coming.”

“Understood. I’ll get onto the things you’ve asked. You should get some sleep, sir.”

“That’s the plan. Good night, Shu Min.”

Ending the call, Gu Lang placed his phone back on charge. He had a few more things to do before he could sleep.

***

When a gate suddenly emerged, Gu Lang’s plans were paused. Naturally, there was never a time he wasn’t on call. Within half an hour of receiving the call, he’d been on a flight out of New Air City with his two team guides, Yu Tao and Wei Cui, by his side.

With his pride as a top guide, Gu Lang dismissed those around him, confidently taking over all guiding for the gate, easing the pressures of the other guides. His two guides, knowing their roles, had ignored the speculating whispers and headed straight into the gate. A dozen people had already left the gate, injured so shamefully during the fight in the bronze level. The guide wasn’t sure how that had managed to happen. Bronze was only a mid-level gate, suited to grade B and C. For so many people to have been injured so quickly, there must have been a misclassification.

His radiation guiding was famous. More espers than he could name had fallen for him instantly, insisting that his guiding was the gentlest they’d ever felt and hoped to take things further.

Gu Lang had no intention. He was no promiscuous radish. Though he was a radish whose parents were still attempting to marry him off for their own gain. Thankfully, his status prevented his family from approaching casually.

Stuck at the gate, the delay caused him to miss his scheduled appointment with the children of the institution. He had planned to take Gun Wen with him, feeling the children would be more cooperative with a familiar face there. Though annoyed, he didn’t let it affect his guiding. If every little annoyance affected it, then he’d never be able to guide again successfully.

All in all, he was placed 12 hours behind schedule, 14 including travel time. The gate was indeed of bronze classification. However, the terrain proved problematic as the interior was made of floating islands. To the outside world, it was a shimmer black circle. Internally, it’d borrowed the landscape before convoluting the terrain and spawning monsters. Even after 100 years, scientists could only best describe the gates as pocket dimensions where the fundamental laws of known science went out the window.

Arriving back in New Air City, Gu Lang returned to his office with Yu Tao and Wei Cui. The pair left to write their individual reports on the incident. Gu Lang headed through his office to small quarters off the side, showering and changing, followed by making an extended phone call as he made ready to leave again.

Returning to the main office area, Gu Lang couldn’t delay any longer. Cai Dan owed him a favor, and the esper wasn’t about to escape. The guide saw it as the man’s fault for not escaping sooner. As his second-in-command, he really should have found another way to subdue Wei Zangchen and not had himself kidnapped on top of his first failure.

With a mad gleam in his eyes, Gu Lang walked over to Cai Dan’s desk, placing his hands on the man’s shoulders.

“You listened and got guiding.”

Cai Dan went stiff.

“Major. You’re not supposed to comment on that.”

“Call it me being a caring boss. So caring that you’re coming with me.”

“Sir?”

“We’re leaving immediately. Cancel any plans you had for tonight and tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir.”

The esper was smart enough to know he was in deep trouble. Being second in command did bring certain privileges, but only to those who didn’t end up kidnapped, and his pride hadn’t recovered. Gu Lang gave the man’s shoulders a firm squeeze.

“That’s what I like to hear. You’ll never guess where we’re going.”

Cai Dan raised his head to look backwards at him.

“Sir?”

“We’re off to Perpex. This time, try not to be kidnapped.”