Poseidon in Arknights

“If you were prepared, you wouldn’t have sat here for so long.” Nian smiled at Xi, then glanced at Xi Yue who was making coffee. “I want to take a gamble. Are you in?”

Chapter 167: Azure Sky and Sleep

"Take a gamble?" Xi was stunned for a moment when she heard Nian's words, but then she immediately understood what Nian meant by "take a gamble" and the so-called bet.

“Impossible, it’s useless.” Xi shook her head. “How could a clone possibly defeat the original? As long as it awakens, we are destined to disappear, that’s all.”

"Even if you had the chance, you wouldn't take it?" Nian looked at Xi. "You've been here long enough, haven't you? How long has it been since you had a proper night's sleep?"

“…” Xi looked at Nian and pouted, “Whether I sleep or not is none of your business, mind your own business.”

"Don't say that~" Nian moved the stool over and put her arm around Xi's shoulder. "I'm your older sister, so I'm just concerned about your health. What's wrong?"

"You only remember I'm your sister now?" Xi didn't kick away the chair Nian had moved for her like before. "When you were playing pranks on me just now, did you think of this?"

"Here, coffee." Yuuki carried two cups of coffee to the two of them, holding them in a cup of water. "Have something to drink."

"Thanks~" Nian accepted the coffee from Shui without any hesitation, then looked at Xi beside her, "Try it, Xiyue's coffee is very good."

Xi accepted the coffee cup somewhat awkwardly: "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Xi Yue smiled, then stood up and put away the chair behind her. "I shouldn't get involved in this conversation between sisters."

"By the way, if you've finished talking, wait for me at that hotel, or look for me and see if I've finished the free clinic."

Nian raised her coffee cup and said, "Okay!"

"Mm." Xi Yue nodded, then disappeared from the open space.

"By the way, how about we continue our previous bet?" Nian suddenly said, looking in the direction Xiyue had left. "If you lose, you'll come with me?"

"That bet?" Xi thought for a moment and then nodded. "Okay."

"However, if we continue with this bet," Lian Jianxi agreed, revealing his usual triumphant prank smile, "you might have already lost."

"what?"

——————Rhodes Island, Human Resources Department——————

Zilan sat behind her desk, constantly processing personnel applications submitted by operators or people who wanted to join Rhodes Island.

The talent recruitment program initiated by the doctor has led to a surge in applications recently. Some want to become operators, while others just want to take advantage of the medical services, resulting in an enormous workload lately.

Just like now, if someone gives those documents a gentle push, they will collapse like an avalanche, burying Zilan inside.

Even so, Zilan still had to carefully select which members genuinely wanted to join Rhodes Island and which were just there to freeload, and then set the categorized members aside.

Of course, even those infected who are obviously there to freeload won't be rejected outright. Rhodes Island will still allow them to join, but they'll use other methods to extract a small reward from them.

After all, even if Rhodes Island were willing to treat patients for free, reality wouldn't allow it. As for Rhodes Island's finances, it can only be said that it still makes a considerable profit due to the purchasing relationships between Lungmen, Kjerag, and Siesta.

However, the treatment and recuperation of infected individuals has always been a huge bottomless pit, which can be said to be filled no matter how much money is poured in.

In an effort to increase revenue, the Doctor arranged an armed escort agreement for Rhodes Island, which allowed Rhodes Island operators to conduct armed escorts, thereby increasing Rhodes Island's revenue.

At the same time, it also allows the operators to promote Rhodes Island. Whether it's attracting sponsors or recruiting operators, as the Doctor says, don't worry about whether there are any fish or not, just cast the line first and then talk about it later.

As for the situation, it's alright. The name of Rhodes Island's drug did get spread far and wide because of this method.

Moreover, there's no need to spend money on advertising; at most, the operators can bring one or two more inhibitors or other drugs for on-site trials, and the reputation will naturally follow.

However, something else did happen. Also due to armed escort, some lower-star operators who had more freedom of movement were particularly keen to submit their applications to the personnel department.

As for the reasons, some wanted to help Rhodes Island, gain experience for themselves, prepare for future promotions, while others wanted to use company funds to travel. There were various other reasons as well.

