"Achoo! Achoo!"
Lin Ye rubs his nose in annoyance.
Ifrit glances at him, "What are you doing?"
"What do you think I'm doing?" Lin Ye frowns slightly, "It's strange. Did I really catch a cold? Wait, do you feel that? This place is strangely cold."
"Cold?" Ifrit raises her eyebrows slightly. She extends a hand to Lin Ye, and a small flame appears in her palm, "I will help you keep warm then."
"Kids shouldn't play with fire."
"One more word and I will burn you to death!" The flame suddenly grows, emitting more heat and becoming more menacing, as Ifrit's mood swings.
However, facing the threat from Ifrit, Lin Ye isn't really scared, because he's used to her threats, not to mention he just needs to use Silence to counter Ifrit's threat. Nevertheless, he can just sit it out, and Ifrit will withdraw her threat eventually.
A moment later...
"Hey, Lin Ye".
"Call me Dr. Lin."
"Why? I don't call..." Ifrit pouts. She mumbles, "This is so unfair."
"Why is it unfair?"
"It's just not fair! How about this? I can call you Dr. Lin, but you have to call me Lord Ifrit?" Ifrit raises her eyebrows triumphantly as if she's found the perfect solution.
Lin Ye rolls his eyes inwardly, "Sure why not?"
"What?! Really?!"
Lin Ye glances at her, " But whenever you talk to Silence, you must call her mom. Oh, do that for Saria mom. Hmm, I like the sound of that."
Ifrit is taken aback by that suggestion. She barks, "Damn it, Lin Ye! I can't take it anymore! I will really burn-!"
Someone suddenly cuts her off, "Ifrit."
Ifrit pauses. She turns her head toward the stranger.
There, a middle-aged man with glasses is watching them from behind.
"Long time no see." The middle-aged man smiles, "Do you remember me?"
The moment she sees the middle-aged man, Ifrit's expression changes immediately. She steps back subconsciously and hides behind Lin Ye.
Lin Ye frowns. He stares at the man while shielding Ifrit with his arms, "Who are you?"
"Relax." The middle-aged man raises his hands to appease Lin Ye, "I mean no harm. I came over to see Ifrit. It's been quite some time, since we saw each other." He then looks at Ifrit, "Do you remember me? I'd been there watching you grow up."
"Are you from Rhine Lab?" Lin Ye asks.
"Former Rhine Lab director, Cardo." Cardo smiles amicably, "Ifrit should know me."
Lin Ye glances at Ifrit. She's calmer now, but her expression is still tense.
She seems upset. "I don't know you".
"I can understand why." Cardo nods, "By the way, I heard that you have memory loss. Is that right?."
"I'm not the same helpless devil anymore." Ifrit grits her teeth, "And my head is fine."
"Helpless?" Cardo is a little puzzled.
Lin Ye coughs and asks Cardo, "Why are you here? Silence should have followed your group inside."
"Oh, they're just checking some small lab equipment. We don't need that many people for that. Of course. I'm definitely going to greet her later. She's the best researcher I have ever worked with." Cardo smiles, "But I want to see Ifrit first. Everyone from Rhine Lab cares about Ifrit. Since Rhine Lab was disbanded, we have worried about her condition. Now that I see she's fine, Silence seems to have done a great job. That makes me really happy."
Lin Ye squints slightly. Even when Cardo said that his eyes have never left Ifrit as if he's looking at his own child. Lin Ye still remembers Saria's warning.
I can't let this guy get close to Ifrit.
Lin Ye places his hand on the hilt of his black steel sword while staring at Cardo.
Cardo gulps slightly, "I understand your concern, but you should already know Ifrit doesn't want to meet strangers, so..."
Ifrit tightens her grip on Lin Ye's clothes while hiding behind him.
"It seems that Ifrit really trusts you." Cardo looks at Lin Ye again, in a new light.
At this moment, the group that left to check the equipment walks out the factory.
Cardo turns to her with a smile, "Long time no see, Silence."
Silence seems overjoyed, "How have you been, Cardo? I didn't expect you to be here too."
"I came here to see you and Ifrit." Cardo says, "Anyway, are there any problems with the equipment?"
"No, they're perfect." Silence smiles, "I'm just amazed that they still look brand new. Is it alright to sell those machines for us?"
"Don't say that." Cardo shakes his head, "It's been hard enough for you to raise Ifrit by yourself. Just think of those machines as our compensation for your efforts."
Seeing the interaction between Silence and Cardo, Lin Ye lowers his guard slowly. However, Ifrit still looks really upset.
"What's the matter?" Lin Ye whispers, "Do you not like him?"
Ifrit mumbles, "I just want to burn him."
"Burn this. Burn that. Can you hold your fire for a minute?" Lin Ye sighs, "That's your mother's former boss."
"I think you are scolding me again."
"Obviously not. I am a psychiatrist with professional ethics, and I never scold anyone." Lin Ye solemnly lies.
Ifrit curls her lips in annoyance and focuses on the researchers, "They have a really unpleasant smell."
"Smell?"
"Yeah, the kind that makes me want to burn them all with fire."
You just want to burn people!
While Lin Ye and Ifrit watch them talk, Cardo says to Silence, "Hannah should have told you, we can't bring the larger machines here."
Silence nods, "We can pick them up in two days."
"That's great." Cardo nods with satisfaction, but then he sighs, "Now that they are in your hands, I hope you can make the best out of them."
"Why don't you all follow me back to Rhodes Island instead?"
"Rhodes Island? It seems to be a really good place, but it's not for me." Cardo shakes his head. He gestures to the rest of his researchers, "We have our own thing to do."
"Really?" Silence wilts, "Rhodes Island really needs talents like you."
Cardo smiles apologetically in response.
{Rhodes Island's Psychologist}
After Rhodes Island loads the machinery onto their truck, Cardo says to Silence, "I look forward to the day we meet again." Then, he looks at Ifrit with a vague smile, "And you, Ifrit, I hope our relationship will change for the better next time."
Ifrit still looks really upset.
Before he leaves, Cardo asks SIlence, "I heard that Rhodes Island and Lungmen have a good relationship. Is that correct?"
"We're partners."
"Do they know about this, the deal we agreed on?"
Silence shakes her head, "No, I don't think they do."
"That's good." He says, "Lungmen already reached out to us, and we turned them down. If they know about our transaction..."
"I understand, Director." Silence nods.
"Thank you." Cardo nods with satisfaction while snickering inwardly as if he's only one step away from his goal.
Suddenly, a yellow sports car barges into the party. It drifts along Lin Ye's side before grinding to a halt.
Everyone is stunned.
A pretty feline wearing sunglasses gets out of the car and walks straight to Lin Ye, ignoring everyone else's gaze.
"Hey." the woman waves with a smile, "What a coincidence. I'd been looking for you. Get in the car now. The performance is going to start in a few hours."
Rhine Lab employees stare at the woman in surprise.
She finally turns to look at the group, "Huh? So many faces. Are they your colleagues?"
"In that case," she takes off her sunglasses and stares at them with her bright eyes, "let me introduce myself. I am the senior superintendent of the LGD, Swire."
{Rhodes Island's Psychologist}
Draft by MIhjaqtio
Proofread by Demosama PanzerComrade56
Edit by MIhjaqtio
