The next day, Xu Jiang had originally planned to sleep until noon and make up for the time he had spent killing monsters in the Void Rifts all night.
Who knew that at only seven in the morning, someone was already pounding on his door.
When he opened it, Baozi was standing there, equally sleep-deprived. He yawned and said helplessly, "You're pretty calm. You even turned off your communicator. Someone's waiting for you in the reception room, so they sent me to wake you up."
Team 17's base occupied the entire eleventh floor of Nine Rivers Corporation's secondary building.
Probably because it would have been inconvenient, Ying Xiaoxiao had called Baozi and asked him to fetch Xu Jiang.
Xu Jiang sighed in disappointment. "I thought that with how forceful our captain is, she could at least hold out until I got to sleep in. I didn't expect even she couldn't withstand the pressure."
Hearing that, Baozi helplessly patted him on the shoulder as well.
"Can't be helped. When you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head. If it had been anyone else, the captain probably wouldn't have given them face. But the person outside is Third Miss Qi Yao."
"Third Miss? A big shot from Nine Rivers?"
"That's right, one of the current three directors of Nine Rivers Corporation. Oh, the representatives of the other two directors were turned away, but Third Miss came in person, so there was no way to stop her."
To Xu Jiang, Nine Rivers Corporation was a colossal entity. One of its three top executives had come personally, which was quite unexpected.
Xu Jiang quickly washed up and went out to meet the visitor.
When he arrived at the reception room, Xu Jiang saw the legendary Third Miss Qi Yao.
Her beautiful black hair draped over her pale yellow dress. She was gently blowing on the coffee in her cup, letting the soft steam brush over her flawless, delicate cheeks.
She was beautiful and carried the air of a refined young lady, though the current situation felt somewhat awkward.
That was because Ying Xiaoxiao, his own captain, was sitting across from her and drinking coffee. This captain of his, who had severe violent tendencies, wore an equally sweet and gentle smile.
It gave Xu Jiang the feeling that the sweeter she smiled, the more ruthlessly she killed.
Seeing Xu Jiang arrive, Ying Xiaoxiao hurriedly stood to introduce him. "Xu Jiang's here. Come, let's get acquainted. This is Third Miss Qi Yao, Team 17's only superior."
Only superior? It seemed Nine Rivers Corporation had factions too!
"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you." Qi Yao did not put on any airs. Her bearing was poised and generous as she took the initiative to shake Xu Jiang's hand, without the coyness of an ordinary girl.
Of course, that was perfectly normal. In this age of catastrophe, innocence and coyness would only get someone killed faster.
Although it was obvious that Qi Yao took good care of herself, Xu Jiang could still feel calluses on her fair, tender palm. That was proof that she had held weapons for a long time.
Xu Jiang naturally gave her the proper respect. "I never expected Third Miss to come see me in person. It's an honor."
"Not at all. I actually wanted to come personally when you first joined the company. But I had some concerns at the time and wasn't able to get to know you sooner." Qi Yao smiled lightly, giving off the feeling of a spring breeze.
Speaking of which, Qi Yao truly valued Xu Jiang.
First, she wanted to cultivate her own inner circle. Second, Grandpa Lei had spared no effort in singing Xu Jiang's praises.
After all, Grandpa Lei had encountered Xu Jiang before any other faction, and he knew better than anyone that before Xu Jiang entered the Black White Forest, he had truly been a blank slate. He did not even know how to release a safety catch.
Yet in only a few short days, he had achieved one terrifying feat after another. Even his powerful equipment had seemingly appeared from nowhere.
A genius like that absolutely could not be let go.
Grandpa Lei hurriedly leaned over and chimed in, "That's right. Third Miss thinks very highly of you, Xu Jiang. You have to seize this opportunity!"
Seize the opportunity? What opportunity? Win over the boss's daughter, then take the whole company with me?
Glancing at the suddenly appearing old face, Xu Jiang asked, "Huh? When did you get here, Grandpa Lei?"
"...I've been here the whole time, you brat!"
With two gorgeous women in front of him, and this old man standing beside a potted dead tree, Xu Jiang had failed to notice him for a moment. What a sin.
Grandpa Lei sat down on the sofa to one side, pulled out a stack of documents, and placed them on the table. With a serious expression, he said, "Xu Jiang, let's have an open and honest talk today."
