Chapter 90: Got a Job
Yu Sheng thought it over carefully. Handing over those towels, washbasins, and drink bottles at home to the Special Affairs Bureau for appraisal… yeah, that probably wasn’t such a good idea. Even setting aside whether the Bureau would entertain such nonsense, dumping that pile of junk into the “Strange Artifact Collector’s Market” would probably disrupt the market order. It’s already a niche circle, and if he casually tossed a few of his items in, it might rival the entire annual transaction volume…
Still, his restless and nimble mind didn’t cool off entirely from that rational consideration. Instead, it shifted into a more serious sort of contemplation.
Irene glanced up at Yu Sheng, her little doll face filled with suspicion. “You’re not actually planning to peddle junk out there, are you?”
“Little Red Riding Hood said it has to at least look mysterious and have the right ‘atmosphere’,” Yu Sheng waved his hand dismissively. “A lot of the collectors are regular folks who happen to know a bit about the supernatural. They buy these things out of a love for Mysticism and to brag among their circles…”
Irene sighed. “Sometimes I really don’t get Humans. So many of them are powerless yet obsessed with courting death. What’s so bad about being an ordinary person who can’t see the Otherworld or Entities? You could live peacefully! But no, they’re always curious about the ‘other side’ and think a few safety tricks are enough to protect them. Never mind if those so-called safety measures even work—some of the things brought out of the Otherworld might be dangerous artifacts.”
“Well, it’s not like the Special Affairs Bureau has outright banned the practice,” Yu Sheng shrugged. “Once they verify something’s safe, it can legally enter the market. The truly cursed stuff gets locked away in the Bureau’s containment vaults. At least that’s what the Border Communications encyclopedia says.”
No sooner had he spoken than his phone buzzed again. A new message popped up from Little Red Riding Hood.
“If you want to earn some ‘extra cash,’ I might have a job for you. Interested?”
Yu Sheng blinked and replied instantly: “What job?”
“It’s a commission from the Association of Strange Objects. I initially turned it down because it’s a bit risky and the payoff is uncertain. Plus, I don’t have enough people. But if you’re willing to help—and you bring that combat-ready Fox Girl—then it’s a good fit. You’d get a taste of what real Spirit Realm Detective work is like. We’d split the commission fifty-fifty. And most importantly, if it gets too dangerous, you can just grab me and run.”
A moment later, another message followed: “The job is to retrieve an item from the Museum. If you can get it out safely, it’s a success. Interested? I’ll send over the details and payment info.”
Yu Sheng instinctively exchanged glances with Irene (the Fox Girl was still busy munching on a chicken leg, totally unaware of what was happening). In their eyes, he saw the same spark of excitement.
A job!
But for Yu Sheng, it wasn’t just about the commission or the pay. The most important thing was the chance to come into contact with more of the Otherworld, to learn more about the supernatural realm, and to accumulate more knowledge!
To him, that knowledge was worth more than any reward—because who knew? One piece of intel might lead him to the Door that returns him to his home!
“Send it over!” he replied eagerly.
Little Red Riding Hood didn’t waste time. She forwarded a massive info dump, followed by the proposed reward.
Yu Sheng froze when he saw the number.
“That much?!”
“We split it,” Little Red Riding Hood replied. “Exploring the Otherworld is dangerous. The pay needs to match the risk. But our expenses are high too. Never mind gear damage during missions, we also have to buy Sanity Blocking Agent, nebulizers, inducers… all kinds of expensive stuff, and it all comes out of our own pockets. After deductions, what you actually take home isn’t as much as it looks.”
Yu Sheng stared, stunned, at the flood of messages. Finally, he asked, “What are Sanity Blocking Agent, nebulizers, and those inducers you mentioned?”
After a long pause, Little Red Riding Hood finally replied—her message started with a string of exclamation marks.
“!!!!!!! You glitched it again?! I’m so jealous of you!!”
Yu Sheng pondered this and looked down at Irene. “What does she mean?”
“No idea,” Irene scratched her head. “Maybe she’s jealous of how carefree you are?”
“I don’t think that’s it…”
Yu Sheng muttered to himself as a new message popped up on the screen: “Just contacted the Client from the Association of Strange Objects. They agreed to hand the task over again, but the time frame is tight. The latest deadline is tomorrow at midnight. If you can manage it, it’s best to head out tonight.”
