Storm of Gods

Chapter 148 The Capable Secretary

Li Xin slept soundly for the first time after using dice, sleeping until dawn. For breakfast, he bought black bread with sweet beef soup at the door, sprinkled with pepper, and gradually got used to the mixed taste.

The breakfast stalls at the Carp Dragon Hotel were reasonably priced; a full meal only cost five hectares. The fortune teller, Old Fang, got up very early, while the painter and magician usually slept in, but David got up very early this morning.

"David, so early, are you going on a mission?" Old Fang asked with a smile.

“Haha, yes, after wandering around for so long, it’s time to go out and earn money to support yourself,” David said. “Do you need me to patronize your business?”

"Forget about business, we're all friends. I'll give you a free reading," Old Fang said, pulling out his tools from his pocket: a compass covered in runes and a crystal ball. They looked to contain quite a few things, but you can't use much of what's free anyway; people in the inn value practicality.

"What do you want to calculate?"

Seeing how serious Lao Fang was, David sat down next to him. "Of course it's safe. When you're out in the game, survival comes first."

"Alright, put your hand on this crystal ball and think about your mission for this trip." Old Fang chuckled, then muttered incantations while holding the compass.

David didn't take it seriously and did as Lao Fang said. Sure enough, the crystal ball started to glow. It seems that everyone in the underworld has to know a few tricks of the trade. As the crystal ball lit up, the compass also started to spin. The runes on it moved around like earthworms. Lao Fang didn't take it seriously at first, but gradually his expression changed and he became serious. Before long, all the runes stopped moving and the light dimmed.

"David, is this trip absolutely necessary?" Old Fang asked with some concern, looking a few years older, his eyes filled with worry.

David laughed and said, "Old Fang, what's with that expression? What did you figure out? Just tell me."

Old Fang stroked his beard. "Well, heavenly secrets cannot be revealed, but you will face a calamity on this journey. Fortunately, you have met me, which is your good fortune. I have an ancestral talisman here, left by my great-great-grandfather. It is extremely powerful and can protect you from danger!"

David's pupils dilated. His great-grandfather! Which generation is this? Such a fierce antique must be powerful! "How much? I'll buy it!"

“We’re all family here, talking about money would hurt our feelings. This is called asking for divine protection, not a business transaction.” Old Fang squinted and held up two fingers.

"Erhe?" David said, reaching into his pocket for change.

"Bullshit! My great-grandfather was only worth two hexagrams? Two silver lira? Do you think I'm some kind of street performer?!" Old Fang's eyes widened, and his beard stood on end in anger.

“Oh, this is outrageous. Could such an ancient talisman have lost its power?” David waved his hand. “I think I can risk my life to avoid this price.”

"You'd rather lose your life than your money? What kind of business is that? But since you bought me drinks, here's what you'll do: take the stuff and use it for now. You can pay me back when you get back," Old Fang said, stuffing the small yellow bag into David's hand. "Keep it on your person. It'll work when you need it. Don't touch it carelessly. If you break it, you'll have to pay the full price. Also, I'm not a performer. Kan and Daliwen are!"

David picked up the tan paper bag, inside which was a talisman. Old Fang made a living by selling these; he would scare people first and then ward off misfortune. He didn't know why so many people fell for it. Two silver lira was indeed a bit expensive, but paying after use seemed like a viable option.

“Okay, if it works, I’ll give you double. This trip should be quite profitable.” David put it in his pocket. He was into risky business and didn’t mind spending money on his brain.

"Ahem, please settle my breakfast for me." He wiped his mouth and slowly picked up his signboard. He was going to set up his stall in the market. If he was late, people would take his spot. The Herdan people didn't follow the rules. He had been occupying his territory for several years. When he had money in the future, he would definitely open his own shop. He didn't want to compete with these uncultured guys who only knew how to use violence.

David smiled. He was the most popular and well-liked person at the Carp Dragon Inn. Whenever anyone had an emergency, David would lend money or help out. Even the few troubles that happened here were thanks to David. People in the inn often said that the family would fall apart without him. Of course, David also had his impoverished times, and everyone was willing to lend a helping hand, since he would repay the debt many times over once he made money. It was a pity that David had never agreed to be with Daenerys Targaryen. Otherwise, he would definitely have become the boss and might even have been able to reduce the rent for everyone. Because of this, everyone was trying to bring him and Daenerys Targaryen together.

