The phone connected, and Ian Song's voice came through: "Hey, Hugh, how about grabbing dinner together tonight?"
"Uh, well...!"
Hugh Xu couldn't help showing a hint of excitement. He glanced at Zack Huang beside him, who urgently gave him a look, signaling him to hurry up and accept.
"Alright, sure."
"It's settled then. I'll send you the restaurant address in a bit."
After hanging up, Hugh Xu couldn't hide his smile. Even though Landon Lu had just invited him out to eat, he knew dinner was just a formality—the real deal was the Mech Squad slot.
"Congrats, old Hugh! Looks like one of those Mech Squad slots is as good as yours!" Zack Huang laughed, but there was a flash of envy in his eyes.
Right then, Zack Huang's phone started ringing too.
Seeing the caller ID was Landon Lu, Zack's heart started racing uncontrollably. These past two days, plenty of people had tried to talk to Landon about those Mech Squad slots, but none had gotten a reply. Now Landon was calling him—could it mean Zack was about to get a slot too?
That thought made his heart pound even harder. He forced himself to calm down, picked up the call, and tried to sound relaxed: "Hey, Landon, what's up?"
"Zack, want to grab dinner together tonight?" Ian Song's voice came through again.
"Sure!" Zack Huang nodded vigorously.
"Alright, I'll send you the address later!"
After hanging up, Zack Huang and Hugh Xu exchanged glances. Both could see the excitement and anticipation in each other's eyes.
Joining the Mech Squad didn't just mean better pay and perks—it even came with a promotion to lieutenant. Sure, the City Special Police rank wasn't as prestigious as the military's, but a lieutenant was still an officer, and that was nothing to sneeze at.
After a moment, Hugh Xu said, "Landon's really something... Never beats around the bush."
"Yeah! Guys like him are rare these days. If he doesn't give us those two slots, he's bound to trade them for some serious benefits!" Zack Huang nodded, totally agreeing.
Meanwhile, at the Special Police base.
After finishing his call with Zack Huang, Ian Song dialed Leo Li's number.
If you want to climb higher, you need support. After spending time with Zack Huang, Hugh Xu, and Leo Li, Ian was sure they were solid—loyal guys who'd have his back. He decided they'd be the ones to get the slots.