Arknights: The Prophet of Penguin Logistics — Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Gift

Lynn didn’t harbor much affection for Lungmen as a city, but its people had certainly left a lasting impression on him.

Back when he was surviving on handouts and scraping by for his next meal in the neon-lit alleys, the mysterious—yet surprisingly kind-hearted—owner of Chaolongshan had been one of his primary sponsors. She had a habit of making Lynn guess random trivia or predict minor events. If he got it right, she bought him a meal.

As for the penalty for guessing wrong? Lynn had never found out. He never missed.

Whenever he couldn’t find a gig fixing computers, he would wander into those obscure, high-end clothing boutiques and inevitably bump into her. A few minutes of spouting absolute nonsense, dropping a few buzzwords, and accurately pinpointing whatever she was looking for was usually enough to secure a feast. Honestly, Lynn sometimes felt a twinge of guilt, wondering if he was just scamming a lonely middle-aged woman—or perhaps a bored young matron.

After all, when people reached a certain age, they usually only cared about three things: wealth, power, and security. As for the subtle psychological tells—the subconscious twitches when asking a question, the micro-expressions, the slight dilation of pupils—Lynn didn’t actually know how to read any of that. But that never stopped him from weaving a convincing web of nonsense. Even if his initial read was completely off the mark, he could always force a connection, quote some obscure ancient proverb, and butter her up with pleasantries. Any glaring errors simply vanished under his smooth talking.

Besides, the boss of Chaolongshan had a genuinely good heart. Sometimes, when she had errands to run, she would ask Lynn to watch the storefront. Even though he never walked away with any rare treasures, he always remembered her kindness.

It wasn’t until he joined Penguin Logistics that Lynn finally realized the truth: Chaolongshan was a massive conglomerate, operating on a scale far beyond his imagination. It held a key, deeply rooted position within Lungmen’s underworld and upper crust alike, sinking its claws into intelligence networks, fashion, and the food industry.

As the mastermind behind the curtain, the owner of Chaolongshan was shrouded in a heavy veil of mystery.

Yet, in Lynn’s eyes, this enigmatic underworld figure was just a slightly gossipy middle-aged woman who liked to snoop into other people’s business.

“Well, if it isn’t Lynn,” a smooth voice drifted through the shop. “I just happened to open up a storefront here, and you managed to track me down. Is that really thanks to that magical intuition of yours? Or did a little bird point you in my direction?”

“Intuition, I guess,” Lynn said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Though, sometimes intuition isn’t all that reliable.”

He blinked, suddenly remembering his manners. Turning back to Exusiai, who was standing behind him with a thoroughly confused expression, Lynn tapped his temple and gestured toward the woman leaning against the mahogany counter.

“Ah, right. I forgot to introduce you two. This is the boss of Chaolongshan. Even though she’s supposed to be this big, shadowy mastermind, she actually loves running shops and greeting customers personally. I keep telling her that since she’s a behind-the-scenes boss, she shouldn’t show her face so often—lest someone walk in and put a bullet in her—but she just has that kind of personality. She especially loves recommending items to people. Has a terrifyingly sharp eye for it, too.”

“Eh? Is that so?” Exusiai asked, her halo glowing faintly in the dim light. “There really are people with hobbies like that?”

“No matter how sharp the eye is, it’s not as accurate as precognition,” the boss said quietly, a wry smile touching her lips. “I took a massive loss. Failed again this time.”

‘Is that really intuition, and not something else entirely?’

Exhaling a thick ring of smoke, the boss tapped her ornate pipe against the counter. Her sharp gaze slid sideways, landing on Exusiai. The Sankta girl was smiling brightly, but her body language told a different story—she had subtly shifted her weight, subconsciously shielding Lynn from the older woman.

That piercing gaze, flowing delicately through the fragrant tobacco mist, met Exusiai’s strained smile. The boss didn’t push the issue. Instead, she simply lowered her eyes, tapped the bowl of her pipe to clear the ash, and casually packed in a fresh pinch of tobacco before taking a deep, slow drag.

“So,” the boss exhaled a thin plume of smoke. “Are you out shopping with your girlfriend? Inter-species marriage comes with a curse, you know.”

“What? Where?” Lynn burst into a hearty laugh, completely missing the tension in the room. He clapped a hand on Exusiai’s shoulder. The Sankta’s smile instantly froze, becoming painfully rigid. “How could I possibly land a girl this beautiful as my girlfriend?”

He grinned at the boss, entirely oblivious. “This is my colleague, and also my savior: Exusiai from Penguin Logistics. We’re the ones who personally delivered the cargo you requested. Don’t look at me like that, though—it was mostly the rest of the crew doing the heavy lifting. I didn’t contribute a single thing! Hahahaha!”

“…I am honestly curious,” the boss said, “where your absolute confidence in having such a low worth comes from.”

“That, naturally, comes from a deep sense of self-awareness,” Lynn said cheerfully. “A man’s greatest virtue is knowing his own limits, after all.”

Watching Exusiai struggle to maintain her polite smile, and then watching Lynn wander off with mindless enthusiasm to browse the gift shelves, the boss couldn’t help but let out a heavy sigh.

It had been exactly like this since the day she first met him. He possessed an inexplicable, unshakeable confidence in his mere existence, yet his self-worth was buried in the dirt. It was as if his only goal in life was basic survival, utterly blind to anything beyond that.

He had that terrifying intuition, an insight that could practically dissect the human heart. Yet, the moment he grew close to someone, that razor-sharp discernment vanished. Whether he was playing the fool on purpose, or simply refused to turn his analytical eye on his friends, the boss couldn’t say. Still, this phenomenon of darkness beneath the lamp wasn’t entirely new to her.

Seeing Exusiai’s expression dim and fracture as Lynn happily picked through trinkets across the room, the boss sighed again. She leaned over the counter and slid a small, velvet-lined box toward the Sankta.

“Let Lynn pay for this,” the boss said quietly. “For you, Laterano girl.”

Exusiai blinked, startled out of her gloom. “What is this?”

“An amulet meant to bless love. It’s said to be a mysterious symbol that the Laterano people deciphered from some underground ruins.”

The boss tapped her pipe. “I don’t know why it’s shaped like a bow and arrow, but it definitely existed in ancient times as a charm for lovers. I don’t know if what you’re feeling right now is love, but I think this little trinket suits you.”

Exusiai stared at the delicate necklace resting inside the black box. “…Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Just don’t spoil him too much. If you don’t spell it out for him, that idiot won’t understand a thing.”

“How should I put it…” Exusiai said softly, her fingers gently brushing the cold metal of the charm. “For now… it’s fine just like this.”

She smiled, a genuine, soft expression returning to her face, and snapped the box shut.

“I don’t know many things about him, and he doesn’t know many things about me. When enough time passes, and our mutual understanding reaches the right point, I’ll tell him directly. I’m not entirely sure if the feelings in my heart right now can be called love, and he certainly doesn’t know what his feelings for me are, either. So, I think it’s better to let nature take its course.”

She reached into her pocket. “I’ll pay for this myself.”

“You really are a Laterano,” the boss said, shaking her head with a faint, amused smile. “Even your views on romance are so painfully conservative… But it’s your choice. I won’t interfere.”

‘As long as you’re happy.’

Watching Exusiai slide a few LMD notes across the counter, the boss let out one last sigh, deciding to respect the young girl’s quiet patience.

[Rhodes’s Note: “Darkness beneath the lamp” (灯下黑) is a Chinese idiom referring to the blind spot created directly underneath a light source. It means that people often fail to notice or understand what is right in front of them or closest to them.]