ctnovel Chapter 24 City-Level Mission!
Chapter 24 City-Level Mission!
In Jiang Yong's view, there are two possibilities regarding this matter.
Either the Heavenly Capital City actually arrested a smuggling gang in the Eastern Territory and pinned the crime on them, and this man was just an unlucky victim caught in the crossfire; or the Heavenly Capital City had some informants who knew that they had "leaked" their information and were setting a trap for themselves.
However, Jiang Yong remembered that Professor Xu's network was relatively pure and had not been infiltrated by Tiandu City or other major city-states. Otherwise, they wouldn't have chosen him to cooperate in the first place. Therefore, the possibility of Tiandu City setting a trap for him was low. But if this possibility came true, the harm would be the greatest, and they had to be extremely vigilant to prevent it.
Another possibility is that someone in the Yunqi Black Market is fishing to test me, but the probability is not high—the hook is too straight, and there's no such way to fish.
The water seems a bit deep, should we fill it up...?
Jiang Yong lowered his head and pondered for a long time, until the man's forehead began to sweat, before raising his head again.
"...I'll accept this commission."
The man was overjoyed.
"Thank you so much! I..."
"Ten high-quality gold coins for each person."
Jiang Yong then quoted the price, which immediately diminished his surprised expression—taking such a long detour and potentially facing pursuit and attacks from Tiandu City, the price, though high, was not unreasonable at all.
"it is good."
The man gritted his teeth with a slight pain, but still nodded in agreement without hesitation. Professor Xu, standing beside him, also beamed with joy. He couldn't wait for Jiang Yong to offer a higher price. He could only take a portion of the smuggling fee upfront, receiving the balance upon the client's arrival, but the expert-level commission and his own referral fee would be settled on the spot.
After saying that, the man opened his briefcase, took out a heavy bag, and began counting the money—here were all acquaintances of high status, and this amount of money was not considered ostentatious.
"Um, Uncle,"
The little girl beside her glanced at the man's pained expression as he counted the money, then mustered her courage and asked in a soft, clear voice:
"Can children get a half-price discount?"
"……cannot."
Jiang Yong's eye twitched. What the hell? Half price for children.
"Stop fooling around, Xiao An."
The man chuckled and patted the girl's head, then quickly counted out thirty gold coins and handed them to Jiang Yong. Jiang Yong glanced at the quality, confirmed it was decent, and then gave Professor Xu three more coins, thus settling the transaction.
As I accepted the gold coins, a new notification popped up on the panel.
[You have triggered a city-level mission,
City-level?!
Jiang Yong's pupils contracted slightly—this mission was indeed not that simple!
[Mission Description: Your previous actions have brought new changes to the already turbulent situation. Behind what seems like a simple request, countless eyes are watching your every move. Your performance will determine who your enemies and who your friends are.]
[Mission Objective: Protect the employer's safety during the upcoming journey.]
[Task Reward: 20000 Experience Points]
[Hidden Rewards: ? ? ? , ? ? , ? ? ?]
"20,000 experience points, three hidden rewards... this task is quite difficult." Jiang Yong's heart stirred, and then he noticed something strange.
—The mission objective is simply to "protect the employers' safety," instead of safely escorting them to Linshan City?
What's going on? The employer's destination isn't even the mission objective?
"This is a map showing the route you'll be taking, and your pass."
As Jiang Yong was pondering, Professor Xu took out a map and a certificate and handed them to him: "After leaving the city, you need to go to the Elf Ecological Research Station outside the city. They will prepare a car for you there. It doesn't matter if you can't drive. There are mechanical elves inside, so you can drive on your own."
"Um."
Jiang Yong nodded; that's how convenient mechanical-type spirits are.
He then turned to the three of them and asked, "When do you plan to leave?"
"The sooner the better, we're ready."
The man pointed to the backpack at his feet to indicate.
"Then I'll go back and make some preparations first. We'll meet at the South Gate this evening."
After saying that, Jiang Yong turned and left the teahouse, and returned to his residence a while later.
"I never expected my first order to be a city-level mission... Luckily, I finished building the stabilizer beforehand."
Jiang Yong pulled out a backpack and stuffed in some water, food, and other basic wilderness supplies, as well as a few bottles of medicine as a formality. He hid his key supplies in his Explorer's Belt and naturally wouldn't easily reveal this ability.
Then, he summoned Kotia, took out the Tianducheng walkie-talkie he had previously captured, placed it on the worktable, and quickly removed the bulky components such as the battery and diaphragm. After slightly modifying the casing, he hid the interstellar communication terminal inside.
This was done to allow the open use of the various functions of the interstellar terminal during the operation. Jiang Yong predicted that this mission would most likely encounter the troops of Tiandu City, and it would be ideal if they could hack into their communication system, just like they had done with the pursuers before.
After checking one last time to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, Jiang Yong headed to the South Gate, where he found the family of three already waiting nearby.
"Let's go."
Jiang Yong shook the backpack on his back and led the three of them to join the queue for inspection. When it was their turn, Jiang Yong took out the pass that Professor Xu had given him and handed it to the guard at the gate. The guard took it, glanced at it twice, and returned it to him, nodding absentmindedly and letting them pass.
……
The ecological research station outside the city was some distance from the city gate. By the time Jiang Yong and his group arrived on foot, the sun had almost set, and the sky was tinged with orange-red.
As soon as they entered, someone came to greet them and led them to the car that Professor Xu had prepared. It was a rough vehicle with a shell made of riveted metal plates, somewhat similar to a military armored vehicle from World War I on Earth.
However, according to the receptionist, a trained mid-level mechanical sprite is hidden in the chassis of this vehicle. It can normally drive the wheels, and if it encounters complex terrain, it can temporarily grow four legs to run across, making it particularly useful for navigating mountainous areas.
"...Don't get in the car yet, let me check."
After receiving the keys, Jiang Yong asked the three employers to wait aside while he got into the car and inspected it, using his level 5 "Craftsman" knowledge to check if the car's structure was safe and if anything was hidden inside.
After confirming everything was correct, a surge of energy suddenly erupted from his body, and he slammed his hand onto the car's base.
You have used the skill "Basic Contract"!
[Judging in progress... Judgment passed!]
You have obtained the level 10 "Mountain Four-Wheel Drive Beast"!
This was done for two reasons: first, to confirm whether the Pokémon had an expert-level or higher owner; and second, to ensure that its journey was entirely under his control. Faced with a city-level mission, Jiang Yong would not overlook any potential danger.
Of course, after the deed is done, he still has to break the contract, release the spirit, and return the car to its owner.
"Hmm, should we also link the homestead system to the car...?"