Xie Jianxun pressed his hands on the wooden chair’s armrests, his toes slightly hooked up as he swung them casually.
He blew in the sea breeze, always feeling that Silver Watchtower’s sea wind was different from that of other planets. It had a milder scent, without much salty fishiness, and instead carried a fresh, plant-like fragrance.
Xie Jianxun said, “That’s great. We all have goals. Who knows, by the time my travels end and I return to Silver Watchtower, Seles might already have his own company and become a powerful gentleman.”
As he spoke, no one around him made a sound. He turned his head and saw the tall youth’s eyes glistening with moisture.
Seles said in a muffled voice, “Will you come back to Silver Watchtower? I mean, after your travels.”
Even his voice carried a damp, low and deep tone, as if he held no hope for it.
Xie Jianxun raised his voice affirmatively. “Of course! Silver Watchtower is a nice place. It’d be a great choice for a vacation in the future too.”
Silence fell again. Xie Jianxun thought he’d said something wrong, but Seles just leaned back and said quite normally, “You have a point. Alright then, when I start my travel company later, I’ll handle all of Xunxun’s business. Hmm, eighty percent off.”
The Little Adventurer arched his eyebrows high in disbelief. “Sir, given our friendship… surely sixty percent off at least?”
Footsteps approached from the side—it was Xun Jia returning.
He had bought three beach drinks in plastic cups filled with light red bubbly liquid, topped with little umbrellas and a decorative transparent glass bead at the bottom.
With only two hands, he held one in each, clamping the third under his armpit.
Seeing them all turn to look, Xun Jia immediately said, “I got some drinks. You guys drinking?”
Xie Jianxun leaned over. “Only one flavor?”
Xun Jia tsked. “Young master, if you want different flavors, go buy them yourself, okay?”
Xie Jianxun immediately took the plastic cup Xun Jia handed him, bit the straw, and said cheerfully, “Thanks, Xun Jia.”
Xun Jia remarked, “Such a good boy.”
Seles took his drink too and chugged it down without a second thought.
A intensely stimulating taste, accompanied by a weird smell, surged into his throat. He nearly vomited up his heart, lungs, spleen, and liver along with it, coughing violently and loudly.
Xie Jianxun’s straw paused in his mouth, his eyes wide as he froze. Xun Jia, on the other hand, laughed gleefully.
Seles spat outward with “pew pew” sounds while coughing fiercely.
“Fuck!”
He reached out to grab Xun Jia. “…What the hell did you buy?!”
Xun Jia innocently ran off, shouting from afar, “It’s to sober you up. Pretty effective, right? Hmph, see if you dare sneak off to a corner and get wasted alone next time.”
Seles got up to chase him, planning to pin him down and give him a good beating once caught. Xie Jianxun stayed seated, eyeing the liquid in his own cup uncertainly, wondering if Xun Jia had given him a “surprise” too.
As it turned out, Xun Jia was still gentle and considerate toward the Little Adventurer who hadn’t caused any trouble, giving him just a cup of watermelon-flavored mint bubbly water.
With the alcohol cleared, it was time for business.
In response to Xie Jianxun’s questions, Seles did know a thing or two.
He somehow tapped into his vast network and found out about a reliable Treasure Hunting Firm.
Unfortunately, he had to start work tomorrow, accompanying his older brother to meet clients, so he couldn’t go with them.
Xun Jia wanted to tag along too, but Xie Jianxun refused with a practical reason. “Have you finished making up your exam papers?”
“…” Xun Jia was speechless, eyes brimming with hot tears as he stammered at him. “I can pull an all-nighter on them tonight, or do them on the ship back.”
The other two immediately gave him a look like he was spouting nonsense. Xun Jia persisted for a bit but eventually shrank back meekly.
In the end, they decided Xie Jianxun would go to the Treasure Hunting Firm with his assistant Ela.
The process was simple: pick a Treasure Hunter with an available slot from the firm’s talent roster, sign a commission contract, and the matter was tentatively settled.
Seles had no experience commissioning Treasure Hunters, but he described them in detail based on his usual standards for judging people:
“Don’t pick the super expensive Treasure Hunters. They usually don’t have open slots and might make you wait two months. Plus, they’re highly skilled, so they pick clients, not the other way around.”
“Don’t pick the really cheap ones either. Those are total newbies who know their own limits.”
“And their behavior… appearance…”
He explained thoroughly, and Xie Jianxun and Xun Jia nodded repeatedly, mentally jotting it all down.
Finally, Xie Jianxun said confidently, “Got it! Mid-to-upper range, in their career growth phase, speaks professionally. They’re the most eager for commissions and attentive to client needs.”
Pocketed with ‘Seles’s advice,’ Xie Jianxun arrived at a well-known local Treasure Hunting Firm the next day with Ela.
Though called a firm, they mostly handled self-brought item consignment trades. More often, they acted as a talent agency for Treasure Hunters, recommending suitable ones to clients and taking a fee.
As soon as he stepped into the Treasure Hunting Firm’s lobby, someone greeted him with a smile. Without looking down on his youth, they led him to the front desk and asked if he was there to consign items or commission a Treasure Hunter.
