C13 Becoming a Bodyguard

"Who said I needed you to pick up the tab? I'm not broke!"

She immediately regretted her words after speaking them.

Truth be told, she was running low on funds.

"Well, if that's the case, fine," Zhang Xiaodong said with a shrug and a wry smile. "I'll treat you next time."

With that, he quickly made his exit toward his room.

Any later, and she might have actually taken a cleaver to someone in her rage.

Watching him leave, Nalan Feifei bit her lip and approached the dining table, her eyes falling on the nearly empty dishes. She felt an overwhelming urge to cry, but no tears would come.

"To think that the esteemed young miss of the Nalan family has come to this..."

The more she dwelled on it, the more aggrieved Nalan Feifei felt, on the verge of tears.

Back in his room, Zhang Xiaodong sat cross-legged on the bed and pulled a small, black wooden box from his pocket.

Upon opening it, a foul stench wafted out, filling the tiny space.

Anyone who glimpsed the contents of the box would be horrified.

Inside lay a desiccated, yellowed finger bone.

To the untrained eye, it was just an ordinary bone, but it reeked unbearably.

Even Zhang Xiaodong, accustomed to its odor, found it repulsive.

He had come into possession of the bone years ago, initially unaware of its significance. It wasn't until after he received the Evil God's legacy that he began to understand the immense power contained within this bone.

Countless lives had been sacrificed for this small segment of bone.

Now, it was the mysterious energy of this miraculous bone that sustained Zhang Xiaodong's life.

Without it, there would be no Zhang Xiaodong.

"What kind of power does it hold? How powerful was its original owner in life?" Zhang Xiaodong mused.

If a single bone held such formidable energy, the bone's owner must have been incredibly powerful.

Just then, the yellowed bone began to rise slowly from the box, encircled by a weak, pale green glow.

It seemed to respond to Zhang Xiaodong's words, orbiting him before the glow faded and the bone settled back into the box, its color returning to the usual dull yellow, now lacking its former sacred luster.

"Absolutely magical!" exclaimed Zhang Xiaodong, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

The mysterious bone had emitted a faint green glow that left him feeling invigorated, and despite the foul odor, when he breathed it in, it was like a warm current flowed through his entire body.

After a whole night of absorbing this energy, Zhang Xiaodong slowly opened his eyes the next morning, feeling a boundless strength coursing through him.

The power radiating from the bone was incredibly potent.

Even the glass of water he'd left on his bedside table had transformed, becoming exceptionally sweet and pure, with all impurities thoroughly cleansed.

"To possess the bone is to conquer the world. No wonder so many people risked their lives for it," Zhang Xiaodong murmured to himself.

The energy filtration from the previous night allowed him to sense the tremendous transformation within himself.

If he could keep up this filtration process, the adverse effects brought on by his Evil God inheritance would eventually be purged.

Then, he wouldn't have to face death...

Upon waking, Zhang Xiaodong discovered that Nalan Feifei had already left for work early.

The thought that he might not meet his demise gave him a new perspective: now, he needed to focus on working to sustain himself.

This was his home country, not some foreign land where taking a couple of lives could net you a seven-figure sum.

He would have to earn his living through his own capabilities.

As the old saying goes, without a penny, even a hero struggles.

In the afternoon, Zhang Xiaodong arrived at a major corporate group in Zhonghai City.

Standing before the corporate headquarters, he gazed up at the nearly thirty-story commercial building, job application in hand. With his abilities, he was confident that, at the very least, he could land a well-paid job as a bodyguard.

A few hours of work a day would be quite the life.

However, once he entered the interview waiting room, he realized just how many people had come to apply for a position at this corporation.

The queue at the bodyguard section alone stretched over a hundred meters!

At this rate, he thought, he might not even get his interview until the following afternoon.

"Come on, come on, selling queue spots! Selling queue spots! Front line, number fifteen, starting at a thousand bucks for an early interview!"

Just then, a slender young man with a yellow cap started waving his hand and shouting at the top of his lungs.

Whoosh!

Before his call could die down, he was swiftly encircled by a group of brawny men.

"How much?"

"A thousand!"

"Here, take two thousand!"

"I'll offer three thousand..."

"Seriously, they're selling queue numbers now?" Zhang Xiaodong was taken aback.

"Heh, a thousand is a bargain these days. It's tough to even buy a spot in the first fifteen," chuckled a short, chubby man standing behind Zhang Xiaodong. "These guys have been lining up since last night."

"Is it really that intense?" Zhang Xiaodong was astounded. It was just a bodyguard gig; surely it wasn't worth spending money and exerting so much effort.

"Absolutely. Who in Zhonghai City wouldn't want to be the bodyguard for the gorgeous Female Chairman of Mu's Group? These folks are known as 'Yellow Ox,' and they come here specifically to sell their spots in line. They arrive bright and early each day, then make a profit by selling their places. The business is booming."

"Is it this crowded every day?" Zhang Xiaodong was curious. Even with number selling, how many people could there be each day?

"Man, are you from another planet? You've never heard of Mu's Group? Do you know which company in Zhonghai City offers the best perks, or which one has the most beauties?"

"No clue," Zhang Xiaodong shook his head.

"Well, it's Mu's Group, of course! Mu's Group is practically a modern-day Amazonia! See those stunning ladies showing off their legs? They're employees of Mu's Group. Gorgeous, aren't they? Pfft, they're considered second-rate at Mu's Group. The executives, though, are another story – each one more radiant than the last, particularly the Mu's Group's ultimate goddess, Mu Shenqing. She's like an angel descended to earth... Oh, by the way, brother, do you know who Mu Shenqing is?"

Short Fatty realized he had been rambling on while the other man seemed utterly clueless.

"Nope," Zhang Xiaodong continued to shake his head. He was here to find a job, not to discuss Mu Shenqing. He had never even met her, so why should he know who she was?

"Damn! Are you even a man?" Short Fatty sneered as he looked up at Zhang Xiaodong, who towered over him by half a head.

Everyone should know that Mu's Group is a household name in Zhonghai City. Even if someone hadn't heard of Mu's Group, they'd surely recognize the name Mu Shenqing, the dream lover of many.

"What does that have to do with me being a man?" Zhang Xiaodong shook his head. He had just returned after five years, and the transformation of Zhonghai City was staggering.

Zhonghai City had changed beyond recognition from what it was five years ago.

"Fine, you win. Pretend I never said anything." Short Fatty gave in, realizing there were still people unfamiliar with Mu Shenqing.

"By the way, buddy, are you here for Mu's Group's interview too?" Short Fatty offered him a cigarette and inquired.

"Yes. I noticed Mu's Group was hiring bodyguards, so I thought I'd check it out and see if I could make it through the interview," Zhang Xiaodong replied, taking a casual drag on the cigarette and smiling nonchalantly.