Chapter 410 - 9: One Million

Inner City District.

The trackless train passed through a long, narrow tunnel, and the world outside suddenly opened up.

Unlike the dilapidated Lower City District, the streets of the Inner City District were spotless, and the sky was a transparent, brilliant blue, as if someone had polished it clean.

Even the old, worn-out train seemed considerably newer here.

Skyscrapers brimming with high-tech ambiance stood in dense clusters. 3D holographic advertisements rose and fell one after another, with a few priceless flying artifacts occasionally weaving between them. There were even personal flying artifacts zipping back and forth.

Separated by just a tunnel and a high wall, the Inner City District was like a different world from the other districts.

TSSS...

The disparity became even more obvious upon exiting the station.

This place was like a world of the future—dazzling, radiant, and a showcase of technology. The people coming and going were all dressed in brilliant, fashionable attire.

Zhu Ju, clad in his camouflage Protective Suit, looked like an outsider here.

"The latest rookie rankings from Celestial Sound Entertainment are out today! Taking the number one spot is the sweet and lovely Bai Zikui. She was supposed to take the college entrance exams and head to an Advanced Academy, but her sweet looks caught the eye of a Celestial Sound Entertainment agent. She became a company trainee a year ago, and just a few months after her debut, she’s already a highly anticipated rookie, soon to star in the major fantasy motion picture, ’Genesis’..."

The light screen in the sky shifted, and a hologram of a sweet-looking young woman materialized in midair as various promotional logos flashed past.

The young woman’s voice was crisp and clear. She bowed with a smile and began to speak:

"Thank you all for your support. I’ll keep working hard, and I hope you’ll continue to support me."

Not far away, advertisements from major corporations cycled endlessly.

"The Ten Thousand Beasts Gene Potion! The Lin Family’s newest Genetic Potion, giving you the strength of an ant, the wings of a bird, and the ability of a Swimming Fish to navigate shallow waters! For just three hundred thousand Credit Points, you can unlock the genes of ten thousand beasts..."

"The Public Welfare and Security Project concerns millions of lives! It absolutely cannot be delayed for the private interests of a few!"

"Are you still worried about not having enough data? Deeply troubled by a poor connection? Purchase the Celestial Wealth package and solve all these problems! To thank our customers for their years of support, the Celestial Wealth Commerce Association is offering a special limited-time discount. The package, originally 798, is only 698 today..."

...

Following Wuh Tian’s memories, Zhu Ju walked onward, admiring the prosperity of the Inner City District.

As one of Funeng City’s top commercial organizations, the Celestial Wealth Commerce Association had its own dedicated skyscraper in the Inner City District.

BEEP...

The scanner passed over Zhu Ju, and the red indicator immediately turned green.

Zhu Ju had not only taken on Wuh Tian’s appearance, but he had also used certain Methods from the Ten Thousand Spirits Body Forging Technique to disguise his own blood and even his genes, ensuring there would be no flaws in his deception.

Furthermore, he used a Method from the Forget Love Lineage of the Joyful Sect to perfectly emulate Wuh Tian’s personality, achieving consistency on a mental level.

Whether it was a blood test or a mental verification, he was sure to pass without a single issue.

As a company employee, "Wuh Tian" used the employee-exclusive passageway and went straight to the security department.

"Brother Wuh!"

"Brother Wuh!"

...

Zhu Ju nodded at a few familiar faces from Wuh Tian’s memories and knocked on the manager’s door.

"Come in!"

He pushed the door open.

A burly man with a full beard, bare-chested, was fiercely striking a strength-testing machine.

The Celestial Wealth Commerce Association’s security department had one general director.

Under the general director were three security managers, and the burly man in the room was one of them.

BANG!

A fist the size of a sandbag landed on the machine’s display, and a number over nine thousand appeared.

’Nine thousand seven hundred?’

Zhu Ju’s eyes twitched slightly.

In this world, Martial Arts were valued just as much as technology. The four Realms of Martial Artist, Martial Master, Grand Martial Master, and Martial Arts Grandmaster had strict, clear distinctions.

A Fist Force of over two thousand made one a Martial Master. Over five thousand, a Mid-Level Martial Master. And over ten thousand, a High-Level Martial Master.

