FRGL chapter 14

When Luo Hai arrived on the third floor of the prosecution office, he found Flock and Barney playing badminton in the hallway.

The two were dressed in sportswear, enthusiastically swinging their rackets as the shuttlecock flew back and forth, effectively blocking the staircase Luo Hai needed to take.

“Exercising really does feel great,” Barney said, drenched in sweat as he swung his racket. “I haven’t sweated like this in ages.”

“Told you!” Flock laughed, hitting the shuttlecock back. “Exercise improves metabolism and boosts mood! Plus, regular workouts even improve sperm quality.”

Barney burst into laughter. “You don’t even have an Omega. What do you care about sperm quality?”

“I don’t have one now, but that doesn’t mean I won’t in the future,” Flock jogged forward to return the shot. “I just haven’t marked an Omega yet because I want a good one.”

“You can get a decent Omega for ten grand, right?” Barney asked. “How much better do you want?”

Flock clicked his tongue in disapproval. “A ten-grand Omega is still an Omega. A fifty-grand Omega is also an Omega. An Omega stays with you for at least ten years—why wouldn’t I want one that’s beautiful, gentle, with a great body and good skills?”

“No argument there. A rich guy like you can buy whatever you want,” Barney said, taking a few steps back to hit the shuttlecock. “Broke guys like me can only wait for next month’s Offering Day.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t act poor with me,” Flock chuckled. “If you’re really struggling, maybe delete those party pics from your social media first.”

Barney’s shot went off course, sending the shuttlecock flying straight into Luo Hai’s head.

“…”

Luo Hai didn’t say anything. He simply picked the shuttlecock off his head and tossed it back to Flock.

“Oh, hey, good morning, Luo Hai,” Flock greeted, catching the shuttlecock. “Didn’t see you there.”

“Good morning,” Luo Hai responded briefly.

“Rare to see you coming in right on time. Didn’t sleep well last night?” Barney asked. “You’ve got pretty dark circles under your eyes.”

“Stayed up doing some research.” Luo Hai paused. “Besides Lightwing Society, do you know of any other active terrorist organizations in Nantes?”

“You mean the ones that kill people, the ones that protest, or the ones that send people to sleep with politicians?” Flock asked. “I compiled a list for Chief Prosecutor Doyle a while back. You can check it in my office if you want. I’ve got coffee too—might help wake you up.”

“Alright thanks,” Luo Hai nodded.

“No need to be so formal,” Flock said with a grin, patting Luo Hai on the shoulder. “We’ve been colleagues for years. Just ask if you need help.”

Fresh from a game of badminton, Flock was covered in sweat. The strong scent of Alpha pheromones hit Luo Hai’s nose, making him frown and cough lightly. Without a word, he put some distance between them.

…..

For the rest of the day, Luo Hai was immersed in investigating Nantes’ underground organizations and terrorist groups. Flock’s list was useful—it at least confirmed that Eugene’s intel wasn’t a lie.

But just as he was about to narrow his focus, a sudden wave of dizziness and heart palpitations struck him. He had to put down his files, pressing his fingers against his temples, waiting for the discomfort to pass.

Colin placed a cup of coffee in front of him, concern written on his face. “Are you alright? Maybe you’ve been overworking yourself. You should take a break.”

Luo Hai frowned, closed his eyes, and took short, restrained breaths. “It’s fine. It’ll pass in a moment.”

“You can’t keep going on like this,” Colin said with a disapproving look. “If you’re tired, you need to rest. If you’re sick, you need to take medicine. Otherwise, how long do you think your body can hold up?”

“It’s not that. It’s just…” Luo Hai furrowed his brows deeply before finally waving a hand. “Forget it. I’m fine. You can leave now.”

“But—”

“Just go.” Luo Hai emphasized again.

Colin had no way to deal with his eccentric boss, so he could only place the files and a cup of water beside Luo Hai before stepping out of the office. With the soft click of the door closing, the room fell back into an almost eternal silence.

This time, the discomfort lasted longer than usual. It took about ten minutes before Luo Hai finally broke free from the heart palpitations and nausea.

He opened his eyes, just about to resume reviewing the case files when his phone buzzed.

A message from Eugene.

[What do you want to eat tonight? I just saw a crispy eggplant recipe on TV. If you’re interested, I’ll go downstairs and buy the ingredients.]

Luo Hai felt an even stronger headache coming on. He tossed the phone aside and refocused on the documents.

But just a few minutes later, his phone buzzed again—twice in a row.

