Man on the ark, forced to become king

Laurentina's eyes lit up immediately, and she began to shake Skadi's arm.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go, let's go to the HR department!"

"Don't worry, don't worry."

Skadi was a little uncomfortable with this kind of close contact and moved to the side.

"Let's take a shower first, and then I'll change your clothes. My bathroom here is quite big, and..."

Under Laurentina's questioning gaze, she pointed towards the bathroom with one finger, revealing an extremely satisfied expression.

"There's a flush toilet here!"

Chapter 254 A Penny's Worth Stumps Qiu Bai

"Please keep your temporary residence permit safe. The situation is quite tense recently, and the Royal Guard may conduct regular checks. If you lose it, you must reissue it as soon as possible, otherwise you may be deported. Also, your sword. Without special permission, it is forbidden to carry sharpened weapons in Lungmen City. This temporary permit can only be used once and will be invalid after today. Do not carry weapons on the street after that."

"thank you, I know now."

After receiving several documents from the staff, Qiu Bai nodded politely and left the city checkpoint through another passage, finally setting foot on the land of Longmen.

Countless high-rise buildings, neon lights shimmering at dusk, crisscrossing roads and bridges, and a constant flow of vehicles and pedestrians create a bustling and prosperous scene, far more lively than the Yumen Pass standing amidst the wind and sand.

Half of her life was spent in the water village outside Jiangqi City, and the other half was spent with Chongyue inside Yumen Pass. She had never left that place to see other cities. This was the first time she had ever seen a bustling and modern metropolis like Longmen, and she was inevitably shocked.

Located on the frontier, Yumen Pass is more of a military fortress guarding the border than a city. Most of the residents are descendants of those who once defended the city and families of soldiers. The majority are soldiers, followed by江湖人士 (jianghu figures) traveling to and from Yumen, and finally a small number of merchants. This mix of people gives the place its unique character and atmosphere.

In addition, Yumen is covered by sandstorms all year round, with a harsh environment and frequent attacks, so the atmosphere in the city has never really relaxed.

Longmen is different. The city's open and inclusive philosophy welcomes visitors from all directions. People here come from all over the world, and the collision and integration of many different cultures have long been integrated into every corner of the city. Even before reaching the more bustling urban area, Qiu Bai could see a completely different spirit from that of Yumen on the faces of passersby.

To be honest, she was somewhat at a loss. The clamor of Longmen was like a rushing torrent, and she was like a leaf adrift in the torrent, going with the flow and unable to find a solid foothold.

"Miss, do you want a ride? We've just arrived at the restaurant, and it's the last ride home. I'll give you a discount."

While she was still in a daze, a shout came from not far away. Qiu Bai was stunned for a moment, looked around, and when she didn't see anyone else, she realized that the person was talking to her.

Looking in the direction of the sound, she saw a slightly old car parked on the side of the road, and a tired-looking middle-aged Liboli man was waving at her.

This is... a hand-operated bus?

There are people doing this in Yumen, but not many.

Qiu Bai thought for a moment, then subconsciously touched his pocket.

"how much is it?"

"That depends on where you're going. Judging from your appearance, you're probably looking for a place to stay, right? I suggest you look in the outer ring road. The rent for houses in the inner ring road is much more expensive."

Li Boli's driver was very talkative, chattering as he opened the car door.

Clutching his wallet tightly in his pocket, Qiu Bai hesitated for a moment before whispering, "I'll go to the inner ring."

“It’s not a short walk from here to the inner ring road, but you’ve come at the right time. It’s on my way back anyway. Fifty Lungmen dollars will do.”

"it is good."

Fifty Lungmen dollars wasn't much. Qiu Bai nodded, got into the car, and the vehicle slowly started, leaving the side road and merging into the traffic on the main road.

"Young lady, are you from the mainland? Is this your first time in Longmen?"

Soothing music filled the car, drowning out the noise from the road. Driver Li Boli, with one hand on the steering wheel, seemed to find the atmosphere in the car too dull and took the initiative to start a conversation.

"Yes."

Looking out at the traffic through the car window, Qiu Bai nodded slightly.

That's just her personality; she doesn't talk much, especially with people she's not close to.

"Then you'd better be mentally prepared."

"how?"

"Hey, it's all because of the holiday. A lot of people from other places have come to Longmen these days, visiting relatives and friends, or doing business during the holiday. Plus, there's a new order from above that's making things stricter, so prices in Longmen have gone up quite a bit. If you're looking for a long-term place to stay, you'd better not go too far in. Many hotels in the inner city have doubled their prices, specifically targeting out-of-towners. It's not worth it."

"Thank you for reminding."

Qiu Bai didn't quite understand, and just gave a casual reply.

It's just a place to stay. She doesn't need a big place. As long as there's a bed to sleep in, that's enough. How much more expensive can it be?

The young girl, new to the place, thought this way but didn't take it to heart.

But soon, she experienced firsthand what the driver meant.

……

"A single room costs 1,000 Lungmen Dollars per day."

Stepping out of the hotel, the receptionist's words still seemed to echo in her ears. Standing on the bustling streets of Longmen, the young woman clutched her purse in her pocket, experiencing for the first time what it meant to say, "Living in Beijing is no easy feat."

...Although Longmen is not the capital, it doesn't matter much.

