"I...I...I'm the cook!" The fat man puffed out his chest, trying to imitate Champagne's posture—but while a pretty girl like Champagne looked quite charming doing that, he, the fat man, looked rather clumsy.
The man in white smiled, then reached inside his jacket and slowly pulled out a thin envelope.
"Here are the documents and the details of the commission."
He slowly pushed the envelope to the table, and the three old men looked at Chen Xiao at the same time, as if to say: Look.
Chen Xiao walked to the opposite side of the white-gloved man and sat down. He looked very calm and opened the envelope.
Inside was a photograph of a girl who looked to be about seventeen years old… but it was a profile shot, so her features weren't very clear. She had a round, soft facial contour and long, flowing black hair… judging from this profile photo, she was quite pretty.
However... Chen Xiao's first reaction didn't leave a very good impression on him.
Because the girl in the photo is wearing a kimono, and is gently clinging to a cherry blossom branch with one hand...
Japanese?
Although Chen Xiao wasn't a radical youth, he naturally didn't have much affection for Japan.
"Simply put, this is a protection mission. The person in the photo is the target who needs protection. Ms. Sato Chiyo, seventeen years old. She has recently encountered some trouble, and her safety has been somewhat compromised, so..."
Chen Xiao frowned: "Mr. White Glove, since you are a high-ranking member of the club, if you want to protect someone, I believe that with your power, you can mobilize many high-level superpowered individuals at any time! Is it necessary to come to us for a commission?"
The man in white gloves smiled and said, "From what I understand, there doesn't seem to be a rule here that we shouldn't ask clients these kinds of questions when commissioning work?"
Chen Xiao smiled faintly: "That was in the past. Here, the agent has the right to make some adjustments at any time. The agent in the past was Mr. Edward, but now it's me! I have the right to make some adjustments at any time depending on the situation... As you know, we are a small business, with autonomy and freedom, and there is no need to restrict ourselves with too many rules and regulations."
"So... you have to answer?" White Glove nodded, looking into Chen Xiao's eyes, his expression turning serious. "Because... just like the service agency... the club itself isn't a monolithic entity! Based on some information I've received, I have reason to suspect that the threat to Ms. Sato Chiyo's safety likely comes from other factions within the club with differing viewpoints. Therefore, I cannot mobilize personnel from within; I cannot take that risk."
As he spoke, he looked intently at Chen Xiao, as if he didn't even glance at Lao Tian and the others beside him, as if he truly regarded Chen Xiao as the person in charge here.
"So, the person in this photo is very important to your club?" Chen Xiao sneered.
“Yes, it’s very important.” The white-gloved man nodded without hesitation. “I can’t go into any more details.”
"However, for you, as a high-ranking member of the club, to encounter a problem and then seek help from a few people who come from the service industry, such behavior is bound to arouse my suspicion."
"You're wrong." White Glove suddenly laughed. "This time, my commission has a special request... The content of the commission doesn't need the involvement of my three old friends! It's... you!"
He stared into Chen Xiao's eyes: "I want you to take action yourself, not them! This is something only you can do."
Chen Xiao was somewhat surprised: "Why?"
In terms of strength, although Chen Xiao's strength has improved by leaps and bounds recently, he is still quite a bit behind the three old guys.
Why abandon the strong and seek the weak... Is there some kind of conspiracy?
“It’s a reason that’s hard to say.” The white-gloved man waved his hand, as if swatting away a mosquito. “This young lady has a rather peculiar personality. She hates people with superpowers more than anything else, especially my men. The most awkward thing is that she knows our people very well. If I send someone, she’ll probably recognize them in less than two days. So, I have to find a new face to go. And unfortunately, Lao Tian and Gonggong are too famous in this circle. If they go, this clever young lady will see through their identities in less than half a day. As for you… Chen Xiao, you’re still a newcomer. As long as you disguise yourself properly, she’ll keep you.”
"for……"
"Because this young lady has looked through our database, which contains information on most of the world's most famous and well-known superhumans. She seems to remember them all." White Glove gave a wry smile.
The expressions on Lao Tian and the others' faces turned strange.
Databases! For any organization with supernatural abilities, databases, while not top-secret, are not easily accessed. Let alone… remember them?
"I have a request." Chen Xiao suddenly turned around and looked at Lao Tian and the other two behind him: "Since the guest specifically requested that I complete this task personally, may I speak with the guest alone?"
Old Tian's expression was a little strange, but after hesitating for a moment, he actually nodded: "Okay!"
As he spoke, he grabbed Zhu Rong, who was about to say something, and strode towards the door. Gonggong walked at the back, nodded to Chen Xiao, gave him a "be careful" look, and quickly left as well.
"Let's talk about compensation." Chen Xiao suddenly relaxed, a leisurely smile appearing on his face. Then, he actually put his hands behind his head and leaned back on the sofa.
"Ten million US dollars." The white-gloved man smiled faintly. "Of course, we all know very well that money means nothing to people like us. However, on behalf of the club, I can make a promise to you: within my authority, the club owes you a favor. From now on, anytime and anywhere, you can ask the club to do one thing for you. As long as it doesn't exceed my authority, no matter what it is, we will do it for you!"
After a pause, the man in white gloves looked at Chen Xiao and smiled, "I think you should understand how valuable and significant such a promise, a promise from the world's second-largest supernatural organization, is! And... I hope you understand, Chen Xiao, although I know you personally have some aversion to the club as an organization, as an ancient organization with a long history, we value our reputation highly! Once we make a promise, we will never change it, even if you become our enemy in the future, this promise will still be valid!"
“I can believe that,” Chen Xiao said noncommittally. “But I have a few other conditions.”
The white-gloved man seemed unsurprised: "Speak!"
"Answer a few questions!" Chen Xiao's expression became more serious: "First, a couple of days ago, some people from the club came looking for me and tried to forcibly take me back..."
“I know. I personally approved this order.” The white-gloved man answered without any attempt to hide his feelings, which surprised Chen Xiao.
The man in white gloves smiled and said, “Don’t be surprised, we won’t deny it. Besides… one thing is one thing! Now that you’ve entered this circle, you should learn more about its customs. So-called enemies and allies change at any time depending on the situation! Enemies who are fighting to the death one moment can suddenly become close comrades or partners the next. It’s commonplace in our circle. As for the arrest order for you, I think you should understand why… you have qualities that our research department is very interested in… those guys from the Service Society will hypocritically invite you to join, and after you refuse, they’ll do some underhanded things. But we won’t! The club’s style of doing things is more direct than the Service Society’s!”
"So, if I accept your task, will you continue to harass me?"
White Gloves thought about it seriously for a moment: "I think... at least during the mission period, you won't be bothered by the club in any way, I can assure you of that."
"So, once the mission is over... the club might still send people to arrest me?" Chen Xiao frowned.
"That's right." The man in white gloves nodded without any attempt to hide his agreement.
This answer was... quite excessive. But at least it was honest.
If the white glove promised Chen Xiao that he would never harass Chen Xiao again, that would be absurd!
“One year.” Chen Xiao quickly stated a condition: “I require that the club not harass me in any way for one year! Including my family and friends! One year is the first condition for me to accept this commission!”
White Gloves thought for a moment, his expression serious. He seemed to be calculating something, then he sighed, "Okay! But only for one year, starting from the first day you accept the mission!"
"The second condition," Chen Xiao said slowly, "is about a... collar!"
When the collar was mentioned, Chen Xiao noticed a slight change in the expression on the white-gloved man's face.