Chapter 36: The First Deal

Chapter 36 First Business Deal

Li Jun never expected his first meeting with Gu Jia would take place at a roadside stall on the bustling Ghost Street.

After lying in the skin regeneration pod at the Crow Clinic for a full three days, surviving solely on synthetic nutrient paste, Li Jun was practically drooling with hunger.

The moment he was cleared to leave the pod, he bolted from the clinic, his newly cultivated skin still terribly fragile, and ducked into the first roadside stall he found, ready to appease his five viscera.

Li Jun had just started eating when a short, stocky man sidled in and plopped down opposite him with brazen familiarity.

"Boss, a bowl of noodles."

The stall owner behind the cart replied eagerly, "Coming right up!"

Gu Jia pulled a pair of chopsticks from the holder, wiped them casually on his sleeve, and grinned at Li Jun. "Know who I am?"

Li Jun nodded vaguely, a chunk of fatty pork still in his mouth. "Director Gu. Kuang Qingyun introduced you to me."

In truth, Kuang Qingyun had only mentioned Gu Jia's appearance in passing.

But this Security Director's looks and build were so distinctive they were unforgettable.

After all, in a society where changing faces is easier than drinking water, a man this ugly was a rare sight indeed.

"Since you know, let's cut the chase."

Gu Jia got straight to the point. "I think highly of you, but the Group has its rules. To get into the Security Department, you have to produce results first."

Li Jun asked, "How do I prove myself?"

"Right now there's a deal that needs you to negotiate. Young Master Yong said if you pull it off, the position of Deputy Director Gu Ding is yours."

Li Jun swallowed the last piece of meat, wiped his mouth, and asked, "Negotiate, or seize?"

"Is there a difference?"

Gu Jia countered, then said in a flat tone, "The methods are yours to decide. The Group only cares about results, not the process."

Such a domineering style. Worthy of a Confucian aristocratic clan.

Li Jun couldn't help but laugh wryly. Then again, this was fine—less red tape meant easier work.

"Noodles are up."

The stall owner delivered the cooked noodles. Gu Jia lifted a massive briefcase from the floor onto the table, gesturing for Li Jun to open it, then buried his head in his bowl.

Li Jun opened the case. Inside lay an array of items.

Black martial attire, metal vambraces, a sheathed longsword, and a metal cylinder the length of a finger.

In the corner sat a pistol, resembling the Wei Wu Zu Type 4 he'd once used, but the caliber was terrifyingly large.

Everything shared a common trait: extreme minimalism, devoid of any flashy decoration or insignia. Yet the craftsmanship was exquisitely precise.

Gu Jia ate with alarming speed, polishing off the large bowl in the blink of an eye. He laid his chopsticks across the rim and pointed out the contents for Li Jun.

"Night Walker Improved Type 2 Cotton Armor Martial Uniform. Constant temperature, waterproof, stab-proof and bulletproof. Can withstand long-range fire from standard gunpowder weapons like the Shenji Camp Model 1410."

Next, the metal vambraces: "Custom-made information terminal for you. Decent anti-electromagnetic interference. Has a chip reader interface, can manually link to the Yellow Millet Dream. Only basic data exchange, but enough for you."

Li Jun was quite interested in the vambraces that could link to the Yellow Millet Dream, turning them over in his hands.

As a follower of the Martial Dao sequence, keeping flesh and blood pure was the most basic requirement.

Without a neural implant, Li Jun naturally lost his ticket into the Yellow Millet Dream.

So he had always been very curious about this Yellow Millet Dream, functionally similar to the internet of his past life yet far more advanced.

"When you tire of being a Martial Dao follower, go get a neural implant installed. There are quite a few secret realms in the Yellow Millet Dream suitable for retirement—places where you can drink your life away in a dream, night after night of revelry."

Gu Jia noticed Li Jun's curiosity and teased him, then pointed to the longsword and metal tube.

"This is a precision-forged fine steel longsword, cold-forged. No special functions, just fast and hard. Won't chip against ordinary Grade 9 Weapon Bodies, and cutting people is even simpler."

"This is the Qingcheng Group's Fasting Pills. Ten pills in this tube, enough for ten days of sustenance."

"Lastly, this one." Gu Jia picked up the pistol radiating a violent aura, fingers caressing the matte-black metal slide.

"Wei Wu Zu Type 4, Battle of Yin Jin Variant. In terms of raw power, it's probably the pinnacle of gunpowder handguns. A true close-quarters killer."

Gu Jia snapped the case shut and pushed it to Li Jun. "These are for you. Consider them a pre-employment benefit from the Group."

Li Jun's eye wasn't professional, but he could estimate this individual combat kit cost over 200,000 Great Ming Treasure Notes.

A peak Grade 9 martial artist, kitted out in gear this expensive.

This deal was likely even nastier than he imagined.

Li Jun leaned back. "Thanks, Director. What's the job?"

"An antique. An imperial edict handwritten by the Chongzhen Emperor to appease the Western Barbarians."

Gu Jia watched Li Jun's surprise and chuckled. "To us it's useless waste paper. To collectors, it's priceless. No need to be shocked."

"Once you're in the Security Department, you'll see plenty of this. You'll get used to it."

Gu Jia spread thumb and forefinger; the ring on his finger projected a map in the air.

"Intel says the edict surfaced in Songpan Guard on the Sichuan border. Your job: find it, bring it back intact."

"The trip is long, and the buyer is in a hurry. You'd best leave soon."

As Gu Jia spoke, a black SUV rumbled into the street with a low growl and pulled over.

A man in a Shudao Logistics uniform stepped out, standing at attention behind Gu Jia.

"Service is thorough."

Li Jun muttered inwardly, grabbed the briefcase, and walked toward the SUV.

After the car left, the employee leaned down and whispered in Gu Jia's ear, "Director, per your orders, we caught five Tianfu Heavy Industry spies, released one."

Gu Jia nodded, then sighed with emotion. "Young Master Yong's vision is truly far-reaching."

He scanned the still-bustling crowd, a strange smile on his face, muttering to himself.

"Wu Jinfeng. This time we play our cards openly. Does this old dog of yours have the guts to follow?"