Diesel Company had once been Balihe Street's star enterprise.
Thanks to the Xiaolong River's water transport, oil and gas extracted from the coastal regions were refined, then diesel was shipped here for distribution.
Back then, Diesel Company had been raking in money every day and possessed considerable assets.
Even now, in this era eroded by the Necromantic Rules, it was still considered a formidable force within Balihe Street.
This had to do with the current General Manager, formerly the Sales Manager, who had fortuitously gained the allegiance of an entire Orc Tribe when the marks of countless shattered Spiritual Realm Crystal Wall Systems fell upon Blue Star.
In addition, some of Diesel Company's own employees had gradually obtained Spiritual Realm Marks.
Thus, within Balihe Street, virtually no one dared to provoke them.
They acted as if they were the ones calling the shots.
Moreover, even before the Necromantic Rules descended, Diesel Company had been involved in some shady businesses. Its salespeople had connections in both the underworld and legitimate circles, while its numerous diesel tanker drivers had always been overbearing and unreasonable. When the federal government's rule collapsed, they naturally took over the highest authority.
However, Diesel Company, accustomed to speaking through violence and oppression, had also earned an extremely bad reputation on Balihe Street.
Nobody liked them.
Yet under their tyrannical power, people could only obey helplessly or stay out of their way.
Diesel Company did not care in the slightest. To ensure its absolute control over Balihe Street, it had even acquired a Magic Crystal Ball.
It was specifically used to detect Magic Fluctuations and Mark fluctuations.
It was placed in the Quality Inspection Department.
Buzz!
Just then, the Magic Crystal Ball, gray and dull as though it had been made from cheap glass or low-grade crystal, suddenly began to glow faintly.
This immediately caught the attention of a middle-aged man in the room. He wore a gray robe, held a staff made of rattan, and had a badge on his chest reading, "Quality Inspection Department Deputy Director · Divination Mage."
"Obvious Magic Fluctuations have appeared in the east?" The middle-aged man serving as Diesel Company's Quality Inspection Department Director was slightly stunned.
Through his soul bond with the Magic Crystal Ball, he could clearly sense what that glow meant.
"Mr. Zhang Bo, these grapes have just been washed. Please enjoy them."
A fawning voice came from behind him.
It belonged to a little goblin that only reached his thigh. It wore a coarse linen tunic, had large eyes, pointed ears, a wrinkled and somewhat ugly face, and was holding up a plastic draining basket filled with plump, round purple grapes as if presenting a treasure.
"Mm." Zhang Bo nodded and picked up a grape, placing it in his mouth.
A slightly tart sweetness immediately filled his mouth.
They had also been chilled in an ice cellar, leaving them pleasantly cold. The taste pleased him enough that he nodded in praise. "Not bad."
The praise was also directed at these timid little goblins, who were exceptionally considerate when serving others.
That single compliment made the little goblin even happier.
Its pointed ears could visibly be seen twitching.
That showed it was truly excited.
"By the way, have the other little goblins draft a document later and send it to the company office. Say that Magic Fluctuations have been detected east of Balihe Street, provisionally in the suburbs, and ask the Marketing Department to go investigate."
Zhang Bo picked up another grape and put it into his mouth, casually assigning work to the little goblin leader he trusted most.
Having received a professional inheritance,
and as a mage of the Divination School among Spellcasters, he had also gained the allegiance of more than twenty little goblins when he obtained his Legacy Mark.
These little goblins could at most help with cleaning, daily service, and basic paperwork.
But Zhang Bo greatly enjoyed being served by them.
At the very least, it made things much easier for him.
Just as Zhang Bo sat back in his chair, eating grapes and reading the Quality Inspection Department's reports, a sinister voice sounded from outside the door.
"Looks like you're having quite a comfortable time on duty here, Old Zhang."
Zhang Bo turned to look.
Outside the door, two Gnolls held torches and rested their hands on the hilts of their scimitars, standing there like guards.
A thin, gaunt figure wearing leather armor and carrying a scimitar at his waist stepped into Zhang Bo's office.
With a smile that did not reach his eyes, he said,
"Compared to life in our Transportation Department, this is practically heaven and earth apart. I'm so jealous just looking at it."
"Can't be helped. Different divisions of labor." Zhang Bo curled his lips, a hint of helplessness appearing in his eyes.
Of course, he knew this man.
