I Really Don't Want Trouble

Richard seemed to finally understand why someone like Jessica Jones had to change jobs so frequently.

Back when he watched the American TV series, Richard had found it a little strange. Leaving aside Jessica Jones's signature ability to lift a truck with her bare hands, she was also Hell's Kitchen's finest private investigator. Even based solely on her investigative expertise and research skills, she should have been doing quite well, shouldn't she?

But that was not the case. The Jessica Jones in the TV series was practically living on welfare. Due to a lack of funds, she had no choice but to run her detective agency out of her living room. Even then, she often had to fall behind on rent.

Richard had once thought that, with her abilities, she should not have ended up this badly even if she found work at any major agency. Now, he finally seemed to understand why.

When he flipped to the last page, Richard said in surprise, "Huh? You used to work for the Daily Bugle too?"

He remembered the Daily Bugle well. Wasn't that the personal newspaper of Marvel's beloved friendly neighborhood Spider-Man? Spider-Man was always taking selfies and selling the photos to the Daily Bugle for extra cash, wasn't he?

And naturally, the person at the Daily Bugle who left the deepest impression on him was its owner, J. Jonah Jameson. That guy was famously cheap and hot-tempered. Every other day, he picked faults with his employees, often flying into a rage over trivial matters. Whenever he unleashed his trademark lion's roar, it was said that people could hear it in buildings near the Daily Bugle...

A boss like that running into an employee like Jessica Jones was like setting off firecrackers in a powder keg. Just thinking about it was exciting.

Sure enough, Jessica continued in an utterly calm tone, "I had an argument with my boss and crushed his teacup with my bare hand, so I got fired."

Her description was brief and straightforward, but Richard could imagine from those few words alone that the scene had been far more spectacular than she made it sound.

Just imagining J. Jonah Jameson being left speechless by Jessica, yet not daring to lash out, filled Richard with delight. He had disliked that character when he watched the Spider-Man movies. After coming to this world, he had met Mr. Jameson by chance and had a minor verbal clash with him, which only deepened that terrible impression.

Thinking of that, Jessica suddenly looked much more pleasing to the eye!

"So, am I getting fired again?" Jessica asked, but she did not sound nervous or worried in the slightest, as if getting fired on her first day of work was nothing unusual.

Richard looked at her.

"Oh?" he countered. "Do you think you made a mistake serious enough to get fired over?"

"No." Jessica said stiffly. "That fat bastard had it coming. Someone should've taught him a lesson a long time ago."

"Then why do you think you're going to be fired?"

Jessica hesitated.

"Because that's how it always goes," she said. "Trish introduces me to a new job, then some idiot always comes looking to pick a fight with me. If things go well, I have a huge argument with someone. If they go badly, I beat someone up..." She shrugged. "...Either way, it always ends the same."

"Or," Richard said, closing her résumé and interlacing his fingers, "you should learn to control your temper."

Jessica shrugged. "I've tried. It doesn't work. Sometimes those bad guys' faces just love swaying around in front of my fists like magnets. I can't help it."

Richard shook his head. "I don't need any promises. I only need an attitude. I just need to hear you say that you're willing to make an effort, that you're willing to try to become better. That's enough. Tell me, can you do that? If you can guarantee me that, I'll let you stay. You don't want to lose this job again, do you?"

Jessica hesitated and began to think.

Although she seemed to change jobs even more often than she changed clothes—Jessica had worn the same outfit for ages in the show—to the point that she had become numb to being fired, she still did not want to be fired if she could help it.

For one thing, every time she got fired, her good friend Trish had to contact people everywhere again to see whether any other employers would take Jessica in. That made Jessica feel awful. She felt like she had become a burden to Trish.

Besides, today was her first day at her new workplace. Getting fired on her first day would have been a new record even for Jessica Jones. She really would not know how to face Trish afterward.

So she nodded.

"I'll do my best to control myself," she said seriously.

"Good. Then if there's nothing else, you can go back to work." Richard paused. "But your bonus for this month is gone."

Jessica: "..."

And so the future superhero Jessica Jones—though heaven knew whether she would still become a superhero in the end—stayed. To be honest, Richard rather liked Jessica. Not only were her investigative abilities first-rate, but more importantly, she possessed considerable fighting ability and the means to protect herself. That made her far more reassuring.

After that day, the new reporter Jessica Jones gained a private nickname within the Daily Planet—

—"Can't Be Messed With."

Several days later, early in the morning, several gaudily painted sports cars pulled up beneath the Daily Planet's main building. A large group of punks with brightly colored, ridiculous hairstyles and unconventional outfits climbed out one after another. Their leader, however, was dressed somewhat decently. His seemingly explosive muscles were hidden beneath a charcoal-gray casual suit. Wearing a gold chain and a cigar between his teeth, he swaggered into the Daily Planet building as though he were walking on air, with everything but the word "tacky" stamped across his face.

The group stormed into the newspaper lobby like an invading army. They looked fierce and menacing, and everyone in their path instinctively stepped aside. When the group swaggered up to the elevator doors, the people waiting to take the elevator wisely moved aside as well.

Can't mess with them. Better take the next one.

However, not everyone was so sensible.

The gang of punks arrogantly flooded into the elevator, only to suddenly discover a beautiful woman in a leather jacket and scarf standing inside. The thugs could not help being secretly surprised. This woman stood alone in the middle of more than ten of them, yet she showed no panic at all. Her nerve was truly admirable.

Under normal circumstances, if they came across such a rare beauty, they definitely would have made some lewd advances. But not today. They had important business here.

So one of the punks grabbed the woman's wrist and snarled, "Get out. We've reserved this elevator."

Jessica Jones lowered her head and looked at the punk gripping her wrist, unable to help feeling melancholy...

...I really don't want trouble! But trouble always comes looking for me!