Yinlin

The mature red-haired beauty sighed helplessly. "Looks like negotiations have broken down..."

As soon as she finished speaking, an unidentified black creature appeared beside her, while a purple thread materialized in her hand, seemingly controlling it.

The two sides officially clashed. One Fractsidus member held a gun and the other a cannon, and both aimed at the woman and pulled their triggers.

Her figure flickered as she traced an elegant dance through the air, dodging their bullets.

Then, as though she had become a puppeteer in a puppet show, she lifted her arms and wove her fingers together. The black creature lunged at the Fractsidus members, trailing lightning.

The Fractsidus members couldn't dodge in time and were struck by the lightning. Then she gave the thread a gentle tug, and the black creature unleashed an explosion of lightning on the spot, blasting both members into charcoal.

Looking bored, she recalled the black creature.

Lu Li had wanted to sit back and enjoy the show, but these Fractsidus members couldn't take a beating at all. The red-haired beauty had finished them off in just a few moves.

Just as Lu Li was about to turn and leave, she suddenly said softly, "Seen enough?"

Lu Li: "?"

Did I fucking get caught again?

Lu Li reviewed the pattern behind the last few times he'd been discovered.

Basically, it went, "Peek-get caught," then "Peek-get caught"...

In the end, Lu Li concluded that the radiance of his humanity was simply too dazzling for anyone to ignore.

Left with no choice, Lu Li stepped out of the bushes.

The red-haired beauty raised an eyebrow when she saw Lu Li's face. It's him...

Lu Li walked up to her. "Hello, I'm..."

[Ding! Choices triggered!]

The system's voice suddenly rang out in Lu Li's mind.

[Option one: Join the Returnee Mutual Aid Society! Reward: Item, "Fated Coin"]

[Option two: Cling to the red-haired beauty's thigh and shamelessly suck up to her! Reward: Item, "Deathless Notebook"]

[Option three: Arrest the beauty, bring her back to Jinzhou, and hand her over to Chixia for merit. Reward: Skill, "Star Shift"]

[Option four: Discover a hidden incident and resolve it! Reward: Talent, "Orchid Butterfly Cloud-Sweeping Step"]

Lu Li thought to himself, System, you haven't shown up in so long I thought you were dead. Why did you come back just to dump this steaming pile on me?

[System: I'm just old, not dead!]

Really? May I ask your age, then?

[System: Never mind that! Get to work!]

What kind of options are these? Especially the second one! What kind of person do you take me for?

Am I the sort of man who wants a kiss from every pretty woman he sees?

[Aren't you?]

*...*

Lu Li looked at the beauty before him. "Ahem. Hello, beautiful lady. My name is Scar. What should I call you?"

"Scar?" Her lips curled slightly. "You can call me Yinlin. Did you need something?"

Lu Li said sheepishly, "Actually... I'd like to join the Returnee Mutual Aid Society!"

Yinlin raised an eyebrow and chuckled, then said, stressing every word, "You want to join the Returnee Mutual Aid Society?"

Lu Li said, "That's right. Is there a problem?"

Yinlin said, "No problem. No problem at all."

After saying that, she first got Li Rong and the little girl, Yuanyuan, settled.

Then she glanced at Lu Li. "Come with me."

Lu Li followed Yinlin into a tent.

There was nobody inside, only a small wooden table with wooden chairs facing each other on either side.

Yinlin took the seat at the head of the table, folded her arms, and crossed her long, lovely legs.

Lu Li followed right behind her.

Yinlin said, "Name."

Lu Li said, "Scar."

Yinlin said, "Age."

Lu Li said, "Just turned eighteen."

Yinlin asked flatly, "Why do you want to join the Returnee Mutual Aid Society?"

Lu Li had no idea what the Returnee Mutual Aid Society did. This was all just a system task.

He pondered for a moment. "Because... I want to find a job."

Yinlin nodded. "Why do you want to work at the Returnee Mutual Aid Society?"

Lu Li fell silent again. "Because... I don't have a job."

Yinlin clicked her tongue. "I mean, why did you choose the Returnee Mutual Aid Society?"

Lu Li said, "Because you're hiring."

Yinlin suppressed her anger and took a deep breath. "There's the Fractsidus next door, and an Exile gang, too. You could even become a Patrol Commandant in Jinzhou. Why did you choose the Returnee Mutual Aid Society?"

Lu Li gave an awkward smile. "Well, I had to pick one..."

Yinlin said, "I'm asking you why!"

Seeing that Yinlin was growing impatient, Lu Li rubbed the space between his eyebrows and lowered his voice.

"Because I can't work for two gangs at once."

Yinlin slammed her fist onto the wooden table and stood, leaning toward Lu Li with an intensely imposing air.

Her gaze locked onto him. "Fine, then. What position are you applying for? Say the job title without leaving out a single word!"

Seemingly cowed by her imposing presence, Lu Li said weakly, "Mechanical maintenance..."

Yinlin nodded and plopped back into her seat.

"Then, as a mechanical maintenance worker, what value can you bring us?"

Lu Li thought for a moment. "I can bring you a new employee."

Yinlin: "..."

Yinlin leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. A faint glimmer of electricity seemed to flicker at her fingertips.

In truth, Yinlin had recognized him at first sight. After all, she'd once tailed Lu Li for an entire day.

Although Yinlin had already heard about his frivolous nature, she really hadn't expected him to be this absurdly difficult.

Still, Yinlin acknowledged his strength. If she let him join, perhaps today she could...

After a moment of silence, Yinlin said, "You passed."

"I pass..." Lu Li froze. "Huh?"

[Ding! Option one completed. Item obtained: "Fated Coin"]

[Fated Coin: The coin's two sides are engraved with yes and no. Silently ask your question, then toss the Fated Coin. Can only be used once per day.]

Lu Li had already given up hope. There wasn't any punishment for failing to complete these options anyway.

When it came to mechanical maintenance, he really didn't know much, so naturally, he couldn't give any meaningful answers.

But he hadn't expected Yinlin to let him pass even after all that.

"Ahem." Lu Li said sheepishly, "Actually, I have another question."

"What question?"

"Ma'am, what do you do for work?"

Yinlin: "..."

"My work is complicated. I can't explain it to you in just a few words."

Lu Li asked, "Then what does the Returnee Mutual Aid Society do?"

Yinlin said in amusement, "You don't even know what the Returnee Mutual Aid Society does, yet you want to join?"

She headed out of the tent. "But you don't need to know anyway. Just do what you're supposed to do. Hehe..."