T/N : 9,073 word for you
Chapter 24: First Day of Work
"So, it's unlimited counter-self-defense rights, a truly simple
and crude way of putting it."
"Don't worry about it. Anyway, the boss Is extremely lenient in this regard, almost
unlimited reimbursement, provided the goods aren't damaged. If the goods are
damaged, besides reimbursing Lungmen, we
have to pay for the goods ourselves."
Reinette looked
at Exusiai, who had a look of lingering
fear, smiled, and said, "Like that box of wine yesterday?"
"Exactly! That was a whole box of high-grade brandy.
Thankfully, Reinette found it
for us, otherwise, we might have had to pay half a year's salary in
compensation."
After Texas closed the
warehouse door, she turned around and complained, "Don't drag me into this.
That was clearly your fault. If you hadn't been pestering me and completely
forgotten about moving the wine, yesterday's incident wouldn't have happened at
all."
"Don't be like that, we're companions."
Texas leaned
against the door, a Pocky in her mouth, and slowly said to Exusiai, "Not the day before yesterday."
"Such a heartless woman."
Watching the two in front of her, Reinette merely smiled and calmly watched the drama
unfold. As for interjecting, she decided against it; their atmosphere was quite
good, and she was enjoying the show.
Just then, all three of their phones chimed. They opened their
phones to find a message from a staff member.
"Front Desk: A commission came in. Is anyone
free?"
"What do you need? Add this friend: I'm already out."
"Sora: I'm busy lately. The concert Is about
to start, so it's not a good time to go to jail; it would have a bad
influence."
"Reinette: So you've
already habitually equated going out for work with going to jail?"
"Apple Pie: Yes, Reinette, you'll have to get used to it. Otherwise, how do
you think we got our bad reputation?"
"Ouch!!!" Exusiai half-squatted,
rubbing her head, while Texas calmly
retracted her fist.
"Don't listen to this idiot's nonsense. We don't have problems
every time we go on a mission."
"Your explanation isn't much different from theirs, Texas…" Reinette rubbed
her forehead, slightly speechless.
"…" Texas also realized
the problem in her words and turned her head away.
"Well, there's nothing wrong with admitting it, it's the truth."
"Don't easily give yourself such a setting, that's a flag, Exusiai." Reinette stroked Exusiai's head, her hand glowing faintly.
"Hmm, it's cool?" Exusiai looked
up at Reinette.
Reinette raised
her palm, showing Exusiai a thin layer
of ice crystals attached to her hand.
"Just a small layer of ice crystals, to help relieve your
pain. Texas hit you quite hard just
now."
"Oh, thank you~"
Texas walked
over, shaking her phone: "Let's accept this mission first, then go have lunch.
We'll deliver this cargo this afternoon. It'll be Reinette's first commission to get familiar with the
work."
"That's true." Exusiai nodded,
then turned to Reinette and
said, "Don't worry, just follow us. It's just to familiarize you with the
process. Texas can be so carefree
because I've got her back, you know."
"Then I'll trouble both of you." Reinette looked at the boastful Exusiai and didn't expose her.
"Stop boasting. In terms of combat power, Reinette might be stronger than both of us."
Texas recalled
the battle in the thick fog during yesterday's test, where it was almost
impossible to find an opening.
Although in a real battle, Texas,
who was once an assassin, would have absolute first-strike advantage if
undetected, still…
'Originium Arts that control water, allowing one to transform
into water itself for a short period of time…?'
Texas recalled
the strike she made first on the arena during yesterday's test. That wasn't a
pre-arranged water clone, but Reinette's body
genuinely transforming into water at that very instant.
'And thinking about the Emperor's scream when she first
saw Reinette… could it
be?'
Texas, deep in
thought, slightly fell behind Reinette, watching her
walk ahead with a profound gaze.
But just then, Reinette, who was
happily chatting with Exusiai, turned her
head and smiled at her.
"What's wrong? Thinking about something?"
"…No, nothing." Texas shook
her head, letting go of the matter. Reinette was
invited by the Emperor, so she was a companion. If the other party wanted to
say something, they would naturally say it.
Penguin Logistics didn't
require knowing everything about their colleagues' backgrounds. And when she
thought of Reinette's possible
identity, a strange sense of reassurance washed over her.
'Did she figure something out? That's right, Texas seems to have had contact with the Wolf Lord. She should have some understanding of gods
and such.'
Reinette, of course,
noticed the change in Texas's expression
just now. Having mastered a certain degree of psychology, Reinette, after mulling it over, probably guessed the
other party's thoughts.
After all, right after speaking, Texas had
a thoughtful look, then seemed to understand something, and when she turned her
head, Reinette noticed
that Texas's gaze towards her was still
somewhat strange.
However, she didn't turn her head to speak just to scare Texas.
Just now, she was truly just chatting with Exusiai. It had to be said, Exusiai was very talkative.
Exusiai couldn't
stop talking after just a few words, like her submachine gun, she just kept
going.
From company colleagues to current events in Lungmen, then to dessert shops in various alleys, she
chatted happily, as if there would never be a dull moment wherever Exusiai was.
Just then, Reinette noticed Texas, who had fallen behind, and turned to ask if
something was wrong.
However, it seemed Texas had
overthought it; Reinette touched
her hair, stating that wasn't her intention.
And so, the three arrived at the lobby.
"This is a newcomer, right?" The staff member looked
at the three entering, "Two bringing one, but this time the item seems
quite valuable."
"It's fine~ With me and Texas on
the job, how could anything go wrong?"
The staff member shrugged: "You're right. The client is in
the reception room."
"Okay, let's go, Reinette."
The three arrived at the reception room, where someone was
already waiting.
Texas stepped
forward, while Exusiai leaned close
to Reinette: "Generally, the remuneration
doesn't need to be discussed; the staff will have already negotiated with the
clients. We just take our share later. Right now, it's just to explain some
other matters and reconfirm the items for transport."
"Hello, where is the cargo we are transporting?"
The person patted a box next to them: "It's here."