"What? It's you again?" Zilan looked at the blank application in her hand, requesting to participate in the next armed escort mission with a sense of helplessness, especially after seeing the reason for the application.

[Please, Sister Zilan! Let me go outside for a bit! Instructor Doberman has gotten stricter lately! Please!]

"Sigh..." Zilan sighed deeply. Kongbao had used this excuse to participate in armed escorts more than once or twice. Although it was called armed escort, except in particularly unlucky cases, there was actually not much fighting along the way.

Even if you encounter them, you only need to defeat them. As for what happens afterward, bandits in a region are usually connected. If you defeat one group of bandits, the others won't bother you.

No one would want to gnaw on a tough bone unless it's absolutely worth it.

"Really." Zilan checked the recent armed escort requests, thought for a while, picked up the airburst application, stamped it with the same seal, and then put it aside.

"Hello..." A slightly odd-sounding voice woke Zilan from her work. "Excuse me, is this the personnel department of Rhodes Island?"

"Hmm?" Zilan peeked out from behind the pile of documents upon hearing the sound, looking at the three people who had suddenly walked in. "Hello, gentlemen. This is the Human Resources Department. May I ask what brings you here?"

'What strange clothes, they look like religious ones.' As a former fashion magazine editor, Zilan could roughly recognize the style of the strange robes at a glance.

'But why does this seem so strange?' Zilan examined the three people's robes, pondering a type of popular religious sect she knew. 'The dark blue hue doesn't seem like that of Lateran, Syracuse, or Iberia. Is it some kind of niche sect somewhere?'

"Is there a problem?" one of the men in the lead asked.

"Oh, no, no, no, it's nothing." Zilan withdrew her probing gaze. "May I ask what brings the three of you to Rhodes Island?"

“We submitted an application before, and Rhodes Island responded to us,” a girl behind the leading man said slowly. “So we’re here to fulfill the contract.”

"A contract?" Zilan's gaze swept over their heads, spotting three people with blue feathers, some held up by hairpins, on their heads. 'Are they from some regional medical organization?'

"Wait a moment." Zilan walked to the tea room, poured three cups of tea, and placed them on the table. "I need to check the situation with the doctor."

Of course, it wasn't the HR department. They only needed to check with the doctor because they hadn't received the relevant information. However, it wasn't in the agreement to this cooperation document that they specifically asked Zilan to contact her after the people from that medical association arrived, because she wanted to meet them.

"Excuse me, do you have the original documents or copies with you?"

Upon hearing Zilan's words, the leading man and the woman who had just spoken immediately looked to the side, to another person who seemed to be their attendant.

“Yes.” The person they were looking at immediately replied, then took out a prepared document from the luggage next to him and handed it to Zilan.

"Okay, just a moment." Zilan took the document, took a picture of it, and sent it to the doctor. "Dr., you'll be here soon. Please wait a moment."

“No problem.” The leading man nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then asked in a stiff tone, “Excuse me, I’d like to ask if our master… no, I’d like to ask if Miss Yuzuki is here?”

"Master?" Zilan was a little confused, but still answered, "Miss Xiyue is currently on a business trip and is not on Rhodes Island."

"Yeah……?"

Zilan looked at the three people with some strangeness. For some reason, after she mentioned that Miss Xiyue was away on a business trip, the three people seemed to become extremely disappointed, especially the man in the lead and the woman.

——————Towns near Gray Qi Mountain, Yan Kingdom——————

"You guys are up pretty late, aren't you?" Xi Yue sat at the table, looking at Nian who had just brought Xi in. "It seems Miss Xi has agreed?"

“Of course~” Nian nodded, then tugged at Xi behind him, “We made a bet, but Xi lost it long ago, so it went very smoothly.”

"It did take a while to get her to admit defeat though."

"Hmph." Xi curled her lip. "You have the nerve to use words to make me go through a bet I've already lost."

"But you agreed!" Nian's face was full of smiles. "And you were the one who was stubborn, so how can you blame me?"

"Tch." Xi curled her lips. Although she knew she could lose that bet, she just wanted to see what would happen, and the monk had indeed given her a good answer.

