CHAPTER 19: THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, PART 3
The garage of a home is either a place where not many people put much thought into, or where all of their waking thoughts go. Some homeowners might simply use the area for a simple storage unit for various items or even a car, but others may spend much of their quality time in it to work on various pet projects and other technical passions, which bring way to both fun and science alike.
The latter instance is what has given way to some of the most famous companies known on Earth. From the simple roots of a handful of men working in a confined space of their house to forge new technologies and inventions, their creations have gone on to make them wealthy and change the world forever.
The discussion of where the ingenuity of the original creators stopped and the greed of the corporations in later years is a subject up for much debate, but the original genesis of discovery and creation cannot be denied, not when human pioneers continue to pursue their own interests to help change the world.
Sam Dullard has slowly but surely became one of those few, uncovering new technologies through reverse-engineering technologies themselves which are already new, advancing what has already thought to be impossible to achieve in this limited era of modern science.
Immersed in his element of wires and circuits and electricity, his mind unlocks secrets of the universe, pushing the limits of human invention past what is already known. Mankind has only managed to stumble onto some great leaps in the past few decades, bringing forth means of convenience in life and society as a whole, but none of it comes near where Sam has taken the field.
It is the closest thing to feeling alive that he has ever felt in awhile... but only for one of two reasons.
The opportunity to be immersed in his greatest interest is only half of the puzzle of his happiness, the other half belongs to a woman who has been a longtime friend of his, turned as of recently into something more than a friend. Entering the garage through the house door, Reggie entered with a bag from Good Burger, containing a dinner purchased just for him to enjoy.
"Hey, Sammy." Reggie said.
Upon meeting Sam once again, Reggie greeted him with a kiss, which he took with surprise and joy.
"Oh, uh, hey, Reggie." Sam said.
"Brought you some Good Burger. Tito said he didn't feel like cooking." Reggie said.
"Really? That's a first."
"Well, it's mainly because Otto and Twister's grill is in horrible condition, and it wasn't in usable condition. He said he'd cleaned enough stuff for one day."
"Ah, there it is."
"Also, uh... It looks like the local grocery store got hit by the bad guys last night. This was the best option for food we had."
Sam took the news with a face planted in his hands, sighing heavily over the news of others suffering the same woes he had.
"Dammit. We can't get this stopped fast enough, can we?" Sam cursed.
"Hey, don't worry, Sammy. You're doing what you need to do. Otto's doing his part. At least, he'd better, or I'll make sure he has hell to pay. But don't worry about that, here, eat your dinner. I got you one with everything." Reggie said.
Reggie began to casually put the bag of food on his work table, to which Sam responded with by immediately cover the spot with his hands.
"Ah, ah, ah! Please not on the workstation. I don't want anything potentially getting food in anything." Sam warned.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Uh, where did you want me to put it?" Reggie asked.
"I'll take it, here, thank you."
Taking the food from Reggie, Sam immediately chowed down on its contents, taking in numerous empty calories to feed his brain for all the energy it expended.
"Mmm, thank you, though, really. I've really been starving all day as I was working on this, I just kept forgetting to eat." Sam chewed.
"How do you forget to eat, Sammy?" Reggie asked.
"I don't know. I've just been real focused on this stuff. Really interesting work, the way they made these things. It's really great work, but it comes off as really... overcomplicated. Like they didn't know how to narrow down the pieces needed to make the whole thing work to only a few. There's capacitors and groundings compensating for electrical sources that were putting out way too much power for this thing to work, like somebody just got this off the lowest bidder. Anyway, I managed to miniaturize and simplify most of the work and get them powered by mostly household items, as you probably already saw from my own work."
"Wow, Sammy. I don't know how you even could figure out how to make it smaller like that. I see that many parts in anything with electricity, I just assume it's all important."
"Oh, it's important, alright, but it's the difference between a jumbo CRT TV and a touch screen on a smartphone. You just figure out how to make things smaller and work faster."
"And how'd you figure it out so fast when you've only had these a couple of days?"
"Sometimes, it's easier if you just work backwards. Case in point, I managed to get these all done."
Picking up the prototype on his workstation, Sam displayed it to Reggie.
"This one here's probably in the best shape. You wanna give it a try?" Sam asked.
Reggie raised an eyebrow in response to the question, not expecting him to casually offer the chance to use the hoverboard.