Texas glanced
at the box and nodded, then looked down at the tablet the staff member had
given her, which showed the delivery location and method.
"To reconfirm with you, this box is to be delivered to
Jielan District, on the outer ring of the Slums in
the east of the city, and placed in the abandoned warehouse in the same
district, entering from the second floor and placing it in the fourth room on
the left, is that correct?"
Reinette's eyelid
twitched. What kind of delivery address and method was this? What was in this
thing?
Since becoming a messenger, Tiamat had only
been responsible for delivering letters and at most some small packages, so she
was unfamiliar with this method.
"That's right."
Texas nodded,
unfazed by such a delivery method. After putting down the tablet, her gaze
turned to the box.
"Although I probably guessed, it's still a routine inquiry:
would it be convenient for us to see what's inside that box?"
"No."
Texas nodded,
reaching out to push the tablet, which had been on the table, back.
"Alright, the staff should have mentioned this to you: if
you are unwilling to let us inspect the contents of the box, then Penguin Logistics will not be held responsible for
any damage to the items inside or if they are not the items you intended to
send."
"Sign here. After you sign, we will officially begin work
on your commission."
The person signed and then got up to leave. Texas walked over, picked up the box, and placed
it on the table.
Reinette watched
the person leave. Exusiai went over,
sat down directly, put her legs on the table, and took out her phone.
Exusiai opened a
food delivery app and casually asked: "What do you want to eat, Reinette?"
"Anything is fine, I'm not picky as long as it's delicious.
But, I think I understand why you often say things can go wrong."
Reinette walked
over and sat on the sofa, pointing at the box on the table.
"Strange delivery methods, contents of the box we can't
see. I finally understand why you just talked about potentially getting a bad
record."
"Well, Reinette, you'll get
used to it. We often encounter shady cargo. Not asking and not looking is a
kind of protection," Exusiai said,
pointing to the camera in the corner of the reception room.
"Even if we really get caught by the LGD, with that thing, as long as we insist we haven't seen it,
haven't asked, and don't know what it is, we'll be out very quickly."
Exusiai extended
her hand and gave Reinette a
thumbs-up, a smile on her lips, revealing white teeth that seemed to flash with
a glimmer of light.
"..." Reinette looked
at Exusiai's smile, a premonition of ill
omen in her heart.
'I have a feeling I've boarded a really big pirate ship.'
----Lunch break----
After lunch, the three carried the box onto the truck.
Texas, the only one
among the Penguin Logistics quartet who
still held a driver's license, directly got into the driver's seat.
"Texas, you drank a lot last
night. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I used your medicine, and it's been so long, the hangover
is mostly gone. Besides, Exusiai's license
was just suspended and she's retaking the test. Or do you have one, Reinette?"
As someone who traveled the land, often unregistered, and didn't
stay in cities for long, Reinette naturally
didn't have time to get a driver's license. She could drive, but she hadn't
actually taken the test.
Seeing Reinette's
silence, Texas nodded: "When you
have time, just go directly to the traffic department to sign up. Remember to
bring your Penguin Logistics employee
badge; it can speed up the test."
"Speed up the test? How does that work?"
"They give you the test paper on the spot, no need to wait
with other people. Sometimes, you don't even need that; they just let you take
the practical driving test directly, and if you pass, you're good."
"Is that the boss pulling strings?"
Texas was
silent for a moment before replying: "Our highest record for driver's
license retention is two months. Generally, they get suspended within half a
month to a month. In some cases, it can even happen within a week."
Reinette was also
silent for a moment upon hearing this: "So, they're used to it, couldn't
stand it anymore, and gave you a crash course test?"
Exusiai and Texas both nodded.
It was clear that Penguin Logistics wasn't
ignorant of traffic rules, nor did they not know how to drive. Rather, in most
cases, they couldn't abide by traffic rules, making driver's licenses a consumable
item in their hands.
Sometimes, the group would even go to take the test together. It
wasn't unheard of. The people at the traffic department were probably just fed
up with them.
They figured since they weren't ignorant of traffic rules, they
might as well go through the motions of the test and then quickly throw them
into real-world driving. Of course, the Emperor probably also played a small
part.
"A kind of sadness, in a way."
Exusiai, sitting in
the back seat, leaned forward and rested her head directly on Reinette's shoulder, saying indifferently: "You'll
get used to it, Reinette. You'll be
completely assimilated by us sooner or later."
"Exusiai, don't you feel like
that sounds a lot like something a villain would say?"
Exusiai chuckled,
following Reinette's jab: "Reinette, when did you get the illusion that we wouldn't
be villains?"
However, Exusiai caught
sight of Texas's gradually raised fist out
of the corner of her eye and quickly said: "Of course, we're not real
villains. We even cooperate with the LGD. We're a
legitimate business."
Hearing Exusiai's
words, Reinette glanced
back at the car compartment: 'A legitimate business? What legitimate business
transports goods of unknown origin, unknown destination, and even more unknown
contents?'
"Oh, right, speaking of which, shouldn't secret cargo like
this be transported in, how should I put it? A more ordinary car?"
Exusiai patted Reinette's shoulder: "Don't be nervous, it's just
your first time. And there's no need."
Texas, who was
driving, explained to Reinette seriously:
"That's the Slums. Cars generally can't
get in. We'll have to park the car wherever we can nearby and then carry the
stuff over. If we drive an ordinary car, it might get stolen by people with
sticky fingers."
Exusiai nodded
and then added: "Then we'd have to go look for it, but looking takes time.
What if by the time we find it, the car has already been dismantled? We'd have
to pay the boss. It's better to just drive a marked car from the start; at
least people know whose it is."
Reinette nodded,
understanding: "Simply put, Penguin Logistics has
a notorious reputation in the Slums, so the
car isn't likely to be tampered with, is that right?"
"Exactly, you catch on quickly~"
Chapter 25: Chen
"Well, no matter what, I've spent a long time doing medical
work in the Slums of other mobile
cities, so I have a certain understanding of the ecology of the Slums in most situations."