"My original intention was to keep you low-profile, but it seems that won't work now. I've prepared several other plans. Take a look."
Grandpa Lei wanted to protect Xu Jiang and let him grow quietly. There was nothing wrong with that idea.
Because within Nine Rivers Corporation, power was currently divided among three parties. Aside from Third Miss Qi Ya, there were also her elder brother and another director.
Each had their own faction, and the internal competition never stopped. Team 17 and Grandpa Lei were both direct subordinates of Qi Ya.
"Huh? There's only the eldest brother and Third Miss? What about the second brother?"
"The second brother... What does the Second Young Master have to do with you?! That's not the point!"
Grandpa Lei cut off Xu Jiang's curiosity and continued his explanation.
In the age of catastrophe, it was unrealistic to expect every subordinate to be an unwaveringly loyal retainer. There were plenty of fence-sitters who followed whichever way the wind blew.
Therefore, if one wanted more support within the corporation, one had to build prestige and produce results.
"Xu Jiang, I can give you the greatest possible support. But in return, you must be mentally prepared to be pushed aside by the other factions. You also have to help me secure two achievements."
If one invested, one had to receive something in return. Otherwise, if the investment went down the drain, no one would be able to accept it.
Xu Jiang picked up the contract on the table. The benefits were excellent, but the conditions were also harsh.
The first round of investment included a house, a sleek hovercar, large quantities of blue-grade materials, weapons, training, and more.
In return, Xu Jiang had to achieve outstanding results in two designated Spirit Domains.
"Spirit Domains? I'm good at Spirit Domains! No problem." Xu Jiang agreed without a second thought.
"Don't take this lightly. This time, it won't be as simple as clearing them. You must be cautious. As long as you get good results, we'll make a second round of investment in you."
Investment, returns, more investment, more returns... continuing in that cycle was a very practical and effective way to cooperate.
As he spoke, Grandpa Lei began showing off again. "Although you've only been in this field for a short time and lack experience, that's fine. I'll give you intensive training, then transfer you to Team 3 to learn. Before the Spirit Domain opens, I'll make sure you achieve a qualitative leap."
It was a good plan. Set Xu Jiang an urgent goal, force him to become anxious, then take on the posture of a master teacher and guide him. Xu Jiang would definitely...
"I refuse."
"...What? You refuse?"
"That's right. I think Team 17 is great. I want to stay here."
"But Team 3 has much better conditions. Nutritionists, trainers, instructors... That's the most elite unit in the Hunter Department."
"That's exactly why I'm not going! I have my own way of cultivating my talents. I don't need excessive training."
Special training? Learning?
Those things were not all that useful. All his abilities came from the equipment on him.
Thinking back on how his equipment had grown, hadn't they discovered their potential and learned skills through causing trouble again and again?
Looking across all of Nine Rivers Corporation, was there anywhere more fond of causing trouble than Team 17?
Hearing Xu Jiang's words, Ying Xiaoxiao burst into delighted laughter. "Haha! Good, good! Just as expected of the team member I value most. Don't worry, whenever there's an operation in the future, I'll definitely bring you along."
"An operation?" Qi Yao seemed to have heard a word that did not sound quite right.
"Ahem, ahem. I meant special training for him."
The conversation on this side was cheerful, but Grandpa Lei's expression on the other side had turned bitter.
Although Xu Jiang was staying in Team 17, he had not mentioned becoming Grandpa Lei's disciple even once. Was his prodigious student really going to slip away like this?
Seeing Grandpa Lei's pitiful expression, Xu Jiang nearly laughed out loud.
He was not opposed to taking this enthusiastic old man as his master. He could learn firearm techniques and gain a better understanding of survival experience.
Unfortunately, times had changed. In the past, it was difficult to find a master. Without offering a lavish gift, a master would never teach you their secret skills.
But now, taking on disciples was even harder.
"Last time I went to the company warehouse, I didn't find any suitable weapons. As my master, shouldn't you show some sincerity?"
No more pretending. He laid his cards on the table. He wanted to extort the old man's treasures—was he giving them or not?
"Of course!" Grandpa Lei's face lit up with wild joy. "Let's go right now, to my storage room. You can pick whatever you want from my collection!"
Before you continue