Escort Agency

Jiang Jingnian left the residence and looked at the sky. It was not too late yet.

Generally speaking, after seven or eight in the evening, most shops on the streets had closed. Only in the heart of the foreign concessions did some large department stores and grand restaurants remain open.

Especially the many taverns and theaters near the banks of the Nanpu River—they operated from dusk till dawn, awash in crimson lights and emerald revelry, drunk on gold and lost in paper, a fine sight of the Ten-Li Foreign Quarter.

Though the rickshaw company was not one of the grand restaurants in the core districts, it was one of Peace City's monopolized industries. Backed by the Red Gang, one of the local major gangs, its branches usually operated very late, closing at around one in the morning.

After all, no matter the hour, there would always be rickshaw pullers coming to borrow or return vehicles.

But he was in no mood to look for the company and rent a dormitory room.

"I wasn't prepared at all. Am I really alone now?"

"Where should I go from here?"

"Go back home? No. In the original owner's memories, that place is suffering under the ravages of war. There are also the young masters of warlord families, claiming land and killing people for sport. Even if I become a martial artist, I still can't face a foreign rifle squad right now."

"Find some mountain forest and hide away to train? But the wilderness seems to have terrifying Demon Wraiths."

"I heard from the newsboys that something happened on Baobai Mountain outside the city just last week. A group of passing merchants and travelers were swallowed by the Stone Demon entrenched in the mountains. There were more than a hundred people in all, including martial artist guards, yet only two escaped."

"And if I go into the wilderness, not only will survival be under constant threat, even my channels for gathering special items will be cut off."

"Besides, in such chaotic times, where can I safely hide?"

Jiang Jingnian dragged his rickshaw down the street, pondering his future path.

Though Peace City was a foreign concession,

it still barely maintained order.

After all, foreign patrol officers could be seen everywhere on the streets.

But everywhere else...

had long since been turned upside down by chaos.

Before the war reached their home, the original owner's parents had used every connection in the village and exhausted their savings to find a passing merchant caravan, only then managing to send Jiang Jingnian away. Even on the journey to Peace City, many people had died.

The original owner had only barely lived long enough to meet Fifth Uncle.

So,

going back home or burrowing into the wilderness mountain forests

were not proper paths forward. The risks were simply too great.

They were far more dangerous than heading straight into a Stockade to become a Black Warrior.

"I'll keep pulling rickshaws for now and see whether any martial arts schools are taking people."

"While I'm at it, I'll borrow more money and see which shops have special items for sale."

Jiang Jingnian looked at the gray, hazy moon in the sky, and his resolve gradually hardened.

If, in the future,

he still could not obtain a legal martial artist identity, then perhaps robbing the rich to aid the poor for a batch of special items before fleeing to a Stockade to become a Black Warrior would also be a last-resort path.

Three more days passed

since he had left the residence.

On a bustling street, after pulling his rickshaw all morning, Jiang Jingnian squatted by the roadside eating a mutton flatbread with a bowl of freshly simmered mung bean broth. He sipped and ate at the same time; it was warm, smooth, and truly authentic.

In his previous life, Jiang Jingnian naturally would not have dared touch the stuff. But now that he had fused with some of the original owner's eating habits, he was basically not picky about meat or vegetables. Anything could go into his mouth.

Children from rural farming families drank nothing but thin gruel year-round in these troubled times. They had no grounds to be picky.

The roadside was crowded with an endless stream of people.

Trams chimed "ding-dong" as they traveled along the main roads.

From outside, the crowding inside those trams was comparable to the rush-hour subway of Jiang Jingnian's previous life.

In terms of prosperity and population density, Peace City was no less than the second-tier cities from his previous life. Its technological level, light industry, and productivity were simply relatively underdeveloped.

"This world is still somewhat similar to the Earth of my previous life."

"What a pity the writing systems are different! I can speak the language here, but I can't write it. Otherwise, I could get certified for some clerical job."

Squatting by the roadside, Jiang Jingnian watched the many faces of life passing through the streets. It gave him an eerie sense of walking the streets with his college girlfriend in his previous life.

However,

those old memories belonged to another world now.

"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale!"

"Yesterday afternoon, across the ocean, the Mijialun Kingdom sent reinforcements into the Aofei Duchy. The two nations went to war without a declaration! The Grand Duke of the duchy personally went to the front lines, and a great battle could break out at any moment!"

"The two major warlord factions in the north have now called a truce and are preparing to cooperate with the Eastern Wu Kingdom's pirate invaders, attempting to divide Chen State's three great provinces! This has already stirred public outrage throughout the northern provinces, and civilian uprisings continue without end!"

"Foreign news and local current affairs, all in the Ning City Daily!"

A somewhat skinny newsboy dressed in blue cloth, with a newspaper bag slung across his shoulder, was weaving through the streets and shouting his wares.

When Jiang Jingnian saw the newsboy whose clothes were covered in patches, he hurriedly called out, "Hey! Little Maodan!"

"Brother Jiang!"

When the young newsboy saw Jiang Jingnian squatting by the roadside, his eyes lit up and he quickly came over.

Brother Jiang was a strong, sturdy rickshaw puller.