Exusiai looked
thoughtful upon hearing this: "Tiamat, Tiamat, medical activities in various cities... I feel
like I've heard that somewhere."
Texas, seeing Exusiai looking thoughtful in the back seat
through the rearview mirror, sighed: "Still haven't remembered?"
"Eh, Texas knows?"
"During a previous party, Sora once mentioned a Liberi with blue feathers who was willing to
provide free medical care, or medical care at extremely low fees, in the Slums of various mobile cities."
As she spoke, Texas pointed
to Reinette beside her: "And that
medical practitioner's codename is..."
Reinette also
spoke up at this moment: "That doctor's codename is Tiamat, which is me."
Hearing their words, Exusiai slapped
her thigh: "I knew I'd heard it somewhere."
Reinette looked
back through the rearview mirror and saw that while Exusiai looked enlightened, her eyes still held a
certain clarity.
'Looks like she still hasn't remembered.'
Reinette shook
her head, deciding not to expose her. After all, she had already put on a show
of remembering, so it was better to let her off the hook.
----Slums----
"Let's stop here. It's no longer convenient to drive
ahead." Texas parked the car next
to a tree, pointing to the alley ahead.
"You're right." Reinette looked
at the street ahead and nodded.
The street in front of them, if one only considered its original
width, would have easily allowed three cars to pass side-by-side. That was,
assuming its original width.
However, the various tin shacks, clearly makeshift structures,
crowded the street, leaving only a narrow path in the middle. Forget cars, even
three people walking abreast might get stuck.
And the truck Penguin Logistics was
driving, needless to say, absolutely couldn't get through.
'The environment looks pretty good. It seems the local gangs
have clear management.'
Reinette walked
through the alley, observing her surroundings. Although they were all illegal
structures, and touching them revealed only a thin layer of tin, they were at
least sufficient to block wind and rain.
The doors were simple ones made of tin sheets laid over iron
frames, but there seemed to be no signs of smashing or destruction.
Compared to other Slums Reinette had visited, the environment and order here
were much better.
At least there was no trash scattered everywhere or dirty water
flowing around. The people living here at least had tin shacks that could
provide shelter from the wind and rain.
"What's wrong?" Texas turned
to look at Reinette, who was
touching the tin siding of a nearby house.
"No, nothing. I just think this place is much better than
other places." Reinette smiled.
This time, it wasn't her habitual smile, but a genuinely heartfelt one.
There were no disgusting gangs constantly smashing the
residents' doors, snatching the meager food they had managed to collect.
If not for the fact that most of the houses here were in
disrepair, one might not even realize this was a place like the Slums.
"Is that so?"
"You two, stop chatting! Is it okay for me to push this
cart alone?" Exusiai, pushing a small
cart, looked at the two behind her with exasperation.
Turning her head, Exusiai saw
something the other two hadn't noticed: "Hmm? That's strange, it's not
raining today, so why is there a rainbow?"
Reinette smiled
and turned to look at the beautiful rainbow spanning the sky: "Perhaps the
sky is in a good mood today, or perhaps we are simply lucky today."
"Good mood...?" Texas looked
at Reinette with a strange expression.
Reinette caught
up with Exusiai, patting Texas's shoulder as she passed: "Yes, a good
mood."
"I always feel like you two are talking about things I
don't know." Exusiai scratched her
head, looking at the two who seemed to be speaking in riddles.
"Not at all, Exusiai.
Alright, we should go. The commission is more important, isn't it? As for
rainbows, if you want to admire them, there will be many more opportunities
later."
Reinette walked
over and took the pushcart from Exusiai:
"I still need you two to lead the way; I'm not familiar with Lungmen."
Curious, Exusiai, seeing
that Reinette didn't
seem to intend to explain, turned her inquisitive gaze to Texas: "Texas?"
"Focus on work."
"Oh, really!" Exusiai looked
at the two in front of her with exasperation, "You two got close really
fast. Did you know each other before?"
"You could say we did~" Reinette smiled, thinking of Lapland, who she didn't know if she had arrived yet.
'With her around, it would surely be even livelier.'
---Slums, Jielan District---
"We're here~" Exusiai said,
looking relaxed, "Honestly, we should have found a road that was barely
passable for a car. It was too far."
"Walking is good." Reinette glanced
at Exusiai, "And I should remind you,
we'll have to walk all the way back again later."
"How can such an evil thing exist?"
"Alright, Exusiai, stop
clowning around. That over there should be the abandoned warehouse we're
looking for." Texas pointed to the
abandoned warehouse at the street corner.
"Looks like it."
"Oh, then let's step on it!" Exusiai, who had been looking half-dead, started
running with the cart.
"What a clown." Reinette looked
at Exusiai, who was full of energy, "I
guess you two are never bored, given you have such a clown around."
"Yes."
"But in a place like the Slums,
where land is so tight, and this warehouse doesn't look dilapidated to the
point of being uninhabitable, why would it become an abandoned warehouse?"
Texas walked
and spoke: "Because the local gangs need it to be abandoned."
"I see, 'abandoned' is just a label; the warehouse is still
a warehouse."
"You two are so slow. Aren't you in a hurry to go
back?" Exusiai stared at the two
slowly walking over.
"It'll only take a moment, it won't delay us much. I'll go
up; keep a close watch." Texas walked
over, picked up the box from the cart, and used the wall to jump directly to
the second floor, flipping through the window.
"Oh, well, I guess I'll just keep watch." Exusiai took her submachine gun from her waist,
saw Reinette looking
into the distance, and even waved.
"Reinette?" Exusiai raised her gun in that direction, "Is
someone there?"
"No, I just roughly figured out what this commission is
about." Reinette lowered
her arms.
"What is it?" Exusiai carefully
observed the houses over there, but found nothing.
"It's nothing." Reinette said
perfunctorily.
'That was Shirayuki just
now, right? Has the Emperor already talked to Wei
Yanwu? But why set up such a commission? To let me see the Slums? Or is it…'
Reinette slightly
expanded her perception range. Normally, she wouldn't do this, as it involves a
bit of privacy, and another reason is that expanding it in a busy area would be
very noisy.
