After careful thought, Yu Sheng realized that taking the old towels, basins, and beverage bottles from his home to the Special Operations Bureau for appraisal might not be a good idea.
Setting aside whether the bureau would even want them or not, just the sheer volume of junk could disrupt the delicate balance of the peculiar collection market.
It was a niche area, and any little thing he tossed into the mix could easily upset the annual trading volume...
However, his restless and nimble mind didn’t go completely cold due to this reasoning.
Instead, it shifted into an even more serious contemplation.
Aileen looked up at Yu Sheng, her little doll-like face filled with skepticism.
"Are you still thinking of selling all this junk?"
"Little Red Riding Hood said we need to sell something that has a sense of mystery and 'atmosphere,'" Yu Sheng waved his hand dismissively.
"Many collectors are actually ordinary folks who are well-informed about extraordinary matters. They collect these items mostly out of a love for the mysterious and to have something to boast about..."
Aileen sighed.
"Sometimes, I just don’t get humans—they often have no skills but love to take risks. Wouldn’t it be better to be an unremarkable person who doesn’t see the exotic or the tangible? At least they could live their lives in peace. Instead, they become curious about things from the 'other side of the world,' thinking a few safety measures will keep them safe. Not to mention, some of the collectibles from those exotic places may actually be dangerous."
"Well, the Special Operations Bureau hasn’t banned such activities," Yu Sheng shrugged.
"If something can be appraised by them and then enter the market, it’s likely not that dangerous—the truly terrifying things are locked away in their containment facilities. That's what the border communication encyclopedia says."
No sooner had he finished speaking than his phone vibrated again.
Little Red Riding Hood sent a new message.
"If you want to make some 'extra cash,' I have a job for you. Will you help out?"
Yu Sheng paused for a moment and quickly replied, "What kind of job?"
"It’s a commission from the Peculiar Item Association. I turned it down originally because it carries risks and the rewards are uncertain. Most importantly, I don’t have enough people, but if you’re willing to help—with that exceptionally strong fox of yours—the job would be perfect. You can get familiar with the real workings of a spirit world detective, split the commission, and most importantly, if things get too tough, you can just run away with me."
After a while, Yu Sheng saw another message pop up on the screen: "The specific task involves going to a 'museum' to find something. If you can bring it back successfully, that counts as a win. If you're interested, I can send you the museum’s information along with the specifics of the reward."
Instinctively, Yu Sheng exchanged a glance with Aileen (the fox beside them was busy gnawing on a chicken leg, oblivious to what was happening), and they each saw a spark of excitement in the other's eyes.
A new task had come!
Of course, Yu Sheng was thinking about more than just the "commission" and "reward".
More importantly, this was a chance to connect with exotic realms and learn more about matters related to the "extraordinary domain", accumulating more knowledge!
For him, the weight of this knowledge surpassed any reward—because perhaps one piece of information about the exotic realm could help him find the door back to his homeland!
"Send it over!" he quickly replied.
Little Red Riding Hood didn’t waste time, immediately forwarding a massive amount of information, capped off with a number that represented the reward.
When Yu Sheng saw that number, he was momentarily taken aback.
"So much?"
"We’ll split it down the middle," Little Red Riding Hood explained.
"Venturing into the exotic realm is indeed dangerous, so the pay needs to be high. But our costs are not trivial either—without even getting into wear and tear on equipment, just the rational disruption agent, nebulizer, and induction agents we need to replenish are not cheap. All expenses come out of our pockets, and what we end up with isn’t that much."
Yu Sheng stared at the series of messages from Little Red Riding Hood, and after a long pause, finally asked, "What are those rational disruption agents, nebulizers, and induction agents you mentioned?"
After he sent that message, Little Red Riding Hood suddenly went silent.
Yu Sheng waited for a long time before he finally saw a reply pop up on the screen, starting with a series of exclamations.
"!!!! I can’t believe you encountered a bug! I envy you so much!!"
Yu Sheng pondered for a moment and looked down at Aileen.
"What does she mean?"
"I have no idea," Aileen scratched her head.
"Maybe she envies your carefree spirit?"
"I don't think that's it..."
Yu Sheng muttered, and then he saw another message pop up: "I just contacted the commission's client from the Peculiar Item Association. They agreed to send the job over again, but time is tight. It needs to be completed by midnight tomorrow at the latest—if you have time, it’s best to set out tonight."
Thinking it over, Yu Sheng decided that he had nothing much to do at home anyway, and the fox had eaten so much that it needed some exercise.
