"This is your reward for going to North Africa." The old man Lin carefully extracted two crumpled hundred-dollar bills from a well-worn piece of cloth and handed them to Lin Yi, who was watching eagerly by his side.
Lin Yi couldn't comprehend why, despite the perilous nature of his mission and the formidable strength of his enemies, the benefits reaped by the client were so substantial, while his own compensation was so meager.
Where had the old man acquired such high-stakes assignments? Each time, it felt like a dance with death, yet the reward remained a paltry fifty or a hundred dollars—sometimes even as little as three or two. Each recollection of this left Lin Yi feeling on the verge of tears.
As he accepted the two hundred dollars earned through the peril of his life, the words he most wanted to scream were, "Damn it!" Although he was an orphan, having lost his mother at a young age.
Having been raised by the old man for fifteen years, learning both martial and scholarly skills, Lin Yi considered himself quite accomplished. In ancient times, he would have been hailed as a dual-degree top scholar, yet he was treated like a mere laborer. When would this life come to an end?
He had heard that one could earn tens of thousands in the city for construction work, while he struggled day in and day out to scrape together a mere thousand or eighteen hundred a year...
"Old man, you're not trying to play me for a fool, are you? Two hundred dollars? I can't help but suspect you're shortchanging me!" Lin Yi had questioned this more than once, but the old man lived as modestly as he did, showing no signs of wealth.
"Having money to take home is already a blessing. Do you think it's easy to earn money nowadays?" The old man Lin rolled his eyes, his irritation evident. "What's wrong? If you don't want it, give it back. I haven't had a treat at Widow Wang's snack stall in ages."
Lin Yi felt an overwhelming urge to physically confront the frail old man before him, but he knew that striking out would only lead to his own defeat.
Lin Yi had no idea just how formidable the old man's skills truly were; all he knew was that during their practice sessions, the old man never exerted his full strength. Just as his own abilities had advanced to a new level, he suddenly discovered that the old man had also progressed, leaving him still in the dust.
"Alright, after all these years, you've gained sufficient experience. It's nearly time for that big task." The old man, sitting cross-legged on the kang, continued munching on a plate of spiced broad beans without even glancing up. "If you succeed in this mission, you'll never have to worry about food and drink for the rest of your life!"
"Is that true?" Lin Yi had been training under the old man since he was three years old, learning martial arts, medicine, and a wealth of knowledge, all in preparation for a significant undertaking. However, he was skeptical about whether the reward for this grand task was truly as bountiful as the old man claimed.
"When have I ever deceived you?" The old man popped another broad bean into his mouth. "Are you going or not? If not, I'll find someone else."
"I'm going, of course!" Lin Yi thought to himself, how could anyone pass up such an opportunity? One task for a lifetime of sustenance meant he wouldn't have to struggle endlessly anymore. Even if it meant diving into a dragon's lair or a tiger's den, it would be worth the risk!
"Good, then you're off to Songshan City, to the Pengzhan Group. Look for someone named Chu Pengzhan; he will instruct you on what to do next." A subtle smirk played at the corners of the old man's mouth. "But you must be aware: once you accept this task, you must see it through. No backing out halfway."
"Why? Is it dangerous and you won't let anyone escape?" Lin Yi wasn't the type to recklessly dive into perilous situations without thought.
"Little Yi, I've raised you for fifteen years, providing for you, buying you a laptop, a 3G network card…" The old man rolled his eyes and began his familiar rant. "You have so many questions just for a little task. Don't push me!"
"Damn it!" Lin Yi was infuriated by the old man's words. "For the first three years, you supported me. From the age of six, I've been cooking, chopping wood, and weaving straw sandals to support you. Don't push me!"
