Salary and Benefits

"So good."

Chu Hengkong polished off more than half a bowl of lai fun, then looked up and praised it.

After returning to headquarters, Huaisu's Father slipped away without a sound, leaving the two new partners to explore the cafeteria together. At this hour, only a few pieces of roasted goose remained, but the headquarters chef was generous. Not only had he added extra fried tofu and goose liver to their noodle bowls, he had also made a huge platter of teppan squid. Thick chunks of squid were coated in rich sauce, while oil crackled and spat along the edge of the iron griddle, making Chu Hengkong feel as if he had returned to the roadside food stalls of his hometown.

In no time at all, he finished the lai fun and squid, then used the squid sauce to eat a plate of unknown green vegetables. The satisfaction brought by the high-calorie food effectively dispelled his post-battle fatigue. Chu Hengkong leaned back against the cafeteria's wooden chair, happily narrowing his eyes.

"The chef's skills are pretty good."

Ji Huaishu, seated across from him, felt that this man was just like some large animal—once full, he narrowed his eyes as though he would fall asleep the next second. She turned toward the kitchen and called out, "Chef, the newcomer's complimenting you."

"Hey! Glad you like it!"

The chef jogged over, wiping his greasy hands on his clothes. He was a somewhat scruffy man in his early thirties, still wearing a filthy baseball cap. Tucked beneath his arm was a copy of the Orthodox Herbal Treatise, which he seemed to have been studying not long ago. Chu Hengkong recognized him; he had been the one who delivered the late-night snack to the interrogation room earlier.

Unfortunately, Ji Huaishu had snatched the better bowl...

"Let me introduce you. This is Jie An, the team's head chef and logistics supervisor. If you come across any rare medicinal ingredients in the future, you can hand them over to him to process," Ji Huaishu said. "He's Chu Hengkong, a newcomer who crossed over today. He'll temporarily join the team as combat support."

"Taking down a wanted criminal on your first day? You've got a bright future, newcomer!" Jie An stepped forward to shake his hand. "Which Dust Island are you from?"

Dust Island. Ji Huaishu had mentioned that term before. Judging from how casually they treated people crossing over, it was probably a concept similar to a "world" or "plane"...

Chu Hengkong kept his expression neutral. "An ordinary Dust Island. No demons, no tentacles, no dragons."

"My God! There's still such a peaceful place in this day and age?" Jie An let out an exaggerated cry, genuine sympathy appearing in his eyes. "Man, then you really are a bit unlucky... You must have realized that the pressure of life on our side is just a tiny bit higher than back home..."

"Don't scare the newcomer." Ji Huaishu shot him a glare.

"But once you join the team, you've found your organization! As long as you don't cause trouble, Captain Huaisu will look after you!" Jie An grinned mischievously. "Unlike a humble little chef like me, she's the pillar holding up the team—the kind with guts in every inch of her body, brave and invincible. Even demons have to call her a hero when they see her. Remember not to offend her while you're on the job. It won't be good for your little life."

Ji Huaishu acted as though she had heard nothing and could not be bothered to argue with such a glib fellow. Chu Hengkong listened with great interest and asked, "Then Mr. Ji is?"

"You mean her father?" Jie An laughed. "He doesn't count as one of the team. He's the illustrious Lord of Dragon's Return City!"

Chu Hengkong was genuinely startled. He had never expected that man, who looked like a dog-headed military advisor, to be the lord of an entire city. He turned to ask, "The city lord's daughter works as a frontline patrol officer?"

"There's no one left in the team! Even the city lord's daughter has to haul bricks when it's time to haul bricks!" Ji Huaishu said viciously. "If we weren't truly short on manpower, why would we hire you?"

"Looks like I can look forward to an income. How does our team pay salaries?"

"You've come to the right person for that. I handle the accounts too." Jie An wagged a finger. "Ordinary members generally get a fixed salary. After deductions for insurance, meal allowances, and housing subsidies, they take home fifteen thousand Flow Pearls a month. That income is above average in the city—enough to live well and save a little besides. But..."

Chu Hengkong perked up. He knew that what came after "but" was usually the main event. Ji Huaishu beside him took over. "Considering that you're a temporary member with a semi-contracted status, you have another option. No base salary. Taking down a small criminal gang earns a fixed four thousand Flow Pearls, while killing a wanted criminal like Hugos gets you the post-tax bounty directly. Which do you choose?"

