Working Records in a Weird World - 30

 

| WRIAWW | Talented Newcomer Information Exposed | 30

On the other side, Shi Jing and Xu Mu were teleported to Guanghai.

After landing, Shi Jing stood still for a moment, then immediately opened his friend list to contact Xu Mu.

[Shi Jing]: Let's.. find a place to meet?

Almost simultaneously, Xu Mu sent a message back.

[Xu Mu]: Yeah, I was just about to look for you too. Let's meet at the café on Third Street in the Space District.

The Infinite Space itself had various public facilities, equivalent to a small city, where survivors usually lived. If they wanted to meet up with friends for a meal or a gathering, they just needed to pick a location.

Ten minutes later, Shi Jing and Xu Mu sat across from each other at a round table, both still visibly shaken from the bizarre and eventful C-level mission they had just experienced.

After a while, Shi Jing broke the silence.

"You heard what that S-level boss said at the end, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, does that mean we unknowingly added the talented newcomer to our friend list and got his ID?"

Both of them were well aware of what it meant to have the contact information of the talented newcomer.

In their daily lives, survivors interacted most frequently with the Merchant Guild, as it was a neutral organization that provided services like hiring, trading, selling items, and exchanging information. Ordinary survivors who weren’t affiliated with any major factions relied on the Guild to take on information-gathering tasks to earn extra points outside of their main missions.

Like any profession in the world, the hierarchy among survivors was pyramid-structure. The top-tier S-level survivors were always a small minority, while the majority were C-level and D-level survivors at the bottom. Except for the top-tier survivors who didn’t lack survival points, most still needed to rely on these side hustles to get by.

As low-level survivors, Xu Mu and Shi Jing were no strangers to the Merchant Guild’s bounty tasks.

Especially the ones that were always at the top of the bounty list. Even though they didn’t have the ability to complete them, they couldn’t help but notice the information every time they browsed, marveling at the generous rewards. If they could ever get lucky enough to complete one, it would be like their ancestors were smiling down on them.

Coincidentally, the high-value bounty task [Information on the Talented Newcomer’s Appearance, Contact Details, and Any Other Relevant Information] was something both Shi Jing and Xu Mu had heard about.

Since the three major factions were eager to recruit the talented newcomer, the Merchant Guild, sensing an opportunity, had set the reward for this bounty at an incredibly high level.

Providing a single verified clue could earn nearly ten thousand survival points, equivalent to the reward for a perfect S-level mission. For C-level survivors like them, who barely earned a few hundred points per mission, it was enough to make their eyes turn red with envy.

"Should we... submit this information to the Merchant Guild?" Xu Mu asked cautiously.

In most cases, she was definitely not the type of survival who would resort to any means for survival.

But faced with such a massive reward, it was hard not to be tempted. Especially since it didn’t require them to do much, it was just a few words. Even a saint would find it hard to resist.

"I've been thinking about this too," Shi Jing sighed. "You heard what the S-level boss said. He doesn't even know what it means to get a C-level novice mission. I even suspect that the newcomer might not fully understand the value he has, let alone know that the three major guilds are going crazy trying to find him."

"In this situation, selling this information shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"I'm afraid of offending him. What if he deliberately doesn't want to be disturbed by these matters? If we spill the beans, wouldn't we be ruining his plans? We're the only ones who have his contact info and if his identity was revealed, we'd be the first targets."

There was a moment of silence.

Although the rewards were tempting, they really didn't want to make enemies with the talented newcomer. After all, logically speaking, as long as nothing goes wrong, a newcomer who starts with C-level missions has the potential to rise to be a top S-level with time.

"But that's a matter for the future. He just started in the ultimate dungeon, who knows if he'll even make it to the end?"

Shi Jing whispered, "No matter what, immediate benefits are more important, don't you think?"

A survivors journey is fraught with too many potential accidents, and many don't make it to the end. Just a couple of years ago, there was a highly anticipated talented newcomer who tragically died during an A-level mission.

