"Divine Sequence?"
Meng Chengfei's words made Xu Ye pause.
Faced with this unfamiliar world, Xu Ye decided to speak less, watch more, and listen more.
Meng Chengfei sounded a little envious. "Like I told you before, people rarely awaken any of the top fifty sequences. And among those fifty, the top three are called divine sequences."
"According to Doctor Chen, all divine sequences originate from a god's organs."
"For example, Sequence 9-003, Soul-Seizing, which you just saw, was formed from a god's eyes."
"Of course, no one knows whether that's actually true. Doctor Chen only proposed a theory back then, and the Sequence Talent chart isn't complete. But..."
Meng Chengfei trailed off and shook his head.
He still had his doubts.
He didn't know why Doctor Chen had gone to such lengths to keep this kid around.
Although he admired the doctor somewhat, both the man himself and his actions were rather bizarre.
Once, for example, the doctor had spent considerable time and manpower stealing huge quantities of gunpowder from all the major factions. While everyone was on edge, Doctor Chen had merely put on a fireworks display.
There were plenty of other stories about the doctor, but Meng Chengfei lacked the clearance to know many of them.
"Some things are still classified. You're only on probation right now, so your clearance isn't high. Once you become a full employee, you'll be granted some access."
"Oh, right. Open the case on the back seat. Your equipment is inside."
Xu Ye retrieved a case from the back seat and opened it. Inside were a silver pistol, a pair of rose-gold wireless earbuds, a badge engraved with a blade, and a black phone that looked like a brick.
Keeping his eyes on the road, Meng Chengfei explained calmly, "That's our Dawn Blade badge. The phone is a satellite phone. I've already saved a few numbers in it for you to contact. Later, you'll have your own liaison."
"As for the pistol... it's an F-rank forbidden item called [Final Sigh]. Bullets fired through it inflict greater damage and destruction on Aberrants."
Xu Ye picked up the pistol. It was very light.
Although he had never tried it, he knew the basic procedure for firing a gun.
Then his gaze shifted to the [Beginners Must Not Die] dagger resting on the back seat.
Meng Chengfei's eyes widened. "Don't get any ideas about that dagger. Forbidden items only have an extremely small chance of forming in environments where the Heavenly Dao is distorted. I've already given you a pistol."
"Oh."
Xu Ye reluctantly withdrew his gaze.
What a shame.
That dagger was pretty handy.
"We're almost there. Any other questions?" Meng Chengfei asked.
"Yes."
Xu Ye looked at him with absolute seriousness. "Are bullets reimbursable? What about phone bills? And when I go on missions, can I get reimbursed for taxis and meals? Do I get a salary? How much of a raise do I get after probation? Do you pay into social insurance? Is there a housing allowance? What about an allowance for business trips?"
These were very serious questions.
In his previous life, Xu Ye's parents had been ordinary workers. Besides supporting the family and providing for their two children, they had also needed to pay for the treatment of Xu Ye's heart condition.
Back then, the whole family had practically tried to stretch every yuan into a hundred.
Even the toilet paper they used each time had been limited to three squares.
Xu Ye had been sensitive about money since childhood.
Unfortunately, his body in his previous life had made it impossible to take on part-time work and help support the family, leaving him feeling deeply indebted to his parents and younger sister.
Likewise, this body's original owner had urgently needed money for certain reasons. Since Xu Ye had taken over his body, he ought to fulfill his obligations.
He had been poor in his previous life, and he was even poorer in this one.
But now, he could work.
"..."
That barrage of questions left Meng Chengfei speechless. He gave Xu Ye a peculiar look.
He remembered being too nervous to speak on his first mission, yet this kid was thinking about nothing but money.
What a money-grubber!
After staring blankly for quite a while, Meng Chengfei finally squeezed out a single word. "Yes."
Xu Ye opened the car door, put on the earbuds, slipped the satellite phone into his jacket's inside pocket, and tucked the silver pistol into his trouser pocket. He smoothed out his clothes and pinned the badge, equipped with a pinhole camera and tracking device, to his chest.
Just after getting out, he suddenly turned back. "One more question. Under exceptional circumstances, can I run for my life?"
After all, he still had to go home.
His life mattered more than a mission.
Meng Chengfei frowned, then relaxed. "In our line of work, our lives are always at risk. Ordinary team members have a mortality rate of thirty percent. Awakened generally have a lower mortality rate during missions."
"...If you really encounter a mission you can't complete, you can consider retreating. After all, finding and training an Awakened is difficult."
"However, each completed mission comes with an extra bonus based on its difficulty. It's generally no less than thirty thousand."
Xu Ye's eyes lit up, and a smile he hadn't worn in a long time appeared on his face.
"I'll complete the mission or die trying!"
"Ahem..." Meng Chengfei choked on his own saliva and hurriedly waved him away, telling him to get moving.
"Night Spirit City's Sixth Mental Hospital?"
Xu Ye stood at the hospital entrance, his eyes darting around with curiosity.
Once he was out of Meng Chengfei's sight, his thoughts began to grow more lively.
Meanwhile, his right hand absently touched the spot over his heart. It still wasn't writhing, only beating normally.
What was going on?
Could there be a limit on its use?
He shook his weary head, forcing himself to perk up. By then, it was already past eleven at night.
Just then, a voice sounded in his mind. It belonged to Alice, the white cat, and was distinctly irritated. "Hey, hey, hey! What are you shaking around for? You're making me dizzy!"
"Don't you know your brain is full of water?"
Xu Ye was speechless. "Just shut up. You're only a cat."
"Please address me as Princess Alice~ I know much more than you do. For instance, your heart has undergone some strange change, and now it can keep simulating the future. You get ten uses a day, resetting at midnight."
"You've already used them all today, but a new day is almost here. Damn it, something like that should belong to me!"
"So that's how it works. Do you know why it happened?" Xu Ye mentally narrowed his eyes as he communicated with Alice. He could almost see her drooling over his heart while licking her pink paws.
The white cat's lazy voice drifted over. "How would I know? I'm only a cat."
"Forget all that. I've already told you what I know, so hurry up and let me control your body. I definitely don't want to use it to dress in women's clothes..."
"Oops, that slipped out." Two paws clamped over her mouth.
Xu Ye's face darkened.
Just then, a commotion broke out inside the hospital.
A disheveled young man in ragged clothes, his mind in shambles, ran out of the hospital like a madman. A group of nurses chased after him, shouting for someone to stop him.
When he saw Xu Ye, he spread his arms and charged straight toward him, tears welling in his eyes. "Grandpa!"
"???"
Standing at the entrance, Xu Ye's eyes widened.
Was he calling me?
Looked like he was having a psychotic episode.
"There's my good grandson."
Xu Ye awkwardly opened his arms, hoping to stop the man and move up a generation in the process.
However, the young man rushed straight past Xu Ye, crouched down, and threw his arms around a recycling bin by the entrance, screaming his heart out.
"Grandpa, I'm your grandson! Please stop trying to kill me!"
Before you continue