Cat-and-Mouse Game

"Pet Scott, male, thirty-eight."

After opening the manila file folder, Bai Ye placed a stack of documents on the dining table.

"Can the two of us really catch him?"

Texas looked at the map spread across the table, spinning a pencil around her fingers twice without knowing where to circle.

"I think we should give it a try... He's smuggled incense products and spices between Victoria and Columbia multiple times."

Bai Ye carefully reviewed the information and files on the "prey" provided by the client. For newly registered bounty hunters, this was indeed an extremely difficult assignment.

"This task is too difficult for us. Don't forget, we've been in this city for less than two days."

Texas tapped the table with her pencil in dissatisfaction. Even she felt that Bai Ye was being overly ambitious and unrealistic.

"This is our chance..."

Bai Ye naturally picked up on the hint of displeasure in Texas's words. After all, they only had seven days to capture Mr. Scott, who could be hiding anywhere.

"If we only took jobs like finding lost cats, we could certainly complete them easily," Bai Ye explained patiently. "But we don't have that much time to waste on scattered, low-reward jobs."

Texas nodded. Deep down, she strongly agreed with Bai Ye. After all, Texas had no desire to roam the streets looking for cats and dogs, or repair people's sewers.

Come on, Texas was a powerful warrior who had undergone the Texas Family's rigorous training. How could she do such bizarre, trivial chores like some hand-sweat god who only charged five yen?

"This client is quite interesting. Aside from the governments of Victoria and Columbia, an incense company has also put up a considerable bounty."

Bai Ye put the documents back on the table. The young man had evidently finished reading through all of them.

"...An incense formula? I see. It seems our smuggler gentleman moonlighted as a thief as well." Texas went through the files in the manila folder too, raising an eyebrow with an odd tone in her voice.

"The information only gives us vague leads and a few speculations. It's obviously not very useful. Otherwise, the government patrolmen would have caught him long ago."

Bai Ye shrugged and turned his gaze toward the map.

"Do you have any ideas?"

Texas closed her eyes and thought for a while before opening them again. She truly had no clue. Looking for someone in an unfamiliar city was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

"First... of course, we ask Daddy God!"

Bai Ye took the holy emblem from the pocket over his chest. Holding the wooden emblem, he closed his eyes and placed both hands before his chest.

Texas tilted her head, watching Bai Ye's actions with great interest.

"Great Goddess Laifu, the rest is omitted. Please guide me!"

Bai Ye softly recited that utterly nonsensical prayer. The silver-armored girl Anna had been absolutely right—this remarkably handsome fellow had no faith in his own god whatsoever.

[Go find him yourself!]

Bai Ye quickly received the goddess's reply. It seemed he had failed. His god would not help him with such a trivial matter, much less when—he had not asked sincerely in the first place. Why would the goddess mercifully give him the answer?

"Fine, I knew my god wasn't very reliable." Bai Ye clearly did not realize his own mistake. "Fortunately, I never expected to get the answer so easily."

Bai Ye sat back down in his chair, rubbing the smooth holy emblem as he tried another method. The young man opened his quest panel.

After accepting the commission from the middle-aged man in butler's attire, a new quest had appeared on Bai Ye's quest panel.

[Cat-and-Mouse Game]

Quest Description: A smuggler moonlighting as a thief stole a formula from an incense company. You need to find and capture him within seven days.

Quest Rewards: Toudou-Style Swordsmanship, EXP, Skill Points x2

Failure Penalty: Texas's favorability decreases; crushed by debt

Note: This is the first commission you have accepted as a bounty hunter.

Bai Ye felt that he had seemingly figured out the pattern behind the system's quest issuance. As long as he accepted a commission or task through legitimate channels in reality, the system would likewise refresh his quest panel.

Of course, that theory would need further testing before it could be confirmed.

Bai Ye had opened the quest panel to complete another test.

"Eagle Eye."

As he silently invoked the skill, Bai Ye activated Eagle Eye.

That was right. The young man wanted to see whether he could use the Eagle Eye skill to find the smuggler hiding somewhere in the city.

"Fine, I was overthinking it again. As expected, it doesn't work."

Bai Ye shook his head and deactivated Eagle Eye. He had clearly been dreaming. The Eagle Eye skill was still the version modified by the system, so naturally it would not mark Bai Ye's quest target like it did in the game.

"So I can only rely on myself to complete this commission?"

Only after his attempts at other shortcuts proved fruitless did Bai Ye begin to think carefully. He thoroughly reviewed the documents in the file folder once more, then closed his eyes.

"Do you have a lead?"

Texas asked curiously. At this point, she was not as experienced as she would be three years later. The current Texas could easily handle jobs such as assassinations, but she found the commission Bai Ye had accepted exceptionally troublesome.

"There are several possible breakthroughs," Bai Ye said slowly. "First, the smell of the spices. Second, the word 'smuggling' itself contains quite a few clues."

"Smells can be eliminated through sealing and cleaning measures." Texas narrowed her eyes. "And don't count on me. I am a Lupo, but my nose... isn't that powerful!"

"Ahem... Then we should analyze the second point instead." Bai Ye scratched his head awkwardly.

"Mm. Go on."

"Bringing spice products from Victoria to Columbia isn't easy. Besides, if he brought the spices to Columbia, he would naturally need someone to sell them to. Otherwise, wouldn't all his work have been for nothing?"

"True. This isn't his first time smuggling, so there must be someone here to receive him. But even you can think of that. The governments of both countries aren't idiots, so they've naturally considered it too."

"They're only on the first level, while I'm on the fifth level... Ahem." Bai Ye cracked a joke only he understood.

"No, I think you're only on the first level too."

Texas's words had always struck straight at the heart, as though it were an extension of her swordsmanship—or rather, her fighting style. Just as crisp and direct, simple yet exceptionally deadly.