Xu Mu didn't say anything, but in her heart, she agreed with Shi Jing's reasoning.

"How about this," she thought it over and finally decided on a compromise. "Let's send a message to the newcomer first and inform him of the situation. If we can get his consent, we'll split the bounty money three ways, with him taking the most, and we'll just get a small portion."

"But what if he doesn't agree? Are we just going to give up? That's a huge amount of survivor points. Would you be willing to let it go?"

"..."

Ten minutes later, the two went to station of the Merchant Guild.

The city was also an A-level dungeon.

The interior of the dungeon had a distinct ancient Arabian style. The streets, lined with ochre-colored walls, were adorned with copper oil lamps embedded with colored glass. Vendors wrapped in white turbans led their double-humped camels past stalls draped with Persian rugs and snake-skin bags, loudly hawking their wares. 

The air was filled with the rich aromas of cinnamon, dried tangerine peel, and roasted meat, occasionally accompanied by the melodious strains of an oud.

It was just evening, with the lingering twilight casting a warm, lazy glow over everything.

The Ouroboros Market was one of the rare A-level dungeons that wasn't bloody or terrifying, instead having a dreamlike quality. After its conquest, it had been transformed into a guild base, but still retained much of its original charm.

They made their way through the bustling market, past the endless hawking and the jingling of camel bells, until they reached the center.

There stood a grand tent, surrounded by colorful flags, its deep blue canvas embroidered with golden star and crescent motifs, exuding an exotic charm. At the entrance stood two guards, wearing C-level gear and wielding scimitars, as silent as statues.

This was the main building of the Merchant Guild, where they conducted their daily affairs.

The clothes they wore were out of place in stark contrast to the NPCs of the dungeon that hurried in and out, making the place lively and bustling.

Previously, a bored survivor had once calculated that the Ouroboros Market was the most visited dungeon under the Temple on average daily. Most survivors, after completing their tasks, would make a routine trip to the Temple and then come here to earn some extra money, checking if there were any new errand tasks available.

"Hello," Xu Mu approached an idle registration window. "I’d like to take on the bounty regarding the 'Talented Newcomer.'"

The NPC inside the registration window, who had been dozing off, straightened up, his eyes still heavy with sleep.

After a moment, he finally processed what she was saying and slammed the highest-level red bell on the table.

"Ding ding ding—"

Soon, a female NPC dressed in a wide-sleeved purple Abaya emerged from behind the window, respectfully guiding them toward a private reception area at the back of the tent.

"Please follow me, esteemed guests."

During this process, Shi Jing lowered his voice.

He looked pleased. "After much thought, I still felt like I can't offend someone completely. So, I just sent a message to test the newcomer’s attitude, and guess what?"

"What?"

"He’s set his account to not accept friend messages."

Xu Mu was momentarily stunned, then broke into a smile.

Well, there was nothing to be done. The newcomer had turned off his private messaging feature himself.

Even if Zong Le found out one day that his information had been leaked and came knocking, they could use this excuse, it certainly wouldn’t be their fault.

"Please come in," the guiding NPC stopped in front of a tent adorned with intricate vine patterns, bowing as she lifted the beaded curtain.

After putting on shoe covers, they entered the private reception area.

Inside the tent, the rich scent of frankincense and herbal aromas wafted from the incense burner, enveloping the space in a hazy mist, making it hard to see clearly.

The central seating area was adorned with silk cushions embroidered with gold threads and a handwoven Persian rug. A graceful woman lounged lazily among them.

She wore a black fishtail gown, a snow-white fox fur shawl casually draped over her shoulders. Between her slender fingers, she held a gilded hookah pipe, her crimson lips parting slightly as indigo smoke curled upward, her every movement exuding an air of elegance.

"So, it's you two, I hear you have firsthand information about the talented newcomer? Let’s hear it."

The moment Xu Mu saw this scene, she was so excited she nearly jumped on the spot.