But as soon as Reinette slightly
expanded her perception range, she found several people hidden in the houses
around the warehouse.
Especially two of them: one held a huge triangular shield, and
the other was flicking a long, slender dragon tail.
"Penguin Logistics, it's you
again!" A sudden shout came.
The sudden shout and the familiar tone made Exusiai almost drop her gun. She quickly put the
gun down and put on a smiling face: "Police Officer Chen,
what a coincidence."
Texas jumped
down from the second floor at this moment: "A bit unlucky."
"Is that so? Then it is indeed a bit unlucky."
Chen looked at the three nonchalant people in front of her and
scolded impatiently: "Shut up! We received a report that someone is smuggling
dangerous goods here. You'd best confess honestly."
At this moment, Hoshiguma walked
over, carrying her shield: "It's you again, hmm, and this is?"
Reinette smiled,
raised her hand in greeting, and then casually showed her work badge on her
chest.
"A new recruit from Penguin
Logistics, please guide me?"
"A new recruit?" Hoshiguma glanced
at the work badge. "Sigh, I hope she won't be as troublesome as these current
ones, otherwise Old Chen's blood pressure will be high for a long time."
At this point, an officer poked his head out from the second
floor: "Officer, the goods aren't here. It seems they were taken away just a
moment ago."
Chen, hearing the officer's reply from upstairs: "Huh? Is there
a problem? Look more carefully."
The officer upstairs looked helpless: "Officer, there really
isn't any. It looks like the recipient was already waiting here and took the
goods as soon as the commotion started."
"Tsk…" Chen looked unhappily at the three Penguin Logistics members who were whispering
amongst themselves, showing no signs of tension. "Were we tricked? Hey, what
was in it?"
Texas replied
calmly: "Penguin Logistics doesn't handle
that. The client at the time was very firm and didn't allow us to inspect it,
and had already paid an additional fee."
"It's always that excuse." Chen looked helpless. The goods
weren't caught, and the three-person Penguin
Logistics team, two of whom were typical troublemakers, clearly
meant that this time, nothing was caught again.
"Alright, Old Chen, calm down." Hoshiguma patted Chen's shoulder and turned to the
three, saying: "Let's go, let's go. Wait for your people to come and take you
back."
"Oh, and if there are any problems because of this matter
later."
Texas nodded:
"If Lungmen encounters any problems
because of these goods, Penguin Logistics will
handle all follow-up procedures."
Hoshiguma nodded
after hearing Texas's words and motioned for
the officers to finish up.
— — — — City Lord's Mansion — — — —
Shirayuki flipped
through the window.
"Back so early?" Fumizuki, who was
working at the Office desk for her
husband who was out, looked up and asked.
"Sorry, I was discovered."
At this moment, the main door opened, and Wei Yanwu entered from outside: "It's normal.
After all, she is a god. Not being discovered would perhaps be a strange
thing."
"You're back."
"Yes, I went to Penguin Logistics,
talked to the Emperor and Old Lin about some arrangements to be made later, and
also took a look around."
For Fumizuki, there were
few things that could pique her curiosity, but this matter was clearly not
among them: "What did you find?"
Wei Yanwu put down
his overcoat, remained silent for a while, then slowly said: "Nothing at all."
"What?"
"Literally, nothing at all." Wei
Yanwu sat on the sofa, and Fumizuki also sat
down next to him.
As one of Yan's top martial
artists, Wei Yanwu's perception ability
might not be all-encompassing, but it was rare for anything to escape his
perception.
However, this morning, he hit a wall at Penguin Logistics. He could sense Texas and Exusiai in
his perception, but he simply couldn't sense Reinette, who was standing beside them and chatting.
In Wei Yanwu's perception,
there was nothing there, but his eyes clearly saw the person standing there.
The emptiness in his perception and the definite presence in his sight
conflicted.
"For a god, this situation is unprecedented." Wei Yanwu had seen giant beasts before, but they
all had auras, whether strong or weak. However, he had never seen a situation
where there was absolutely nothing, like now.
"Then what did you talk about?"
Wei Yanwu took out
his pipe from the table: "I found a suitable place for the upcoming medical
activities, gave Old Lin a heads-up, and also arranged for her and Little Chen to meet."
"Arranged? That fast? How did you do it? I haven't even had
anyone tell Little Chen about Tiamat."
"It's nothing. I just had Old Lin's people pretend to be clients
and have them deliver a package. Then, I called to report to Little Chen that someone was smuggling dangerous
goods. With her personality, she would definitely lead the team herself."
Fumizuki nodded:
"So, what did you have them transport? It couldn't really be dangerous goods,
could it?"
Wei Yanwu tapped
his unlit pipe: "Nothing, just a box of candy."
— — — — LGD — — — —
"I say, do you two need to be so skilled at entering a jail
cell? That young man didn't even lock the door, it seems." Reinette watched the two skillfully enter, while the
young man from the LGD simply
pulled the door shut and left.
"Anyway, someone will bail us out soon, so it doesn't matter.
Compared to this."
Exusiai skillfully
sat cross-legged and pulled out a deck of playing cards from who-knows-where.
Was it hidden in the cell, or did she carry it with her?
"Want to kill some time?"
Reinette looked
at Exusiai, slightly speechless, as she
skillfully unwrapped and shuffled the cards. Texas,
already accustomed to this, walked over and sat down cross-legged.
"Oh, Reinette, don't be
nervous. As someone from Penguin Logistics,
it's incomplete if you haven't experienced being in jail."
"I really hope you realize how strange your current situation
is. What kind of logistics company's employees need to go to jail once to be
considered complete?"
"There is one, like us! Oh, hurry up, two people can't play
Landlord!"
Reinette thought
for a moment. There really didn't seem to be anything else to do right now, so
she walked over and sat down cross-legged: "Alright, then let's kill some
time."
Chapter 26: Long-Term Commission
— — — Lungmen Guard Department ·
Temporary Detention Area — — —
The three, who were originally just sitting there playing poker
and passing the time, had their expressions, particularly Texas and Exusiai,
become unusually grim for some reason.
