Nicole emptied her savings, rummaged through a drawer, and found a 500 Denny coin—just enough to scrape together 7,000 Denny.
After seeing off the burger shop employee, Nicole spoke solemnly. "Anby, promise me you won't keep random accounts anymore."
"It was Sam Li who did it."
"So it was him! Sam Li just joined Hare's House and doesn't know our rules yet. We need to correct this before he develops a bad habit of misaccounting!"
Nicole was thinking about how to fix the bookkeeping issue when—
Ding-ling-ling! Her phone rang again.
She checked her messages—all debt collection notices.
Unpaid water bills from the utility company, overdue electricity fees, outstanding commission payments to other traders... She wanted nothing more than to block them all.
Scrolling to the bottom, her expression softened when she saw a thank-you letter from the orphanage. The frustration on her face faded, and a small smile crept onto her lips.
"What is it, Boss Nicole? More debt collection messages?" Billy leaned in.
"What else? If we don't get a big order soon, Hare's House is going bankrupt." Nicole quickly hid her smile and put her phone away.
The three of them sat side by side on the couch, exchanging anxious glances.
All eyes were on Sam Li, their last hope.
"We just have to wait. The fate of Hare's House is in Sam Li's hands."
"Come on, let's land a big order already. Any order will do, as long as it pays in Denny."
Nicole tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.
The last time she had longed for Denny this desperately... was when she was just a child.
Meanwhile, on another street in New Eridu, a tall, slender young man with sharp features and dressed in traditional-style attire walked towards Sixth Street, following his memory.
His presence immediately caught the attention of passersby.
"Look at his outfit—so retro. Do you think he's from the Ancient Costume Association?"
"The Ancient Costume Association? That group got disbanded by the Public Security Bureau ages ago for secretly working with the rebels. He's probably just an actor who forgot to change out of his costume."
"He's not just any actor—he's got the looks, the elegance, the aura of someone important. Maybe he's the heir of some big corporation."
"Someone get his contact info for me!"
"I want to get closer to him!"
"But why is he carrying an empty birdcage in broad daylight? That's kinda weird…"
"People have their reasons for what they do."
The street buzzed with speculation, fingers pointing at Sam Li's attire. Some even mistook him for a young master from a wealthy family and tried to approach him for his contact information.
Sam Li, however, ignored the chatter.
He was busy communicating with the system, claiming his reward for yesterday's completed task.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on successfully joining Hare's House. Scanning current members: Nicole, Anby, Billy, and Sam Li (Evaluation: A dazzling lineup)——]
[Scanning current assets: -190,000 Denny (Evaluation: On the brink of bankruptcy)——]
[Overall Evaluation: As a walking wallet, you have a bright future ahead.]
After a brief pause, the system spoke again:
[Task: "External Wallet" completed. Congratulations, host, on receiving the task reward: Jade Staff Shield.]
As soon as the system's voice faded, a faint glow enveloped Sam Li, forming a translucent shield around him.
An incredibly strong shield.
A rock-solid barrier, radiating a sense of absolute security!
Sam Li felt his physical strength increase once again. Not only that, but his control over the Geo element had improved even further.
With just a single thought, he could summon the Jade Staff Shield, surrounding himself with an unbreakable Geo barrier that could withstand any external attack.
If he'd had this shield in the Hollows yesterday…
Even if he had stood motionless in the middle of the swarm of low-level Ethereals, letting them attack him at will, they wouldn't have been able to scratch the Geo Shield.
"Next time I go into the Hollows, I'll have to test the limits of this shield."
With just a thought, the shield around Sam Li vanished instantly.
The system's voice rang out again:
[Ding! System notification: Daily Task function activated—]
[Daily Task 1: Drink tea (or coffee) every day. Reward: 1,000 system points.]
[Daily Task 2: Walk the bird every day. Reward: +0.1% role-playing progress. (Note: You currently have no bird!)]
[Daily Task 3: Listen to a book (or watch a movie, listen to the radio, or watch TV) every day. Reward: A Teyvat Treasure Chest (contains Vision, sword manuals, martial arts techniques, system points, etc.).]
From what Sam Li knew, there weren't any teahouses or professional storytellers in New Eridu.
Drinking coffee, watching movies, or listening to the radio would do the trick just as well.
A few minutes later, Sam Li arrived at Sixth Street, casually found a seat, and placed the birdcage on the table.
"Welcome! What would you like to drink?"
"A cup of your best coffee."
"Sir, we have black tea latte, wheatgrass latte, fruit bubble latte, and the New Eridu Special Blend..."
"I'll take the New Eridu Special Blend."
While Master Tingman prepared his coffee, Sam Li borrowed a pen and a piece of paper, quickly jotting down a simple advertisement:
[Universal Agency's New Business Promotion! 30% off the first commission, 50% off the second! Don't miss out!]
Then, without hesitation, Sam Li infused the paper with Geo energy. The once-soft sheet instantly hardened like iron, standing upright on the table.
Before long, Master Tingman arrived with the coffee.
As he placed the cup in front of Sam Li, his eyes landed on the rigid advertisement.
Curious, he asked, "Are you a professional agent?"
Sam Li nodded. "That's right."
Master Tingman chuckled. "This is the first time I've seen someone advertise . But be careful—if the Public Security Bureau or the Criminal Investigation Task Force catches sight of it, you'll be in trouble."
"It's fine," Sam Li said indifferently.
"Well then, I hope you get a commission soon—and that you don't catch the Bureau's attention."
With that, Master Tingman returned to the café.
In New Eridu, the agency business wasn't exactly legitimate.
Like those who smuggled W-Engines, modified Bangboo, or worked as Proxies, it was a gray industry operating between various factions—constantly under scrutiny from the authorities.
That's why everyone learned to disguise themselves.
For instance, the shop reselling W-Engines masqueraded as a toy store...
The Proxy siblings next door, to hide their real business of modifying Proxies, ran a videotape rental shop...
And the Bangboo modification store just ahead? They were even more direct—its doors remained shut year-round, and unless you were a trusted customer, you wouldn't even get them to open.