Nine thousand seven hundred!

"Manager Zheng."

Zhu Ju spoke up, "Congratulations. You’re about to become a High-Level Martial Master. When that happens, we won’t have to be afraid of that Qiao Xue anymore."

Qiao Xue was another manager in the security department, and her faction was constantly at odds with Wuh Tian’s.

"Heh..." Zheng Feiyang flexed his wrist and grinned. "Can’t compare!"

"Manager Qiao has the potential to become a Grand Martial Master. At my age, I’ll be content just becoming a High-Level Martial Master."

"Sit!"

He gestured with his hand, then pulled up a chair and sat down himself.

"I heard you were the only one who came back?"

"Yes." Zhu Ju nodded.

"We had some bad luck. We ran into a Night-Eyed Leopard on the way back. I was the only one who made it out alive."

"A Night-Eyed Leopard?" Zheng Feiyang raised an eyebrow.

"Even I might not survive an encounter with one of those. You’ve got some real luck, kid."

"Just got lucky." Zhu Ju grinned, scratching his head in a habit he copied from Wuh Tian.

"I think it must have already eaten its fill, that’s the only reason I survived. At least the mission was completed."

As he spoke, he took out the Storage Ring and handed it over.

Zheng Feiyang took it, checked its contents, and then nodded with a satisfied expression.

"Good work!"

"Your mission this time was very important to the company. The Thunder Rhinoceros genes, in particular, are crucial to the company’s latest research."

He took out a slip of paper from the side and said,

"The base reward for completing this operation is five hundred thousand. Following precedent, there’s an additional bonus of three hundred thousand. On top of that, the company will purchase all the Exotic Beasts you hunted, plus your two months’ salary..."

"I’ll round it up for you. One million!"

HISS... Zhu Ju couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath, an ecstatic look uncontrollably spreading across his face.

"Thank you, Manager Zheng!"

"Thank you, Manager Zheng!"

’Wuh Tian’s base salary was six thousand. In a year, without spending a single Credit Point on food or drink, he’d only make seventy thousand.’

’In reality, he could never save that much.’

’One million!’

’Even if he didn’t eat or drink, it would take him more than ten years to save up that amount.’

’If one million was split among more than twenty people, it’d be a few tens of thousands each, which wouldn’t have been too outrageous.’

’But on this trip, only "Wuh Tian" survived, so it all belonged to him alone.’

"It’s what you deserve."

Zheng Feiyang said with a smile, patting his shoulder.

"Go down to finance later to collect the money. You’ll also get two doses of Genetic Enhancement Potion, each worth tens of thousands."

"With this money, if you buy an Advanced Gene Enhancement Potion, you might even become a Martial Master."

"Hehe..." Zhu Ju grinned, chuckling foolishly.

After sending Zhu Ju off, the smile on Zheng Feiyang’s face vanished instantly, his eyes filled with contempt.

’Idiot!’

’A High-Level Martial Artist with no background whatsoever. Does he really think he can hold on to that many Credit Points?’

’What a pig-brain!’

Shaking his head, he called someone’s communicator.

"Hello!"

"The money has been transferred. Remember to collect it tonight. Same as always, thirty-seventy split."

...

Outside the door.

The smile on Zhu Ju’s face quietly faded.

’More than twenty people went on the mission, and only I came back, yet he didn’t even bother to ask any questions.’

’He even handed over the mission reward without a second thought and threw in extra benefits.’

’To say there wasn’t something fishy going on...’

’How could that be possible?’

’However, with Wuh Tian’s intelligence, he most likely wouldn’t have noticed. And even if he sensed something was wrong, he wouldn’t have cared.’

’I’ll get the one million Credit Points in my hands first, then worry about the rest!’

’Genetic Enhancement Potion.’

Pressing his lips together, Zhu Ju strode toward the finance office.

"Brother Wuh!" someone called out, walking towards him. He asked casually,

"Drinks tonight?"

"Alright!" Zhu Ju’s eyes lit up, and he slapped his chest.

"Your Brother Wuh is treating today! Get Xiaoliu, Xiaozhou, and the others. We’re not going home until we’re drunk!"

"For real?"

"Would I lie about something like this?!"