Zhang Caidong, vice-captain of the Transportation Department's Twelfth Squad, was also a professional, a level 3 warrior.
He also had thirteen Gnolls as followers.
His strength was fairly good.
However, just like Zhang Bo, he had been an outsider who joined Diesel Company from elsewhere during the past three years. He had never had the chance to enter the core ranks, so he had remained in a deputy position.
Furthermore, Zhang Caidong and Zhang Bo shared the same surname and came from the same hometown, so the two had banded together for mutual support.
"Have some grapes." Zhang Bo handed him the draining basket.
"Brother Bo, has your Quality Inspection Department detected any Mark fluctuations recently?"
Zhang Caidong took the grapes and began stuffing them into his mouth without the slightest politeness.
Chilled juice splashed everywhere.
These grapes supplied exclusively to the Quality Inspection Department really did taste excellent. He could not get grapes this good in his Transportation Department squad.
"Magic Fluctuations..." Zhang Bo hesitated when he heard that.
"So there are some?" Zhang Caidong immediately caught the hesitation in the tone of his honest-natured fellow townsman.
"There really are." Zhang Bo nodded.
"Brother Bo, once this is done, I'll treat you to a meal!" Zhang Caidong hurriedly grabbed two more grapes and tossed them into his mouth, then shoved the draining basket back into Zhang Bo's hands. "Lately, I want to make a push and see if I can get transferred into one of the top ten transportation squads. Whether it works out depends on you, my fellow townsman with the same surname."
"Caidong, that goes against the rules." Zhang Bo frowned, took the draining basket, and set it on the table.
One of the Quality Inspection Department's duties was to monitor Magic Fluctuations throughout Balihe Street.
Therefore, whenever Spiritual Realm Marks or talented individuals were discovered, it would receive the information firsthand.
And as the Deputy Director personally responsible for this Magic Crystal Ball, he held absolute authority and access to information.
He had already leaked quite a lot of information to Zhang Caidong before.
After all, they shared the same surname and hometown.
They had to stick together and look after each other.
But the others, especially those who had already been attached to Diesel Company before, had long grown dissatisfied with this.
If Zhang Bo himself had not been a level 2 Divination Mage, the higher-ups would likely have held him accountable already.
And... Zhang Bo also knew clearly.
His fellow townsman, Zhang Caidong, had caused quite a few problems using the firsthand information Zhang Bo gave him!
For example, the Gnolls following Zhang Caidong had actually been snatched from another longtime Diesel Company employee. Zhang Caidong had used underhanded means to seize most of them from among a group of Gnoll followers.
This had enraged the other man so much that he had even left Diesel Company and moved outside.
Though there had also been internal strife among the old employees involved.
It still showed that Zhang Caidong had little respect for rules and regulations.
"Come on, Brother Bo, can you really bear to leave me in the bottom-ranked Twelfth Transportation Squad, serving as nothing more than a vice-captain in name?"
Zhang Caidong did not care at all about Zhang Bo's frown. Instead, he squatted beside his chair and spoke sincerely. "The two of us share both fortune and disaster. If I rise up, would I not help you, Brother Bo? We're both named Zhang! We both came from the Urban Village, descended from the same ancestors!"
When Zhang Caidong mentioned the Urban Village, Zhang Bo's eyes flickered. He subconsciously turned to look out the window.
Outside, darkness still reigned, filled with the Necromantic Rules.
"Ah."
Zhang Bo sighed, then nodded. "I'll give you a brief report later. Tear it up yourself after reading it. Magic Fluctuations were found in the east. I'm not sure whether it's a Mark or something else. I'll delay the report by half a day, so go take a look first this morning."
"Understood. You're the best, Brother Bo." A smile immediately appeared on Zhang Caidong's gloomy face. He picked up a grape and put it in his mouth.
Chilled juice splashed everywhere, and sweetness spread through his mouth.
He had known it.
It really did taste excellent.
"One more thing..." Zhang Bo reminded him at this moment. "That person... seems to be living in an apartment somewhere in the east as well."
"Hm?" Zhang Caidong seemed to think of someone, and a contemptuous smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Him? He only has four Gnolls by his side now. He can barely protect himself, so what makes him think he can act arrogant before my thirteen Gnolls?" Zhang Caidong waved his hand. "This isn't the past anymore. Does he really think he's still that old shareholder who had a good relationship with the previous General Manager?"
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