Terrifying Video, New Job

Raindrops exploded like silver blossoms on his bright yellow raincoat as Fang Qingyu pushed forward against the wind, his back hunched.

The e-bike tires rolled over the slick asphalt. As the headlights cut through the curtain of rain, plane tree leaves, heavy with water droplets, danced in the beams, and the latch on the delivery box tapped out a rapid rhythm.

If you wanted to know who was the most dedicated delivery driver in this area, it was undoubtedly Fang Qingyu.

He didn't care at all if he got soaked.

His e-bike weaved through the streets and alleys, making him a living map of the area.

In the afternoon, Fang Qingyu and several other delivery drivers sat outside a convenience store, eating dinner.

He looked at his delivery driver panel.

[Profession: Delivery Driver Lv.1 (47/100)]
[Base Skill: E-Bike Piloting Lv.2 (21/200)]

His profession level was almost halfway there. In another week at most, he'd get another skill point.

At that moment, Old Li, who was eating beside him, suddenly said mysteriously, "Hey, do you guys know why people in the group are saying not to go to the outskirts late at night recently?"

"Didn't they release news about it? Things have been unstable lately. It's probably not gang fights, but maybe someone escaped from prison again."

Everyone was used to this kind of talk and wasn't particularly worried.

At least in crowded areas, Qingjian City hadn't experienced anything like this. They just needed to avoid the outskirts at night.

"It's not that this time."

Old Li shook his head, as if he knew the real truth.

Seeing everyone's attention focused on him, Old Li took out his phone and whispered, "Come over here, I'll show you a video."

Fang Qingyu gathered around with the others.

He was also very curious about what was going on. Usually, they only heard about news, but never saw any footage.

"Don't spread this around anywhere," Old Li cautioned everyone before opening the video.

"Stop dawdling. Back when that serial killer appeared on Tianyi Street years ago, I was right there. When have I ever said anything?" someone impatiently urged.

"The footage this time is absolutely explosive."

Old Li, full of mystery, clicked on the video.

The phone screen shook violently, and raindrops smeared the lens in a spiderweb pattern.

The tenement buildings in the old district in the distance looked like slumbering behemoths in the downpour.

"Shit!"

Gasps erupted from under the convenience store's eaves.

In the blurry footage, two dark figures overlapped at the entrance of an alley.

The hunched silhouette above suddenly lifted its head. Lamplight split its face with a cold gleam. Its mouth, covered in scabs, hung open with pieces of flesh, and a half-purple intestine dangled from its bone-white teeth.

Old Li pressed his thumb on the screen. "Pay attention to the eyes."

The video happened to freeze at the moment the dark figure turned its head.

In the enlarged pixels, two blood-red pupils burned through the rain, seeming to stare directly at the viewers through the screen.

Amidst the cameraman's panicked breaths, the lens spun wildly and hit a wall.

It finally settled on a windowpane streaked with rain.

"This was filmed at three in the morning yesterday," Old Li said, turning off his phone. The plastic stool scraped harshly against the ground. "The police have already cordoned off the area, saying it was a gas pipeline leak."

"This must be photoshopped."

After watching, someone sneered.

Their skepticism wasn't unfounded, as the figure's appearance was just like something from a horror movie after makeup.

"Tch, believe it or not," Old Li rolled his eyes. Good advice falls on deaf ears.

With that, Old Li was the first to leave the convenience store to continue his work.

Only the others remained, discussing amongst themselves.

Fang Qingyu didn't join the conversation. After bidding farewell to a few people, he rode his e-bike home.

Even though everyone except Old Li thought the video was photoshopped, and they had good reasons for it.

For example, people couldn't possibly look like that and still be alive.

Or, judging by the lighting effects and such, it also looked fake.

But what if

it wasn't photoshopped?

Having finally gotten a chance to climb higher, Fang Qingyu didn't want to stake his safety entirely on the possibility of it being fake.

He still wasn't strong enough.

If only he could be like Coach Lin, whose gaze alone could make someone feel like they'd fallen into an ice cave.

Even if the other party really wasn't human, he'd at least have enough power to protect himself.

Fang Qingyu thought this, went home, changed his clothes, and headed to his next job.

The bloodstains in the alley had already been washed away by the heavy rain.

Entering through the back door, Xiao Si's eyes lit up when he saw Fang Qingyu.

"Qingzi, Brother Jiao is looking for you. Go see him first."

"Oh, okay."

Fang Qingyu walked towards the office with a bit of confusion.

"Knock knock~"

"Come in."

Seeing it was Fang Qingyu, Brother Jiao pointed to the chair opposite him. "Sit."

Fang Qingyu walked over and sat down, looking at the title above the other man's head.

[Zishi Merchant Guild Security Consultant]

"Been practicing martial arts recently?"

Brother Jiao asked, taking a cigar from his drawer.

"Yes, but I just started."

Fang Qingyu was taken aback and answered truthfully.

"I can tell."

After hearing this, Brother Jiao couldn't help but chuckle softly, recalling Fang Qingyu's clumsy fighting style in the surveillance footage.

"But you can still put up a good fight. Those thugs have roughed up quite a few people around here. Interested in changing jobs?"

"?"

Fang Qingyu immediately showed a strange expression.

It was quite something to be recommended for a job at another establishment while still working for the same one.

"Heh heh, it's like this. I'm a bit short-handed at another one of my gyms right now. It's also a security job, from 7 AM to 12 PM, with a salary of sixteen thousand. How about it, interested?"

Fang Qingyu's brow furrowed upon hearing this.

"What does it involve?"

"It's absolutely legal and compliant, you can rest assured. It's just a mixed martial arts venue. People tend to get excited when watching matches, so we need someone to maintain order."

Brother Jiao could tell what Fang Qingyu was thinking and quickly waved his hand.

"Underground fighting?"

A term immediately popped into Fang Qingyu's mind.

"How could it be underground fighting? It's a legitimate combat betting club. If you don't believe me, search for Tongyuan Combat Gym online yourself."

Fang Qingyu didn't hesitate and immediately picked up his phone to search.

The results were exactly as Brother Jiao had described.

All the necessary permits were in order; it was a legal establishment.

And it wasn't just this gym. Fang Qingyu checked a few others; there were three or four similar venues in Qingjian City.

All of them were... legal.

Fang Qingyu put his phone away.

"Can I see it first?"

"Sure. Just report for duty during working hours tomorrow. If it doesn't work out, you can come back here."

Brother Jiao agreed readily.

"Then thank you, Brother Jiao."

Fang Qingyu stood up and expressed his gratitude. If what the other man said was true, the monthly salary for the security job would more than double, and the working hours would be shorter.

He could continue to focus on the security profession.

It perfectly matched his current needs.

"You're welcome."

Brother Jiao waved his hand magnanimously.

After Fang Qingyu walked out of the office.

Brother Jiao sat in his chair, recalling the surveillance footage from the alley he watched yesterday, and then pulled up the video of Fang Qingyu working before.

From his unsteady steps, nearly falling over several times due to customers, to taking down four people by himself.

The entire process took less than 10 days.

Others might not understand what this represented, but Brother Jiao understood it perfectly.

"A true martial practitioner..."

Brother Jiao's gaze held a hint of longing.

Although he knew Fang Qingyu's chances of success weren't high, the price he himself paid was also not significant.

And if, by some chance.

Fang Qingyu became a true martial practitioner.

Tsk tsk...

Then he would definitely come out on top, no matter how he calculated it.

This was also why.

He could sit in an office and work as a security guard.