Before she came, Chongyue gave her some travel expenses, but Chongyue never cared about material possessions and didn't have much income, so the amount of money he could take out was relatively limited.

Quite a bit of that money had been spent along the way, leaving only half. Qiu Bai had already prepared for some hardship, thinking that renting a room to sleep in and cutting back on food would be enough.

But after arriving in Longmen, she realized that even the travel expenses given to her by Chongyue were completely useless, and not enough in a place like Longmen.

The Lungmen Dollars in her wallet totaled less than three thousand, which was enough for her to rent a place for less than three days even if she didn't eat or drink. After that, she would have to live outdoors and suffer from the cold wind.

How can this be good?

She didn't care much about eating in the wind and sleeping in the open, but people always need to eat, and that couldn't be omitted. She couldn't just go and freeload off that teacher, the Governor of Lungmen, whose title hadn't been decided yet, could she?

Qiu Bai is a rather traditional Yan country person at heart. In her mind, it is already somewhat impolite to not bring tuition fees when becoming an apprentice. What would it look like if she ate and lived at the teacher's house?

Even with Chongyue's influence, and given Lord Wei's status, he probably wouldn't care about such a thing, but it was still a difficult hurdle for her to overcome.

...With her inner conflict unresolved, she didn't want to rely too much on Chongyue.

Then, let's settle down first, and then find some odd jobs to earn some money?

The method is feasible, but the problem is that she doesn't seem to know how to do anything else besides wielding swords. Even if she has martial arts skills, what use are they in a place like Longmen where even sharpened weapons are regulated?

Looking at the pedestrians coming and going on the street, Qiu Bai suddenly felt a sense of desolation, as if he had nowhere to turn.

The prosperity of Longmen belongs only to the people of Longmen, not to her.

Despite possessing exceptional skills, he found himself with nowhere to settle down, even in a vast and boundless world.

"We're hiring! We're hiring! Penguin Logistics is hiring! Excellent benefits! Don't miss out!"

Suddenly, a clear shout came from afar. Qiu Bai felt a weight on his shoulder as a hand landed on it. His whole body tensed instantly, and he instinctively wanted to draw his sword.

Fortunately, she quickly realized that this was Longmen, not the wilderness, and she couldn't hurt anyone. If she were caught and thrown into prison, it would be incredibly embarrassing.

"……What's up."

Forcibly stopping his movements, Qiu Bai's tone was somewhat stiff. He turned his head to look straight ahead, but only saw a bright halo. His eyes moved downwards, and he could finally see the appearance of the person who had come. She was a petite Sakota girl with long, bright red hair that fell to her waist below the halo. There were also scattered light wings behind her. She was not very tall, and he had to stand on his tiptoes to reach her shoulder more easily.

Qiu Bai mentally analyzed the features of the Sarkaz girl, his gaze falling on her clothes, which seemed too 'advanced' even in culturally open Lungmen, and his eyes gradually became strange.

The shorts on her lower body are fine, but what's with that oversized T-shirt with a giant penguin printed on it?

Not to mention, the words "Penguin Logistics" were written in bright, mixed-color handwriting around the penguin.

This is inevitable...

In comparison, the black and white flyer held up in front of them seemed much more normal.

"Miss, are you new to Lungmen? How about joining Penguin Logistics? Our benefits are quite good!"

"Exusiai, you scared her."

A Lupo girl dressed in the same clothes came up from behind, grabbed Exusiai by the back of her collar and pulled her away, lecturing her expressionlessly.

"Wow, Texas, don't pull me back! I didn't recruit a single person today, that heartless penguin is definitely going to dock my bonus!"

“I think the boss just wants us to wear the clothes he printed out and embarrass us in public. He doesn’t actually expect to hire anyone. Besides, your bonus for this month has already been deducted.”

Texas, with a stern face, sighed almost imperceptibly and nodded to Qiu Bai, saying, "I'm sorry, my companion has disturbed you."

"Ah! How could you say such vicious things!"

Exusiai was struck dumb; her struggling movements froze, and she collapsed into despair.

"It doesn't matter."

Watching this strangely dressed person put on a bizarre performance in front of him, Qiu Bai couldn't help but take two steps back. His gaze fell on the flyer in Exusiai's hand. After hesitating for a few seconds, he asked in a low voice, "What kind of place is Penguin Logistics? How much do they pay?"

As it turns out, the world of martial arts isn't just about fighting and killing; it's about human relationships, everyday life, and the mundane details of life.

As the saying goes, even a hero can be brought down by a single penny; even the greatest knight-errant needs to eat.

If you don't want to live under someone else's roof, then you can only find a way to make a living. Now that you've come across one, how can you let it go?

With this in mind, Qiu Bai ignored the two eye-catching outfits and went straight to the point.

"Do you want to come?"

Completely unprepared for this unexpected surprise, Exusiai's eyes lit up, and she quickly leaned closer, explaining at breakneck speed, "Penguin Logistics is a logistics company! Simply put, it's responsible for delivering goods, providing free room and board. Companies offering this kind of service are rare in Lungmen! As for the salary..."

When the topic of salary came up, Exusiai paused for a moment, a look of embarrassment appearing on her face.

"The base salary is 5,000 yuan, and there are extra commissions and bonuses for each order delivered. However, the city has been cracking down on this recently, so business is not good. I guess I will only get the base salary."