Uncle Hua caved.
The middle-aged Vulpo sat at the table, shoulders slumped, and slid a drafted contract across to Chen Xiu.
"325 Lungmen dollars per month. Deposit one, pay three. Rent due upfront. Break the contract, deposit's forfeit. Damage furniture or property, appropriate compensation…"
Chen Xiu nodded, satisfied.
Now this looks like a normal rental contract.
He signed on the tenant line and counted out 1,300 on the spot.
At the original terms, renting this place would've cost at least twelve thousand. Now they'd saved a ridiculous amount.
Uncle Hua counted the money, then glanced at the calm Sarkaz youth, grudging admiration rising.
He didn't like it. But the kid had prepared well.
As a former top-tier salesman, Uncle Hua could accept a clean loss. Losing was losing.
"Utilities should be paid up for another two months," he added. "The last tenant prepaid. You can use it."
Chen Xiu hadn't expected a bonus. He also noticed Uncle Hua's attitude shift and understood why.
If Chen Xiu had been clueless, Uncle Hua might've claimed the previous tenant's leftover utilities as "compensation" and charged them. That angle was dead now.
"Thanks, Uncle Hua. Anything else we should know?"
Chen Xiu didn't expose the man's plan. Better to let it die quietly.
"No." Uncle Hua placed the keys down. "If I have to say something: even though this area's safer, it's still the slums. Don't wander outside after dark."
His eyes flicked to Texas standing silently behind Chen Xiu.
"Especially a young, pretty girl. Be careful."
Texas curled her lip. She didn't take it seriously.
But Chen Xiu heard the subtext and immediately asked, "I heard girls have been disappearing in the slums recently. Is that true?"
"I've only heard rumors," Uncle Hua said, shaking his head. "This place is chaotic. Most people drift around. Plenty use fake names. Even if someone vanishes, it's hard to trace."
After a little more small talk, Chen Xiu walked Uncle Hua out and turned back to celebrate with Texas, practically glowing.
"Texas! We don't have to sleep on the street anymore! And we saved a ton of money. Am I amazing or what?"
Texas watched him beam, tail practically ready to wag to the ceiling, and suddenly wanted to tease him.
"Yes, you're very amazing… Hiring the young mistress of the Texas family as a personal bodyguard for 162.5 a month. Anyone who can do that can't possibly be ordinary."
Chen Xiu froze.
Her playful gaze pinned him in place.
"Hold it!" he protested, pointing a finger like an offended accountant. "Besides housing, there are other expenses! Money spent on us is better than money stolen by a black-hearted landlord. Your math is wrong!"
Texas blinked.
The nerve of this guy—strong-arming the logic and accusing her instead.
But… if she thought about it, he had said he'd cover everything during co-renting.
So she really couldn't claim he'd only spent 162.5 to "hire" her.
Chen Xiu didn't let her dwell on it. He switched the topic in one sentence.
"I saw a bathtub and an electric heater in the bathroom. I already started heating water. Want to take a bath?"
Texas's ears perked. Her eyes lit up.
If she didn't have the option, she could live with it. But with the chance right here, she absolutely wanted to wash.
Especially her tail—one more day without care and it'd turn into a feather-beast duster.
Chen Xiu saw her reaction and silently celebrated. Plan successful. The wolf was soothed.
"You wash first. I'll go buy some change of clothes and other stuff."
He grabbed the keys and bolted out the door.
"Hmph. Surprisingly considerate…" Texas crossed her arms, watching the door close.
Then she smiled.
She didn't hate the little "calculation."
If he'd truly wanted to hide it, he could've dragged the landlord somewhere else to bargain.
Chen Xiu didn't know what she was thinking. But since she let it go with teasing instead of leaving, it meant she wasn't angry enough to walk away.
Still, he'd been successfully "got" by her.
He exhaled.
To keep the partnership healthy, he needed to compensate her properly.
There was a market nearby… I'll get her something decent.
He strode through the broken alleys, unaware that someone had been watching him from the shadows.
On a rooftop, a squat penguin held a glass of red wine, gently swirling it.
"Hahaha! Interesting—this is truly interesting! To get this far in just one day."
Emperor laughed loudly, his tiny eyes gleaming with childlike excitement.
"I struck gold. I really did. I thought meeting a human in Columbia who could bargain with the Lord of Wolves was already fascinating—then I followed her all the way to Lungmen and found this!"
When Texas was surrounded by thugs, Emperor had actually been standing on a wall nearby.
He'd already scripted his own dramatic entrance:
Leap down from the wall, kick the blond leader flying.
Draw his gun and drop one guy with a bang—then tilt his head and call the wolf girl to join in.
But before he could jump, a Sarkaz suddenly barged onto the stage and ruined the scene.
At first, Emperor had been annoyed—his carefully written performance shattered before it began.
Then he looked closer.
Huh? A Cyclops!?
A rare specimen.
Weren't they supposed to be hiding in Sami, playing in the snow? Where did this one crawl out from?
Things instantly became more entertaining—more entertaining than Emperor's own planned "hero" debut.
So he followed them quietly and watched their one-day "reverse fate."
From homeless drifters to having a real roof.
For a hell-mode start that began with "one bowl," their progress was absurd.
"Let's see how far you can go," Emperor said, raising his glass high.
"Go wild. Go cause trouble. I'll be your backstop—cleaning up after you!"
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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