Looking for a Job? (Uh... Asking for Something?)

(It's impossible to work for anyone else, absolutely not!)

After tidying up the supplies at home, he untied each bundle one by one and stored them in his Storage Space. Seven or eight large bags took time to open, eating up the whole morning. Once that was done, Xiao Hen started preparing lunch.

"Maybe having a woman around to cook would be nice," Xiao Hen sighed.

Little did he know, women these days wouldn't cook for you.

After eating, Xiao Hen turned his thoughts to money. Without a job, restocking supplies every time he came back would be a huge expense—no cash meant no goods.

"After lunch, I'll go out and find a job."

After the meal, Xiao Hen hopped on his beat-up electric scooter and rode into the city center, craning his neck to look around for hiring signs.

"What kind of job should I look for? I need to factor in the time I spend on missions in the other world. The work hours have to be flexible, not too restrictive." Xiao Hen pondered as he moved forward, scanning his surroundings, until a job posting caught his eye.

It was a high-end skyscraper. A neon screen displayed a recruitment ad: Chen's Martial Arts School hiring martial arts instructors. Retired military officers preferred, those with competition experience or titles from major martial arts tournaments given priority. Contact number: ***********.

"A martial arts instructor—should be pretty laid-back, right? And with my current abilities, aside from planning, all I'm good at is killing and fighting. Am I supposed to become an assassin or a mercenary?" Xiao Hen shook his head with a smile, then glanced at the ad again. He parked his scooter by the curb, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and walked into the building.

The first floor was spacious. Xiao Hen headed straight for the elevator, followed the signs, and rode up to the eighteenth floor—the floor where the martial arts school was located. Whoever picked this floor probably didn't know that the eighteenth floor is the hardest to sell in real estate.

The eighteenth floor symbolized the Eighteenth Level of Hell. Homebuyers actually believed in that kind of superstitious nonsense.

The elevator doors opened on the eighteenth floor, and Xiao Hen stepped out casually. He found himself facing a long row of floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Damn, the entire eighteenth floor was like this—solid and sturdy. Inside the glass windows were all kinds of fitness equipment, along with faintly visible sparring platforms. Xiao Hen knew he hadn't come to the wrong place.

This was Chen's Martial Arts School.

Xiao Hen strode into the school. A girl at the front desk immediately greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, sir. Are you here to join our school for training? Please come this way to sign up as a member!" The girl beamed.

Xiao Hen raised an eyebrow and gave a playful smirk. "No, I'm here to challenge the school."

"Ch-challenge the school?" The girl stammered in shock.

In this day and age, challenging a school was a rare occurrence. Even when it happened, it was a big deal—both sides had to negotiate, set a time, and only then fight for the sake of sparring. Not like Xiao Hen, just waltzing in and declaring a challenge.

"This..." The girl didn't know how to respond and turned to shout, "Coach Xu, someone's challenging the school!"

Coach Xu was a burly young man in a tight-fitting outfit, a black tank top clinging to his muscular frame. He walked over with an arrogant look. "What? Someone's challenging the school? You kidding me?"

"It's him!" The girl pointed at Xiao Hen, who stood with his hands in his pockets, looking like an ordinary guy with a curious expression.

"Challenging the school? That guy?" Coach Xu froze, then pointed at Xiao Hen in disbelief. This scrawny little punk dared to challenge the school? Probably some nutjob obsessed with martial arts novels. Coach Xu shook his head.

"Kid, this isn't a place for you to mess around. Get lost, go play somewhere else," Coach Xu said dismissively.

"No, I came because I saw your recruitment ad. Aren't you hiring instructors?" Xiao Hen said with interest.

"We are hiring instructors, but not some weakling like you. Get out!" Coach Xu frowned and waved his hand. What was this guy thinking? Did he even look in the mirror? So skinny and still trying to apply for an instructor job—just putting on a brave face.

"How do you know I'm no good without trying?" Xiao Hen said with a smile.

"Trying? Hah!" Coach Xu let out a cold laugh. "I'm afraid I'll break your bones, and then I'll have to take the blame!"

"No worries. Since I came to apply as an instructor, I'm not afraid of getting hurt. You look pretty solid—want to give it a go?" Xiao Hen sized him up.

"Solid?" Coach Xu paused, then sneered. This kid really wasn't giving up. All this strong muscle on him, and the guy dared to call him just "solid"? He really had a death wish.

"Fine, let's do it. Come on, I'll show you what it means—being a school instructor isn't a job just anyone can handle!" Coach Xu chuckled coldly, then turned and walked toward the sparring platform. Xiao Hen followed without changing his expression.

Downstairs, a Maserati President pulled into a parking spot by the curb. A short-haired woman stepped out of the driver's seat, then opened the rear door. A long-haired woman emerged, with an oval face, stunning features, and a calm, elegant demeanor. She wore light makeup, but it couldn't hide her spirited air.

"Lili, cancel the dinner with Mr. Yang of the Xinhu Group. I have other matters to handle today," the long-haired woman said as she stepped out, still flipping through documents. The short-haired woman understood.

"Yes, CEO Chen!"

"Also, have we recruited any instructors yet?" The long-haired woman closed the file and walked toward the elevator, frowning.

"Not yet..." The short-haired woman pressed the elevator button and looked at her boss with concern. "CEO Chen, don't worry. The ad's only been out a few days. Maybe we'll find someone soon..."

The long-haired woman gave a faint, self-deprecating smile. "Don't comfort me. I know this last-minute scrambling is childish, but it's still a hope, isn't it?"

The short-haired woman said nothing.

Right. In a few days, the family's major Martial Arts School Competition would take place. The schools run by the younger generation of the Chen family would compete, and the outcome would have huge consequences—even deciding CEO Chen's ultimate fate.

The short-haired woman watched her boss's back. Only she knew the immense pressure this strong woman was under right now.

"Miss... CEO Chen, don't worry. These difficulties will pass. Coach Xu isn't weak. Even compared to the coaches those young masters hire, he's not far off. Maybe we can win..." the short-haired woman couldn't help saying.

"No... You haven't seen it with your own eyes. You don't know how strong those martial arts masters are!" The long-haired woman sighed. She had personally seen the martial arts master under her second brother kick through a tree as thick as a rice bowl with ease and shatter granite with a single punch. That terrifying power was nothing like what an ordinary school coach could match.

"Sigh... Maybe I can't change my fate after all..." The long-haired woman lamented.

Ding...

The elevator doors opened. The two women stepped out onto the eighteenth floor, where the martial arts school was. Through the glass windows, they saw a shocking sight.

"Huh, what's this..."

The two women were startled by the scene inside. The long-haired woman's eyes went wide.

(Note: This chapter isn't about actually working a job—it's just for the plot.)

(This note is added by me. A lot of people curse me out when they see this chapter, but there's no need. It's just a little twist. Thanks.)