Chapter 36 - Who appointed this idiot!

The PM strode into the room with such flair, it was impossible to tell that he was struggling with a civil war under his regime.

He looked about 30, confidently wore a neon orange blazer and pants, with his hair dyed pink. His fingers were covered in gold rings, and bling-y sunglasses rested on the bridge of his nose. The older man behind him, looking worried and sleep deprived, was his chief advisor.

The poor chief advisor had an expression on his face almost as if to say that the future was non existent and humanity was a lost cause. Mei assumed this was because he had to babysit that idiot of a prime minister, that he always looked so despondent.

Lina was too shocked too even stand up and greet this striking man. His skin was tanned and his features unique. He was by no means a bad looking man, but his appearance was just way too shocking.

She had taken it for granted that the PM of an entire nation would be a respected and presentable character. Lina had pictured a more serious and dignified person. But this was an assault on her senses!

She glared at Mei, who quickly looked away. She had been thankful her boss had actually been involved in the work around the matter, instead of asking about who the PM actually was. Now she regretted it. She should have just ripped the bandage off earlier.

Because the worst was yet to come.

Lina was about to stand up with her team to greet him, but before she knew it, this idiotic PM spotted her and rushed at her like the speed of light.

She was so taken aback, Ayaka had to support her from behind so she could regain her balance.

Just as Lina thought he was going to attack her, the PM fell to his knees, and grabbed both her hands.

"Ms. Mito! It has been far too long since I was graced with you presence!"

Lina was now more shocked than she was earlier.

WHAT THE HELL WAS HAPPENING.

Everyone else seemed to have expected this, the whole room was cringing...including the PM's bodyguards. So Lina was forced to play along.

His chief advisor looked so embarrassed, he wanted to evaporate that very second.

Lina realised he called her by her maiden name, Mito.

Right, she wasn't married as far as everyone here knew. There were just so many balancing acts on her plate! She was getting agitated by the second.

Why did she have to wake up to a life that kept spinning out of control in every direction?! Could she never catch a damn break!?

The idiot PM continued his speech.

"Ms. Mito, you have indeed hurt my emotions. Our last meeting was so long ago, I almost thought you forgot my face!"

Lina internally rolled her eyes thinking, 'I'm surprised I forgot this. A million amnesias can't have erased this bullshit.'

And yet, he rambled on and on, as everyone stood by uncomfortably watching.

"Have my declarations of love not touched your heart yet, that you would put oceans between us and advise me through a mere assistant?!"

The idiot was still on his knees with the most hurt expression on his face.

But wait, declarations of love?!

Had this man actually been wooing her?

Behind Lina, Mei was fuming.

Did this imbecile just call her a 'mere assistant'?

She had spared him by keeping his 'declarations of love' a secret from the young master. She too, had been juggling Lina's professional and personal lives.

The idiot PM had been an absolute tyrant, demanding to speak to Lina directly for every little issue, sending dozens and dozens of flowers, love letters and extravagant presents to the consultancy headquarters.

It's a good thing Shen helped manage the company from backstage. If he had come over to the headquarters, he would have never let Lina come back to work!

Lina finally decided to end the fool's whining.

"Mr. PM, please do not lower yourself by kneeling in front of your humble colleagues here." she remained polite but stern. "We have extremely important matters to discuss and my team has come up with some excellent emergency measures."

As the PM got up, he turned away, walked towards his advisor, and snapped his fingers.

"Deal with it."

Takashi stifled a laugh behind Ayaka. She stepped on his foot to shut him up. They couldn't afford to agitate that overgrown baby.

Lina had been calm, like a disciplining mother. Somehow, she had also managed to be polite.

As everyone took their seats, the neon PM had a cloud over his head. He sulked like a baby while the poor chief advisor sat there alone discussing the situation with Lina and her team.

"Mr. Advisor, the conflict between the two religious factions was initially sparked by the demolition of a site of worship of one group to build the other group's orphanage, am I right?"

Ayaka, the geopolitical expert, studied spaces and the people that occupied them. She knew exactly how land affected the balance of power and the meaning it conferred upon those who owned it.

"Yes, Ms. Shinohara, the Xi group have historically worshipped their goddess at a small temple established in the Mo area. The Mo faction found an old, but what looks like a legally valid deed, confirming that the land belongs to deceased member of the Mo faction. They destroyed the Xi goddess' temple to build an orphanage on that land, that the Mo's desperately need. This caused violence to break out between the two groups."

Lina had been in the middle of dealing with the matter at the stage when she had first met the foolish PM. He had fallen hopelessly in love with her, and had continued his ceaseless pestering. He was still staring at Lina and sulking at not getting attention from her.

The advisor continued his status report.

"Since the last time we spoke, Ms. Mito, we were informed to suppress the conflict by any means deemed appropriate, including military intervention. But that seems to have aggravated the conflict. The death toll is rising. As you know, religious conflicts can blow up with permanent and lasting effects for generations to come. We are in a state of emergency with the Mo's and Xi's."

Suddenly, a loud yawn was heard. The idiot decided he was bored and put his legs up on the table.