Should he leave with him?
Xie Jianxun immediately realized that Huo Jing probably had other means to quickly depart from this Desert Star, without needing that expensive transport ship ticket.
Indeed, before, he had been desperate to buy a transport ship ticket that very day and fly away from this resource-poor planet as fast as possible.
However, these past few days staying in this warm little inn had made him relax mentally a bit.
The initial fighting spirit from leaving home had dissipated, and he had lingered through the long nights, unconsciously thinking of delaying a little longer.
Suddenly hearing about a quick departure opportunity left him a bit dazed.
Xie Jianxun asked suspiciously, “It’s not some illegal smuggling, is it?”
Huo Jing smiled. “Don’t worry, with me, it’s absolutely official—and safe.”
Xie Jianxun couldn’t imagine what official channel would come all the way to this border planet just to quietly pick up Huo Jing alone.
Seeing him lost in thought, Huo Jing said, “Think it over. There’s still some time. If we agree… I’ll come pick you up at the inn?”
“No, he won’t decide so easily.”
A mechanical, emotionless voice cut into their conversation. Xie Jianxun snapped back to attention and saw the mechanical puppet that had just entered the shop. He was startled and immediately positioned himself between the two.
Afraid they would fight again—this time, Alex would be the one to suffer.
“You’re back!” He faced One directly, propping one hand on the wooden table, trying hard to block their lines of sight to each other and change the subject. “How did it go at Desmond’s?”
One nodded slightly. “The old man didn’t say much, but his skills are proficient enough for basic maintenance.”
It raised its eyes briefly but said nothing more.
Xie Jianxun smiled and pushed it toward the back room. “That’s great! Go change your clothes first. There’s still some time before the evening shift—you’ll have to take over.”
The mechanical puppet glanced impassively at the man behind Xie Jianxun, then headed toward the storage room.
A crisis on the verge of erupting was defused. Xie Jianxun let out a breath of relief.
Then he gave a self-deprecating smile. He seemed just like a bomb disposal expert stepping on a landmine…
Behind him, Huo Jing remarked cuttingly, “He looks like a total broke-ass.”
Xie Jianxun: “…”
He really couldn’t connect One’s clear and handsome face with being “broke.”
Well, the mechanical puppet was indeed penniless—Huo Jing wasn’t wrong about that.
He took a deep breath, turned abruptly, and faced the young man. “Anyway, thanks for the offer. I’ll consider it, but not right now. Waiter Little Xie has to keep working. Does the guest need anything else?”
Understanding the unspoken dismissal, Huo Jing simply said, “Give it a try.”
“What?”
Huo Jing nodded toward the tall, slender glass in his hand.
Xie Jianxun took a tentative sip. There was no intense, explosive burn of alcohol in his mouth—instead, a gentle sour sweetness accompanied by the coolness of mint, a huge contrast to its fiery red appearance. After all, Lava Mint Water was all about that explosive exterior with a soft interior.
Seeing his eyes light up, Huo Jing said softly, “I picked it especially for you. It should suit your taste.”
Xie Jianxun couldn’t help but take a few more small sips. His throat felt sweet and refreshing, like some special fruit drink.
He looked up. “You—”
The Table 19 seat in front of him was already empty, no sign of the man.
He held the glass and returned to the lively area where the caravan gathered, scanning the inn.
Alex was no longer at the counter—nobody knew where he’d gone. The kitchen chef, finding the kitchen too hot, had stepped out and was sitting in a small corner eating his own cooking.
The other two staff members in the lobby, happy with no guests to tend, were facing each other in another corner playing cards, shaking their heads and making the stools creak.
Xie Jianxun withdrew his gaze and heard Basero nodding in agreement with his members’ words.
“Yes, so everyone needs to be careful when going out lately. It’s best to stick with our own people and not give them any openings.”
Not having heard the prior context, Xie Jianxun was a bit confused.
He politely turned to the young lady nearby. “Sister, why do we need to be careful now?”
The lady smiled kindly. “They say the weather’s hot lately, and there are more bugs in the desert.”
The pretty little waiter blinked, not connecting it to Basero’s words.
Basero noticed him and explained, “Here’s the thing: lately, there have been a lot of bugs. They’ve bitten members of some caravans, causing deaths and injuries. Some disbanded on the spot, others turned into sand bandits, roaming the desert.”
He thought for a moment. “Our caravan is fully intact, which might make us fat sheep in some people’s eyes. We need to put off business for now, wait for things to calm down before heading out.”
His vice-captain, sitting beside him, reminded, “Captain, that last job is almost at the deadline.”
Basero replied, “We can’t just rashly drag everyone out like that. We need to hire some bodyguards who can fight.” He sighed deeply, pressing his temple with his index finger in frustration.
Xie Jianxun immediately thought of One.
But he couldn’t just recklessly push One into it, so he wisely held back.
He could ask One’s opinion later. Taking a trip like that should earn decent pay—as a side job, it wouldn’t be a loss.
Soon, One emerged from the storage room in fresh clothes and sat beside Xie Jianxun as well.
It said softly, “That gentleman left?”
Xie Jianxun nodded.
The mechanical puppet’s blue eyes fixed on him, as if it had many caring words to say. In the end, it only uttered one sentence: “Think carefully about what he said. Don’t agree to it lightly.”
Xie Jianxun knew what it meant—that was why he hadn’t agreed.