"…Pair of 5s." Exusiai slapped
down her cards with a heavy expression.
"Pair of 9s."
Reinette casually
threw down her cards: "Pair of 10s."
Exusiai clutched
her cards tightly, hesitating to play: "I, I pass!"
"Can't even play a pair of 10s, Exusiai?"
Although Texas said that, she looked
down at her own cards and silently raised her hand to fold.
"Ah, Texas said that,
but aren't you the same?"
"You two already owe me 20 LMD."
Reinette shook
her head, looking at the two in front of her. Initially, they hadn't planned on
playing for money, but after two rounds, Exusiai suggested
it. However, since it was just for fun, the amount wasn't large.
Then, the nightmare began. No matter how they shuffled or played
their cards, they never won again. Once, when they teamed up, their biggest
card was a terrifying Queen of Hearts.
Of course, they certainly didn't cheat when shuffling. It was
just a game played for one LMD to pass
the time. Cheating for such a small amount would imply they couldn't afford to
lose.
They were also sure Reinette hadn't
cheated, because since they were losing, she never had a chance to shuffle the
cards.
If she hadn't shuffled, then cheating was out of the question.
"Alright, I'm here to pick you up!" Croissant's
voice came from outside the cell door. "Hmm, are you playing cards?"
Reinette casually
tossed the cards onto the ground, turned her head to look at Croissant: "Yes, but why are you so slow, Croissant?"
"Well, I was setting up my stall at the
Plaza. I came to pick you up as soon as I saw the message, you know. I
wonder how much business I missed."
Reinette stood up
and patted her clothes: "Alright, alright, thanks for your hard work."
"How perfunctory." Croissant casually
scoffed at reinette' nonchalance and looked
at the other two in the room.
"Alright, we should go… Exusiai,
why do you look so relieved?"
Texas bit off
the Pocky she had been holding in her mouth: "Probably because you arrived,
and Exusiai's last bit of money can be
saved."
"Oh, lost badly?" Croissant nodded
knowingly. No wonder Exusiai looked so
relieved just now.
Texas shook
the bag in her hand, taking out the last Pocky stick inside.
"More accurately, it was a massacre. For example, in that last
hand, our biggest pairs were a pair of 9s and a pair of 7s, respectively. The
rest were small pairs, or simply single cards, the kind where you couldn't even
make a straight."
"Crushed by luck?"
Texas nodded
and casually pulled open the iron door, which had never been locked anyway.
"Perhaps I've done too many good deeds?" Reinette also followed Texas out
of the cell and turned to Exusiai, who was
behind her, "Just treat me to breakfast later."
"No problem~"
— — — Lungmen Guard Department ·
Inspection Team Office — — —
"Are they gone?" Chen pinched the bridge of her nose and looked
at Hoshiguma, who had just entered.
"Yes, they're gone. From the surveillance video, it seems they
really didn't know." Hoshiguma placed
the USB drive with the surveillance video that Croissant had
given them onto the desk.
Chen picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip: "Alright,
I know. Just leave it there."
As for the video on that USB drive, Chen had already watched
similar videos no less than a hundred times. This time, Chen didn't even need
to watch it to know.
It was nothing more than the client prohibiting them from
viewing the contents of the shipment, and then one of them would repeat that if
viewing was not allowed, Penguin Logistics would
not bear any responsibility, and so on.
To be honest, Chen always wanted to lock these four guys up in
jail for a month or two to contribute to Lungmen's
public safety.
But the other party was merely undertaking business, which was a
normal commercial activity and naturally did not violate Lungmen law. As for Penguin
Logistics's shady business? At least procedurally, they had shown enough
respect for Lungmen law.
Moreover, even if something went wrong in Lungmen because of the goods they delivered.
Penguin Logistics would
handle the matter faster than the LGD, unless
the LGD had
already handled it at the time of the incident.
Of course, this was not a reason for Chen to drop the matter.
Chen put down her coffee cup and picked up the photo on the
table. It was one of the photos taken by an officer at the scene of the arrest.
"Why put a box of candy there? Are they mocking us?"
At this moment, Hoshiguma's phone
rang. Hoshiguma took out
her phone from her pocket and casually replied: "Perhaps that's what it was
meant to deliver all along?"
"How is that possible? It's just a box of candy. The money spent
hiring Penguin Logistics to deliver it
is much more expensive than buying such a box of candy, not to mention the
additional fees for discreet delivery."
Chen saw that Hoshiguma wasn't
responding, so she threw the photo onto the table and turned around to
find Hoshiguma staring
at her phone screen.
"What's wrong?"
Hoshiguma heard
this, casually turned off her phone, and shook her head: "No, nothing. It's a
message from an old friend."
"Hmm."
Outside the LGD at this
moment.
"Speaking of which, Croissant,
did you drive the car back?" Texas stopped
walking.
Croissant took the
car keys from her pocket and tossed them to Texas:
"Of course. Otherwise, you'd have to go the long way to drive that car back,
and it might not even be there by then."
"It's quite surprising to me that the car is still there after
such a long time."
"In such a short time, no one would dare lay a hand on Penguin Logistics's car, would they?"
"That's true."
Reinette shook
her head, watching their conversation.
'They're really a bunch of kids who need looking after. I'll
have to keep a closer eye on them later.'
— — — Penguin Logistics —
— —
"Apple Pie, delicious Apple Pie, Reinette, would you
like one?"
"Exusiai, you've been saying that
the whole way."
Croissant patted Reinette's shoulder: "Exusiai's
head can't hold any other hobbies besides firearms and Apple Pie. It's just a pity that last time I stocked a
batch of sugar-free Apple Pie, and only half
of it sold."
While Croissant was
speaking, Exusiai's face turned: "Croissant, I'll say it again: sugar-free Apple Pie is an absolute heresy and should never
have existed in this world from the start."
"Desserts?"
Reinette knew
that Sarkaz people loved sweets, and as
for why, Reinette's gaze swept
over Exusiai's glowing floating wings and
halo above her head.