'Seeing mountains as mountains, seeing water as water…' Xi took a deep breath. 'Well, I really should go out for a walk, otherwise I'll get nagged.'

"Really?" Yuuki smiled, not asking for details. "Would you like something to drink?"

"A cup of tea, please," Nian said, pulling Xi into a chair without any hesitation. "Coffee isn't suitable for the evening."

“Okay.” Xi Yue nodded, then took out tea leaves from her trench coat.

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Xi Yue took a small sip, then looked at Xi: "How is it? Is it good?"

Since most of the characters didn't need any other effects, Yuuki simply used delicious tea leaves.

“Miss Yuzuki’s skills are excellent.” Yu nodded to Yuzuki. “The tea is also of the highest quality, but someone’s way of drinking it ruins this perfect experience.”

"Well," Yuzuki smiled, "it's alright, would you like another drink?"

Xi shook her head: "Good tea should not be drunk in excess. It is already late at night, so it is not advisable to drink too much tea."

"Oh, my lovely little sister actually says it's late at night~" Nian, standing beside her, promptly exposed her, "How long has it been since you slept?"

"have a finger in the pie."

“You can’t go without sleep.” Xi Yue put down her teacup, looking at them with a slightly serious expression. “Even if you’re a fragment of a giant beast, you can’t go without sleep forever, Miss Xi.”

"..." If it were Nian, Xi would have retorted a couple of times, but if it were Xi Yue, Xi really didn't know what to say. However, she was really afraid of sleeping, afraid of seeing "herself" in her dreams.

"I won't sleep." In the end, Xi could only say this firmly, "That's it."

“Is that so?” Xiyue looked at Xi, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. “I understand.”

"Oh?" Nian raised an eyebrow and looked at Xiyue. She had just brought up this topic to see if Xiyue had any way to get Xiyue to get a good night's sleep, since her good little sister probably hadn't had a good night's sleep in hundreds of years.

However, she did not expect that Xi Yue would just let things go like that. But then she saw Xi Yue make a gesture under the table for her to calm down.

'It seems Miss Yuzuki has other plans…'

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“Phew…” Xi sat at the table. This was her newly opened room. A painting was placed on the table, and now, Xi had added the last stroke to the painting.

"Are you finished painting?" Xi Yue's voice suddenly rang out. Xi turned around abruptly and found that Xi Yue was standing behind him at some point, admiring his painting.

"Xi, when did you arrive?" Xi looked at Xi Yue in surprise. She didn't even know how long Xi Yue had been standing behind her. Had it just happened? Or had she been there all along?

"Would you like to come with me to admire the stars?" Yuzuki asked with a smile, extending her hand. "Consider it an invitation."

"..." Xi looked at Xi Yue, who had a gentle smile on her face, hesitated for a moment, and then took her hand. "Okay."

------------

The two of them quickly climbed onto the roof, which was not difficult for them.

“Miss Yuuki.” Yu looked at Yuuki sitting to the side, who seemed to have really just come to see the stars, and suddenly said, “If you want me to sleep, I’m sorry, I really don’t want to sleep, not at all.”

"Are you scared?" Xi Yue turned to look at Xi. "Nian told me something, and I also know a little about you. So, are you not sleeping because you're scared?"

“…Yes.” Yu nodded. “I’m afraid of seeing Him in my dreams, I’m afraid of seeing another ‘self’… Ugh! Miss Yuu!”

Just as Xi was speaking, Xi Yue suddenly pulled Xi into her arms and held her on her lap like a child.

"It's alright, it's alright." Yuzuki stroked Yu's hair, her gentle voice ringing in Yu's ear, "I assure you, no one can hurt you, nothing can touch you."

"Sleep peacefully, child, you are very tired." As Xi Yue spoke, the surroundings gradually became tinged with a light, ethereal blue, and even the perhaps noisy sounds generated by the nightlife around them vanished at this moment.

"Hmm..." The sound of gentle waves reached Xi's ears, and a strange sense of peace began to well up in her heart after a long time.

Gradually, Xi's eyelids became heavy, and she closed her eyes for the first time in a long time, her tense mind relaxing at this moment.

"Good boy, have a good sleep." These were the last words Xi heard before falling asleep, the voice full of tenderness.