Escort Agency

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

Generally speaking, after seven or eight o'clock, most shops on the streets had closed. Only in the heart of the foreign concessions were some large department stores and grand restaurants still open.

Especially the many restaurants and theaters near the banks of the Nanpu River—they operated through the night, awash in glittering lights and intoxicating luxury, a splendid scene 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 major local gangs, its branches normally stayed open until 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 find a dormitory to rent from the rickshaw company.

I wasn't prepared for this. I'm just all alone now?

Where am I supposed to go from here?

Go back to my hometown? No. In the original owner's memories, that place is suffering under the ravages of war. There are also the young masters from warlord families, casually claiming land and killing people for sport. Even if I become a martial artist, I still can't face a squad armed with foreign guns.

Find some forested mountain and hide away to train? But the wilderness seems to be filled with terrifying Demon Wraiths.

I heard from the newsboy that something happened on Baobai Mountain outside the city just last week. A group of passing merchants and travelers was swallowed by a Stone Demon entrenched in the mountains. More than a hundred people in total, with martial artist guards among them, and only two escaped.

And once I go into the wilderness, not only will survival be under constant threat, but my channels for gathering special items will be cut off as well.

Besides, in such a chaotic world, where could I possibly hide safely?

Jiang Jingnian dragged his rickshaw through the streets, pondering his future path.

Though Peace City was a foreign concession,

it still barely maintained order.

After all, foreign patrol officers were everywhere on the streets.

But everywhere else...

had long since descended into utter chaos.

Before the war had broken out, the original owner's parents had exhausted their savings and called in every favor they could in the village to find a passing merchant caravan. Only then had they managed to send Jiang Jingnian away from his hometown. Even on the journey to Peace City, many people had died.

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

So,

returning home or burrowing into the wild mountains and forests

were not proper paths at all. The risks were simply too great.

They were far more dangerous than going straight to the Stockade and becoming a Black Warrior.

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

At the same time, I'll borrow more money and see which shops have special items for sale.

Jiang Jingnian looked at the dim gray 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 haul of special items, before fleeing to the Stockade to become a Black Warrior, would be a last-resort path.

Three more days passed

after he left the residence.

On a bustling street, after pulling his rickshaw for the entire morning, Jiang Jingnian squatted by the roadside, eating a lamb flatbread with a bowl of freshly simmered mung bean milk. He sipped it as he ate, savoring the warm, smooth texture. It was truly authentic.

The Jiang Jingnian of his previous life naturally would not have dared eat this stuff. But now that he had absorbed some of the original owner's eating habits, he was basically not picky about meat or vegetables. He could eat anything.

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

The roadside was packed with a ceaseless stream of people.

Streetcars rang with "ding-dong" sounds as they traveled along the broad avenues.

Judging from how crowded those streetcars looked from outside, they were comparable to subway trains during rush hour in Jiang Jingnian's previous life.

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

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

What a pity the writing is different! I can speak the language here, but I can't write it. Otherwise, I could get certified for a clerical work permit.

Squatting by the roadside and watching the myriad facets of life pass along the street, Jiang Jingnian felt as if he were strolling the roads with his college girlfriend from his previous life.

Yet

those old memories belonged to another world now.

"Newspapers! Newspapers for sale!"

"Yesterday afternoon, across the ocean, the Mijialun Kingdom sent reinforcements to the Aofei Duchy. The two nations went to war without a declaration, and the Duchy's Grand Duke personally took the field. A great battle could erupt at any moment!"

"The two major warlord factions in the north have now ceased hostilities and are preparing to cooperate with the Eastern Wu Kingdom's Japanese invaders in an attempt to carve up the Chen State's three major provinces! This has already stirred public fury throughout the northern provinces, and popular uprisings are breaking out without end!"

"Foreign news, local reports, all in the Ning City Daily!"

A somewhat skinny newsboy in blue cloth clothes, covered in patches, was weaving through the streets with a newspaper bag slung diagonally over his shoulder, crying out his wares.

