It all started this afternoon when Nicole learned that Sam Li had taken on a commission to retrieve a treasure chest.
She had no interest in provoking the lunatics from the Red Fang Gang...
But the 100,000 Dennies had already been deposited into her account, and there was no way she was returning it.
Tempted by the hefty sum, Nicole ultimately decided to give it a shot, bringing Anby and Billy along for the job.
On the way to the Red Fang Gang's territory, Nicole devised a plan for the heist.
Their opponents had the numbers, so a direct confrontation was out of the question.
That left only one option—steal it.
Nicole and Billy created a huge commotion, drawing the gang's main forces away.
Meanwhile, Anby slipped in unnoticed and successfully stole the target safe amidst the chaos.
By all accounts, the plan should have worked.
But things took a turn.
A series of unfortunate events led to a mess—first, they got cornered inside a building by the Red Fang Gang. Then, they were accidentally blasted into the Hollows by stray fire from the Security Bureau. After that, they had to hire the Proxies for a rescue, only to end up circling back and working together to defeat Whitey, who had turned into an Ether-warped entity...
Round and round they went.
In the end, in order to escape the Hollows, they had no choice but to open the safe.
Not only did they fail the commission, but they also had to pay the Proxies a hefty fee.
And if the client decided to pursue the matter, there was a chance they'd have to return the 100,000 Dennies as well.
A complete disaster.
Just as Nicole was brooding over the failed commission, a sudden message from the bank popped up—an incoming deposit of 50,000 Dennies.
Her frustration vanished in an instant.
She practically jumped for joy.
Nicole quickly guessed that it had something to do with Sam Li. Either he had taken on another commission, or he had secretly completed one by himself.
So!
The moment she saw Sam Li walk through the doors of the Hare's House, she couldn't wait any longer.
"Sam Li! My account suddenly got an extra 50,000 Dennies—did you accept a commission? Or did you secretly complete one on your own?"
Sam Li nodded. "Yeah. Today I got a commission to play the role of a treasure appraisal master. Helped the Security Bureau catch a group of criminals. The reward was exactly 50,000 Dennies. I didn't want to carry it around, so I had them deposit it into your account."
Hearing this, Nicole's face lit up with excitement.
Now, this was what she called a good surprise.
She had guessed right—Sam Li had secretly completed a commission and earned the Hare's House 50,000 Dennies in one go.
Even better...
Sam Li had the good sense to deposit it directly into her account.
Perfect! Absolutely perfect!
What a model employee.
Nicole beamed. "Sam Li, I knew I was right about you!"
Originally, she had hired him just to attract customers, thinking he'd be nothing more than a front-desk clerk.
Who would have thought he'd turn out to be such a hidden gem? Not only did he accept commissions, but he also completed them solo.
What kind of boss wouldn't love an employee like that?
The more Nicole looked at Sam Li, the more satisfied she felt. She couldn't stop smiling.
After a while, she finally turned to glance at Anby and Billy.
And just like that... the contrast was painfully obvious.
One of them spent all day lounging in the cinema, inhaling five or six burgers per meal like a bottomless pit...
The other burned through money on gun oil every other day, chugging lubricant like it was water...
Neither of them had any concept of saving money.
Thinking about how she had just made 50,000 Dennies for doing absolutely nothing, Nicole suddenly felt rejuvenated—her back didn't ache, her legs didn't hurt, and she was in a fantastic mood.
"Anby, Billy, did you hear that? This is what a top-tier employee looks like! The moment Sam Li earns Dennies, he deposits it straight into my— ahem, I mean, the Hare's House's family account. You two should really learn from him!"
Nicole let out a dramatic sigh.
If only Anby and Billy were as reliable as Sam Li...
But!
Off to the side—
Billy's attention was on something else entirely.
Nicole was focused on the 50,000 Dennies.
Billy, on the other hand, was more concerned about the Security Bureau.
He quickly spoke up. "Boss Nicole, Sam Li just said he helped the Security Bureau capture a group of criminals. That means he worked with them…"
Nicole waved him off impatiently. "So what? As long as they pay up, we'll take their commissions like any other client."
Billy wasn't convinced. "But… the Security Bureau must have figured out that Sam Li is an agent. If they start keeping an eye on the Hare's House because of this, we're in trouble!"
In the New Eridu metropolitan area, their firm was legally registered, so there was no reason to fear the Security Bureau.
But across all of New Eridu, every general firm also dealt in "gray-area" business—specifically, commissions related to the Hollows, which the Security Bureau had outright banned.
And more importantly—
Compared to regular commissions, Hollow-related requests made up a much larger portion of their income. It was the primary way most firms stayed afloat.
If the Security Bureau started monitoring them, taking on those kinds of jobs would become a massive headache.
After listening to Billy's concerns, Nicole stroked her chin thoughtfully. "You might have a point... but don't worry. Sam Li just helped them out. They wouldn't immediately burn the bridge, right? Besides, I've got friends in the Security Bureau—I'll have them keep an eye on how they're viewing the Hare's House."
With that settled, Nicole turned back to Sam Li. "By the way, have you eaten yet?"
Sam Li shook his head. "Not yet."
Nicole grinned. "I figured as much. That's why we brought something back for you. Anby, give him his dinner."
At Nicole's cue, Anby reached into a fast food bag and pulled out a burger, handing it to Sam Li.
Sam Li took it, sat down on the sofa, placed the birdcage on the table beside him, and began eating while watching the news.
Anby, in his usual serious tone, started, "Nicole said burgers are—"
Before she could finish, Nicole swiftly clamped a hand over her mouth. "Don't listen to her! What I meant was that burgers are convenient, tasty, and the perfect fast food for a professional agent."
Anby: "..."
Sam Li: "..."
...
After a long day, everyone was exhausted.
Nicole, Anby, Billy, and Sam Li sat in a row on the couch, watching the latest news report on the Red Fang Gang incident.
And then—
That same enraged reporter appeared on the screen.
Anby's eyes narrowed. "That's him."
Billy immediately fumed. "Yeah, that's the guy! He didn't even wait for the Security Bureau's officers to give the order—just started yelling for them to fire! Ended up blasting us straight into the Hollows!"
Nicole sighed, rubbing her temples. "Quiet. I'm trying to see if the Security Bureau figured out we were involved..."
That was the real concern.
If the Security Bureau realized the Hare's House had played a role in this mess, they might start digging deeper. And if they traced the stolen safe back to them, things could get very complicated.
But fortunately—
After watching for a while, there was no mention of the Hare's House anywhere in the report.
Looked like they were in the clear.
...
The four of them kept watching TV late into the night.
Then, suddenly—
Chirp, chirp!
The thrush's call shattered the silence.