"Chen Linyun." He grunted to acknowledge his presence in his office. He was busy with some doc.u.ments. He set it aside and redirected his whole focus on his guest.

"Director Hw.a.n.g, I would like to seek your kind understanding and a.s.sistance on my situation – why I'm here in the first place."

"Continue. I'm listening." He said.

"Director, as you already know, I asked my father's partic.i.p.ation so that I can enter the ministry. However, it's because there's a grave threat to my wife and her family. I would like to do something about it – at least find evidence against them. The person responsible already admitted to the deed but we lack evidence."

"Hmph. So you are saying, you want to get some information here." The Director completed his intentions.

He studied Chen Linyun closely. "Can I trust you?"

"O-Of course, Director Hw.a.n.g." Chen Linyun answered nervously.

"I know you're the minister's son, but you weren't raised here. Most of your lifetime was spent at a foreign land. You only returned not even two years ago. How can I trust you?"

"You must be well-aware that the information in this inst.i.tution are highly confidential, and could make or break anyone, another inst.i.tution, or a whole nation."

The Director continued. "You might be a good trust-worthy fellow, but you're still young. Life isn't as simple as getting what you want and everything going smoothly from there."

Chen Linyun pursed his lips. The direction their conversation was going was inclined more on the negative.

"I wont give you access to retrieve data from the database, but there are workarounds. It's up to you to find those. Don't implicate the inst.i.tution in your personal conflict. But, I'm allowing you to do your workarounds on your free time, discreetly. I repeat, discreetly."

"That's more than enough, Director Hw.a.n.g. Thank you. Just to clarify, you don't want me to retrieve the information from the database, but you're allowing me to get it from other sources, right? Like the other agencies which do the tests and the processing."

"Need I spell out everything for you?" The Director did not answer explicitly. "Don't implicate the inst.i.tution."

"And I'm not allowing you to get near other more complicated and extremely confidential divisions of this inst.i.tution such as Strategy and Tactics, and the Intelligence and Surveillance perse. It's better if you know less. It's for your own good. You'll stay at the entry-level position."

"Of course, if you make friends and connections who are already inside, that would be beneficial to you. Well, that is, if you can make them help you."

"Thanks a lot for the tips, Director." Chen Linyun extended his hand towards the director, who's literally his boss.

The director shook his hand, "Good luck, child. Outside these walls, I'm a good friend of your father. I thought you're going to be my son-in-law. Meimei was blabbering about it all these years."

Chen Linyun wore an awkward look on his face. "So, you're…"

"I'm her father. Don't worry about it. I know her more than you do. She can get a little delusional sometimes. So much for being too sheltered. I feel slightly responsible for it."

A series of knocks interrupted their conversation. Without instructions to enter, the door was opened by the guest.

"Daddy."

"Speaking of…" Director Hw.a.n.g murmured. Even if he's her father, he finds his daughter a bit too annoying sometimes.

"What brought you here, Meimei?" He asked. "It's rude to just barge in here. How many times do I have to tell you? There's high level of confidentiality that should be kept in this office."

"I asked your secretary first who you're talking to. When I learned it's Yun-ge, I thought it wouldn't be as detrimental. And I knocked, didn't I?"

Director Hw.a.n.g sighed at his persistent daughter. "So what brought you here? You don't have any business here."

"Just checking on you, can't I? Checking on Yun-ge too." She looked at Chen Linyun. She was smiling rather sweetly. It's was honestly out-of-place.

'What is she up to?' Chen Linyun's face was becoming more twisted with awkwardness. 'Making my life more complicated as it is.'

"Meimei." Director Hw.a.n.g's low powerful voice resonated in the air as a strong warning to his daughter.

The young lady s.h.i.+vered. "Daddy, you're scaring me."

"You better. Behave accordingly, young lady. You know what I mean." He gave her daughter a serious look.

"Chen Linyun, we're done here. You can go back."

"I'll accompany him, Daddy." Hw.a.n.g Meilin suggested, clinging to Chen Linyun's arm. He panicked at the physical contact.

"No, Meimei. You stay here. Go ahead, Chen Linyun."

Chen Linyun went out of the room rigidly, and hurriedly. Sweat was starting to form on his forehead.

Once the door closed behind him, Director Hw.a.n.g faced his daughter.

"Hmph!" She slumped on the chair in front of his table. "What was that about, Daddy?" She was pouting and throwing a tantrum.

"No, Hw.a.n.g Meilin. What was THAT about?!" Director Hw.a.n.g bellowed. He was staring at his daughter sternly.

Hw.a.n.g Meiling shook in fear. She was spoiled, but there were times when her father simply knew best what a disciplinary action means.

"You're not a child anymore. You're a young lady, and the person who you are trying to FLIRT is married, and you know it! My daughter is even shamelessly flirting in front of me, her father!"

"Hw.a.n.g Meilin, do you want to bring shame to our family, to my name so badly?"

"Be a good sport and accept that you lost! There are other men out there! Chen Linyun did not even pursue you!"

"He's married, for heaven's sake, child!"

The young lady was shaking in fear, and soon enough she started sobbing, out of fear, and for feeling wronged and misunderstood.

"Daddy, how can you say that? *sob* *sob* I was patiently waiting for his return all these years. He promised me marriage! I know how serious it is! *sob* *sob* It's not some candy or gadget or trip to somewhere nice. It's marriage! How can you possible expect me to accept it just like that?" *sob* *sob*

"Well, darling, you just have to accept it." Director Hw.a.n.g advised helplessly. "You were only around four then. A child's 'Let's get married when we get older' has not much of a difference from 'Let's get candy at the store'. And a child's 'I'll marry you someday' has almost the same weight as 'I'll give you my favorite teddy bear'. You know it!"

"Snap out of it!" Director Hw.a.n.g bellowed. "You're an adult now. Be an adult, act like one! Now, calm yourself and go home."

She stood up and left the director's office.

However, she did not go home. She stayed with her father's secretary outside until it's time for employees to go home.