"So, I understand correctly: you're organizer of secret support group for singer Chu Ci, issuing mission to guard stadium perimeter where she'll perform? Mages must also launch light magic beams skyward post-concert." Cute young brunette read my mission details, eyebrow twitching. I just nodded, beaming smile.
Nah, what? To seem convincing, I wore singer merch and feminine accent. Now they totally believe, even if think me slightly nuts.
"...Hunter requirements: Intermediate Tier mage with light element—not necessarily primary, though preferred. Dress nicely—not spoil singer's image if seen. If university teachers approach, smile, say you're Chu Ci's guard, forget unofficial status." Girl rubbed brows tiredly.
Probably tough client before me wore her out. No worries—easy with me, she'll rest while we chat.
"...Quantity: 20-30 people. More better. Pay fifty thousand yuan per person. Mission six hours. Arrive half-hour pre-concert to positions. Got it all right from you?" Girl asked hopefully.
She was asking that question for the fourth time already, and each time I added something new. I needed to let the girl rest a bit longer in my pleasant company, right? But unfortunately for her, it was time for me to go, so I couldn't drag out this meeting any longer. I hoped she'd rested enough.
"Yes, everything's recorded correctly. Process it." After my response, her eyes lit up with gratitude.
Of course they did. A handsome and charismatic guy like me had been entertaining her for forty minutes, giving her a break from the heavy clients. What if she started hitting on me after all this kindness I'd shown? It'd be a shame to turn down the poor thing, especially since I already had a girlfriend.
"Don't forget, Hunters must shine!" After paying the half-million yuan advance for the mission, I headed for the exit from the Hunter Association, not forgetting to give the girl that reminder. Sigh, I really should've lingered with her longer—look at those sad eyes following me.
Now I needed to stop by the store for proper outfits for Ai Tutu and Mu Nu Jiao for tomorrow. They weren't going to fight monsters in uncomfortable dresses, were they? I'd pick out some nice women's pantsuits that wouldn't restrict movement. I already knew their exact sizes; spatial perception never sleeps.
I bought the suits that looked the best, according to the young blonde consultant. She even agreed to try them on so I could better judge how they looked on the body.
I even picked up one little suit for Tang Yue as an apology for the inconvenience. Leaving the consultant generous tips, I headed home.
"Tutu, Jiao Jiao, I've picked out outfits for you for tomorrow! Don't you dare wear dresses! At tomorrow's concert, only Tsutsuji gets to shine! In dresses, you'd definitely outshine her beauty!" Want to convince a girl? End the sentence with a compliment. See how their faces smoothed out? I'd seen they were about to argue.
"Mu Bai, don't even think that bribing us with gifts will let you skip the concert. This is our revenge for that hellish training, and it's non-negotiable." Mu Nu Jiao told me this while inspecting the suit I'd brought and nodding approvingly at something.
Tutu chimed in agreement, but she was still eyeing me suspiciously. She must still suspect that with my excessive enthusiasm, something might happen at the concert. Naive. At the concert, SOMETHING WILL DEFINITELY happen. I guarantee it.
"Jiao Jiao, Tutu, what do you take me for? If I promised, I won't back out! You definitely won't forget this concert—I swear on my savings!" Seeing my anticipatory grin, Mu Nu Jiao just nodded smugly, while Tutu paled.
What a smart girl she is— she'd trained her instincts so quickly. All that's left is to bring her paranoia up to my level. And tomorrow's concert will help with that.
Hotel room on the outskirts of Hangzhou. Tang Yue, temporarily suspended from her duties.
Tang Yue lay on the bed, unsure whether to cry or laugh. Brushing away another phone notification without looking, she began recalling how it all started.
When she'd promised Mu Bai to play his "sugar mommy" in public, she hadn't thought much of it. The guy would justify the origin of a couple artifacts with her help—how much could they even cost? 20-30 million yuan? Maybe even fifty?
For most Middle-tier mages like herself, that was a huge sum. You could buy two good Spiritual Seeds with that. But for her, the beloved niece of the Magic Tribunal chairman, it was big money, sure, but she could afford it without reporting to her uncle afterward.
But a month ago, the news exploded about Mu Bai's victory over the entire green campus of Mingzhu University. Tang Yue was happy for the guy, even if he hadn't seemed that strong at their last meeting. It didn't bother her much, as long as he didn't go down a crooked path.
But the news surrounding his victory... After that day, the whole country knew her by a new title: "The Best Sugar Mommy." What else do you call a woman who casually drops over two billion yuan on developing her "toy boy"? And that title started seeping into her life like water through a leaky roof shingle.
At first, it was just harmless teasing from colleagues. Then her uncle called her in to ask where she'd gotten that money and why she'd spent it on a pretty boy instead of her own development. Tang Yue managed to convince him it was just an agreement with Mu Bai and she hadn't spent a dime on him. As it turned out, not for long.
When her "fame" grew stronger, one of her colleagues sold her personal phone number and photo to a student who'd pawned his inherited house to pay for it.
The guy was very confident in his looks and, ahem, other attributes. Apparently, when he sent her his dick pic, the student expected her to dump Mu Bai and make him her new "toy boy." She refused and blocked him, of course, but the dam had burst.
To recoup his massive costs, the student started selling her number to other overconfident young men, and as Tang Yue learned, he not only broke even but made a huge profit.
Since then, every few minutes, a new dick pic hit her phone. She hadn't changed her number for one simple reason: she didn't want to. Why should SHE change HER number? This hysteria would end eventually. She wouldn't give in to some students' pressure over a couple months of inconvenience.
Recently, the Forbidden City, on the Emperor's orders, sent a special tax department to the Magic Tribunal, specializing in investigating espionage and large-scale corruption. They had mages who could extract info even from a corpse. Though that was just rumors.
After their check, it turned out Mu Bai had no source for the money except her—right after contacting her, he'd experienced such explosive growth.
They'd tailed the guy in Mingzhu and even on his recent trip to Bi Yi. Clean. No handoffs from suspicious persons, just one note: the guy kept throwing money around, so Tang Yue must've given him a big stash.
Since then, even her uncle stopped believing her and now thought she'd dug up some previously undiscovered ancestral stash. She hadn't managed to convince him otherwise.
While the investigation continued, she'd been temporarily suspended from missions and ordered not to leave the city. Since her home address had leaked too, she was holed up in a hotel.
She'd tried staying home at first, but couldn't sleep at night from the nonstop love confessions. She hadn't been this popular even in school.
Oddly, there was a huge upside to the situation. So big that her uncle stopped grumbling and even looked at her gratefully.
The tax guys dug so deep they found several active and sleeper agents of the Black Church in the Magic Tribunal, plus a couple from other outlawed forces.
They also combed through a century of financial reports and jailed several who'd stolen budget funds so skillfully that without this squad of pros' scrupulous check, no one would've noticed—and wouldn't have for a long time.
In short, the Magic Tribunal was cleaner of spies, and the organization had extra funds since the corrupt ones weren't stealing anymore. All upsides for her uncle, who could now boast improved efficiency in his organization.
And benefits for her too. She finally had time for her own development instead of endlessly running missions to prove she'd earned her Judge position through talent, not connections.
But she'd still punish Mu Bai. In a little over a year, the Totem Serpent would molt again, and she'd drag the guy there to see a live Totem. He already knew it existed, no need to hide.
And when he met the serpent, she'd make sure, as its guardian, that it didn't hold back its fear-inducing gaze. Let the rascal know not to ruin an honest girl's reputation.
And if he tried to refuse? He still had to work off all her "investments"—the tax verdict confirmed they existed, heh-heh.
*Ding* Damn dick pics!