"I'm from Songhai," Zhang Yuanqing replied. "It's on the documents."
The landlady nodded and pointed toward the sofa. "Have a seat first."
With that, she turned to the little boy, cuffed him across the head, and barked, "All you do all day is watch cartoons! Just like your sister—good for nothing! Go pour some tea!"
She grabbed the remote from the coffee table and shut off the TV.
The little boy seemed accustomed to being smacked around. He slipped off the sofa in one smooth motion, scampered over to the water dispenser to pour two glasses for Zhang Yuanqing and Annie, and scurried off into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.
*She radiates intense pressure, whether as a landlady or a mother...* Zhang Yuanqing took a sip of water.
Smoothing down her nightgown, the landlady sat down across from them. Sizing them up like an HR manager from a Fortune 500 company, she said, "To be honest, the moment I saw you bring a foreign woman along, I didn't want to rent to you. It's not that I'm discriminatory—it's just that different lifestyles and cultural differences usually mean trouble. I prefer renting to folks from back home."
Zhang Yuanqing sensed her emotions. When the landlady had said "It's not that I'm discriminatory," her emotional state held unmistakable prejudice and resentment.
*Is this that classic joke: 'There are only two kinds of people I hate—racists, and Black people'?* Zhang Yuanqing silently quipped.
Zhang Yuanqing sighed. "To tell you the truth, this is my first time in the Free Federation. Seeing dark chocolate and white chocolate everywhere on the streets makes me uncomfortable all over. Only coming here made me feel at ease, just like being back home."
The moment he said this, he sensed her irritable mood soften, replaced by a surge of deep resonance.
Sure enough, the landlady's attitude improved. "All right, let me ask you a few questions before deciding whether to rent."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Go ahead."
Zhang Yuanqing completely understood her caution. Annie had briefed him on some of New York County's "local customs" on the way here.
The laws in New York County heavily protected tenants as a vulnerable group, so squatters and rent grifters were everywhere.
Someone in the landlady's position was mainly guarding against squatters—people who paid one month's rent and then refused to leave. For a landlord, evicting them was a nightmare.
Because of this, landlords conducted rigorous background checks when renting, leasing only to high-quality tenants—ideally Free Federation citizens with solid incomes and steady jobs, whose behavior was constrained by their credit scores.
Foreigners, on the other hand, had no such constraints. They could easily squat until their visas expired and simply leave the Free Federation.
The landlady asked, "You don't look very old. Are you here to study abroad?"
"No, I've already graduated from college. I came to New York County to travel with my girlfriend and look for a job on the side. We won't be staying too long—six months at the shortest, a year at most." Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the blonde beauty beside him. "This is my girlfriend, Annie. She's a foreign language lecturer from our university who has lived in China for years. She's originally from the Windy City and doesn't really have any friends here in New York County. We're not the type to throw parties, so you don't have to worry about shady people constantly coming in and out."
If he had introduced Annie as his assistant, it would have seemed too pretentious. He didn't want the landlady prying, and spinning complicated lies was always a hassle.
The landlady gave a noncommittal nod. "What university did you attend?"
"Songhai University!" Zhang Yuanqing replied.
"Oh, Songhai University..." The landlady beamed immediately, thoroughly pleased with the tenant's educational background.
She followed up, "What does your family do?"
Zhang Yuanqing said, "Three generations in law enforcement."
The landlady nodded repeatedly. Confirming that he met every criterion of an ideal tenant, she said, "I have no more questions. You two can move in, but there are a few house rules to lay down first. One: no noise after ten at night. My daughter is taking her college entrance exams next year. Two: no parties at home. You can invite friends over to hang out, but they have to leave before ten p.m. Three: the apartment is fully furnished with appliances. If you want to add new furniture, especially large fixtures that require installation, you must apply to me first and get my approval. If any appliance breaks, let me know, and I'll take care of it."
Zhang Yuanqing smiled. "No problem at all!"
The landlady produced a standard contract. Once both parties signed, Zhang Yuanqing paid six months' rent and three months' deposit upfront in a single lump sum.
—It was worth noting that in New York County, the law mandated monthly rent payments and capped security deposits at a single month.
For Zhang Yuanqing, establishing stability and putting the landlady's mind at ease was what mattered most, so he willingly took the short end of the stick.
Having collected the money, the landlady showed them to Apartment 403. The layout consisted of a living room, a sunlit dining area beside a balcony, a master bedroom, a guest bedroom, a study, and two bathrooms with separated wet and dry areas.
The kitchen was an open-concept layout adjacent to the living room.
Fully furnished and equipped with appliances, it offered a warm, comfortable living space for two, complete with excellent soundproofing.