"The second one, of course." Chu Hengkong did not hesitate. Compared to drawing a dead salary, taking jobs to earn money suited his habits far better. "The authorities sure are generous. I'll take today's hundred thousand."

"Getting paid is no problem." Jie An smiled like a thief. "First, please hand over Hugos's Relic as required."

A Relic?

Hugos had been badly wounded, but he was still alive. He obviously had no Relic to speak of. Then what Jie An meant had to be...

"This?" Chu Hengkong pulled Hugos's Iron Ring from his coat. It had originally been black as pig iron, but for some reason, it had now turned white.

"Equipment like this is called a Relic—an item containing a specific Remembrance. Most Relics carry a certain degree of danger and must be handed in promptly according to regulations," Ji Huaishu said.

Chu Hengkong immediately put the Iron Ring away. "The mighty authorities have such deep pockets. You don't need to covet this little bit of loot from me, do you?"

"From the look of you, who knows who's coveting what." Ji Huaishu curled her lip. "Want to keep the equipment? Fine! Chef, do the math for him."

Jie An pulled a grimy notebook from his pocket and began calculating on the spot.

"Alex's Pendant counts as your own find, so we won't include it for now. For Hugos alone, your base reward is a bounty of one hundred thousand Flow Pearls. That much money can buy you a month-long limited-edition life of luxury. For breakfast, you could have a City-State Ham Sandwich with fresh truffle-fried goose eggs; for lunch, Swamp-Wood Roasted Goose with Shark Fin as the main course; for dinner, a serving of Stone-Grilled Cheese Risotto, with all kinds of fresh fish sashimi to choose from..."

When it came to describing food, the chef painted such a vivid picture that Chu Hengkong heard Ji Huaishu swallow beside him. Before he got hungry too, he quickly interrupted, "What if I don't hand over the Iron Ring?"

Jie An shook his head. "That's a whole different story! With the friendship discount, this Iron Ring costs you fifty thousand. You'll have fifty thousand left..."

"One thousand left," Chu Hengkong said. "Transfer forty thousand to the shop owner's account for me. Consider it compensation for the damage to his shop and his emotional distress."

Ji Huaishu could not help raising an eyebrow. "You're stingy enough to squeeze blood from a stone, but now you're being generous?"

Chu Hengkong smiled. "I used to run with the gangs. It was a family rule: if you broke something, you had to pay extra—pay until all the neighbors were satisfied. Gangs survive by relying on the support of everyone in their territory. Once they lose respect, no matter how strong they are, the gang falls apart. And assassins won't get any jobs either."

"The newcomer has great moral awareness! Looks like your former clients were local powerhouses too!" Jie An praised. "So you have ten thousand Flow Pearls left. Don't even dream about beef or lamb, but you can definitely afford all kinds of chicken, duck, and fish. If you get hungry late at night, ask this veteran chef for some 'Aged Soy Sauce Fried Rice with Fresh Eggs,' and for a drink, choose a 'Dragon's Return City Trendy Sparkling Drink.' You can even have roast duck once in a while. A modest life, rich in flavor."

"Only you could dress up roadside-stall fried rice and cola like that..." Chu Hengkong found the man rather interesting. "That's not bad either. Hand it over."

Jie An abruptly changed his tone. "But! Your monthly pay also has deductions for housing funds, insurance, and taxes. After all that is deducted, your take-home pay is..."

Jie An took out a transparent little sphere and set it on the table. Azure liquid swirled inside it, forming a tiny vortex. These so-called "Flow Pearls" looked rather familiar. Those fanatics had carried identical things, though theirs had been different in size.

"100 Flow Pearls," Jie An said mournfully.

Chu Hengkong accepted the pitiful payment and pondered for a moment. "What can 100 Flow Pearls buy to eat?"

"'Pure Natural Organic Noodles Boiled in Water.' Forget about roasted goose." Ji Huaishu kept grinning wickedly across from him. "Think it over carefully. Are you really going to cling to that Iron Ring?"

"Then I'll just take more jobs. I'm not giving it up!" Chu Hengkong's attitude was resolute.

"Tch!" Ji Huaishu held out her hand. "Hurry up and give me the Iron Ring, the Pendant, and that book with eyes."

Chu Hengkong warily leaned back. "When reason doesn't work, you're just going to rob me?"

"What are you thinking? I'm taking them to the workshop for a unified appraisal. You dare carry unidentified things on you? Aren't you afraid a curse will kill you?"