After a brief consideration, Yu Sheng realized there wasn’t much to do at home anyway. Foxy had eaten so much she could use a walk to digest. He quickly replied, “Alright, tonight it is.”
“I’ll send you the address. Get here as soon as you can.”
Putting away his phone, Yu Sheng let out a breath and glanced at Foxy, who had just crunched up the chicken bones and was now diligently licking her fingers.
He patted her tail, “Miss Foxy, go change. We’re heading out the Door.”
She blinked in confusion. “Huh? Benefactor, where are we going?”
“The Hotel’s got a job,” Yu Sheng grinned, clearly eager. “Come with me for a little adventure beyond the Door.”
“Alright!”
Moments later, Yu Sheng stepped out the Door of his home. Foxy followed close behind, clutching the now-dim Irene in her arms.
The trio stood on the open ground before Wutong Road No. 66, facing the night breeze, gazing at the darkened cityscape ahead.
After a while, Irene piped up, “So how exactly are we getting there?”
“Should I take you guys?” Foxy looked at Yu Sheng, her eyes gleaming in the night. Though she had been dazed earlier, excitement now sparked in her expression. “Benefactor, you just point the way~”
Yu Sheng instantly shook his head at the flash of a mental image: “Please don’t. It’s the middle of the night. A Booster Rocket-propelled Demon Fox Maiden sonic-gliding through Boundary City? I don’t even want to imagine tomorrow’s news headlines. Let’s just call a car.”
Irene squirmed. “…Is our grand debut as a transcendent organization really going to start with three people cramming into a ride-share?”
“Well, we’re in the startup phase,” Yu Sheng admitted, a little awkwardly. “We’ll get a vehicle once we’ve got the funds. Besides, the three of us aren’t exactly cramped—you hardly take up any space.”
Irene cursed him out quite colorfully.
Yu Sheng had long since mastered the art of treating Irene’s complaints as background noise. He muted the Doll Lady’s chatter and walked with Foxy to the corner to summon a ride.
—The reason he didn’t summon the car directly at the Door was to avoid another “Lock-picking Master” situation.
Foxy watched Yu Sheng’s actions curiously. After a while, she pointed at the phone and sighed in wonder, “Benefactor’s magical artifact is so convenient… It can do everything.”
“Don’t you guys have anything like this where you’re from?” Yu Sheng asked, surprised. Given how advanced her homeland seemed, he’d expected some kind of personal information device.
“We do,” Foxy nodded, but added, “But kids aren’t allowed to play with them. It might hinder cultivation. Mother was kind enough to let me use it for half an hour daily—but even then, most of its functions were locked…”
Yu Sheng: “…”
[Cyber Cultivators have parental controls too?!]
“I’ll reset my old phone and give it to you,” he said offhandedly, moved by her words. “It might not be as fancy as what you used back then, but it should keep you entertained—and help you understand this world better.”
Foxy’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Benefactor!”
“Hey! Why does she get one?” Irene immediately protested. “I want one too…”
Yu Sheng shot her a look. “With your body type, could you even operate a phone? You think you can reach both the mic and the speaker at once?”
“Why not? I even used your laptop!” Irene argued, self-assured. “I just grab it with both hands!”
That only made it worse. Yu Sheng’s temples throbbed. “You still dare mention using my laptop—I haven’t forgotten about the account incident.”
Irene’s tone instantly softened. “Didn’t you already hang me from the clothesline for half an hour? We’re even now—plus, it was only a twelve-hour ban…”
Yu Sheng opened his mouth to retort, but headlights flashing at the corner cut him off.
The car had arrived.
He and Foxy turned toward the approaching noise.
A rattling little car came into view.
Irene squinted. “Isn’t that… a little too shabby? It looks like it’s about to fall apart.”
Yu Sheng watched it clunk over the speed bump, worried the bumper might come off. He checked the license plate on his phone—yep, it was the right one. He couldn’t hold back a twitch in his expression. “It’s a bit old, sure… but not quite scrap-worthy.”
As he spoke, the jalopy rolled to a dramatic stop right before them with a screech.
To be honest, Yu Sheng genuinely wasn’t sure if it had braked or broken down.
Then the driver’s window rolled down, revealing a familiar face.
Xu Jiali.
“Oh, it’s you guys?”
The massive two-meter man hunched in the driver’s seat looked utterly surprised.