Chapter 88

Chapter 3: Opening

In the dead of night, on a secluded mountain road leading from Landburg to Sasp Port, there were few pedestrians, and the occasional car belonged to local residents. The mountains and forests on both sides of the road appeared pitch black, and the moonlight that managed to filter through the gaps in the trees was quickly scattered by the branches swaying in the mountain breeze, turning into flickering spots of light. This intermittent moonlight made the surrounding mountains and the road seem even more profound and dark.

A minivan slowly drove down the mountain road. Even with the headlights on full, they could not fully penetrate the surrounding darkness, let alone when the vehicle was driving without any lights, feeling its way in the dark.

Standing on a branch of a large tree, Ye Qi, dressed in a black apostle cloak, watched the minivan pass beneath him with his hands in his pockets. Then, like a weasel, he jumped down from the tree and quickly followed the minivan. The slow-moving vehicle could not shake off Ye Qi, who had an agility of 16. Keeping a distance of several dozen meters, he half-closed his eyes and tightly focused on the direction the vehicle was heading, using the darkness of the forest for cover.

"Bang!"

The sudden sound of a tire bursting startled a flock of birds in the quiet mountain forest. Including the driver, five men in black suits, armed with guns, cursed as they got out of the car.

"Damn it! Why does this damn car always have these kinds of accidents!" The leader of the group, standing next to the minivan, kicked the burst tire hard. Then, he lit a cigarette and impatiently urged, "Fix the car quickly! If we miss the boss's scheduled transaction time, we'll all be dead!"

As he spoke, the leader took a deep puff of the cigarette, intending to emphasize the severity of the consequences, but before he could speak, he felt a sharp pain in his neck. In the moment before he fainted, he was horrified to see his four subordinates slowly collapsing to the ground...

Carrying a bulging travel bag, Ye Qi returned directly to the third floor of the bar. The house that Hampton had been looking for was found five days ago. The bar, which had not yet officially opened due to the lack of a bartender, now housed only him and two hired mercenaries who were still performing security duties.

"Whoosh!"

Opening the travel bag, he dumped the gold coins and five M1911 pistols onto the bedroom floor. Before putting the gold coins into the bag, Ye Qi had carefully counted them, and there were exactly 10,000 gold coins, which would be equivalent to two million in paper money. Of course, he couldn't keep all 10,000 gold coins; according to the rules, the black market merchant who provided the valuable information would take a portion, about one-fifth. Even so, unless there was a sudden change, the remaining gold coins, combined with what he already had, would be enough to meet his needs for the next two years.

After putting away the gold coins and setting aside the portion for the black market merchant, Ye Qi's gaze turned to the five M1911 pistols. Robbery was just a side gig; if he did it too often, even with his superior strength compared to ordinary gang members, he would inevitably leave traces. The Demon Hunter Guild had strict rules against attacking ordinary people. If the guild discovered his actions tonight, the Thorn Tower would be his only destination, and the chances of ever seeing the light of day again would be slim. In a market with a constant demand for demon hunters, mechanical modifications were a steady source of income. Ye Qi had already planned to use half of his two-year reserve funds to buy the tools and materials needed for mechanical modifications.

These items would naturally have to be obtained from the black market merchant, who, after receiving a substantial fee, would be more than willing to conduct another transaction.

...

"Do you want this job?" With sufficient funds, Ye Qi increased the bartender's salary by 30%, and as a result, this was already the fifth bartender he had interviewed since breakfast. Ye Qi smiled at the candidate, "Then please show me your best skills. I hope your abilities will match the salary I am offering!"

Although he couldn't mix drinks, Ye Qi was not unskilled in tasting. Having spent years in his father's bar, he had developed a discerning palate under the tutelage of a shrewd businessman, surpassing that of the average person. This was why he continued to interview candidates, even after the fifth one. In his view, the bartender he hired should at least be half as skilled as a shrewd businessman. If they were less than that, they wouldn't be worth the salary he was offering.

"Hmm!" Taking a sip of the blood-red drink, Ye Qi frowned slightly and then informed the candidate, "Sir, I'm sorry. We might consider you again if we have a shortage of staff."

"Boss, another bartender has arrived!" After escorting the fifth bartender out, the mercenary immediately returned to report. Ye Qi nodded and said, "Bring him in!"

The new candidate was only slightly shorter than the giant, with dark skin, a muscular build, and bulging muscles that strained his shirt. His upright posture exuded a more formidable presence than the mercenary leading the way. Ye Qi was taken aback when he saw him—while he believed the man could be a soldier, the idea of him being a bartender was truly bizarre.

Despite his doubts, Ye Qi still smiled and followed the same procedure, "Can you show me your skills?"

Without a word, the man simply nodded and walked behind the bar. Unlike the flashy movements of the previous five candidates, his actions were simple and powerful, exuding a masculine beauty.

"Whoosh!"

Flames shot out from the rim of the glass, making the pale blue liquid even more captivating.

"Blazing Ice Lake!" After the flames died down, the man pushed the glass toward Ye Qi. Ye Qi took a sip, and his eyes lit up—its fragrant and fiery taste was the perfect choice for demon hunters who enjoyed strong drinks. After finishing the drink, Ye Qi nodded and said, "You're hired. If there are no issues, please sign the contract."

"Amanda, boss!" The muscular black man signed his name on the contract. Ye Qi smiled and extended his hand, "Welcome to my bar, 'Devil's No Cry,' Amanda!"

...

"Boss, this is last night's revenue..." Bob, the leader of the three mercenaries, walked up to the third floor and placed the ledger in front of Ye Qi, who was busy at the workbench. Curious about the young, skilled, and mechanically inclined boss, Bob had to suppress his curiosity due to the mercenary code and focused on executing every order given. Without looking up, Ye Qi waved his hand, "Put it here."

After perfectly engraving a scale on the gun barrel, Ye Qi stretched his body, which had stiffened from working late into the night. Seeing his mechanical modification skill at level 5 and the decent numbers in the ledger, he smiled, picked up the warm coffee, and walked down to the second floor. After all, the demon hunters on the second floor were his main customers, and it was time to clear the backlog of tasks that had accumulated over the past week, wasn't it?

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