"Emmmmm..."
Pu Aihua's conscience was so corrupted that he actually wanted me to eat chicken feed, and Chen Fei stood up in annoyance.
"Old Piao, have you ever tasted what it's like?"
Pu Aihua said gleefully, "Hahaha, of course it's... delicious!"
The moment he said those words, he realized he spoke too quickly, making a joke of himself.
"How much did you make? Don't make too much, otherwise it'll go to waste."
Seeing the other party going along, Chen Fei let him off the hook.
Considering the tiny size and appetite of the young bird, a few pounds of feed would be more than enough until it reached adulthood.
"Ten pounds of chick feed, plus five pounds of wheat bran and half a pound of mealworms, should be enough, right?"
Pu Aihua pushed a cart over cheerfully, puckered his lips toward the now open-eyed young bird in the nest, making chirping sounds to catch the little one's attention, no longer mentioning his sinister idea of blowing it up into roasted skewers.
"Chirp! Chirp!"
The naive young bird was still rolling around, blissfully unaware of the merchant's once full-blown malice.
"Enough, enough, that's plenty!"
Chen Fei didn't plan on taking care of this little bird forever; once its feathers were full, it could fly away on its own.
The Xingdu Kush Mountain Range was barren, but for wild animals, it was heaven.
An airport is not exactly a friendly place for birds.
"Let me tell you about these mealworms..."
Pu Aihua was about to explain the breeding methods for mealworms to Chen Fei when he was suddenly interrupted.
"Are you Pu Aihua?"
Who?!
Pu Aihua and Chen Fei simultaneously turned their heads to look in the direction of the noise.
"Who are you guys? What do you want, why are you looking for me?"
The dubious merchant scrutinized the two men in black suits wearing sunglasses, feeling a chill in his heart.
Chen Fei frowned, their attire seemed familiar.
One of the men in black suits with sunglasses spoke expressionlessly, "Come with us!"
"Come where? What do you want?"
Not until the men revealed handcuffs did Pu Aihua truly panic.
These unwelcome guests had ominous intentions.
"Don't move!"
The other man flicked his hand, revealing a baton that crackled with sparks at the tip.
"Hey! What do you want?"
Even if it was the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they would still carry on with their repairs.
Mechanics were just that awesome!
The scene fell into silence, and the lead of a stun baton sparkled briefly with electrical light, then the flickering died away.
The two men in black suits wearing sunglasses looked at each other, then quickly lifted Pu Aihua, who was still immobilized, and swiftly stepped back a few paces, fearing any misunderstanding.
After all, the other side had overwhelming numbers; it was two against many, and they didn't want to end up staying here without bringing the man back.
"Our target is Pu Aihua, not including Chen Fei," one of them said.
If they didn't clarify this, the situation might well spiral out of control.
Even the ultra-authoritative Ministry of Internal Affairs didn't dare to act recklessly within the company; they were still subject to the restraint of the board and wouldn't take unnecessary actions.
"Hmph!"
Xiao Ming, the mechanic leader, immediately eased a bit, simply lowering the crowbar in his hand instead of holding it across his chest.
The other mechanics slowly stepped back, returning to their positions, and carried on with their work as if nothing had happened.
The tense atmosphere quietly dissipated.
The two men in black suits escorting Pu Aihua sighed in relief, and so did everyone else.
Everyone feared that these silent and stoic mechanics might do something rash, viewing life and death lightly and acting on defiance alone.
As the two Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel were preparing to take Pu Aihua away, Chen Fei suddenly said, "Can I ask where you are taking him?"
The two men in black suits looked at each other, and the one who had explained earlier said, "We are just following the company's orders, we are not clear on the specifics."
If it weren't for the inappropriate situation, he probably would've dismissed them with "It's a company secret, not to be disclosed," and if pressed further, they'd just cuff and take away the inquirer, ensuring no one dared to speak up.
Now, seeing it from the face of the mechanic leader beside Chen Fei, they gave a bit more explanation.
"Little Chen, save me!"
Pu Aihua looked at Chen Fei with pleading eyes, desperately seeing him as a lifeline.
Whether it was a subsidiary or the headquarters of the Apocalypse Defense Group, every department regarded the Ministry of Internal Affairs as a dire threat to be avoided at all costs. What good could come to a mere kitchen helper in the hands of the Ministry of Internal Affairs?
He was probably doomed!
"Don't be rash!"
Even though willing to stand up for Chen Fei, mechanic leader Xiao Ming did not want to confront the Ministry of Internal Affairs directly.
He was just the head of the mechanics group at Aircrew Base 911, neither his rank nor his authority were nearly enough to contend against the will of the board.
Chen Fei pursed his lips, helplessly saying, "Sorry! Old Piao, you'd better tell the truth and cooperate with them. If it's just a misunderstanding, they should let you go."
He of course understood the mechanic leader's good intentions.
A newbie who had not been on the job long, with no power, no connections, and still owing money to the company, had nothing to use against the company's special department.
Despite some engagement with this deceitful merchant, friendship aside, in the face of company regulations, all friendships were worthless. Even if he wanted to help, he was still powerless.
If the other party had indeed done something illegal or against the rules, recklessly sticking to loyalties could just bring disaster upon himself, a loss far outweighing any gain.
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