Chapter 47 FORTY-SEVEN

Chapter 47: Chapter FORTY-SEVEN

__XIN GROUP

The large metallic building towers above the city line.

Xin group. A large cooperation with a solid reputation. Home to many enterprises and governed by the Xin brothers themselves.

On the top floor, two offices occupy the entire space. Both decors are the same, but a few interiors are different from one another.

Behind the large desk of one of the offices, Xin Linhai sighs heavily as he slumps back in his seat, a folder covers his face.

His black hair falls back with his movements. His pristine suit has been ruffled slightly and a few empty cups lay askew on his table.

"Brother, that’s the fourth time you’ve sighed in three minutes." Xin Linge speaks up from the rug he’s sitting on.

"I’m tired." Xin Linhai’s muffled voice trails out from underneath the file.

"Well, we’re pretty much done here." Xin Linge shuts his laptop close "Let’s go eat lunch. We can take a walk afterwards."

"Okay!" Xin Linhai springs back to life.

He shoves the empty paper cups into the trash and clears the desk of any irrelevant papers of file.

"All done." He picks up his jacket "Let’s find somewhere less cold. The weather is getting unbearably colder this year."

"Don’t remind me." His younger brother shudders.

"Oh, call Hua’er!" Xin Linhai beams "He should eat out with us."

"You know he won’t pick up any of our calls."

"Just try."

"Sure."

As the elevator descends, Xin Linge tries his younger brother’s phone number so many times, but the line keeps going dead.

"Maybe his phone died?" He frowns.

"That’s unlikely." Xin Linhai quickly waves it off "Little brother has an obsession with games, he’ll let his phone die."

"Valid point."

They keep trying to reach, both brothers just keep getting sent to voicemail. Eventually, they give up. They’ll just have to find a way to drag him out of the institute later.

They soon arrive at the restaurant. It’s not far from the office, but not close either. They quickly place their orders and quietly wait.

"They still haven’t closed it?"

"Apparently not. I heard that those monsters keep dragging humans into rifts these days so the institute has no choice but to risk their Sentinels’ life and send them to clear rifts."

"That’s terrible!"

"Says you. I pay my taxes for this. It’s their duty to protect us."

The two brothers exchange glances. From bits and pieces of the conversation, they are able to piece together the current situation.

"An uncleared rift?" Xin Linhai frowns.

"Don’t worry, big brother." Xin Linge waves it off "The institute has been assigning those tasks to Hua’er and his Sentinel. According to the report father got, they’re very capable."

"Wait, what if Hua’er is the one inside that rift?"

"You worry too much." Xin Linge quickly thanks the waiter and takes the food "The institute only assigns them to D-Rank and E-Rank rifts. I’m sure he’s perfectly safe."

"Oh, yeah. That’s true."

Xin Linhai shoves his worries to the back of his head. He focuses on the food in front of him, telling himself his brother is fine.

After lunch, the two pay and leave the restaurant. They plan to take a walk, so they decide to do so.

Coincidentally, the location of the rift is not that far from the diner. The road has been closed ever since the rift opened, no human or vehicle dares to approach so the moment they get near, they get sighted immediately.

"This area is off limits!" A Sentinel who sights them from afar quickly yells for them to divert their path.

"We know." Xin Linge replies excitedly.

"Wait– You’re Guide Xin’s older brother!" Another one says.

"Spot on!" Xin Linge pats his shoulder "My brother and I were in the area so we thought we should check on you guys."

"Oh..." Another one laughs nervously.

"Woah oh!" Xin Linge approaches the rift "C-Rank? That’ll be tricky. How long has the rift been open?"

"Two days now."

"Time moves differently in there." Xin Linge stands in front of the rift "For them, it’s probably a few hours, not days."

"Why are you skeptical?" Xin Linhai suddenly turns towards one of the Sentinels "Something you want to say?"

"No!"

Xin Linge turns away from the rift. His mischievous smile haunts the Sentinels around him as they all turn away from him.

"Now I want to know." He walks towards one of them "What are you hiding? You can’t even maintain eye contact."

"You’re overthinking, sir."

"Sir? Oh, now you have to tell me." Xin Linge towers above him "Come on. Spill."

The Sentinels go quiet. At first, Xin Linge pressures them to tease them, but seeing the look on their faces, his smile disappears.

A frightening pressure descends on the Sentinels. Their breathing noticeably becomes heavier but they still refuse to speak. Now, Xin Linge is dead set on knowing.

"Xin Linhua is in that rift, isn’t he?"

Xin Linge raises his head towards his brother. The man’s gaze is even more frightening Xin Linge’s. He seems more than ready to kill someone. Anyone.

"Hua’er?" Xin Linge mutters "He’s in there?"

"What do you think?" Xin Linhai steps towards him "That’s why they’re tight lipped. They fear what we might do to them."

Xin Linge turns to the Sentinels.

"My brother is in that rift?" The Sentinels keep quiet "Answer me!"

"He is." One finally breaks "H-He went in t-two days ago."

Xin Linge freezes on the spot. His throat goes dry.

"Has anything emerged from the rift so far?" Xin Linhai is much calmer than his brother. For now.

"Nothing yet." Another replies "No monsters, no Sentinels, no guide. The entrance is still locked so we can’t go in either. Technically speaking, they’re alive."

"You don’t know that." Xin Linge grits out "What the fuck were they thinking!? Sending a weak guide into a C-Rank rift!"

Despite their lowered heads, the Sentinels still exchange glances amongst each other.

Weak? Weak!? If it were a few months ago, maybe they’d have pitied the Xin brothers and prepared Xin Linhua’s funeral. Maybe they’d call him a weak defective guide. But now? Hell nah!

"I think...your worries are unfound." One timidly speaks up.

"If it were him alone, we’d be worried but he’s with his Sentinel. They’ll be fine." Another one interjects.

They want to tell them not to worry. That Xin Linhua will survive. That nine Sentinels are with him. But they can’t.

The project is secret and it’s in its testing phase. No one knows about it. Just the new team, the higher-ups and them– the back up crew. They can only watch the brothers crash out in the middle of the street.