The girls were noisy and excited until midnight before finally quieting down.
Lin Xinghai had urged them, "Rest early. We'll need our best condition tomorrow."
But what really tormented him was the next morning.
At five o'clock sharp, the girls were already awake, bustling as they dressed and fetched buckets of hot water.
The soft clatter of washing and changing clothes made sleep impossible. They had even hung up sheets across the balcony, turning it into a makeshift bathroom.
And of course, they didn't care in the least that he was still in the room.
Two or three would bathe together, laughing and chatting.
"Wow, yours is so big!""But yours is whiter.""I think you should compare resilience instead."
"…Are you kidding me?" Lin Xinghai muttered, teeth clenched. In the end, he buried his head under the quilt, feeling that if this kept up, he'd either turn into a saint—or lose his sanity.
At six, Liu Miaomiao, freshly washed, came over and tapped his shoulder gently."Get up."
"So early?" Lin Xinghai grumbled.
"Didn't you say Captain Luo would come by this morning? We can't keep him waiting. Come on, work harder." Her tone carried a playful hint of pity, and her soft expression left him no room to argue.
When he dragged himself up, he found a towel and toothbrush already laid out for him on the balcony, toothpaste carefully squeezed.
There were only two sets of toiletries. One was his. The other, he realized, the girls all shared to save points.
A strange warmth stirred in his chest, but he said nothing, picked up the brush, and washed.
As he finished, a logistics drone buzzed through the balcony, carrying six lunchboxes.
"Xing, breakfast!" Liu Miaomiao called.
"Coming."
Taking the box from her, Lin Xinghai noticed his portion was a six-point premium meal. The girls had the cheapest, one-point boxes.
"You—" He didn't even know what to say.
"Why? Touched?" Wang Yao teased, leaning close. "So, how do you plan to repay us?"
"Eat your breakfast." His fleeting emotion dissolved instantly, and he snapped back.
"Pfft, hehe!" the girls giggled.
…
By seven, Roger arrived at Room 301. He took one glance at the well-dressed group and nodded with approval."Good. Since you're ready, let's head to the city hall. Make sure you behave properly later."
"Okay!""Don't worry, Captain Roger!""We'll make you and Axing proud."
The women chimed in, brimming with confidence.
Together, they left the residence.
—
Less than ten minutes later, Huaifei Axe appeared on the street with the Four Kings of the Axe Gang and several elites.
"Everything goes according to plan," the suited young man instructed. "Ashi, Zhou Shi—you lure the five beauties to the factory under the pretense of recruitment. Understand?"
The two thugs he'd hand-picked straightened their ties, looking convincingly professional.
"Relax," Zhou Shi said. "We practiced all night. With a high enough salary offer, those girls won't resist."
"Good. And the factory?" Huaifei Axe turned to Wang Damao.
"All arranged. We rented it for half a day, gave the workers leave, and replaced them with our men. Once the women enter, they'll be subdued quietly. No one will notice."
Satisfied, Huaifei Axe glanced at his four enforcers."After they're lured away, you strike fast. Kill the mercenary. He must not escape."
"Relax, boss," one thug twirled his dagger with a grin. "I've got 28 points in speed. No way he slips past me."
The others sneered with equal confidence. In their eyes, a lone mercenary was nothing.
"Good. Afterward, vanish quickly. I'll arrange a stand-in to turn himself in to the Security Bureau. No heat will fall on you."
With that, they split up. The two "businessmen" straightened their collars and walked toward the dorms with practiced smiles.
But five minutes later, they returned scowling.
"What happened?" Huaifei Axe demanded.
"No one's in Room 301. Neighbors said they left ten minutes ago," Zhou Shi admitted bitterly.
"…." Huaifei Axe's face twitched.
Everyone felt like they'd just punched cotton—empty, suffocating. A whole night of preparation, ruined because the targets happened to leave a few minutes earlier.
"What now, Boss?" Wang Damao asked cautiously.
"Plan B," Huaifei Axe growled. "We wait until they return, storm the dorm, grab the women, and kill the mercenary. Cleaning it up will be harder, but I'll handle it."
…
Meanwhile, Lin Xinghai's group, unaware of the danger they'd narrowly sidestepped, arrived at the Government Affairs Hall.
With Roger's introduction, Liu Miaomiao and the others met Lecheng, director of personnel.
"Lao Luo," Lecheng laughed in surprise, "I thought you were joking yesterday. Didn't expect five real beauties. This will be easy."
The girls quickly went through the formalities, which included an application, a written test, and an interview.
The process was mostly a formality. With their looks, eloquence, and poise, it was inevitable that they would pass.
In fact, even in an open competition, they would likely outshine thousands of others.
Within half an hour, everything was settled. From this moment, Liu Miaomiao and her friends were officially staff of the Political Affairs Office.