Liberi Reader

So this is where Penguin Logistics holes up...

(It's like a disaster area. And so dark.)

It's one of our bases. We haven't cleaned up in a while. Just sit wherever.

Oh, thanks... I realize I didn't properly thank you, any of you.

We did our jobs. You should introduce yourself first.

I'm a Messenger, codenamed Bison. I'm from Lungmen, and I work for Mountain Dash Logistics. My father sent me to learn what I can from your company. And I appreciate the opportunity.

Now about the contract between me and Mr. Emperor, I know we've already been over it, but...

Hold up, little man, I got a question. How'd your bigass daddy raise his boy to be so...

...Boss.

Yeah yeah, go ahead.

Anyway, about that ambush, it was definitely meant to provoke a reaction from MDL and Penguin Logistics.

We can't take this sitting down. I can contact my father and the LGD. This is a case of aggravated assault...

Hey, Texas.

Hm?

What's for dinner?

We're throwing a welcome party, of course! But where's Sora? Didn't she stay home to hold down the fort?

Ya know she'll come a-runnin' soon as Texas gets on the horn.

Oh, sorry. You were sayin'?

(Sora?)

...Um, the first order of business is to figure out who attacked us. Does Penguin Logistics have any leads?

Leads? It's a pretty basic business dispute.

What do you mean, business dispute...?

Texas! Shouldn't I have a cigar in my hand by now?!

Boss, it's been a while since we shacked up here. I think all your smokes went bad.

Sora came here to clean before. She might have thrown them away.

Y'all for real? You tryin' to kill me? This is wack...

Yeah, you keep talkin.' Don't worry.

Our first step should be to figure out exactly what these attackers were targeting...

Hold up, we need some tunes! Get some vinyl spinnin'! We got a whole box of them here, don't we?

Purdy sure I hauled one over. A box worth a couple months' salary.

Found it. What do you want to hear?

Just throw on any one of 'em. Anything I picked out's gonna be fire.

It ain't life without music. Bless. Nice tunes, nice me.

Bison, what else you got?

...Oh. Where was I?

Their target.

Right! Well, their target was me, I guess, to try to provoke our two companies.

That's it? I figured it'd be some revenge thing...

So you have a lead?

Sigh. Texas! Go scout 'em out!

Triple overtime.

Um, we get into scuffles like that maybe twenty times a month. Doesn't every Messenger deal with this all the time?

...Why?

Messengers should be quieter, quicker... you shouldn't be settling everything with violence all the time.

Huh.

We're a logistics company. Why are we always getting involved in gang wars?

cause they got no taste. They don't value their own lives.

And the baws signs our checks. We still get the goods where they need to go, all nice an' legal-like.

It's just we usually end up doin' some armed transport.

Yeah. Like, what's the big deal?

Umm...? You're really okay with that?

Ugh...

Wait a minute.

Here, it's the passcode Sora left.

C- cookies?

Aww, why'd she open them and leave them here. They're no good when they get all soggy.

The chocolate side is long, and the tail is short. That's the passcode.

(That's some weird cryptography...)

Really? She wasn't kiddin' with that?

...All I did was memorize what Sora said.

'Suspect.' Hm. Maybe she chased them out.

Let her go. It's quittin' time.

And we got Sauin, so no overtime. Forget about capitalist oppression. We gotta pour one out for the homies.

Who's drinkin' with me?

Ooh, you buyin', baws? I heard some new top shelf booze just came in stock~

S'all good. You ladies got a lotta pay to dock, after all.

No thanks!

Wait! We... we never came up with a plan.

Don't need one.

We just let the mob get away with this?

Play it by ear.

...The LGD won't butt in?

Probably not. They're used to this stuff.

Ugh...

It is what it is. Just go with the flow.

But last month's property damage invoice was a little longer than usual. You all need to be more careful.

So what's your typical work like?

We deliver the cargo in accordance with the contract, and then we fight. But if we have to fight, that kinda takes precedence.

Oh and jobs go to the boss first. Then it's first come first serve, whoever can handle them.

......

Hey, little man. Your daddy trusted you to me. So you're part of the Penguin Logistics family now, even if it's just for a bit.

Er, yeah... I get it.

And you gotta remember the first rule of Penguin Logistics: 'Don't sweat the small stuff.'

Wasn't the first rule 'live for the party' yesterday?

The one I heard was 'carpe diem.'

...pretty much.

Those ain't gonna be the last soldiers who wanna scoop you up and haul you off, but we're gonna take 'em one at a time. Simple as that.

Hold up, why's my ass feel funny? Somebody leave something in my perfect, ergonomic recliner?

Um, I'll take a look.

Oh, what an adorable little candy box! Boss, you were hiding snacks under your chair!

That's cap. Why would I stuff snacks in my... did you say candy box?

It's a box of candies. See, it says 'Victorian Gumdrops' right here...

Get back, Exusiai, don't open the——

Huh?

Gah! Get down.