'Perhaps it's due to the extra energy consumption of those
components, it's hard to say.'
"Alright, alright, I get it. I've already dealt with that
batch of Apple Pies. It's such a shame, I
only managed to sell half of them in the end. A huge loss."
"Who told you to stock that kind of thing? You know,
sugar..." Exusiai nodded,
preparing to lecture Croissant with
some grand reason to make her
abandon the terrifying idea of stocking sugar-free sweets. Just as she exited
the elevator, she saw another person, or rather, a penguin, sitting on the sofa
in the lobby.
"BOSS, good afternoon. We didn't cause any trouble this
time."
The Emperor nodded. Of course, he knew what that commission was
about. The two old men made the call right in front of him; how could he not
know?
"Alright, sit down. I'm here to announce a long-term
commission."
Texas walked
over, rummaged through the table for a while, then pulled out a brand new box
of Pocky. She opened it, took one stick, and sat down.
"Aren't we waiting for Sora to come back?"
Sora emerged from the room at this moment: "Texas, I'm back. The boss sent me a message earlier. I
was wondering what it was about?"
The Emperor clapped his hands: "Alright, alright, everyone
sit down."
Texas held the
Pocky stick in her mouth: "Is it a long-term security contract or a
transportation contract?"
"The former. As for the client..." The Emperor raised
a hand and pointed at Reinette, who was
currently petting Red, "It's her."
Reinette, pointed at
by the Emperor, looked up in confusion. She didn't remember saying anything
about a long-term commission contract.
"Reinette?"
Everyone's gaze converged on Reinette, only to find
that she seemed even more bewildered than they were.
"Cough, cough." The Emperor coughed twice, drawing
everyone else's attention back to him.
"Here's the thing: one of the conditions for Reinette joining Penguin
Logistics was that I would help her open up official channels in
various mobile cities, so that her medical activities would not be persecuted
by other official organizations between mobile cities."
Texas nodded:
"But that doesn't include civilian gangs and troublemakers?"
"Exactly. So, whenever you go to other mobile cities, just
help keep the peace. You'll be paid as usual."
"Keep the peace?" Texas looked
back at Reinette.
She felt that the phrase "keeping the peace" was
mainly an excuse for them to get paid leave, after all, would anyone really
dare to cause trouble for a god?
As for the other reason, it might be to prevent some clueless
person from actually causing trouble and angering Reinette. If they were to step in, it could effectively
reduce, for example, the radius of damage.
Reinette thought
for a moment and understood the Emperor's meaning: "I'll be relying on all
of you then. Some matters are indeed not suitable for a doctor to handle."
--- Lungmen Chief's
Mansion ---
"Who did you say you were looking for? So, it was Police Officer Xing Xiong." Wei Yanwu looked at Hoshiguma, who was sitting upright.
"My lords, you're too kind. Is there anything you need me
to do?"
Hoshiguma understood
very well that her presence here meant the two powerful figures before her had
something for her to do. And Hoshiguma could
even guess that it was most likely related to Little
Chen, but she couldn't be the one to say it.
"Hmm, indeed a suitable mouthpiece. There might be some
matters I need you for. Take a look at this first."
Shirayuki, standing
nearby, handed a tablet to Hoshiguma. Hoshiguma quickly took it, opened it, and began to
look at its contents.
As soon as she opened the tablet, the photo on it
surprised Hoshiguma.
"Is this... that newcomer from Penguin
Logistics?"
The tablet Shirayuki gave
to Hoshiguma was, of course, the same
tablet Wei Yanwu had
"borrowed" from the Emperor at the time, and the photo on it was,
naturally, Reinette herself.
Wei Yanwu took a
puff from the pipe in his hand and said calmly, "Little
Chen really did bring you along too. That makes things much
easier."
Hoshiguma was not
stupid. Hearing Wei Yanwu's words, she
quickly understood what that tip-off, which they had initially dismissed
as Mafia infighting, was all about.
As for what was in that box, it was probably just a box of
candy, because the candy was not important at all and didn't need to be seen by
them. What truly needed to be seen by them was only that newcomer from Penguin Logistics.
"Old Chen got scammed..." Hoshiguma mumbled, then continued flipping through the
tablet in her hand. As for why they went through such a roundabout way? This
tablet should give Hoshiguma the
answer.
"Tiamat, medical
treatment... and the Slums?" Hoshiguma quickly extracted the information she needed
from the tablet. These three keywords should be enough.
"Hmm." Wei Yanwu tapped
the pipe in his hand, "Police Officer Xing Xiong,
don't you think the Slums have been
outside the Lungmen Guard Department's
control for too long?"
"What about the Rat King?" Hoshiguma didn't directly answer Wei Yanwu's question but instead asked about another
powerful figure in charge of the Slums.
Wei Yanwu looked
at Hoshiguma with appreciation, then
said, "The person who went to give the commission to Penguin Logistics today was from the Rat King's people."
Hoshiguma trembled
slightly, then nodded with a wry smile. They had been scammed by a joint effort
of three powerful figures.
"Do you need me to tell Little
Chen about this Tiamat?"
"Yes, tell Little Chen,
or tell that little tiger from Shi Huaiya's
family, either is fine. I just need the fact that Tiamat is going to the Slums for
medical activities at the invitation of the Lungmen
Guard Department to be established, understand?"
Hoshiguma put down
the tablet and nodded: "Chief Wei, please
rest assured."
Hoshiguma wasn't
going to investigate why three powerful figures would go to such lengths to
find a doctor, nor was she going to ask why they were making a move on
the Slums at this particular time.
Since the three powerful figures had already agreed to do this,
it wasn't something a small police officer like her could stop, and besides.
"This won't be a bad thing."
Chapter 27: The Candidate
"Chief Wei really gave
me a difficult task." Hoshiguma scratched
her head, facing the night wind.
She was told to deliver this message to Old Chen or Shi Huaiya, but how should she say it?
Although Hoshiguma had
accepted the task from Wei Yanwu, how to
bring it up made her extremely hesitant.