Ji Huaishu raised her claws and bared her teeth in threat, her two little canine teeth gleaming coldly. Chu Hengkong found the act amusing. For a moment, he could not tell whether the one speaking to him was "Captain Huaisu" or some quirky female college student.

He handed over the loot and the Silver-Eyed Book. Ji Huaishu stuffed the three Relics into a paper bag together, yawning as she collected them. Seeing that she was sleepy, Chu Hengkong suppressed the urge to press her for more information about Relics. He stood and extended a hand toward the blonde girl.

"Please take care of me from now on, Captain Huaisu."

Jie An's expression turned subtle. Chu Hengkong cursed himself inwardly. He had made a habitual mistake again. He had enjoyed the meal so much that his right hand had gotten a little greasy, so he instinctively extended his left hand instead—forgetting that his left arm was now a tentacle...

"As long as you don't stir up trouble, I'm happy to look after you. But if you try anything, I'll be the first to take you out."

He immediately tried to retract the tentacle, but the blonde girl casually grasped its tip. She wore fingerless leather gloves, and her long, fair fingers inevitably got smeared with the mucus on the tentacle's surface, leaving them sticky between the fingers.

For once, Chu Hengkong felt a little embarrassed. "I have tissues here..."

"Do you usually wipe your hands after shaking hands with someone?" Ji Huaishu asked.

"Not really."

"Neither do I." Ji Huaishu turned away without a care. "Let's go! I'll take you to the dormitory. We're done for today."

"Thank you, Captain." Chu Hengkong immediately changed how he addressed her. He waved to Jie An, then obediently followed behind the captain, looking like a loyal attendant. He also seemed quite skilled at playing bodyguard.

Jie An remained seated, watching the two leave the cafeteria. He was an old hand in the Resurrection Corps, having worked for the city lord even before the corps was established. The longer one stayed, the more people one saw, and after enough time, a few exchanges of nonsense were enough to reveal a person's general character.

This was a newcomer who relied on his talent and looked down on others. He had his own logic for dealing with people and had no intention of adapting to anyone else's rules. He had even intended to bargain with Ji Huaishu—where had he gotten such nerve? It was too strange. Why would such a proud person want to join an official organization? Someone so self-centered and stubborn could never endure the restraints of others. Grey-market business or pitch-black gangs suited his temperament far better.

But in the end, Jie An was only a chef. The city lord's eyes were far sharper than his. He decided that he would remind Huaisu, that guileless child, later. Then he slowly cleared the dishes and chopsticks and turned off the cafeteria lights.

Click!

Chu Hengkong turned on the dormitory light. The standard single dormitory came with one bedroom and one living room, fully furnished, though a faint musty smell hung in the air. He walked around the room and found that the bedroom stool was rather unsteady, while a corner of the bathroom was leaking. The accommodations were not particularly luxurious, but they were still better than sleeping rough and living on the road.

He found a washbasin and placed it beneath the leak, turned off the lights, and lay on the bed listening to the steady drip-drip of falling water. He played with his phone one-handed for a while, confirming once again that there was no signal and no way to connect to the internet. The moment the phone ran out of power and went to sleep, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of weightlessness, as if he were sailing away from home on a ship, watching the familiar coastline slowly vanish beyond the edge of his sight.

That familiar world is gone. You have arrived somewhere new.

Chu Hengkong put away his phone and closed his eyes. Summoning, tentacles, the great wizard, Ji Huaishu, demons, Relics... Everything he had encountered over the course of half a day passed through his mind one by one. Like a precision machine, he reviewed everything since crossing over and silently began planning what came next.

The first issue was this tentacle of unknown origin. All his earlier excuses had merely been stalling tactics to avoid amputation. If this tentacle truly belonged to some "Imaginary Demon," he would have to steel himself and cut it off... He needed to prepare for both possibilities. Over the next few days, he would ask around for a reliable prosthetic arm, while also adapting to this new arm as quickly as possible... He could not make today's mistake again...

If the tentacle issue could be resolved, he would need to focus on growing stronger... This world had too many supernatural powers. Who knew what other mystical nonsense might be lurking out there? Only strength would let him live in peace. He also needed to gather basic information about this other world, and after that...

Who even knew whether he would live long enough to reach "after that"? What was the point of thinking so far ahead? He would take one step at a time. It was enough to live tomorrow well.

In any case, he would not join a gang, the former gang assassin thought drowsily.

There was no future in running with the underworld.

Fragments of the past flickered through the darkness, and Chu Hengkong drifted into sleep. He slept soundly, all the way until the next day's sunlight brushed against his eyes.