Xie Jianxun said politely, “I’d like to commission a Treasure Hunter… Does that include gathering rare mineral metals and such?”
The middle-aged woman at the front desk smiled. “As long as the Treasure Hunter accepts the commission, they’ll find whatever you need.”
She pulled out a thick roster. Seeing Xie Jianxun wasn’t too familiar with Treasure Hunting scopes, she added, “Treasure Hunters’ footprints cover markets, Black Markets, the wilderness, and auctions. They gather treasures from all sorts of channels.”
However, noticing his inexperience, she kindly and subtly reminded him, “Sometimes, conflicts arise between Treasure Hunters. Extra costs from that are on the client by default.”
Xie Jianxun got it instantly—that meant if both wanted the same item, auction price differences or medical fees from fights would be on the employer’s dime, so prepare funds in advance.
He thanked the front desk lady for the reminder and lowered his head to browse the roster.
The roster had a soft leather cover. Each page featured four photos, with standard font below recording the corresponding Treasure Hunter’s debut date, specialties, and expected pay rate.
Xie Jianxun flipped slowly, his gaze passing over photos of all sorts of people.
Most wore formal attire—suits, ties, hair neatly combed back, facing the camera straight on.
He held the roster as the front desk lady guided him to a sofa in the waiting area to take his time.
The first few pages featured the firm’s star Treasure Hunters, all gleaming with an air of “I’m expensive and awesome.”
Xie Jianxun glanced down.
Whoa, the big shots on this page started at two hundred— in tens of thousands.
He said in surprise, “Oh god, so expensive. You’d need to find ridiculously valuable treasures to match that pay grade.”
The front desk lady smiled. “Treasure Hunters don’t just collect items. Sometimes, the goods are in dangerous Wilderness Mining Districts, so they need strong combat skills too. That’s why the pay reflects that.”
Wilderness Mining Districts…
Xie Jianxun glanced down at Ela, who cooperatively looked up and asked, “What are you thinking?”
Xie Jianxun hesitated. “A lot of stuff on our list isn’t available on the market. We might have to hit the wilderness ourselves.”
Ela shook his head. “Not really necessary. I can pilot Combat Mecha. He just needs good channels.”
Xie Jianxun said in surprise, “Ela, you can even handle Combat Mecha? That’s Advanced Mech Engineer territory.”
“…Idis taught me.”
Ela said stiffly, as if unaccustomed to hearing it said aloud. “He’s impressive.”
The early pages were all impressive figures who looked temperamental and unapproachable, so Xie Jianxun subconsciously skipped them and started from the middle.
Some earlier photos had unique styles, but by the mid-section, they looked mass-produced.
Xie Jianxun flipped eight pages, his eyes blurring, still undecided.
He snapped the roster shut and said sincerely, “Do clients really have to fish for that one unique grain of sand in the ocean?”
The front desk lady said, “Of course not. Regular customers come with referrals, so they choose quickly.”
Since he came alone, everything felt unfamiliar, leading to this indecision.
Xie Jianxun said, “Thanks, ma’am. You reminded me— I can’t pick on my own. Do you have any recommendations?”
The front desk lady thought for a moment. “What’s your budget range?”
Xie Jianxun said casually, “Anything’s fine.”
“Anything…”
She choked a bit, about to recommend some diligent mid-tier Treasure Hunters who took lots of jobs, when someone stepped up to the front desk and said gravely, “Lady Vila, please note my attendance for today.”
The man wore a fitted suit and tie, his pant legs without a single crease. His features were somewhat low-key and plain, but with his hair slicked back and shiny pomade, it highlighted an elite vibe.
The front desk turned to him, signaling to wait.
The man looked at Xie Jianxun. Xie Jianxun innocently met his gaze, only to see the other stride over and ask, “A customer?”
The front desk lady explained, “This guest can’t decide on a Treasure Hunter and hopes for more recommendations.”
“Oh, I see.”
The newcomer pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to Xie Jianxun. “I’m a Treasure Hunter. Here’s my card.”
Xie Jianxun looked down: Private Detective, Expert in Finding Cats and Dogs.
The man: “…”
“Sorry, wrong one.”
He quickly swapped it. Xie Jianxun read the text with interest. “Mr. Tuls?”
The man affirmed gravely.
Xie Jianxun continued, “Apprentice of Mr. Dobin—who might that be?”
The man paused, then snatched the roster from the sofa armrest, flipped past the first pages, and pointed to a photo. “This is my teacher. He brought me into the trade.”
The middle-aged man named Dobin was in the top ten pages, a mid-to-high-end Treasure Hunter starting at four hundred thousand, with over twenty years in the business.
Tuls steadily recommended himself, hand on his chest. “I’ve trained under my teacher for a while and completed projects with him. I just went independent, so my rates are lower—great value. You should consider me.”
Xie Jianxun closed the roster and set it on the sofa, standing up.
Tuls thought he was leaving and hurriedly asked, “My time in the trade is short, but I really have tons of channels! Whatever you’re looking for, I definitely have leads…”
Xie Jianxun stopped in front of the front desk lady and smiled. “Is there a private room here?”