Logically, today was the first time Hoshiguma had met that Reinette. She hadn't actually committed any crime,
and Hoshiguma had no
reason to investigate her background.
Even if she did investigate, at most she would only find out
that the person had recently arrived in Lungmen and
then joined Penguin Logistics. Investigating
further, even outside the mobile city, wouldn't that seem very unreasonable?
Moreover, there were plenty of busybodies in the LGD. If this matter became known, she would inevitably be gossiped
about, perhaps even becoming a topic of idle chat.
And if it were to be exaggerated, don't be surprised; it's human
nature to exaggerate when gossiping to increase credibility and entertainment
value.
She didn't want to acquire some strange labels just because she
acted as a messenger once.
"It's best to make the source of the message more
reasonable. Chief Wei didn't discuss
this directly with Old Chen, probably wanting Old Chen to learn how to utilize
people?"
"Or clarify what can be done, such as if another messenger
can be found." Hoshiguma looked
back at the City Lord's Mansion behind her.
After scratching her head, she still decided not to go back but
took out her phone. After all, going back right after leaving would seem a bit
awkward.
[Chief Wei, may I use
any means to complete this task?]
After sending the message, Hoshiguma walked
to the roadside, leaned against the wall, and stared at her phone screen.
Soon, several messages popped up on the screen.
[You may, as long as it doesn't
harm Lungmen's interests. I just need the
fact that Tiamat is going
to the Slums for medical activities at
the invitation of the Lungmen Guard Department to
be established.]
[You don't need to worry about
the Slums. Someone else is already
responsible for spreading the word there. Or do you need someone to help you be
another messenger?]
"Phew, that makes it a bit easier..." Hoshiguma breathed a sigh of relief looking at the
messages on the screen. At least she wasn't fighting alone.
Then Hoshiguma's mind began
to filter, who could help with this matter? Her former Mafia brothers were trustworthy, but they didn't
know Old Chen. It couldn't be that she would ask them to break the law just for
this, so Old Chen could arrest them.
Hoshiguma shook
her head, shaking away that momentary thought. She knew that if she were to
tell them, those brothers would definitely agree.
But she absolutely couldn't do that for two reasons. One, Hoshiguma didn't want her brothers to get involved in
this mess. The other, more important reason, was that they weren't familiar
with Old Chen. If they were to connect with Old Chen, the crimes they committed
would have to be handled by Old Chen himself leading the team, and that might
not be something they could get out of in a year or two.
And even if they did do that, whether they could even talk to
Old Chen was another matter.
But who did she know, who she could trust, who was at least a
person from Lungmen, and who could talk to
Old Chen without making a big mistake?
As Hoshiguma leaned
against the wall, deep in thought, a woman's shout came from the street
opposite.
"Wait, I'm not trying to dine and dash! My bag is
missing!"
"Come on, miss? Who goes out without a wallet? How about
this, make a call? Have your friends or family send money? Then this matter is
settled, don't make it a big deal."
"But... but my phone is also in my bag."
"Hey, miss, are you playing games with me?"
Hearing this, Hoshiguma's eyes darted
around, locking onto a suspicious person wearing a baseball cap at another
street-side stall around the corner.
He looked like he was waiting for the chef to prepare something,
but he wasn't waiting by the stall or at the small tables and stools provided
by the stall. Instead, he was wandering among the other customers.
More importantly, he was carrying a woman's bag with a very
short strap. Compared to his height, it would be very inconvenient for him to
retrieve anything from it.
If he had a female companion with him, it might be reasonable,
but if he was alone, combined with what Hoshiguma had just
heard, there was only one possibility.
"Looks like I'm lucky, he didn't go far."
...
"Not this one, the bag is held too tight. This one doesn't
seem to have a bag." The person in the baseball cap moved behind the small
tables where the stall left for customers to wait, his gaze constantly scanning
the bags carried by the customers sitting there.
Just then, a couple ordered something from the boss, and the
boy, seemingly tired of carrying the bag, placed it down in the empty seat next
to him.
However, he still had some safety awareness, placing the bag
between his and his girlfriend's two stools.
"Very good..." The person in the baseball cap,
standing behind them, chuckled at the boy's action. The other party had some
safety awareness, but not much.
'Kid, it's safest to keep your bag close to you next time.
Consider this a tuition fee.'
The person in the baseball cap cautiously reached out. Just as
he gently lifted the bag, smugly thinking he had succeeded, a hand grabbed his
wrist.
"You've got some nerve, kid. You didn't run away
immediately after pulling off a score." Hoshiguma smiled at the person in the baseball cap,
"Lungmen Guard Department, you are under
arrest for theft."
"Young man, it's safer to hold your bag or keep it close to
your chest."
"Thank you, officer."
Hoshiguma smiled
and nodded, taking out her phone from her pocket: "Hello, this is Hoshiguma. Send someone to Qiaosha Street. I've caught a
pickpocket here."
After putting away her phone, Hoshiguma directly dragged the pickpocket towards
where the argument had just taken place.
"Alright, miss, you only have two choices: either stay and
work by washing dishes, or someone brings you the money."
"But I really..."
"Alright, sir, don't make it difficult for this young lady.
I found her bag." Hoshiguma interrupted
their conversation, then handed the lady's bag to the anxious young girl.
"Chief Hoshiguma?" At
this moment, a police car drove up and stopped beside Hoshiguma.
"We are officers on patrol in the area. We received a call
from the department and drove over. This must be the pickpocket you caught,
Chief?"
"Yes, I'll leave him to you."
"Understood, Chief, you've worked hard." The two
officers escorted the pickpocket into the police car and saluted Hoshiguma before leaving.
Hoshiguma, standing in
place, watched the departing police car, and seemed to remember someone.
"That's right, how could I forget about Rope, that child?"
The young girl, who had already resolved the dispute with the
shop owner, walked over and bowed to Hoshiguma: "Chief,
thank you for helping me get my bag back."
"Ah, it's nothing, just doing my duty."
Hoshiguma waved
her hand and then left, walking and contemplating whether Rope met the requirements.