"You'll need to buy your own daily necessities. There are clean bedsheets, blankets, and pillowcases in the bedroom closet. You can use those or buy new ones. If anything comes up, just come find me." The landlady handed the keys to Annie, turned, and left.
Zhang Yuanqing walked through the dining room out onto the balcony, bathing in the sunlight as he looked out across the unfamiliar city.
Annie began making the beds and setting out toiletries before sitting on the sofa in the living room to write up a shopping list.
Her boss's daily necessities included pajamas, spare sheets, pillowcases, a razor, toothpaste, skincare products, condoms, and more.
Having finished the list, she said, "Cult Master, I'd like to take a shower first, then head out to shop. This afternoon, we can go register at the Bounty Hunter Guild."
"You set the schedule," Zhang Yuanqing said.
He walked into the master bedroom, pushed open the window, and flopped onto the bed. Opening his chat app, he changed his handle to "Tongtian Jiaozhu."
[Tongtian Jiaozhu: I've arrived in New York County. Everything's going smoothly.]
[Sun Miaomiao: Huh, you changed your name?]
[Xiahou Aotian: I just saw Guan Ya leading a team on an assignment today. Why didn't you two go abroad together?]
[Brother Red Chicken: If he took his girlfriend abroad, how could he enjoy foreign chicks? Ahahaha!]
With that single remark, Brother Red Chicken managed to offend three girls in the group chat.
Guan Ya had originally wanted to come with him—marry a rooster, follow the rooster, after all. But Zhang Yuanqing had refused. On one hand, Fu Qingyang was forming the Investigation Department and Judicial Department and needed high-caliber personnel to assist him.
As a Level 5 Saint, Guan Ya was elite talent.
On the other hand, going abroad this time was no leisure trip; he had serious business to pursue. Having his girlfriend around would only be a source of stress and mental baggage.
For the same reason, he hadn't brought Xiao Yuan, Xie Lingxi, or Queen either.
[Tongtian Jiaozhu: @Sun Miaomiao, obviously. If I don't change my name, am I supposed to call myself Yuanshi Tianzun overseas?]
[Xiao Yuan: Stay safe. Don't provoke overseas official organizations. You don't have a backer anymore.]
After chatting for a bit, he exited the faction group chat and clicked on the cartoon avatar for "Three-Eyed Demon Child."
[Tongtian Jiaozhu: Heavenly King Demonic Eye, I've gone to purge the foreign world. (doge)]
Demonic Eye replied with a string of question marks, followed by:
[Lying low abroad isn't a bad idea either. When I have time, I'll grab a disguise item and head over to play around too.]
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhang Yuanqing reported his itinerary, address, and the financial backer's mission to Fu Qingyang.
Fu Qingyang sent a laconic reply: [Be careful.]
Given Yuanshi's current rank and standing, anyone below the Dominator realm could hardly threaten him. Dominators were exceedingly rare high-ranking beings among Spirit Realm walkers.
As long as Yuanshi didn't court death by storming the Sea God Church headquarters, a Heaven's Punishment branch, or evil class gathering grounds, he would basically be safe.
Later that morning, Annie and Zhang Yuanqing left the apartment.
Annie wore a short trench coat, dark jeans, and low heels, hiding her exquisite face behind sunglasses and a mask, with her blonde curls tied in a sleek ponytail.
Unlike the chaotic bars and gloomy underground dungeons Zhang Yuanqing had envisioned, the New York County branch of the Bounty Hunter Guild was located on the 48th floor of the Myrtle Building in Queens.
The walls were paneled in marble, the floors polished like mirrors. Bright lighting, a pretty brunette receptionist with hazel eyes, and suit-clad security guards made it look just like a high-end, discreet private club.
Annie walked up to the front desk in her black low heels with rhythmic clicks. "We're here to register for membership in the Bounty Hunter Guild. We don't have a member referral."
The tall receptionist rose immediately with a smile. "Please follow me!"
The two followed the receptionist in her office skirt suit into an exquisitely furnished reception room. After serving two cups of coffee, she said, "Please wait a moment. I'll get an account manager."
Bowing with a smile, she stepped out of the room.
In less than three minutes, a gaunt, middle-aged man in a suit with slicked-back hair knocked and entered through the glass door.
He introduced himself in a mild voice, "I'm Hal Joseph, in charge of member registration and liaison. May I ask if both of you are registering, or is it just the lady or the gentleman?"
Annie said, "This is my boss. He wants to become a bounty hunter. Mr. Joseph, we have plans this afternoon, so let's make this quick."
Joseph nodded, pulled out a chair, and sat down. "First, I need to verify your identity."