No matter how he looked at it, Huo Jing didn’t seem like a normal, law-abiding citizen. He did whatever he wanted, had extremely high combat prowess, and had even killed before—even if it was space pirates.
Going with him would be dancing with the tiger.
Even though Xie Jianxun still quite liked this free-spirited new friend, he needed to think carefully about his proposals.
He drawled playfully, “Okay, I get it, daddy. Don’t worry too much about me.”
In response, he got a meaningful look from the mechanical puppet.
One reached out, pinched the back of Xie Jianxun’s neck, making his head shrink involuntarily as he dodged away with a grin.
Across from them, Basero was still fretting. “Check the talent market? But they all charge a fortune…”
The vice-captain comforted him, “Captain, we might find a bargain!”
At that moment, the inn’s door was flung open, and a wave of hot air poured in.
Instantly, the inn’s central air conditioning seemed to malfunction, taking a good while to recover and start cooling again.
Xie Jianxun keenly noticed that the caravan members’ discussion voices quieted considerably—even Basero’s booming voice dropped a notch.
Four men walked in, clearly a group. The leader wore a gray-black sleeveless tank top, exposing bulging muscles on his arms and shoulders. His waistband bulged suspiciously, and he had a deflated cloth bag tied across his back and chest.
But only the first one had that intimidating presence. The others trailing behind looked no different from ordinary Golden City residents, at most with ashen faces and unfriendly eyes.
They scanned the entire lobby, spotting Basero’s caravan occupying a large round table.
The leader snorted loudly, found a table on his own, and called over the nearest staff member. “Waiter!”
The employee approached shakily. “Hello, sir…”
“See, that’s the caravan I was talking about—the one that lost a bunch of members.” Basero lowered his voice, pointing at the newcomers.
Xie Jianxun perked up his ears, listening intently. Basero continued, “Their caravan used to be huge, fifty or sixty people—a top outfit in Golden City! But last time, or the time before? Anyway, during a mission, a bunch got bitten by bugs and died. They couldn’t recover and nearly disbanded.”
“Old Ba, you love running your mouth, huh? Want me to sew that trap of yours shut?”
A sinister voice drifted over.
Basero ruffled his hair and sat up straight as if nothing happened. “Magm, long time no see.”
Magm said lightly, “See your dog mom.”
Basero: “…”
He slumped back down and whispered to Xie Jianxun, “He’s got a bad temper, but he’s a decent guy. Losing teammates recently—mood’s foul, understandably. Anyway, better than rotting away or turning into sand bandits.”
“Even if I got bitten to death by bugs, I wouldn’t become a sand bandit!”
The hulking man rolled his eyes, downed a liter of beer in one go, his voice hoarse. “Things are tough for everyone already—robbing our own? What kind of logic is that?”
Basero said seriously, “Exactly.”
Magm: “My brothers were just unlucky to follow me. If they’d gone with you, Basero, they might still be kicking! Sigh…”
He poured another large glass into his gut, drinking like his life depended on it.
Unable to swallow it all, he shrugged his throat harder, but plenty of clear liquid still spilled from the corners of his mouth, soaking his face.
Then he slammed the large glass on the table and grabbed his face.
His companions couldn’t stand it and comforted their leader. “Who knew the bugs would be so rampant this year…”
“Boss, it wasn’t your fault. No one knew, no probes detected it—we just hit their nest.”
“Boss! You fought hard and saved me! Without you, I’d have been torn apart by the bugs!”
Basero whispered to Xie Jianxun, “Heard, uh, they died pretty gruesomely…”
He shook his head, unable to hide the sorrow and sympathy in his eyes.
Xie Jianxun recalled the bugs he’d seen underground and felt a chill of empathy and lingering fear.
Basero thought it over and, as captain of another official caravan, decided to have a friendly, formal chat with his troubled peer.
He ordered a drink, walked over with the glass, and sat in front of Magm. “What are your plans next?”
Magm glanced at him and kept drinking. “What plans? See what jobs are out there, take the brothers along, and work.”
Basero thought and shared some intel. “Check the City Lord’s Mansion bulletin board when you have time. They post money-making gigs occasionally.”
The tall, burly caravan captain said nothing, just clinked his glass lightly against Basero’s.
Clink.
The next day, in the storage room, Xie Jianxun straightened his collar.
One had specially borrowed Alex’s small mirror for him. He looked at himself in the mirror and felt quite satisfied.
His eyes were bright, cheeks full of color and vitality, hair neatly combed. Except for the somewhat casual hoodie—he couldn’t wear the waiter uniform, after all—everything else exceeded expectations.
He turned and spread his arms toward One. “Sir, how do I look?”
The mechanical puppet praised, “You look great.”
Xie Jianxun headed lightly to the door. “I’m off to the interview. See you later!”
Desmond had scheduled the interview for 1 p.m., right at the end of Xie Jianxun’s shift, so he didn’t need to ask for leave and went straight to the Mechanical Repair Shop.
As soon as he entered, the familiar charcoal heat hit him, somehow even hotter than outside.
But soon, unfamiliar cool air blew from the back room. Desmond pushed open the door, paused upon seeing the person in the center of the shop, then relaxed when he recognized Xie Jianxun.
He muttered, “Thought it was a customer—would’ve keeled over from work… Come on in.”
Xie Jianxun followed Desmond to the back room and saw a long table with two piles of separated parts laid out in iron boxes.
The shopkeeper old man said, “You’re not the only one interviewing for apprentice, so you’ll test together. Of course, if you’re both useless, get the hell out!”