"Really? You want me to use it first?" Reggie asked.
"Well, of course. With Otto gone, you're the best candidate to try it, and... Well, I guess I kind of owe you for that kiss earlier." Sam said.
"Oh, you 'owe' me for that kiss? Gee, I didn't know it was just a favor to you."
"N-No, that's not what I- I mean, I just... I just want you to try it first, you know?"
"Okay, okay, Sammy. I'll try your homemade hoverboard."
"Perfect! Okay, let's head on outside, get some room."
Sam lifted the garage door and opened it up, heading to the street with the board, having Reggie cautiously follow him behind.
"Sammy, isn't it kind of risky to do it out here?" Reggie asked.
"Nah, it's fine, there's literally nobody out here. C'mon, I want to see how it works on its first official test." Sam said.
"What do you mean, 'first test'? It's not gonna explode on me or anything, right?"
"No, no. I didn't put anything risky like that in this thing. No nuclear power in this thing."
"Good."
As Sam laid the board on the ground, Reggie stepped on top of it, attempting to find her balance on it.
"Just bear with me a bit, okay? I'm a little out of practice. Desk job and all." Reggie said.
"It's fine. The easier you go on it, the better. Just start with whatever you feel comfortable with, whenever you're ready." Sam said.
Gently setting her foot on the ground, Reggie pushed herself forward with a small nudge, sending the board moving down the empty street.
Feeling the board underneath her feet as she propelled forward, the emotion of the thrill of the skate slowly came back to her, as if the love itself were born again and still learning to walk. Much like a growing newborn, the small wonders and new excitements taken for Reggie are enough to bring her a smile, recollecting her days when she began to learn the very sport for the first time.
But Reggie is not a newborn, nor is she new to the sport. She is a grown woman, and she has had more than the average experience for skating under her belt. It is only an involuntary retirement from the sport that has separated her from that which she loves, and a reunion with old friends that reunites her with her old passion.
And brought back to the one act which sparked her interests in life, she does not sit and settle on the simplicities, but instead chose to jump straight back in to where she left off in terms of skill. Giving herself a more hearty push down the street, she launched herself further forward, accelerating her speed on the hoverboard.
She has forgotten all indication that this exercise was meant to test the functionality of the hoverboard, and instead decided to indulge herself in the sport once again. Her throwing all care and caution to the wind gets a rise of concern from Sam, who widened his eyes and began to raise hand...
...but that concern soon dwindled down as he saw her begin to enjoy herself again, moving down the street with more enthusiasm. Her careful baby steps back into her sport have been taken and left behind, and it has given way for her to showcase her skill to her observer.
Leaning down on the board, distributing her weight differently, she invoked movements different from her simple and straight line, taking her time to swerve and weave a path for herself down the road. It is an expression of herself and her art that shows through on her new board, and is easily picked up by Sam, who watched on with great interest and investment.
Kneeling down on her board, she moved to make a U-turn, spinning herself around to move down the road back to Sam. Like before, her movements are an expression of herself, artistic output placed on the board, and Sam is her sole audience, watching on in awe.
He, too, forgets that the purpose of their time spent outside is meant to test his prototypes, and can only put his focus on Reggie. To see her again on a skateboard is a send back to his childhood, back when he did not carry the stress and worries that rest on his mind now. If there is one mutually shared emotion by both parties at this moment in time, even when both are engaging in completely different activities...
...then it is the childlike joy that they have missed for so long, and are happy to have back again.
Coming back to Sam again, Reggie braked the hoverboard as she would any other board, stopping her ride and stepping off. She is quiet following her disembarkation, silently taking note of the joy of childhood once again and basking in it. When she speaks again, she remembers the main purpose of her riding the board, and answered whatever concerns she thought Sam might have.
"Well, uh... The board works." Reggie said.
"Yeah. Uh, what was that about, uh, being out of practice and all?" Sam asked.
"Guess I didn't forget as much as I thought. That was... really fun."
"Sure looked fun. Even when I was just watching you."
Then, a spark of inspiration came to Reggie, thinking of a way to directly involve Sam in her fun.
"Hey, you got any more of those boards finished?" Reggie asked.
"Yeah, they're mostly done, just a few tweaks here and there. The blue one's the most ready right now." Sam answered.
Departing without a second word, Reggie headed back to the garage, leaving Sam behind and confused.