When Jiang Jingnian saw the newsboy in those heavily patched clothes, he quickly called out, "Hey! Little Maodan!"

"Brother Jiang!"

When the little newsboy spotted Jiang Jingnian squatting by the roadside, his eyes lit up, and he hurried 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. Then he would 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 foreign concession, he was an absolutely first-rate good man.

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

"Alright!"

The little newsboy did not stand on ceremony. Nor did he mind that his hands were dirty. He grabbed it and immediately began wolfing it down.

After eating until his mouth was slick with grease, he casually wiped his lips with his dusty sleeve, then revealed a simple, honest smile. "Brother Jiang, your lamb 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 stories only. No need to read the chicken-feather-and-garlic-skin nonsense."

Jiang Jingnian handed him three cents and took the newspaper.

Looking at the densely packed, unfamiliar writing on it gave him a headache. He had been trying hard to learn, but it had been too short a time, and he only recognized some of it.

Shorter passages were manageable, and he could barely understand their meaning. But for lengthy reports, he could only guess his way through them, which was extremely taxing.

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

One was about the son of some Peace City tycoon clashing with the son of another warlord over a dancer in a restaurant. Many people had died in the shootout, and it had even alerted 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 through the various ports.

"What kind of messy news is this?"

Jiang Jingnian listened in silence, grumbling inwardly.

Then he looked at the little newsboy again. "Maodan, have you seen anything in the martial arts school notices I asked you to watch for lately? Anything about recruiting apprentices or general hands?"

"Martial arts schools are way up high. Hardly any of them advertise for people in the newspapers all year. They settle their quotas internally."

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

"It's fine. Keep an eye out for me. I'll pay you more."

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

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.

However, it was a box-style Phonograph the shopkeeper used to hold records, and its price was far from cheap.

He would need to save up a good sum, then leverage himself with loans before buying it.

"Wait! Brother Jiang!"

The little newsboy looked at Jiang Jingnian's departing back and hurriedly called after him again.

"What is it, Little Maodan? Still not full? Want me to buy you another flatbread?"

Jiang Jingnian set down the rickshaw and jokingly asked the approaching little newsboy.

"No, no!"

The newsboy repeatedly waved his hands. Then he carefully looked over the newspaper and asked in a low voice, "Brother Jiang, you want to learn martial arts, so you want to enter a martial arts school, right?"

The poor pursued scholarship, the wealthy pursued martial arts.

Ordinary people at the bottom rung

could not even eat their fill, so they would never think about training in martial arts. First, they had neither the quota nor the qualifications. Second, even if a lucky chance got them through the door, what then?

They could not even guarantee basic meat in their diet.

Not to mention the various medicinal ointments, or even secret medicines, needed afterward. To an ordinary family, that expense was simply astronomical.

"Yes! Does this newspaper mention some kind of opportunity?"

Jiang Jingnian nodded.

"Look at this."

The newsboy took out the newspaper, flipped to a notice near the back, and pointed at the information on page five. "Tongda Escort Agency in Miqiao District, south of the city, is recruiting. They need apprentices and escort hands! Applicants must be strong and pass the escort agency's assessment."

"Brother Jiang, look at the benefits listed here. Besides a monthly salary, they offer teaching and guidance in martial arts techniques."

"I don't know whether the escort agency's assessment is difficult, but 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 out twenty cents from his pocket and stuffed it directly into the boy's hand. "I'm going to take a look at this Tongda Escort Agency right 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 too much, the newsboy would not be able to keep it safe, and it would only invite danger.

Ten cents was roughly equal to ten pennies. The newsboy bought each paper from the newspaper office for two pennies and sold it for three. In other words, he only earned one penny per newspaper.

Twenty cents was roughly one to two days' income for the newsboy. During the slow season, it would amount to several days' income.

"Ah!"

Holding the two silver coins in his hand, the newsboy wanted to say something else. But when he raised his head, the burly man had already vanished into the sea of people.

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

He stood there for a while, then once again slung the heavy newspaper bag over his shoulder and continued hawking his papers amid the endless traffic and crowds.