During this short while, Li Xin secretly used the dice. Although this matter had little to do with him, it was still an experiment. The dice actually spun. Judging from the frequency and rhythm, it should be able to make an effective judgment. If not, its spinning would be crooked and erratic.

David's trip was at three o'clock. This means Lao Fang's judgment was correct; it was dangerous, but not hopeless...

“Brother David, Lao Fang seemed very serious just now. You’d better be careful this time.”

"Haha, good, I'll treat you to drinks when I get back!" David said. As a mercenary, risk is part of life; everyone has to die sooner or later. Of course, he hopes to live a little longer, since he quite likes his current life.

David set off, and Li Xin waited for the carriage at the door... There were relatively few carriages here, but finally an open-top carriage arrived. The horse was a bit thin, and Li Xin regretted it after riding for a short while, as it wasn't much faster than him.

Li Xin eventually gave the driver half the fare and walked the rest of the way by himself. By the time he arrived at the fifth branch of the Hexbird Newspaper, it was almost noon. When he got to the editorial office, he found everyone standing. President Ma Zhe was furious because Christie's report showed that they had actually lost money last month.

After a month of hard work, how could we tolerate losing money? The newspaper has a large staff and the taxes are very high. If sales fluctuate, the high costs will make the profits very thin. Of course, the company's expenses are huge, but where they come from is unknown. Look at Christy, she wears a different sexy dress every day and changes her diamond necklaces and rings. But when the boss gets angry, everyone has to listen.

"President, calm down. Everyone is working hard. The competition is fierce now. Besides our Hexbird Newspaper, Heldan has launched several new newspapers. We need to improve our competitiveness, otherwise we'll just be sitting around doing nothing." Christie said with a charming smile. "Gentlemen, what the president says makes sense. Things are different now. In the past, we had almost no competitors, so business was good. Now there are many newspapers. If we maintain the same quality as before, everyone will lose their jobs."

"If sales don't improve, we'll have to start eliminating competitors," Ma Zhe said in a deep voice. "I don't care what methods you use, I want big news!"

Li Xin stood quietly in the corner, listening... Elimination? Layoffs? It sounded creepy; he hadn't even received his salary for this month.

Everyone returned to their positions and got busy. Ma Zhe returned to the president's office with a livid face. In fact, profits had started to decline last year. This year, there were good months and bad months, but there had never been a loss. No president could tolerate a loss.

Christy saw Li Xin and seemed to really like the energetic young man. She waved to him and asked, "Why are you looking for the president?"

"Sister, did I come at the wrong time? Maybe I should come again this afternoon?"

“It’s alright, our president is just straightforward. Let’s have a cup of coffee first, and he can go in later when he’s calmed down. Come with me.” Christie led Li Xin to a small office next door. This was Christie’s secretary’s office, which was filled with newspapers and documents, professional coffee tools, tea sets, and even a telegraph machine.

"How was your experience at the Holy See Academy?" Christie asked while making coffee. Today she was wearing a loose white robe, in the traditional style of Montcarette, with a slightly large opening. It was so sexy that it was hard to concentrate on work. No wonder the newspaper was losing money.

"I haven't looked into it in detail, but the atmosphere seems quite nice." Li Xin sat very properly.

Christie smiled and deliberately turned her body, revealing a hint of spring light and charm that was most alluring. Li Xin knew he had met a master. Those who didn't know couldn't resist, and those who did know couldn't resist either. But why was she so easy to him?

"Is it pretty?" Christie suddenly asked as the aroma of coffee began to waft out.

Li Xin smiled and said, "If I didn't know that my sister likes charming and powerful men, I would have suspected that you have a crush on me."

Christie saw that Li Xin was not intimidated at all, was very direct, and spoke very nicely. "If it weren't for the fact that your file says you are 18 years old and you don't look like you are 18, I would have suspected that I was chatting with a 38-year-old man with rich experience."

Li Xin touched his nose. "I was just being a little sincere."

“How sincere.” Christie brought the coffee to Li Xin and took the opportunity to move closer. The two became very close. Li Xin could smell Christie’s faint fragrance and his heart raced as he looked at her deep eyes.

Before Christie could finish swallowing, she had already straightened up, a teasing smile on her lips. "All the men here are the same. They look down on me but want to sleep with me, and they still have to put on a smiling face for me. Which one are you?"

(End of this chapter)