The front desk lady smiled. “Of course, this way please.”
Only then did Xie Jianxun turn to Tuls, still standing there. “Come on, sir. Let’s talk details.”
Tuls blurted out dumbly, “You… you want to pick me?”
Xie Jianxun spread his hands, indicating he had no better options.
“After all, I don’t know who to choose anyway, so… why not give it a try?”
They walked through the hallway. Front desk lady Vila opened a private room door for them. Tuls gentlemanly let Xie Jianxun enter first, then followed.
Realizing he’d been a bit unseemly earlier, once Vila closed the door behind them, he leaned forward eagerly to confirm again. “You’re sure about picking me?”
Xie Jianxun opened his Light Brain and pulled up the material list Idis had sent.
Hearing the question, he smiled. “Actually, I was more interested in Mr. Tuls’s teacher.”
Tuls instinctively retorted, “Mr. Dobin has a bad temper. Lots of clients got scared off by it, or he wouldn’t still be stuck at four hundred thousand after all these years…”
He cut himself off abruptly, realizing he’d badmouthed his teacher, which would ruin the client’s impression.
He quickly added, “What I mean is, commissioning an easier-to-communicate Treasure Hunter makes the whole process smoother and more enjoyable.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
Xie Jianxun nodded. “I also prefer to find a Treasure Hunter who suits my taste.”
“…Otherwise, during the treasure hunt, disagreements could lead to arguments… Uh? You agree with me?”
Xie Jianxun said seriously, “You need to look at my list first and confirm if you can obtain these materials. I’ll pay you a deposit before we start, and the balance once all the materials are collected. Is that okay?”
He repeated Seles’s advice word for word, step by step.
Tuls naturally had no objections. To him, this was like a pie falling from the sky.
He had just opened for business and already landed his first independent commission!
He had to do this well!
He agreed immediately. “No problem.”
Xie Jianxun projected the list as a hologram for him to see. Tuls read it from top to bottom, slowly furrowing his brow.
Seeing his reaction, Xie Jianxun was somewhat surprised. “Hard to find?”
Tuls explained, “I know channels or stable suppliers for most of the materials. But a few of them probably aren’t available on the market right now. If needed, we’d have to wait for a major trading firm’s auction. If that doesn’t work, we’d have to head to the Wilderness Mining Districts.”
After hesitating for a long time, he admitted his weakness. “…Boss, you should pick someone else.”
Xie Jianxun was surprised; he had thought the other would grasp this opportunity at any cost. “Why?”
Tuls smiled wryly. “Looking at your list, it’s clear we’ll be going into the wilderness. But I have no combat ability. Out there, I’d just get beaten up and couldn’t help you get the items, Boss.”
“You… You’ve seen it too. I used to be a private detective. I’m good at catching cats and such, and I have plenty of connections and leads, which is why I got into treasure hunting. But fighting? Sigh, I’m really no good at it.”
“No.”
Unexpectedly rejected outright, the young Golden Eyes boss looked at him without a trace of worry, instead appearing relaxed and at ease.
“No need to worry about combat. We have the reliable Mr. Ela.”
Xie Jianxun turned around and lightly placed a hand on Ela’s shoulder.
The assistant stiffened all over, but Xie Jianxun continued, “Mr. Ela has trained in Combat Mecha piloting and can fully handle the role of muscle.”
“Right?” Xie Jianxun turned his head to ask.
“…Mm.” After a moment, Ela nodded in agreement.
Tuls and Ela locked eyes, both feeling a touch of surrealism.
He didn’t believe this cute little kid could pilot advanced Combat Mecha. He assumed the boss had other means for fighting and didn’t need him to worry.
A fool would turn down money offered on a plate.
He cleared his throat with a cough. “In that case, I have no objections to the rest.”
That left only the final price negotiation.
Tuls’s instinct told him the other was a rich young master who wouldn’t balk at costs, while he was a newbie who had just entered the trade. He shouldn’t quote too high.
But he couldn’t go too low either, since fieldwork came with certain risks.
After pondering for a moment, he ventured, “My fee… 100,000?”
Afraid the boss might not understand the scope, he quickly explained, “This 100,000 isn’t expensive. Don’t let my newbie status fool you—my skills are solid. It covers market procurement for standard materials, but not auction items that might go over price. Those would be extra.”
He finished and looked at Xie Jianxun expectantly.
Xie Jianxun asked, “If we go into the wilderness and you get injured, what about medical fees…?”
This could be a significant or minor expense. If both parties were Treasure Hunters, medical costs after disputes defaulted to the employer. But in the wilderness, injury risk depended entirely on personal ability.
Tuls thought hard, gritted his teeth, and finally decided. “…I’ll cover it myself!”
“Good!”
Xie Jianxun stood and shook his hand. Ms. Vila entered with the contract, witnessing the birth of a new commission.
Tuls gripped his hand, not letting go for a long time.
His mind went blank. He never imagined his first commission would close—and such a big one at that.
Finally, he squeezed out a few words. “…Boss, trust me, and you’ll get lucky.”