'A child from the Slums with
no background, her background should be clean, no problem there. She's also
quite familiar with Old Chen and can talk to him.'
The more Hoshiguma considered
it, the more suitable Rope seemed. Of
course, this was indeed a trap, after all, it was something three powerful
figures had conspired to do.
But it wasn't a fiery pit, nor a deep one. If Rope truly had no background, was clever enough,
and most importantly, obedient enough, she might even be able to use this
opportunity to clear her name.
Since the choice had been made, there was no need to
hesitate. Rope and Hoshiguma knew each other, and she was indeed pitiful
in everyday life, so it was like giving her a helping hand.
Hoshiguma opened
her phone and began composing a message, emphasizing why Rope was chosen and what advantages she would
have.
[Chief, I do have a suitable
candidate. Her name is Rope, a thief from
the Slums...]
After clicking the send button, Hoshiguma breathed a sigh of relief: "Now it's up
to Chief Wei to decide."
--- City Lord's Mansion ---
"Rope?" Wei Yanwu looked at the text message Hoshiguma had just sent him.
"Shirayuki?"
Shirayuki, dressed in a
black ninja suit, appeared silently before Wei
Yanwu.
"Go investigate this child named Rope. If she is indeed reliable and has no background,
why not make her a citizen?"
At this moment, in a certain detention center in the Lungmen Guard Department.
A Cautus girl with long dark purple hair was leisurely lying on
the bed in the detention center, crossing her legs, relaxed and carefree, as if
the place she was in was not a detention center but her home. Oh, no, it should
be even more comfortable than home.
The girl had a beautiful face and well-defined features, but
unfortunately, her skin was a bit rough, though still fair. It just looked a
bit sallow, perhaps due to long-term poor eating and malnutrition, making her
appear thin and small.
Her clothes were already tattered and faded, God knows how long
they hadn't been washed, and how long they had been worn. Her long rabbit ears
twitched and twitched.
However, compared to her other disheveled features, her purple
eyes were exceptionally dazzling, like amethysts.
And this young girl was Rope.
Of course, poor rabbit didn't know that she was about to jump into a whirlpool.
As for now, she was lying on her bed, rubbing her stomach.
The meal she had just eaten from the prison was not much, nor
was it delicious, but it was enough to bring long-awaited relief to Rope's little belly, which had not seen any oil for two
months. It finally experienced a baptism of oil, making Rope feel as if she had entered paradise.
She rubbed her stomach while shaking her crossed legs.
For Rope, the detention
center was much more comfortable than the outside. Not only was there fragrant
prison food, but also a bed, bedding, no danger, and no need to worry about
wind or rain.
So, every now and then, Rope would
pretend to be caught, then naturally enter the detention center for a few days
of vacation.
According to Rope, it was
impossible to work hard. Everyone inside was super easy to talk to and all
talented, so it was super comfortable to stay there.
Of course, Rope wasn't
truly unwilling to work hard; it was just that even if Rope did try, it would be difficult to get the
deserved rewards.
On her barely covering clothes, something was glinting in the
light through a torn hole.
That was a trace of Oripathy infection. Yes, Rope was an Oripathy patient. No other reason was
needed; this alone was enough to extinguish any hope the young girl had of
trying to live a normal life.
The reason was simple: what could Rope do?
At most, it would be working as a waitress in a restaurant, and other jobs
would be pretty much the same.
But the problem was that no restaurant wanted an Oripathy
infected person as their waitress. That wasn't safe, neither for themselves nor
for the diners.
This land didn't reject infected people, especially those
like Rope who lacked education, from
working. The only jobs available were mercenary, courier, or some kind of
experimental subject for pharmaceutical companies—the kind that gets
experimented on.
But the young girl couldn't fight, and once she left the mobile
city, she would become just another set of bones in the wasteland within a few
days. As for being an experimental subject, that was equivalent to putting her
life in someone else's hands, and salary? I hope you're just joking.
"I wonder what tomorrow will be like?"
The young girl understood that after contracting Oripathy, she
only had two states: today and tomorrow. No one knew if she would die today,
nor if she would pass away tomorrow due to an acute Oripathy flare-up.
All the young girl could do was wait for the sun of the next day
and prepare for tomorrow's sun today.
"I hope tomorrow's meal has more oil."
— — — Penguin Logistics —
— —
In the lobby, Reinette sat on
the sofa, repeatedly stroking Red, who was lying on her lap. Red's throat only
emitted purring sounds, and she was so comfortable that she had spread out like
a pancake on Reinette's lap.
"Profession?"
"Yes, yes, that's your role, Reinette." Exusiai nodded, then raised her hand to point at
the others.
"For example, Texas Is a Vanguard, I'm a Sniper, Croissant Is a
Defender, and Sora Is a Supporter."
Texas added,
"Actually, in combat, how should we position you, Reinette?"
"I'm a doctor, so of course I'm a Medic." Reinette pinched Red's wolf ears.
Hearing Reinette, Exusiai was somewhat surprised: "I thought, Reinette, with your superb archery skills, you would
become a Sniper Operator like me."
"I always believe that violence Is necessary
in many situations, especially on this land. So, archery Is my self-defense skill, but medicine Is my foundation, Exusiai."
Exusiai nodded,
half-understanding, then looked at Red, who had already spread out like a
pancake on Reinette's lap.
"What about Red?"
"Red, I don't know~"
Reinette picked
up Red, slightly adjusted her sitting posture: "This child can't control her
hands, so Red doesn't participate in regular delivery operations. As for
special operations, Red will be more efficient acting alone than with us."
"Oh~"
"Miss Reinette, do you need
me to get you a medical staff? The original bow Is too
unsuitable, isn't it?"
Reinette looked
in the direction of the voice and saw Is standing
at the door. That was what he had just said.
"If possible, then I would be troubled." Reinette smiled and nodded. She indeed needed a staff
to conceal her abilities.
The original bow was fine in the wilderness; no one would care.
But it wouldn't work in the city, because if you took that out, citizens would
think you wanted to heal or to cut people down, and the outcome goes without
saying.