But he was different from ordinary rickshaw pullers. He was learning to read, and he bought newspapers. He would even pay Little Maodan an extra three cents to read him some news.

That was very novel!

And Brother Jiang would occasionally give him something to eat.

In this concession district, he was a truly first-rate good man.

Jiang Jingnian casually tore off a large piece of mutton flatbread, wrapped it in greaseproof paper, and handed it over. "Here, have some."

"Alright!"

The young newsboy did not stand on ceremony or mind that his hands were dirty. He grabbed it and immediately began wolfing it down.

After eating until his mouth was slick with oil, he casually wiped his mouth with his somewhat dusty sleeve and revealed a simple, honest smile. "Brother Jiang, your mutton flatbread is delicious! I'll read you the newspaper for free for a while later!"

"Give me today's paper, then read me a couple of Peace City news stories. Big news only. No need to read trivial chicken-feather-and-garlic-skin matters."

Jiang Jingnian handed him three cents, then took the newspaper.

Looking at the dense, strange writing on it made his head ache. He was trying his best to learn now, but there had not been enough time, and he only recognized part of it.

Shorter passages were manageable, and he could barely grasp their meaning. But for long news articles, he could only guess his way through them, which was extremely difficult.

The young newsboy took the money and softly began reading the front-page news beside Jiang Jingnian.

It was about how the son of some Peace City tycoon and the son of another warlord had clashed in a tavern over a dance girl. Quite a few people had died in the shootout, and it had even alarmed the upper ranks of the foreigners.

There was another item.

The foreigners' Patrol Bureau was preparing to gather martial arts experts to clear out the Stone Demon on Baobai Mountain, thirty kilometers outside the city, in order to ensure the safety of trade routes at all ports.

"What kind of nonsense news is this?"

Jiang Jingnian listened in silence, inwardly grumbling a few times.

Then he looked at the young newsboy again. "Maodan, have there been any notices in there about martial arts schools recruiting apprentices or odd-job workers? I asked you to keep an eye out for them."

"Martial arts schools stand high above everyone else. Hardly any of them advertise for recruits in the papers all year long. They decide their quotas internally."

The newsboy sighed. "Brother Jiang, I've been watching the papers for you for a whole month, but there hasn't been a single notice about a martial arts school recruiting."

"It's fine. Keep watching for me. I'll pay you a little more."

Jiang Jingnian waved his hand, folded the newspaper, tucked it into his clothes, and reached for the rickshaw handles, preparing to head back out.

Over the past few days, he had been pulling his rickshaw while wandering around here and there, and he had actually found a special item in a bookstore.

But it was a box-type Phonograph the shopkeeper used to store records, and its price was steep.

He would have to save up a decent sum, then borrow against leverage before buying it.

"Wait! Brother Jiang!"

The young newsboy looked at the departing figure and hurriedly called out to him again.

"What is it, Little Maodan? Still not full? Should I buy you another flatbread?"

Jiang Jingnian set down the rickshaw and looked at the approaching newsboy, asking teasingly.

"No, no!"

The newsboy waved his hands repeatedly, then carefully looked over the newspaper before asking in a low voice, "Brother Jiang, you want to learn martial arts, so you want to join a martial arts school, right?"

The poor pursued learning, the rich pursued martial arts.

Ordinary people at the bottom could barely fill their stomachs, so they would never think of practicing martial arts. First, they had neither the quota nor the qualifications. Second, even if by some lucky chance they got through the door, what then?

They could not even guarantee the most basic meat in their diet.

Not to mention all the medicinal ointments and even secret medicines needed afterward. For ordinary families, those expenses were simply astronomical.

"Yes! Is there some route written in the newspaper?"

Jiang Jingnian nodded.

"Look at this one."

The newsboy took out the newspaper, flipped to an item near the back, and pointed at the notice on page five. "Tongda Escort Agency in Miqiao District, south of the city, is recruiting. They're hiring apprentices and escort hands! The requirements are a strong body and passing the agency's assessment."

"Brother Jiang, look at the benefits listed here. Besides the monthly wage, there's also instruction and guidance in martial arts techniques."

"Though I don't know whether the escort agency's assessment is difficult, Brother Jiang, you're so strong. You should be able to give it a try."

The newsboy's words made Jiang Jingnian's eyes light up.

He took two dimes from his pocket and directly stuffed them into the boy's hands. "I'll go take a look at this Tongda Escort Agency now. Take this money and buy some meat for your family."

It was not that he did not want to give more.

But in this era, if he gave the newsboy too much money, the boy would not be able to keep it safe and would only invite danger.

One dime was roughly equal to ten cents. The newsboy bought each newspaper from the press for two cents and sold it for three. In other words, he only made one cent on each paper.

Two dimes were about one or two days of the newsboy's income. During the slow season, it would be several days' income.

"Hey!"

Holding the two silver coins in his hands, the newsboy wanted to say something more. But when he looked up, that burly man had already vanished into the sea of people.

"...Brother Jiang really is a first-rate good man!"

He stood there for a while, then once more slung the heavy newspaper bag over his shoulder and continued shouting and peddling his wares amid the ceaseless traffic.