"Hey, Reggie, what are you doing?" Sam called.
Reggie then returned with the aforementioned blue hoverboard, handing it to Sam.
"Here. I want you to skate with me, too." Reggie said.
"What, me? But I haven't finished it yet." Sam said.
"You said it's mostly done, that means it's good enough to test, right?"
"Well, yeah, but... I'm kind of out of practice, too."
"So? I did just fine, so will you."
"No, no, no, I'm nowhere near as good as you, I was never that great at it as you guys were."
"Don't say that, Sammy. You always held your own. Here, step on."
Reluctantly stepping on the hoverboard, Sam stood atop it with a stumble; having bad footing on his first attempt at skating after a long period of time, the initial return to a board is a rocky one. Nonetheless, like Reggie, he, too, still retained most of his skills, starting with a quick correction of his footing and weight distribution, correcting his stance and standing at a proper position.
"Good boy. Now, come on." Reggie said.
With Sam on his board, Reggie began skating forward, urging him to follow her along. Pushing himself forward, Sam started to skate behind Reggie, soon catching up to her and skating by her side. The two shared looks to each other, watching one another's stances and eyes, focusing on both their respective loves of the sport and their attitudes towards each other...
...and Reggie's eyes narrowed with a smile of her lips, turning her attention back to the street and pushing herself forward faster. Increasing her speed and zipping straight past Sam, the act was clearly seen as a challenge to a race, urging him to follow her lead and accept the challenge.
The taunt had done its job, and Sam pushed himself forward as well in attempt to race her.
Skating back up to Reggie, Sam put himself at an apparent tie with her, leading their race to come to a steady start. The determination in both parties to win the race is clear and present, but underneath it is a playful attitude that treated this challenge more like a tease or jest between the two.
"What was that about being all out of practice, Sammy?" Reggie asked.
"Well, I guess my muscle memory's still as good as my regular memory." Sam said.
"Okay, then. Let's see if we can put that body to doing just as much work as that brain of yours does... Squid."
Pushing her foot off to gain a greater speed once again, Sam repeated her action to gain speed and catch up to her, making his best attempt to win the race the two imposed on themselves in response for her tease. Carrying more muscle mass than Reggie, he is able to push himself across with greater heave, and it is this advantage that he used to move back up to her, and even pass her up.
Surpassing her position in the lead, Sam took a U-turn to make his way back to the starting point, mockingly waving at Reggie as he passed her. Sarcastically scoffing with a greater smile, Reggie began skating back after him, making her bid for the lead position yet again.
As the more experienced skater as a whole, she is able to make use of her smaller body size to gain speed once again and reach near Sam again. However, anticipating her approach, Sam did not allow her to take the winning spot so easily, making the maneuver of putting himself directly in front of Reggie to prevent her from getting past him.
Trying to circumvent her opponent and move around him is no help; with every attempt that Reggie made to reach the top spot once again, Sam had moved in front of her intended position to ensure that she would not reach her place. The effort to win seems unattainable and futile, leaving Reggie stuck at having to settle for second place.
But the idea of losing is not within the Rocket bloodline, and Reggie does not accept even the slightest chance of defeat to stain her. Moving to one side, she anticipated Sam to move in front of her, which he did, and followed by skating to the other side, pushing herself to move right past him and take first place once again.
The gambit works as intended, but it is not enough to get her to first place. Instead, she managed only to get beside Sam, skating directly alongside him as the two reached their starting place, effectively reaching the finish line. Passing the end of the race, the two pushed back on their hoverboards and prepared to stop.
Coming to a stop at last, the race ended with Reggie nearly crashing into Sam, saved only by Sam catching her as she skated towards him. Keeping her in his arms, the two continued to stare at each other, each breathing heavily over the physically strenuous race that they partook in, releasing the rush of endorphins and increasing blood flow across their brains.
The result is a feeling of absolute pleasure, and is made all the stronger as they looked at and held each other.
"Wow... That was... some race, huh?" Reggie asked.
"Yeah... But I think we ended in a tie..." Sam panted.
"Yeah... But at least the boards work, right?"
"Yeah... Yeah, they do..."
"You're... really good, Sammy... You know that?"
"Yeah... I guess so..."
The two then came together for a kiss, embracing each other and further consummating the emotions brought forth by their playful race, as well as the bonding that the two had shared over the past few days. Even when separated after many years, before either was mature enough to articulate and understand feelings of love and intimacy, it is as if they had been merely waiting their entire lives for this moment.
