Pitbabe S2, Chapter 29 pg 4

 Pitbabe S2, Chapter 29 pg 4

   “I’m sorry.”

   Charlie’s response wasn’t surprising. If he hadn’t said that, he’d be completely shameless.

   “I was with Babe, that’s true,” our star leader admitted fully. “He asked me to take a break, to stay with him, cut off from everything. I thought one day wouldn’t hurt, so…”

   “Honestly, I get it,” I cut off his long-winded explanation, annoyed. “You work hard every day, so of course you’d want a break. Especially now that you’re back with your boyfriend, it’s normal to want to spend time with him. Yesterday, we were pissed, I’ll admit, but thinking like this now, it’s fine. I just want to know how you’re going to fix this.”

   “For now, we’ll probably need to recruit more researchers,” he said.

   “That’s oversimplifying it,” I shot back instantly. “Our researchers got bought out, the whole team. You think we can just replace them that easily?”

   Reality always stings, which is why I particularly enjoy speaking the truth. In some cases, this behavior is called bluntness; in others, it’s labeled rude and tactless. And in many instances, it’s deemed cruel and heartless. For me, none of these are negative terms, because seeing people hurt by harsh reality gives me an inexplicable satisfaction.

   “You’re right,” Charlie sighed, his brows knitting tighter. His expression now was a far cry from the moment he first walked through the door. “And honestly, there’s probably something more worrying than the lack of manpower right now.”

   “Probably.”

   “How much do you think they managed to take?”

   The other issue Charlie was referring to was the data leak. The fact that our researchers were shamelessly bought by you-know-who didn’t just create a staffing problem. The bigger issue with this shift was that all our data—research processes, experiment results, and other plans—stood a high chance of being leaked to our enemies. Because someone like that bastard wouldn’t just poach our researchers to trip us up or bolster their own ranks. They’d be after our most powerful weapon: the information they didn’t have.

   “At the very least, probably our workflows, research progress, and all the plans we’ve discussed in meetings. If they’re selling info, they could probably recount it scene by scene. But the numbers, formulas, and future experiment plans—if their memory isn’t good enough to smuggle those out, they should be safe. Only you, me, Phii Touch, and Liu have access to those. As of yesterday’s check, the database looked normal, no signs of hacking. So we can be somewhat relieved.”

   “No, we can’t be relieved at all.”

   “Yeah, thought so. Just saying it to comfort you.”

   Charlie let out a long breath, as if reality had hit him harder than the rosy love bubble wrapping him. The situation right now, if we didn’t overly console ourselves, was practically a crisis. First, our researchers were abruptly bought out, throwing all our plans into disarray. Second, the likelihood of our project’s secrets leaking was extremely high. The small silver lining was that some critical data, known only to those of us left (probably), was still safe. Third, the enemy’s movements had been oddly quiet. Over the past week, everything seemed calmer than usual, even though we’d just exposed significant dirt on those in power. Though incomplete, it was a big enough bombshell. The online buzz was still raging, a hot topic even today. So it was strange that the other side showed no reaction. Those of us constantly tailed and covertly attacked hadn’t encountered anything. Even Charlie, who got targeted daily, was casually hanging out with his ex, seemingly oblivious to how bizarre this was.

   For us, peace wasn’t a good sign. This safety was more unsettling than the chaos of before, because it meant the other side was either plotting something big or had already pulled off something major.

   “Where’d you and Liu sneak off to?” Charlie asked.

   “Out to gather some info.”

   “What kind?”

   “It’s about the research. We’re about to start the next phase.”

   “And you didn’t think to tell me?”

   “You don’t need to worry about the drugs, Charlie,” I said flatly, knowing full well he’s the type to carry every burden. He can’t let go, always wanting to know and understand everything, often forgetting that having a team means he doesn’t have to do it all alone. I’ve been trying to break him of this habit, with little success so far. But if I don’t give up, I believe one day Charlie will learn to let go a bit, at least enough to trust others more than he does now. “You’ve got plenty of other things to handle. Focus on those. Do whatever it takes to buy us as much time as possible. We’re confident this will work, but you just need to give us a little longer.”

   Charlie’s only response was silence, but I was certain my words had reached his brain. Now it was up to him to process it. I sincerely hoped he’d choose the smart path, worthy of being our team’s main brain.

   “From now on, I’ll have to rely on you… more than before.”

   Even if he’s wavered a bit, Charlie’s not done yet.

   He still has enough spark for me to believe in him.

   “That’s what I wanted to hear,” I replied, locking eyes with him firmly. In my mind, I marveled at the odd realization hitting me now: I’ve poured more into this than I originally planned. I’ve grown more attached and trusting than my nature would normally allow. What started as a personal reason now feels mixed with something else, seeping in because my heart’s grown weaker. And it’s all because of the guy standing in front of me.

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