He fished a grip-strength dynamometer from his pocket. "Sir, if you belong to a strength-type class, please test with this. If you are of a mental or special-ability type, you can give a live demonstration."
Zhang Yuanqing gave it some thought. Using a skill would expose his class, so he chose the grip-strength test.
He picked up the dynamometer from the table, held it in his palm, and exerted a fraction of force.
The reading on the specially crafted dynamometer shot instantly to 500 kilograms—far beyond human limits.
Joseph beamed. "Please wait a moment while I prepare the forms."
He got up and left, returning half a minute later with the application paperwork.
Passing the form to Zhang Yuanqing, Joseph said, "You can fill in any Spirit Realm ID, class, and level you like; the Guild doesn't care about that. Our registration fee is twenty thousand Federation dollars a year, with a fifty-percent discount if you have a referral.
"If you don't have the cash, you can choose to complete three Bronze-tier quests for the Guild free of charge to offset the fee. Next is the commission cut. For every quest a member completes, the Guild takes a cut of the payout: thirty percent for Bronze Hunters, twenty percent for Silver Hunters, and ten percent for Gold Hunters."
After hearing Annie's translation, Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Do we have to pay taxes?"
"Of course!" Joseph shrugged. "On the soil of the Free Federation, whether you're a drug lord, an arms dealer, a mobster, or an evil class, you pay taxes. Otherwise, the Federal Internal Revenue Service will teach you the meaning of justice."
Annie translated in a whisper, adding, "Heaven's Punishment has a department that liaises directly with the Federal Internal Revenue Service specifically to handle tax matters for Spirit Realm walkers."
*That completely aligns with what I know about this place...* Zhang Yuanqing muttered inwardly.
"You don't need to worry about taxes; we deduct and pay them on your behalf before disbursing your commission," Joseph said. "The Guild has a dedicated app. Please download it, and once registration is complete, I'll give you your unique code. After logging into the app, you can accept quests right from your phone."
*Nobody asked you to be so helpful! I actually kind of wanted to match wits with your Federation's tax bureau!* Zhang Yuanqing nodded while grumbling internally.
Joseph continued, "Additionally, let me explain the Bounty Hunter point system. Advancing from Bronze Hunter to Silver requires 100 points, and from Silver to Gold requires 1,000 points. This has nothing to do with your realm. Whether you are an Extraordinary, a Saint, or even a Dominator, you have to accumulate points like everyone else.
"Bronze quests are divided into three tiers: low-tier quests award up to 10 points, mid-tier up to 20, and high-tier up to 30. The maximum for any Bronze quest is 30 points. You can check the point systems for Silver and Gold in the app.
"Also, newly registered members cannot freely accept quests right away. We will push a quest to you within three days. You must complete this trial quest to officially become a Bronze Hunter. As for commissions, we partner with a designated bank, and payments are wired promptly to a bank card. With the Guild-issued card, withdrawals require no real-name verification—only a PIN.
"If you don't wish to use a bank card, you can also collect cash at the Guild, though an appointment is required."
*You're talking way too fast. I barely understood any of that. Could you slow down?...* Zhang Yuanqing pretended to listen with solemn concentration.
Annie leaned in close to his ear and whispered the translation.
*The forms can be filled out with fake information, no real-name verification is required, and the bank card is issued by the Guild. The anonymity is indeed high, and even evil classes can register. But that also means the Guild holds all the cards—they could easily freeze the bank card...*
*Tsk, you win some, you lose some, I suppose...* Zhang Yuanqing said, "Annie, pay the membership fee."
At eleven that morning, having finished registration, they had lunch at an upscale restaurant. Afterward, Annie took him to a supermarket to purchase everything on their list.
At four in the afternoon, they took a taxi back to Chinatown.
Fresh from a shower and dressed in clean clothes, Zhang Yuanqing took out the new phone Annie had bought him and opened the Bounty Hunter Guild's app.
The app interface was entirely in English. While Zhang Yuanqing's spoken English was poor, as a top student from Songhai University, his reading comprehension was effortless.
The Guild's app was clean and straightforward, featuring three leaderboards: Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
Zhang Yuanqing opened the Gold board and saw one of the quests: *Assassinate Heaven's Punishment Chief Executive Officer Boreas.*
Nearly all the top ten quests were equally absurd.
The bounty was similarly outrageous: 99.9 billion Federation dollars.
Note: Quests on the board were valid for three months; if not completed within three months, they were automatically canceled.
"Tsk, tsk. Kill one demigod and you're set for life. Then again, anyone capable of killing a demigod probably isn't hurting for money. These quests are completely pointless."
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Chapter 652