"You sneaked out in the middle of the night to watch adult films on your computer—don't think I'm unaware!" The old man glared, saying, "You've forced me to bring this up! You were right there in front of the screen…"
"Alright… I'll go… I won't run away, is that good enough?" Lin Yi's face flushed with embarrassment; he hadn't realized that his covert activities had been detected by this old coot, which was truly humiliating. If he let the old man continue, he might reveal even more inappropriate details.
Thus, under the old man's threats and temptations, Lin Yi packed his bag and boarded a train heading north, embarking on a long journey to Songshan City, a modern and cosmopolitan metropolis.
Sitting on the train, Lin Yi contemplated the need to encrypt his adult films, hiding them within system folders on his computer. He would have to be vigilant, ever aware of his surroundings while indulging in such activities.
Nonetheless, he was genuinely excited about this mission; the idea of retiring from a single task was a dream come true for Lin Yi. Although the old man's words suggested that the assignment might not be straightforward, he found himself intrigued. After all, a challenge added to the allure!
With a sudden "pop," a man with a pockmarked face across from Lin Yi opened a can of cola and carelessly tossed the pull tab onto the table.
Beside him, a short-haired companion feigned indifference as he picked up the pull tab, fiddling with it in his hand. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Wow! Wow! Wow! First prize!"
Although the short-haired man's voice was relatively quiet amidst the bustling train carriage, nearby passengers turned to look at him.
Naturally, the pockmarked man was no exception. Seeing the pull tab in the hands of his companion, his expression shifted to one of unease. "Give that back, it's mine…"
"Yours? Where is your name on it?" The short-haired man quickly retracted his hand, clutching the pull tab tightly. "Are you called 'First Prize'?"
"No… I'm not called 'First Prize'… That pull tab was mine…" The pockmarked man, intimidated by the fierce appearance of his opponent, hesitated but was unwilling to relinquish his rightful possession. He stammered, "I… I lost it…"
"Well, you admitted you lost it, so whoever finds it owns it now," the short-haired man scoffed dismissively.
"Hey, how can you be like that?" The pockmarked man grew anxious and turned to a nearby traveler, a bespectacled gentleman seated to Lin Yi's left. "Sir, you seem like an educated person. Can you help us settle this? Isn't he just being unreasonable?"
"Who's being unreasonable?" The short-haired man shot back, turning to the bespectacled man. "What do you think, master? Who should the pull tab belong to?"
"Hmm…" The bespectacled man adjusted his glasses and hesitated before replying, "I'm a university professor, and since you both trust me, I'll give my opinion."
"Please, go ahead!" The pockmarked man and the short-haired man nodded eagerly, their expressions filled with anticipation as they looked at the self-proclaimed professor.
"Logically speaking, this pull tab was pulled off the can by this gentleman, so it should belong to him…" The professor said, and the pockmarked man's face lit up with pride. However, the short-haired man grew anxious, ready to interject, but the professor raised his hand to silence him, continuing, "However, since this gentleman has already lost it and it has been found by this other gentleman, it rightfully belongs to him now…"
"But you just said it was mine…" The pockmarked man's expression fell at the professor's words.
"I suggest this: why don't you both split the prize? This way, neither of you will lose out!" The professor proposed.
"Split it?" The short-haired man hesitated for a moment, grinding his teeth before saying, "Fine, let's split it."
Perhaps he felt his argument was not very strong, leading him to agree to the professor's suggestion. Meanwhile, the pockmarked man, seeing the pull tab firmly in the short-haired man's grip, realized that refusing could leave him with nothing. So, he nodded in agreement as well.
"Very well, since you both agree, let's split it," the bespectacled man said as he took the pockmarked man's can, examining it closely. "It states here that the first prize is one hundred thousand yuan. After deducting twenty percent for personal income tax, that leaves you with eighty thousand. However, considering the complications of claiming the prize, whoever goes to collect it should give the other thirty thousand yuan. What do you think of this arrangement?"
"Sounds good!" The pockmarked man was eager to secure some money, so he readily agreed. "You give me thirty thousand, and then you can go collect the prize!"