C17 The Interview for the Club.

After tidying up, Mo Fann grasped Bai Jiuyan's hand with a sense of guilt.

"I promise you, darling, we'll be living in a big house before you know it."

Bai Jiuyan's eyes crinkled with a smile.

"Just remember the two hundred million. It'll be in our account within a week, tops. Then, what big house can't we afford?"

Mo Fann sighed inwardly, deciding it was best to rely on himself.

He checked the news.

Lee Jun's death hadn't been discovered yet, but once it came to light, Mo Fann fretted that the Nine Hu Auction House might get dragged into the mess.

The couple lay in bed, dozing off for a bit.

When they awoke, it was already mid-afternoon.

Mo Fann carefully extracted his hand from beneath Bai Jiuyan's head, got dressed, and set off to his old company to resign.

Entering the company, he marched straight to the boss's office under the watchful eyes of his colleagues and slapped his resignation letter on the boss's desk.

The boss, taken aback by Mo Fann's boldness, stood up and, shaking, pointed at him, accusing him of being ungrateful.

Mo Fann paid him no mind and left the office.

On his way out, a former senior colleague tried to pull him aside to run an errand.

Mo Fann glanced back icily.

"Do it yourself."

He brushed off the man's hand and strode out of the company.

Outside, he pulled out his phone and checked the map.

The Galaxy Club headquarters wasn't far, and he decided to check it out first.

He hailed a cab and made a beeline for the Galaxy Club.

After familiarizing himself with the layout of the ground floor, he slipped into the restroom. When he emerged, he was a mysterious figure in a mask and black cloak.

Luckily, his outfit didn't draw undue attention in the club, where most applicants for Hunter positions preferred anonymity.

Mo Fann rode the elevator to the thirteenth floor.

As the doors slid open, a few staff members asked reflexively.

"Here for the Hunter's strength assessment and membership?"

Mo Fann nodded, his voice resonating from behind the mask with an ancient, profound timbre.

"Yes."

The staff exchanged glances, then chuckled.

The guy really looked the part.

"Alright, follow me, please."

He was led down the hallway to a door at the far end.

Inside, a high pedestal held a blue crystal ball. A middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair, still youthful in appearance, was busy at his desk, filling out paperwork with swift, sure strokes.

Hearing someone enter, he didn't look up, simply gesturing.

"Place your hands on the blue crystal ball, count to five, then report the color to me."

Mo Fann approached the crystal ball, gave it a brief inspection, and then laid his hands upon it.

After five seconds, a dazzling orange light burst forth from the crystal ball.

The middle-aged man, caught off guard while writing, was momentarily blinded by the glare and let out a hiss of discomfort, hastily shielding his eyes with a folder.

"Take your hands off now!"

He barked loudly.

Unsure of what had just happened, Mo Fann shrugged and removed his hands.

Instantly, the room's light faded away.

The middle-aged man set the folder down, still visibly shaken, and turned to face Mo Fann for the first time.

"Is it... the Peak of Earth Level?!"

His eyes swept over Mo Fann, a mix of shock and skepticism in his gaze.

It had been years since anyone above Intermediate Earth Level had joined the club. And now, quite unexpectedly, a Peak of Earth Level expert had walked in, a fact he found hard to believe.

He coughed to clear his throat.

Pulling a few sheets of paper from a drawer, he strode over to Mo Fann.

"Are you certain you want to join our Galaxy Club? Once you do, you're not allowed to join any other clubs for three years."

Mo Fann nodded, then inquired,

"I checked out your website. The split between you and the hunters is seventy-thirty. Is it possible to adjust that to twenty-eighty?"

His voice was deep and unadorned, which seemed oddly at odds with his shrewd question.

But it was merely a tentative inquiry.

After all, a higher commission would be most welcome.

To his surprise, the middle-aged man quickly nodded in agreement.

"Not a problem at all! If you have no further conditions, please sign the contract right away. You'll be an Advanced Member of our Galaxy Club from this moment on!"

His eyes were eager, almost as if he couldn't wait to devour Mo Fann.

Mo Fann, however, found himself hesitating.

"What exactly sets an Advanced Member apart from a regular one?"

The middle-aged man promptly clarified,

"An Advanced Member is someone who's been with the club for over a year and has contributed more than fifty million yuan. They're entitled to higher-paying tasks and better commissions. But given your status as a Peak of Earth Level, I, as the HR Department manager, am offering you an immediate promotion to Advanced Member status. How does that sound?"

Mo Fann hadn't expected his level to bring such immediate perks. He took the contract and glanced over it.

He didn't really need to scrutinize it.

Before settling on the Galaxy Club, he'd done his homework; it was the only club with sufficient influence and no ties to either the Lee or Wang families. His options had been limited.

But Mo Fann's cursory review was enough to send the HR manager's heart racing.

This was a Peak of Earth Level expert, after all.

If he had inadvertently driven him away with his earlier demeanor, he wouldn't have been able to justify it to his superiors.

Thankfully, after a brief perusal, Mo Fann took the pen from the HR manager and signed his name with a flourish.

The HR manager exhaled a sigh of relief and glanced at the contract.

"Elephant God..."

"Uh... is that your... codename?"

Mo Fann, hands clasped behind his back, hummed an enigmatic affirmation.

Little did he know, the name he'd casually chosen would one day leave a significant mark on Hainan City and the entire realm.

Once the paperwork was complete,

The HR manager extended a business card to him.

Mo Fann took it and glanced down.

"Loong Cangyun."

The middle-aged man with graying hair nodded and adjusted his glasses.

He anticipated Mo Fann's astonishment and praise.

But Mo Fann simply pocketed the business card with a quiet "Oh."

Loong Cangyun felt a pang of sadness.

It appeared he had indeed been forgotten by time, now unrecognized by a Peak of Earth Level expert... Ah, such is the relentless march of time, and there's nothing one can do about it.