Once again, the phenomenon is witnessed by Tito and Twister, watching the affair from the garage after unintentionally walking in on the matter. Rather than leave like the previous instance they had encountered a similar event, Tito opted to stay and enjoy the exchanged emotions, taking in the sight like a proud father... or, to be more accurate, a proud uncle.
"Ah. Young love. It's so nice to see, ain't it, cuz?" Tito asked.
Twister is partially in agreement with Tito, but there is a large cloud of negative emotions overcoming his own thought processes that prevent him from coming to full agreement. Instead, there is only mostly an unknown and misunderstood presence of jealousy, and he contemplated the feelings in silence.
The contemplation brings him an understanding not of his own feelings, but instead a commentary on the situation as a whole to understand it.
"You know what I noticed, Tito? People are kind of like... planets. We've all got, like, our own mass and stuff, and our feelings and personalities are kind of like what makes up our masses. That's what gives us gravity. We, like... attract other people with our mass. Sometimes we attract a lot of the same planets, but sometimes we drive them away. Like when you try to put two magnets together. I guess it's the same with planets all having, like, magnetic poles, or something. You could have a lot of other planets in your orbit, or only a few, or maybe none, but you're still a planet, and you still attract and repel other planets whether you try to or not. Maybe when the planets in your orbit go away, they could come back sometimes. And because, like, the gravity's still the same, it's like, when the planet comes back, it's like it never left. Maybe that's, like, how we all are and stuff. You get what I'm saying, Uncle Tito?" Twister asked.
The philosophical word salad would be more than enough to confuse the simple-minded, but to the wise like the older Tito, he listened to it with a smile, responding...
"Of course, cuz. There's an ancient Hawaiian saying for that: 'The sand all gets swept out to sea, and they may or may not come back to the beach, but it's all still sand'." Tito said.
Twister seemed to accept the simplification of his point with a sigh, looking on in further contemplation.
"Yeah, sure, Tito. What you said." Twister moaned.
Twister is not yet consciously aware of the source of his jealousy and longing, but the reason is miles above ground level in a plane, accompanied by the rest of the skateboarding team known as the Rippers. They are well known for engaging in extreme sports such as skating, as previously mentioned, but only now is Otto aware of the sport of skydiving that they engage in as well.
Of all the dangerous stunts he has accomplished over the years, this is one Otto has never before done, and the lack of experience he has with this sport makes him anxious, a rare encounter with the emotion for Otto and an ever rarer occasion where he expressed it in plain sight.
It is not lost upon Dax Jett, who laid a friendly hand on his back in a pat.
"What's the matter, you never jump out of a plane before?" Dax asked.
"No, man, never did that. This is my first time." Otto said.
"Well, don't worry about it, you're gonna love this a lot."
"Oh, I believe you, man, but I still can't help but be a little nervous. I would've appreciated if you'd told me that this is what you were dragging me into beforehand."
"Then it wouldn't have been a surprise, would it? Besides, I didn't even wanna give you the chance of trying to back out. You need this more than you think."
"I know, I know, but... But what if my chute doesn't open? Or if I don't pull it in time? Or I-"
"What's the matter back there, you chicken, Otto?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, man, don't be wimps, we do this all the time. It's awesome." Jared said.
"It's the best high you can get. Even better than sex." Wes said.
"It's what you need right now. It'll take all that fear and uncertainty right out of you. Take my word for it." Dax said.
The pep talk of the rest of the team seemed to make Otto put his fears aside, accepting the situation and letting out a deep breath to ready himself.
"Well... Alright, if you say so, dude." Otto said.
As the conversation came to an end, the doorway to the plane opened up, signalling the group that it was time to jump and providing the means to make the leap. Mike, the wildest of the bunch, immediately jumped out first, charging forward like a madman raging into battle.
"Give it to me, baby!" Mike called.
Next came Jared, following through with his jump.
"See you guys at the bottom!" Jared called.
Next was Wes, jumping next with a flair in his fall.
"Don't keep me waiting!" Wes called.
Dax, having invited Otto for the jump, brought him to the door, preparing him for the jump off the plane with a final pep talk. Still anxious over the inevitable experience of jumping out of a plane into a skydive, was still not eager to jump as the others did, leaving the task of luring him along on Dax and yelling out his encouragement over the loud wooshing of air.
