Toyokawa Shoko, I Can Do Anything

Having unexpectedly gained two cultists, Gu Xin was in a very good mood.

He headed toward his little shop, while the blue-haired girl followed closely behind him.

Once they returned to the shop.

"Have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

Gu Xin gestured for the girl to sit and asked her.

But after waiting a while, he found that she was still standing there awkwardly.

"My clothes are very dirty..." The girl bit her lip and spoke softly, embarrassed.

She wore a pleated skirt that was indeed quite dirty. Who knew how long she had been locked in that basement?

"It's fine. We can just wipe it down later." Gu Xin was taken aback, then replied with a smile.

"Sit down first. Is plain water okay?"

"Yes, thank you very much."

The girl gave him a solemn bow, making Gu Xin feel rather embarrassed.

Gu Xin poured a cup of hot water and set it before her, then gave her a brief look over.

She had a rare head of long blue hair tied into twin ponytails. Though there was some grime on her, he could still see that her face was delicate and fair, while her golden eyes were unlike those of ordinary people.

If she were cleaned up and dressed properly, Gu Xin felt that this girl might be even more stunning than the sisters Yin Xue and Tang Yueyue.

Her legs were pressed together and tilted slightly to one side, her back straight, her sitting posture flawless. Even under these circumstances, it was clear that she had received a good upbringing.

She held the cup in both hands and lowered her head as she took small sips. She must have been very thirsty, drinking for quite some time before setting the cup back on the table.

"You're not from Yin City, are you?"

Gu Xin looked at her with interest and decided to ask about her background.

Although she also spoke the language of Great Xia, accents varied somewhat across the country, and this girl's accent was a little different from that of Yin City natives.

"You have a discerning eye, benefactor. I am from Sakura Province, and my name is Toyokawa Shoko." Toyokawa Shoko pursed her lips and nodded.

"You don't have to call me benefactor. My name is Gu Xin."

Gu Xin felt a little awkward. In dramas, it felt great to see girls calling the protagonist "benefactor" every other sentence.

But in reality, Gu Xin only felt as though ants were crawling all over him. It was the kind of cringe that made his toes curl.

"Yes. Then please allow me to call you sir. If it had not been for you, perhaps I would have..."

As she spoke, Toyokawa Shoko once again fell into a gloomy, low-spirited state. Clearly, she had remembered something painful.

However, Toyokawa Shoko had strong control over her emotions.

She quickly composed herself and raised a hand to wipe the tear tracks from the corners of her eyes.

"What do you plan to do next? If you don't mind, you can stay here tonight. Tomorrow, I can buy you a ticket and send you back to Sakura Province. Or I can take you to the law enforcement bureau."

"The law enforcement bureau will provide assistance to girls who have gone through what you have."

Gu Xin offered his suggestions. Sakura Province was one of the regions under the Great Xia Empire, and it was indeed some distance from Yin City, where Gu Xin lived.

"Thank you very much for your kindness, sir. You saved me, and now you are still troubling yourself over my affairs. I am truly ashamed."

"You're welcome."

"But..."

Toyokawa Shoko bit her lip, her little hands clutching the hem of her skirt. She seemed to have thought of something, and her knuckles were beginning to turn white.

Gu Xin raised an eyebrow at the sight. It seemed Toyokawa Shoko had some unspeakable difficulty.

"Because of certain shameful family matters, my father and I moved to Yin City. I do not wish to return to Sakura Province."

After a long while, Toyokawa Shoko spoke softly.

So that was it. A family crisis?

Gu Xin fell into thought. It was not hard to understand. Although the Empire maintained order in this world, martial artists often defied the law.

Once an individual's power reached a certain level, it was not easy for the law to restrain them.

Not to mention that if it involved a large family, the words "family matters" could mean far too many things.

"Then what will you do next? Is your mother here?"

If that was the case, it would not be easy to send her to the law enforcement bureau either, since it was not a shelter.

Judging by how stubborn this girl looked, she clearly did not want to return to Sakura Province.

"My mother passed away when I was very young."

"I'm sorry."

"Please do not apologize, sir. When I came in just now, I saw that your shop was hiring employees. Is that right?"

"Well... that is true, but Miss Toyokawa, you should... still be under eighteen, right?"

Gu Xin looked at Toyokawa Shoko with some difficulty. Though he sympathized with what she had gone through.

The problem was that Toyokawa Shoko looked under eighteen. Wouldn't that make her a child laborer?

"Yes... I know this will cause you trouble, but please rest assured. If I am discovered, I will leave immediately and not trouble you. So please, I beg you to take me in."

Toyokawa Shoko suddenly stood up and gave Gu Xin another deep bow.

Girl, don't do that every other sentence.

"But even if you say that, what if..." Gu Xin was utterly helpless.

"I implore you to agree. I am very capable. I can do anything."

Yikes, that's way too dangerous a thing to say, girl.

Gu Xin clicked his tongue. He had often heard that the customs in Sakura Province were different from those in most parts of Great Xia.

This constant "I can do anything"—who could handle that?

Gu Xin found it a little hard to bear.

"Can you cook?"

"Yes!"

"Fine, then you're hired."

Gu Xin stood up and helped Toyokawa Shoko straighten from her bow, replying helplessly.

"Thank you, thank you so much, sir. I will work very hard." Toyokawa Shoko was overwhelmed with gratitude.

"Then I look forward to your performance." Gu Xin chuckled.

"Now, let's discuss your compensation."

Gu Xin sat back down.

"You are willing to take me in, and Xiangzi is already grateful beyond words. As long as you..."

"No, no. One thing at a time."

Gu Xin interrupted Toyokawa Shoko and shook his head.

"Do you still have a place to stay?"

"...No." Toyokawa Shoko lowered her head.

"All right. There's another room upstairs. You can stay there."

In fact, Gu Xin also had a house in the city center, left behind by his mother, but he had not gone there in a long time.

Blue Star Card Shop was not far from Yin City University, and his laboratory was here as well, so it was naturally much more convenient.

There were two rooms upstairs. The other one had originally been a study, but after tidying it up, it could be lived in.

"Yes."

Next, Gu Xin and Toyokawa Shoko discussed her duties and compensation.

Her monthly salary would be 5,000, with meals and lodging included. Toyokawa Shoko would be responsible for cleaning the entire shop, serving as the receptionist for customers who came in, and cooking.

Well, Gu Xin was personally quite satisfied. It would have been even better if Toyokawa Shoko were an adult.

As for her specific identity and background, Gu Xin did not particularly care. As long as she could properly do her job, that was enough.

And just like that, Gu Xin happily gained the first employee of his shop.

Next, it was time to deal with those two cultists.