 Why does Chip seem to enjoy talking to Retief?
Magnan leaned back, waiting for Retief's reaction. Retief drew carefully on his cigar and looked at Magnan. "This is no occasion for flippancy, Retief. "If it's trapped for destruction, I suppose—" "I've heard of these Jorgensen's Worlds," Retief said. Overall policy calls for a defense of these backwater worlds. Retief opened the envelope Magnan handed him and looked at the tickets inside. "If I have to come around this counter," Retief said, "I'll feed that thumb to you the hard way." Retief followed the signs, threaded his way through crowds, found a covered ramp with the number 228 posted over it. "Which way to cabin fifty-seven, son?" Retief asked.
 He doesn’t like the captain and likes that Retief doesn’t like him either.
 He thinks that Retief will be able to overthrow the captain.  He’s the cook, and generally nice to those he serves.  As he says, he likes to see a “feller” eat and enjoys cooking for him.  He doesn’t like the captain and likes that Retief doesn’t like him either.