"Come on, this is the best thing you can get out of life, just hit it!" Dax shouted.
"I don't know about this, man!" Otto shouted.
"Think of it this way, imagine that the high you get from this is like the best weed you've ever smoked. How's that sound?"
"Yeah, I wanna get high, but..."
"Otto, don't worry about it. You gotta learn to just let it go, to ride the ride! Just let it go... and jump!"
Demonstrating his philosophy to Otto, Dax jumped backwards out of the plane, not looking nor caring where his fall led, heading to the ground with his back turned and his arms out. The attitude of bravado and indifference to danger impressed Otto greatly, seeing the attitude as one he wished to imitate.
He has always prided himself on being one of the greatest players of extreme sports, as he so proclaimed himself, trying to reach for fame and greatness in a bid to feel loved and respected on his own terms. It is a life that has led him to one he sees as full of solitude, his attitude barely acknowledging Twister in his life to give him friendship and companionship.
Now has come a new group of friends like him, and they have given him an offering to a place where he can be himself, as he saw himself.
But the process of being accepted into this clique has had its speed bumps that give him question to being part of their group, in between the unusual beliefs of the team's leader, and the seemingly fast rush of events which have thrown him to the place he is now has made him stop and question it for the first time since his mission began.
He knows that the people he is with now are the ones that are causing property damage all around Ocean Shores, or, he is at least sure after seeing the evidence presented so far. He knows that he should not allow himself to get in too deep with these individuals, and to do so might compromise his thinking, and, in turn, the justice that Ocean Shores deserves.
But he is too close to having the family he wants to help himself.
The overly-used argument of 'If everybody was jumping off a cliff, would you do it?' might be applicable enough, especially in the event that Otto literally has to make a jump in order to join the group. It is a decision that comes with far more consequences than a fatal fall to the ground, as that half can be diminished with the parachute on his back.
This is a decision that will affect his dedication to these people, and it has left him contemplating this decision deeply, trying to ensure he will make the right choice.
After a final exhale and careful thinking, Otto made his decision.
"Just ride the ride. Okay." Otto said.
Finally, Otto jumped out of the plane.
[Soundtrack Cue: Limp Bizkit - Walking Away]
Beginning his fall out of the plane with a single step, Otto began heading face-forwards towards the Earth itself; the air rushing over him at speeds he had never before imagined, through his fingers like a loving grip, through his hair like a light caress, and over his face like a gentle kiss.
All the thoughts and concerns and fears he once had in his head had all gone away and dissipated now, left without a trace or a second thought. In the release in the open air, falling to the ground without any restraint whatsoever, he is ripped away from the pain, as if the Earth itself had personally ripped him from his own personal problems with its gravitational pull.
Now, Otto is not a member of the human race nor its games and systems, but instead a free child of the Earth, taking his place in its atmosphere with the same intrigue as a friendly guest exploring a new territory, while at the same time with the warm familiarity as a close relative's home during the holidays.
While moments ago, Otto had many anxieties and skepticism about jumping, he can now no longer understand why he did not jump sooner. What a wonderful feeling this was, to be falling towards the Earth like a human bullet; at speeds very few people on Earth have the privilege to experience, feeling the rush moving though him like he was power incarnate.
He has spent his whole life putting it on the edge, hoping to find it.
This is the edge, and, even though just for the moment, he was living on it.
After falling through the sky for a good while, Otto finally began to catch up to Dax, who was awaiting him at a lower altitude for his reaction. Holding his arms to his sides and flying down to Dax, he opened up his arms and legs to stabilize his position upon reaching him, putting the two at a position to talk.
"What'd I tell you? Like nothing you've ever done before, right?" Dax asked.
"Fuck, yeah, man! This is fucking amazing!" Otto screamed.
Otto began laughing cheerfully and playfully screaming, fully embracing the powerful moment of falling through the skies. He has always loved the feeling of freedom, but never had he ever felt so free in this way, a feeling that strokes his inner youth and brings it forward and center...
...and never will he ever know a rush like this again in his life, making it all the more important he savor it now.
"I feel invincible, man! This is great!" Otto shouted.
"It's the ultimate high, man! Now you're riding the ride!" Dax said.
