Joe's day at the hospital was hectic, and when he returned to his apartment, all he wanted was a quiet night.
When he opened the door, he was immediately greeted by the usual chaos of the Tong neighbourhood. Books, gadgets, and half-finished projects littered the living room, in stark contrast to Joe's very neat and clean corner of the house.
"Gosh, Tong! Can you at least make this place look like it's not a hurricane-prone area?" exclaimed Joe while tidying up the messy drone parts.
Tong looked up from his makeshift workbench, grinning. 'Hi, Joe! Welcome home. Sorry for the mess. I was working on something ingenious."
"You're always working on something dodgy" grumbled Joe, as he headed into the kitchen for a drink. "And this place always ends up looking like a bomb site."
"Creative minds need space to think," Tong replied, without hesitation. "You should have known that by now."
Joe shook his head, a reluctant smile on his lips. Despite their differences, Tong's infectious enthusiasm and charm were hard to resist. "Yeah, well, try not to blow anything up while you're at it."
"No promises," Tong replied with a wink, and returned to his project.
Joe took a deep sip of his drink, letting the cool liquid soothe his tense nerves. "You wouldn't believe the day I had."
Tong's interest was piqued. "Oh? Tell me about it."
Joe leaned against the table, recounting his encounter with Ming. "So, I was in the ICU, when I met this guy. Literally. Tall, dark, brooding. Everything."
Tong raised his eyebrows. "And let me guess, you were your usual charming self?"
Joe rolled his eyes. "I'm polite, thank you very much. But there's something about him. I don't know, something was off. Like he's out of place."
"Sounds like a mystery," Tong said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Maybe he's a spy or an undercover cop. Or just someone visiting a patient," Joe said, though he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Ming than met the eye.
Tong leaned back, his chair creaking. 'You know, you should bring him here. Makes things a little more interesting.
Joe laughed. 'Yeah, because what we need is chaos."
"Exactly! Chaos is the spice of life, my friend."
Joe shook his head, finishing his drink. "Speaking of this mess, do you know how to fix the bathroom sink? The sink is leaking again"
Tong grinned. "Leave it to me. I'll fix it in no time."
''Last time you said that, we ended up getting flooded," Joe replied.
"Hey, third time lucky," Tong said with a wink. "Now, get out of here and let me finish it. This is going to be something revolutionary."
Joe sighed, heading to his room. "Don't blow anything up."
"Again, no promises," Tong exclaimed.