[Do you like flowers? There’s a flower shop next to the vegetable market. I can get some to decorate the apartment. But you’ll have to give me some money—when I checked your drawer, I only found spare change for groceries.]

[Do you want bubble tea? There’s a shop along the way. I can grab two cups on my way back.]

Luo Hai stared at the messages in confusion. Just as he was about to turn off the screen and put the phone away, a third message popped up.

[Are you still mad?]

Sometimes, Luo Hai thought Eugene was an absolutely unreasonable person.

With just a few lighthearted words, he managed to reduce their irreconcilable, hostile relationship into something as trivial as a lover’s quarrel. It was both ridiculous and absurd.

Luo Hai swiped open his phone and typed a brief reply.

[No need.]

Eugene’s response came almost instantly.

[Got it. So you’re still mad.]

A surge of irritation flared in Luo Hai’s chest, making his already aching head throb even more.

[I’m not mad. I don’t need you to cook for me or buy flowers. I need you to stay put in the apartment. The prosecution office isn’t the only one in Nantes that wants you dead.]

Eugene’s reply came back swiftly, littered with multiple heart and smiley emojis.

[Aww, are you worried about me? That’s so sweet~ I knew my baby couldn’t bear to see me get hurt. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. Mua~]

Luo Hai was so disgusted that he got goosebumps. With a sharp smack, he slammed his phone shut.

At that moment, he heard cheers and applause coming from outside. Moments later, there was a knock on his office door.

Flock peeked into the office, his face beaming with excitement. “Did you hear? Chief Prosecutor Doyle just dropped by and awarded our department a certificate of merit! Thanks to capturing the leader of the Lightwing Society, the Omega crime rate in Nantes has hit a historic low this month!”

“I see,” Luo Hai responded without much reaction.

Flock clicked his tongue. “Why are you so indifferent? This is an incredible achievement! The entire department is getting a bonus increase this quarter—and you’re the biggest contributor!”

As he spoke, Flock clapped Luo Hai hard on the shoulder, nearly knocking him off balance.

“Please refrain from touching me, Prosecutor Flock. Thank you,” Luo Hai said, barely suppressing his discomfort.

“Alright, alright.” Flock raised his hands in surrender and took two steps back, only to immediately step forward again. “Barney suggested we should have a celebration dinner. Let’s all go out tonight for drinks and a meal to celebrate!”

Luo Hai’s temples started throbbing again. “You all go ahead. I’ll just—”

Before he could finish his sentence, the office door was pushed open.

Barney walked in, holding a framed certificate, followed by several other prosecutors from the department.

“We discussed it and decided this certificate should be displayed in your office,” Barney said sincerely. “After all, you’re the one who caught Oddis. The credit belongs to you.”

The others nodded in agreement.

“We’re here to help you hang it up. Where do you want it?”

“I think the wall behind your desk would be perfect.”

Luo Hai stood up from his chair. “That’s not nec—”

“Come on, don’t be modest. We’ll put it up for you.” Barney smiled as he held the certificate up against the wall. “How about here?”

“I think it looks great,” Flock agreed.

Luo Hai sighed. There was no way he could refuse the celebration now.

The group busied themselves, hammering and adjusting until the certificate was displayed on the most prominent wall of Luo Hai’s office.

“What do you think?” Barney stepped down from the chair and clapped the dust off his hands.

“Looks perfect, not crooked at all,” Flock gave a thumbs-up.

“Thanks,” Luo Hai said dryly. “I’m truly honored.”

“No need to be. You earned it!” Flock started to pat Luo Hai’s shoulder again but remembered the earlier warning, awkwardly retracting his hand and clearing his throat. “Anyway, we never properly congratulated you after you caught Oddis. Stop burying yourself in work all the time. Just take this chance to relax and celebrate, alright?”

“I know a great barbecue place in the West District,” Barney suggested. “Their pork belly is amazing, and there’s a bar and karaoke upstairs. How about we go there?”

“Sounds good to me. Luo Hai?”

Luo Hai glanced past the group and looked at his assistant.

“You should go,” Colin said softly. “Relaxing a bit will be good for you.”

Even Colin was saying this now.

“Fine,” Luo Hai sighed.

Getting Prosecutor Luo Hai to step out of his office was nothing short of a monumental achievement. The group cheered and high-fived each other, their noisy excitement making Luo Hai’s headache worse.

As the others bustled out, he organized his files neatly before standing up to leave.

Before stepping out, he hesitated for a few seconds, then took out his phone and sent Eugene a message.

[Department dinner. Won’t be home for dinner.]

For some reason, no reply came.