The Core (4)

"Ugh!" Nida groaned as she walked out of the car and felt the heat making her skin sticky.

Randell noticed her struggle and handed her his handkerchief to wipe off her sweat.

"You have divine powers, right? I saw some priests using their powers to their convenience."

"Shouldn't I be suffering now if I knew how?" She rolled her eyes and forgot to thank him for his handkerchief. 

Randell was getting used to her temper and silently followed her.

They are now heading to the transshipment hub that is in the middle of spacious, dusty grounds.

A transshipment hub is a place where their large trucks (40 to 45 footer trailer trucks) unload goods to be transferred to smaller trucks (6 wheeler to 4 wheeler) to complete a journey for them to be delivered to different customers. 

Since it is a truck-to-truck transfer, the place is a spacious area owned by the company, with nothing else there and no shade at all.

Nida felt the heat as if she were in the middle of a dessert.

"Good afternoon, ma'am, sir." The dispatcher respectfully greeted them. "I am Erwin Dayo. Let me know what help I can give."

"Do what everyone normally does. We are just here to observe. " She said while she prepared her checklist. Randell did the same, and both of them diligently did their jobs.

They need to see what the whole transshipment process is like so that they can point out the loophole that leads to missing stocks.

Hmm?

She noticed a box that was slightly open. That is why she picked up the tape to securely seal it, but she froze once she peeked at what was inside.

"What's wrong?" Randell asked.

"C-core?" 

Randell also took a glance inside the box and looked at her, saying there was nothing out of the ordinary. 

"What's wrong?" he asked again.

Nida didn't answer him and proceeded to check the item listed on her documents. 

"Item code 12738292, Toys Marble 60x20?? This is only a toy?"

"Ah, this, it isn't." Randell took out the marble and handed it to her. "Can you feel its energy?"

"I thought we were shipping toys? This is core, right?"

"Appearance check: this is a toy, but it's an energy ball."

"Energy ball? Is it different from the core?"

"Ah, no. Core contains life, but this one contains energy. This is food for dark creatures who choose to have a peaceful life with humans." Randell opened other boxes with marbles inside, but each box contained marbles of different colors. "This box of blue marble is for the aswang, the red one is for vampires, the white for wolves, green for orcs, etc. Our company produced an energy ball and delivered it to every dark-attributed creature so that they wouldn't thirst for human."

"You don't live eating humans?" 

Nida tightly grabbed the marble.

"Humans will be long gone if we continue to feed ourselves with them."

 "I thought this company didn't have many supernatural creatures?  Is it fine to ship items like this?"

"You don't know? This company was built to take care of the needs of supernatural creatures. You don't have to worry, no humans are harmed in the production of these products. Our scientists discover products to find alternatives for human flesh." Randell suddenly looked proud while talking about the company that saved many lives. Like his admiration of Daniel, he respected and took pride in the company because it existed for the benefit of dark creatures.

Canaman Trading Corporation has hundreds of branches around the world and is well-known for its production and shipping of toys and candies. However, their profit was most likely earned from supplying energy cores and other needs for the deprived dark creatures.

"Then what's the sense of attacking us ten years ago? Why kill so many people at that time?" She was suddenly reminded of that dark, bloodied night.

She felt a sudden anger after hearing that werewolves can live without slaughtering humans, therefore that night, they were not slaughtered for food.

'Did he kill that many innocent people without any reason? Is it because they are stronger, they could play with someone's life?' 

Unbeknownst to Randell, she started to misunderstand him more. 

"Ah! t-that time! It was my first berserk transformation! I cann—."

Randell couldn't finish his explanation because the dispatcher entered the trailer van they were inspecting.

"Maam, the four-wheeler is done loading. Are you going to check on it too?" he asked.

Nida nodded and safely jumped off the tall trailer van, despite wearing high heels. The dispatcher panics for a moment, fearing she will fall.

Randell didn't notice it and was deep in his thoughts. He bit his lip since he couldn't make himself clear to Nida. He badly wanted to explain everything to her, but at the same time, the anxiety of being feared was still there.

whistle 

"Ma'am, I have some money. You want to see me tonight." 

"Oh! I am motivated that a beauty is here!"

"Ma'am, don't get too long under the sun; your beauty will go to waste."

Nida frowned since the laborers or unloaders were cat-calling her while she approached the smaller trucks.

She never thought that even the lower manpower of the company knew the rumor of her being a bitch.

Randell walked in front of her, then menacingly looked at the group of helpers, cat calling or making fun of her.

The group of men immediately backed down and left the area out of their way.

"I think we really need to take care of this rumor."

"No need." Nida looked more exhausted. 

"No, we need to! Even if you move to a new company, this rumor will hunt you if you don't take care of it now!"

"I'll take care of it." she briefly said, and she went back to her work. She really doesn't like how worked up Randell is about helping her.

'I won't fall for it. Never. '

She said to herself while focusing on doing her tiresome job.

Aside from the sun that gives her mood the worst, Randell's attitude at work annoys her too. 

Randell wasn't focused on his job throughout the inspection. He kept using his phone, which made Nida do all the tasks alone.

Hours later, they went back to the office, but she didn't have time to rest since the pile of documents she needed to process was still there waiting for her.

She was ready to jump into the pile of papers and bury herself at work, but the moment she went into her department office, another level of annoyance sipped into her soul.

"Meeting?"

She asked while looking at her officemate guiding them to their meeting room.

"Why the sudden call for a meeting?" She asked since she wanted to rest her legs, which were tired from going up and down the trucks and walking around the hub.

"You'll know later. Let us gather first."

When she entered the room, she felt strange and everyone's gaze was focused on her. That made her awkwardly greet everyone. 

"Good afternoon?"

"Nida!" 

Manager Bungal approached her with teary eyes.

His sweaty, chubby hands held both of his hands.

'What now? W-what is going on?' She confusedly asked herself as she forced herself to smile in front of her manager.

"I am very sorry!" The usual shower of saliva from her manager landed on her face, immediately turning into a grimace.