Because she immediately recognized the woman reclining there—the person she admired most in the Infinite Space, the legendary 6th, the owner of the Merchant Guild: Madame Spider.

Madame Spider’s story was nothing short of legendary. When she first entered the Infinite Space, she was just a housewife.

Unexpectedly, her husband and his mistress also entered the infinite space, but earlier than her, and flaunted their affair in front of her, plotting to kill her.

Madame Spider, however, remained calm on the surface, claiming she would leave with nothing to avoid confrontation. Then, she threw herself into dungeons, rapidly increasing her strength, and eventually returned to take her revenge, eliminating them both.

Fortune smiled upon her in a dungeon, she found inspiration and subsequently established a guild. In its early days, the guild was merely a group of low-level survivors, but her foresight was remarkable.

She meticulously charted the guild's future trajectory, earning the admiration of a top-ten S-level survivor at the time, who provided the initial startup funds. 

Although the S-level survivor had long since redeemed their points and left the Infinite Space, Madame Spider still honored their name by keeping the position of vice-chairman vacant as a memento.

Xu Mu truly idolized Madame Spider.

"You, why would you personally come to receive us?"

"Well, I happened to be free today and decided to come over after hearing the announcement."

Madame Spider picked up a strand of tobacco: "Let's not beat around the bush; let's get straight to the point. You know the guild's rules, when trading information, you must show basic sincerity. So, what information do you have?"

Xu Mu and Shi Jing exchanged glances, suppressing their emotions.

"It's like this..."

...

Meanwhile, in the A-level dungeon, the Eternal Night Castle.

Before this place became a dungeon, the castle was inhabited by the blood clan of vampires. They were known for their madness and cruelty, with a thirst for blood and slaughter. The forest surrounding the castle, spanning hundreds of kilometers, was infamous for their terrifying deeds.

However, after the survivors cleared the dungeon and the boss fell, only the vampire's blood servant NPCs remained in the castle. The Spiritual Guild then took over the castle. Given its size, each guild member was provided with a room. On regular days, after completing their tasks, guild members would return to the dungeon to rest.

In their free time, they would gather in the lounge to chat, play cards, make friends, and drink.

For instance, the personnel director of the guild was now slumped on the sofa in front of the fireplace, drowsy.

As he was about to fall asleep, his phone rang. He picked it up without opening his eyes and put it to his ear: "Hello? Oh, the Merchant Guild's contact, what's up? You have a lead on the talented newcomer? I thought it was something major... Wait, what did you say? A lead on the talented newcomer?!"

The entire lounge fell silent as they watched the personnel director leap up from the sofa like his pants were on fire.

Unfortunately, the other party had already hung up after delivering the message.

The personnel director stared at his phone for a while before finally uttering a curse: "Fuck."

"After so many days, with our entire guild scouring C and D-level tasks, with so many people keeping an eye out, we still haven't found a single trace of that talented newcomer?"

In the lounge, the survivors looked at each other, but no one answered.

Seeing this, the personnel director heaved a heavy sigh.

It wasn't that he wanted to buy information from the Merchant Guild, but the Merchant Guild was so shameless, demanding exorbitant prices from the three major guilds and even going so far as to hold an auction for the bidding. 

The information on the talented newcomer was unique, and all three guilds wanted it and are determined to win. The bidding price was bound to skyrocket.

And yet, the Merchant Guild had indeed found their Achilles' heel.

Even if the information on the talented newcomer wasn't worth the exorbitant price their guild would have to pay, they couldn't just let their rival guilds obtain it smoothly. 

Whether sincere or not, they would definitely raise the bid, just to stir the pot.

In summary, to put it nicely. This is a talented newcomer, and the three major guilds are determined to take the fall.

Sure enough, shortly after the meeting, a hot new post quickly soared to the top of the forum.

【Breaking News: Talented Newcomer’s Information Exposed! Merchant Guild Increases Bounty Again!】

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