6 Buying One's Way

Saki wondered if the entire universe is conspiring against her today.

First, she woke up really early in the morning with her back and shoulders numb after falling asleep on her desk last night. With a few more hours left before she has to report to work, she tried to continue sleeping in her room. Despite it being the first time in months since she last slept in a comfortable bed, she tossed and turned for a long time.

She went to work tired and irritable.

Second, she was trudging through the main corridor of their department wing when she noticed Professor Randall Pope's familiar silhouette standing outside his office door. He was talking amicably with a tall man wearing a suit. The man had his back towards her so Saki couldn't recognize him. She intended to quietly walk past them, not wanting to intrude in the seemingly intimate conversation, when she heard the Professor's modulated voice.

"There you are, Miss Homura. We were just talking about you."

Saki was only a couple of steps away from them when the other man turned to face her. It was the last person she wanted to see right now.

"Hello, Miss Saki," Hunter greeted.

"Mr. Wang. Fancy meeting you here," she replied through clenched teeth.

"You know each other, good. Hunter is a former student of mine," the Professor said proudly, placing a hand over Hunter's shoulder. "He's now a director in HULI Corporation and wants to help his former teacher by giving a generous donation to your team."

"Our families are tied in more ways than one," Hunter alluded. "It's but proper for me to do this."

"Is that so?" There was a hint of a smile in the Professor's face.

"Interesting. There should be no problem with your request, then. I trust that you can explain the situation to Miss Homura." Professor Pope then turned to Saki. "Homura, please show him around the department and make sure to introduce him to your team." He then turned back to Hunter, not waiting for Saki to reply. "I would love to stay longer to chat but I have this dreadfully boring meeting with my fellow professors today. It was a pleasure seeing you again, my boy."

Hunter shook the Professor's hand. "I look forward to working with you, sir," he replied politely.

The Professor nodded slightly at Saki, who gave a polite bow, before walking away, leaving the two standing in the main corridor.

"What the hell was that about?" Saki asked Hunter after she made sure her boss was out of earshot.

"Professor Pope has just accepted HULI Corporation's offer to sponsor your team's future project expenses."

"How much money are we talking about?"

"A million dollars initial."

"Generous," Saki replied flatly before walking away. She felt herself getting angry. She was exhausted. Her eyes were tired, making her vision blurrier than usual. She hasn't had any decent sleep since she traveled home from Mongolia and last night's dinner only added to her irritable mood.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I'm doing this?"

Saki stopped. She opened her mouth only to close them again and swallow her anger. Instead, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "What do you want?" Her voice was low and her anger suppressed.

"Nothing. I just wanted to help. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

Saki didn't take the bait. "Bullshit." She turned to face him. "This is a business transaction so you must have your terms. I'm sure the condition is related to the request the Professor mentioned a while ago. So why are you really here, Mr. Wang?"

"I asked him to allow me to take part in the project."

"You actually bought your way into my team?!"

Dear gods, what has she done in her past life to deserve this kind of punishment?

----

Saki barged into their office, purposely ignoring Hunter, who quietly walked behind her.

The archaeology department's field team's office was a big room with a maze of desk cubicles in the middle. The atmosphere inside the office gave off a modern, high-tech vibe that contrasts the curious antiquities placed on display. Usually filled with people walking in and out of the office, it was eerily empty save for a solitary blonde figure in a lab coat who was walking towards the door.

"You're late," Kat said as she met the two by the doorway.

Katarina Andrasko -- Kat, to most people -- is Saki's best friend and personal assistant. A tall and beautiful young woman with wavy blonde hair, blue eyes, and Nordic features, she is also their team's manager, second only to Saki in rank.

In an instant, Saki's attitude did a complete 180. "Darli~ng!" she squealed in a high-pitched voice, throwing herself onto the blond girl and wrapping her arms around her neck.

"Saki-chan needs a quick pick me up." Slyly, she slides her right hand down her assistant's abundant chest.

Kat caught her friend's sneaky hand before it was able to land on her breast. With a face that showed great tolerance, she gently but firmly pushes her sticky friend away from her. "We should get to work."

"Come on, just a squeeze. I feel so stressed out."

"My breasts are not your stress ball," Kat replied in a straight face as she pushed her glasses closer to her face.

Saki rolled her eyes upward, feigning defeat. "Fine, fine. Today's not really my day." In a blink of an eye, she reverted into her usual temperament. "Where's everyone?"

"They're outside the warehouse, waiting for me to open the door."

"Let's go then. Give me a quick update while we walk."

Kat smiled. She handed Saki her lab coat which she had prepared in case she meets her. The three then walked out of the office and back into the hallway.

Hunter followed behind the two ladies, observing Saki in silence as she listened to her assistant's report while putting on her lab coat. The two continued talking as they walked out the backdoor of the building. Throughout their conversation, Saki would give Kat specific tasks which the other would diligently write down on her tablet.

It was Hunter's first time to see Saki at work and noticed that her aura changed when she began to focus on her job. Her demeanor was more relaxed and yet confident at the same time.

They reached the front of the neighboring building, which was a vast storehouse constructed specifically for the archaeology department. Standing outside the doorway were a group of people, around them countless of equipment littered across the floor. Seeing Saki's group arrive, they began to pick up their things and get ready.

Saki gave them a smile before she stopped outside the door and turned to Kat.

"Anything else?"

"One last thing; who's he?" Kat pointed the end of her pen at Hunter.

"Oh. I forgot. This is Mr. Wang. He's the guy who bribed his way to join our team." She plucked the key from Kat's hand and used it to open the door before proceeding inside.