Little Chinatown, Afterlife Bar.
As usual, the neon lights flickered rhythmically, and the music thumped loudly, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
At the bar counter, the entire Mann team occupied nearly all the stools. Mann, Dolio, Rebecca, Pyrrha, Sasha, and Qiwei sat in a row, each nursing a cocktail—except for Sasha and Rebecca, who opted for non-alcoholic drinks. Yet, despite their long stay, none of them seemed close to finishing. They appeared to be lingering deliberately.
Behind the counter, bartender Claire looked on, visibly exasperated. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer.
"Hey, Mann, what are you guys planning? You've been nursing those drinks forever. Other customers need seats too!"
Mann cleared his throat and responded, "Claire, didn't I already tell you? We're waiting for that guy, David."
Claire's expression darkened. "I've already said it—David's off today. I don't know anything about his personal business." She shot Mann a warning look. "And don't think I didn't see you threatening him the other night."
She was referring to the tense conversation between Mann and David, where Mann had pressured David to convince Lucy to join their team. It hadn't been a friendly chat, and Claire clearly hadn't forgotten.
Earlier that evening, at around 9:30, Mann and his team had wrapped up a biotech mission. They headed straight to the Afterlife Bar, hoping to ask David about Lucy. But Claire told them David wasn't working that night. Frustrated, Mann had asked where David lived so he could confront him directly, but Claire flatly refused.
Mann, being the stubborn type, chose to wait it out. One by one, his teammates arrived, and now they were all loitering at the bar, refusing to leave.
"Claire, I'm not here to cause trouble for David. I just want to talk to him," Mann explained, sounding genuinely exasperated.
Rebecca chimed in, "Sister Claire, Boss Mann is telling the truth. We're just here to chat, I promise!"
Claire wasn't buying it. She scolded Rebecca, "You little rascal, hanging around with this group all the time. You're getting worse every day."
Turning her attention to Pyrrha, she continued, "And you, Pyrrha! Can't you do something serious for once? Stop dragging your sister around with a mercenary group. What if something happens? How would you explain it to your parents in the afterlife?"
Pyrrha looked stunned. "Me? Get Rebecca into trouble? She's the one who always gets everyone else into trouble! How could anything happen to her?"
Dolio and the others burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! He's got a point!"
"Yeah, Rebecca always causes the most trouble!"
Claire rolled her eyes and sighed, "Mercenaries... all the same. Just hurry up, finish your drinks, and get out of here. You're taking up space."
Mann tried one last time, "Claire, about David..."
Claire cut him off, "I don't know. If you want to ask him anything, wait until he's back at work."
Mann fell silent, realizing he was getting nowhere. They couldn't wait around all night.
He sighed, downed the rest of his drink in one gulp, and slammed the glass on the counter. "Alright, let's call it a night. We'll catch him another time..."
Before he could finish, a familiar voice rang out behind him.
"Hey, Sister Claire! How's business tonight?"
Everyone turned in unison.
It was David, casually munching on a slice of pizza. Standing beside him was Lucy.
For a moment, both groups stared at each other in shock.
Claire was the first to speak. "David?! What are you doing here? These guys have been waiting for you all night!" She motioned toward Mann's team.
David looked confused. "They're looking for me?"
Mann cleared his throat and said, "Ahem... yeah. Mind if we talk?" He then turned to Lucy, "Lucy, what a coincidence."
Pyrrha's eyes widened. "Whoa, Lucy! You really teamed up with this guy?"
Sasha and Qiwei laughed and greeted Lucy warmly, while Rebecca remained quiet, her eyes darting between David and Lucy, clearly deep in thought.
Lucy laughed nervously. "Hehe... yeah, what a coincidence." Her voice held a hint of awkwardness. She knew Mann's team had been hoping she'd join them, and now they were seeing her with David. The situation was undeniably awkward.
David broke the tension. "Lucy, let's sit at the bar. Since we're all here, we might as well talk."
He moved behind the counter. "Sister Claire, I'll take over the bar for a bit. Why don't you take a break?"
Claire narrowed her eyes at him. "You little rascal... don't cause any trouble."
David grinned, "No worries. I've got this."
Claire shook her head but relented, stepping away to give them some space.
Now, with Claire gone, only David, Lucy, and the Mann team remained at the bar.
David looked at the group with a mischievous smile. "So, what can I get you guys? Drinks are on me."
The tension began to ease as everyone settled into their seats. Mann leaned forward, his eyes serious. "We need to talk about Lucy and this team of yours."
Lucy glanced at David nervously, unsure of how the conversation would unfold.
David set down the glasses he was cleaning and met Mann's gaze. "Alright, let's talk."
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