He quickly replied, "Alright, let’s leave tonight."
"I'll send you the address. Hurry over."
After putting down his phone, Yu Sheng let out a soft sigh and glanced at the fox girl, who had just finished a chicken bone and was now diligently licking her fingers.
He reached out and patted her tail.
"Hu Li, change your clothes. We’re going out."
Hu Li looked puzzled.
"Huh? Master, where are we going?"
"A task at the 'Inn' has come up," Yu Sheng smiled broadly, filled with anticipation.
"We’re going on an adventure."
"Okay!"
Moments later, Yu Sheng stepped out of his door, with Hu Li closely following while clutching the now dull Aileen.
The three of them stood in the open space in front of No. 66 Wutong Road, facing the night wind and gazing at the urban landscape shrouded in darkness.
After a while, Aileen suddenly blurted out, "How are we getting there?"
"I'll lead you," Hu Li looked at Yu Sheng with her eyes sparkling in the night.
Though still a bit dazed from stepping outside, she seemed to be growing excited.
"Master, point me in the right direction~"
Yu Sheng shook his head repeatedly.
"No way! Just imagine a fox traveling at subsonic speed across the city at night—the news headlines in Jietown the next day would be outrageous. Let's just call a ride."
Aileen shifted a bit.
"Are we really squeezing into a rideshare on our first mission as a full-fledged extraordinary organization?"
"Well, it's still startup phase..."
Yu Sheng felt a bit embarrassed.
"We will definitely need a car later once we have the funds. But honestly, the three of us aren’t packed in; you’re hardly taking up space."
Aileen cursed in displeasure.
By now, Yu Sheng had grown adept at tuning out Aileen's grumblings.
He simply blocked her chatter from his mind and led Hu Li to the street corner, pulling out his phone to call for a ride.
—The reason he didn’t call for a car right outside his door was that he feared a repeat of the "locksmith incident."
Hu Li watched in curiosity as Yu Sheng operated his phone.
After some time, she remarked, "Master's magical tool seems very convenient, capable of doing everything."
"Don’t you have something similar back home?" Yu Sheng asked curiously.
It felt odd that a culture with a civilization as advanced as Hu Li's wouldn’t have such personal information devices.
"Yes," Hu Li nodded, then added, "But we children aren’t allowed to play with them because they might affect our cultivation. My mom is lenient, letting me play for half an hour each day, but still, there’re many functions I can’t use…"
Yu Sheng: "…"
Even the cyber-fairy fox had to deal with parental controls?!
"I'll reset my old phone and give it to you later," Yu Sheng thought for a moment and said casually.
"It might not be as advanced as the 'tools' you had when you were younger, but it should keep you entertained. Plus, it can help you understand this world better."
Hu Li’s eyes lit up immediately.
"Thank you, Master!"
"Hey! You're just giving it to her?" Aileen piped in, clearly dissatisfied.
"I want one too..."
Yu Sheng shot her a glance.
"You think you can handle a phone with that tiny frame? Picking up a call might be a struggle for you to get your mouth and ears near the mic and earpiece at the same time!"
"Of course I can! I can use your laptop!" Aileen argued defensively.
"I just hold it with both hands!"
Her mentioning of his laptop set Yu Sheng’s temper spiraling.
"How can you even bring up using my laptop? I haven't forgotten about the account business yet!"
Aileen's tone softened.
"Didn’t you hang me out to dry on the clothesline for half an hour? That evens things out, right? Besides, it was only banned for twelve hours..."
Yu Sheng opened his mouth, about to say something when a flash of lights from a distance interrupted him.
The car he ordered had arrived.
He and Hu Li both turned to face the source of the sound.
A small, shaky vehicle rolled into view.
Aileen commented, "Isn’t this car a bit shabby? It looks like it’s about to fall apart."
Yu Sheng watched it cross a speed bump, each clanking sound making him fear its bumpers might fall off.
He checked the license plate on his phone again, confirming it was indeed the car he called, struggling to suppress a laugh.
"It’s a bit old but not scrap-worthy, I’d say."
As he spoke, the rickety little car screeched to a stop in front of him.
Honestly, the moment it stopped, Yu Sheng genuinely wondered if it had merely stopped normally or if it was simply out of gas...
Then he saw the driver’s window roll down, revealing a familiar face.
Xu Jiali's face.
"It’s you guys?"
The burly man in the driver’s seat seemed genuinely surprised.
(End of Chapter)