Rocketing towards the Earth, Otto and Dax faced the danger alone as a two-man team, but soon began to rejoin the rest of the group to face the end together. Keeping their arms to their sides and keeping their bodies straight, the two began to catch up to the other members of the Rippers, catching up to the rest and holding each other's arms to form a circle.
"Otto, how is it?!" Jared shouted.
"Better than any kush I've ever done!" Otto shouted.
"What'd the man tell you?! It's fucking amazing!" Mike shouted.
"Fuck, yeah!"
"Well, you guys better get your fill of it now, we've gotta pull our chutes in about 2 more minutes! Otherwise, all of us are gonna be street pizza!" Wes shouted.
"That's right, boys, grip your chutes and get ready!" Dax shouted.
As the group began to near the ground, the many miles they gained from their flight and the Earth coming into fuller and fuller view to the skydiving group, the team all began to hold on to their chute strings, getting ready to pull and activate their parachutes and safely land to the ground.
The anticipation of the end and their attention to the parachutes are justifiably well-spent, but a good amount of their focus went towards the experience of falling itself, none willing to miss the enjoyment and pleasure of their skydive, and trying to steal as many seconds as they could of the feeling.
But like any heist, the thievery has to come to an end, in order for the robbers get away with all their earnings without the consequences.
"Ready?!" Dax shouted.
The ground neared and neared by the second, giving a sense of impending doom to those not prepared for such a dive. The majority of the team was well-prepared for the fall, and, in turn the landing, resulting in all the team's hands going to their chutes and getting ready to pull.
Otto, too, put his hand to the parachute's string, nervously waiting to pull it.
"PULL!" Dax shouted.
The team pulled their respective strings at their leader's call, activating their parachutes and beginning their slow and safe descent towards the ground. With the group coming very close to contact with the Earth again, their seemingly quick and suspenseful fall quickly turned to a slow and peaceful one, allowing the team to safely land on the ground without seriously being injured.
But this also spelled an end to the excitement and fun of the skydive, putting the event to a stop as they resumed a safe and normal speed while going back to the Earth. The rush is gone, but the aftereffects of the jump has not left, but instead only just beginning to leave its feelings of joy and enlightenment upon the group.
Otto is the one to feel it most, and the first to realize it consciously. He does not have a concern for his Earthly and human problems anymore, feeling them whisk away from him as easy as each exhale he took. The excitement of the fall has brought him a peace he never before thought obtainable, and changing him in a way he never thought possible.
After his fall, he is free.
[Soundtrack Cue End]
With their skydive finished and their high with it, the team all together cheered in excitement, all energized and happy after their skydiving session. Regrouping together, the team all hugged each other and patted one another patted one another on their backs, continuing to let out their expressions of joy with each other.
Otto is the last to join the group, leaving him as the subject of the entire team to pounce on with feverish hugs and other forms of affection. The excitement eventually died down as the team returned to a sense of normality, allowing Dax a chance to talk to Otto again.
"So, Otto, feeling better now?" Dax asked.
"Hell, yeah, man. Thanks for this, dude. Who needs Clio? Who needs my dad?And for that matter, who needs anybody? Fuck everyone else. You're the coolest. All you guys are." Otto said.
After hearing Otto's praise, Dax smiled with great pride, reaching out and shaking his hand in appreciation.
"I appreciate that, man. Having you on the team was definitely the best decision we ever made." Dax said.
"I couldn't agree more. I was always looking for people who actually appreciated him and didn't just fuckin' judge me all the time, you guys are great. I wish I could make you guys my real family." Otto said.
Otto's next comment brought another feeling to Dax, giving him plans to handle his recruitment.
"Is that so?" Dax asked.
"So, you guys up for some skating tonight? Or do we have another party to crash?" Otto asked.
"Uh, actually, this time, there might be something different in store."
"Really? What now? Another surprise? What, don't tell me, the team gets enough money to go to a vacation in Italy or some shit?"
"No, no, no, nothing like that. It's like this: You like being on the team, right?"
"Fuck, yeah. I haven't even been part of any championships with you guys yet, and I love this group."
"You interested in getting yourself in deeper? Get a more important spot on the team?"
"What do you mean? I'm still on the team, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, you're still on no matter what. I'm offering you something that can get you something that's really important to the team."
"Oh, yeah? What?"
"First things first. Let's head back to ZGZ, shall we? It's better if we discuss it behind closed doors."