The Allure of Easy Money

Money was the most important thing in this world.

It was also the measure of all value.

And it was money that kept people alive.

Even buying gaming equipment required money.

Therefore…

“I need to earn money, a lot of money.”

After a grueling night spent gaming with a framerate barely hitting 20, Xiu Lan stumbled towards the table, grabbing the leftover drink from last night and gulping it down.

“Hmm?”

“How could there be nothing left?”

She shook the bottle vigorously, and when the absence of a sloshing sound confirmed its emptiness, she casually tossed it into a corner, where it collided with a pile of other bottles and cans, producing a crisp, metallic clatter.

After a moment of absentmindedness, a sharp pang of hunger stirred within her, prompting Xiu Lan to tear open a bag of bread.

“What is this?”

The gray-haired girl vaguely noticed a black substance seeping onto her fingers, but a closer look revealed only an impeccably clean wrapper.

“!!??”

‘Aha, so you’re the one who’s been secretly eating my food,’ she thought.

A surge of anger flared in Xiu Lan’s heart. She raised her right hand, delivering a sharp slap to the unsuspecting culprit.

“Slap!”

“Ow, that hurt, boohoo.”

Covering her right cheek with teary eyes, Xiu Lan finally came to her senses. She indignantly scolded the shadow clinging to her:

“Why didn’t you block it? That really hurt, okay? You’re usually so quick to react, but you fail me at crucial moments. What good are you… you trash…”

Muttering complaints under her breath, Xiu Lan continued rummaging through the cabinet, hoping to unearth some forgotten snacks.

Though her sense of taste was long gone, she still cherished the sensation of food filling her stomach; it provided a tangible reminder that she was still alive.

“However…”

“It’s really all gone, isn’t it?”

Exhausted, hungry, thirsty, and utterly drained of sleep.

The gray-haired girl slumped onto the floor in a daze, a dark shadow spreading across her back, shielding her from dust. A solitary ray of sunlight streamed through the window, caressing her face with a warmth that almost lulled Xiu Lan, who had stayed up all night, back to sleep.

“No, no, I can’t fall asleep. I have class today.”

Gently patting her face to rouse herself, Xiu Lan mustered her resolve and sat before the mirror. The inky black shadow flickered around her, then dissolved into a thin, dark mist that enveloped the girl’s body.

“It failed…”

The familiar male appearance did not manifest; the reflection in the mirror remained that of the timid girl. Undoubtedly, Xiu Lan’s plan to transform into Liu Yu had failed.

“Which meant…”

“Yay, I don’t have to go to class!”

Shaking off her previous fatigue and weakness, Xiu Lan joyfully dove onto the bed, tumbling about as her long gray hair fanned out wildly.

At least until [Liu Yu] won their revival match, she had a valid excuse to convince herself not to go to school. As for what would happen once Liu Yu revived…

‘That was a problem for future her, of course. Thinking about it now would only squander her precious free time.’

“Let me see, what part-time jobs pay well and quickly?”

After the initial burst of excitement faded, Xiu Lan lay supine on her bed, scrolling through her phone. Having endured a night of low-framerate torment, and unable to adapt to it, she resolved to earn some quick cash for new gaming equipment.

[Dongchuan Unemployed Personnel Exchange Platform]

This was an official government platform where every registered employer had undergone strict vetting. However, the downside of such rigorous regulation was the complete absence of high-paying commissions; after searching for what felt like ages, all she could find were part-time retail assistant roles and the like.

‘All tiresome, low-paying, and time-consuming jobs. Pass.’

‘What I truly needed was something easy that paid a substantial amount.’

‘As expected, such work was elusive on official platforms. If that was the case…’

Xiu Lan sat at her computer desk and double-clicked a client icon featuring a cartoon female avatar. As an unintelligible female voice echoed, the program’s content materialized on screen.

‘This style is way too otaku (TL Note: “二刺螈” (èr cì yuán) is a Chinese slang term referring to anime, manga, and related subcultures).’ Xiu Lan mused inwardly.

Although somewhat abstract, this website, named [Friendship Party], was actually the city’s underground dark web, hosting numerous commissions and jobs that were unsuitable for official, above-board platforms.

As for why it adopted an otaku aesthetic, an administrator who wished to remain anonymous claimed: “It’s the site owner’s personal preference; it has nothing to do with us.”

‘While I could understand that rationale…’

‘…you shouldn’t force registered users to have anime character avatars.’

Seeing adorable cartoon characters discussing heinous topics created an unsettling and bizarre atmosphere.

‘Otaku culture is truly terrifying,’ Xiu Lan mused.

Xiu Lan sighed, marveling at the world’s eccentricities, and began searching the forum for commission tasks.

It was worth noting that despite being called a dark web, most commissions merely skirted the gray areas. Smuggling inhibitors for bloodthirsty individuals, for instance, was considered a relatively deep dive into illicit activities.

[Seeking Teammates for Robbery]

Xiu Lan rubbed her eyes, certain she had just seen something peculiar. Could there truly be an idiot openly recruiting for a robbery on an online forum?

‘Well,’ she thought.

‘Apparently, yes.’

With a trembling finger, she clicked on the high-rise thread, reading the information posted by the original poster.

[I used to be an experimental mutant, an evolver. Now I have a fast track to wealth. Those interested can contact me privately. P.S. Requires some combat ability; job content: robbery.]

The post was signed by Rhino Two.

If one were to ask how to make money fastest in this society, robbery would undoubtedly be one of the answers.

Short duration, high returns.

‘My goodness, how could there be such an easy job?’

Xiu Lan felt a stir of temptation. She had recently clarified her own standing in this city.

Perhaps there were those who could defeat her, but absolutely none who could break through her defenses.

For instance, no matter how many people of Yao Jing’s caliber came, they would be instantly defeated by her.

Among humans, only that hunter uncle she had met recently could barely contend with her. But once she got serious, they would be like fish on a cutting board, easily slaughtered.

Considering this, the only one who could truly threaten her was probably that person.

The leader of the Bloodkin, [Titan].

After their skirmish last night, she had indeed found herself powerless against him.

‘But it didn’t matter. In a few days, she would bring Wu Liyun and slaughter that red-haired youth. Once he was dead, she would reign as the strongest in this city.’

In short,

‘Invincible.’

‘Therefore…’

‘How could this be called robbery? This was merely taxation!’

Xiu Lan glanced around nervously, then pulled down the curtains, carefully weighing her words before sending a private message to Rhino Two:

[Can you include me?]

Yet, the instant she sent it, Xiu Lan was seized by regret. She could almost feel Villy, Yao Jing, Rosa, and others looking at her with expressions of utter disdain.

‘Even her friends would surely distance themselves from her.’

‘Wahhh!’

Daring not to look at the reply, Xiu Lan quickly closed the chat interface. ‘As long as she didn’t know, it wasn’t a crime, right…?’

Forcing herself to banish the recent incident from her mind, Xiu Lan continued browsing the forum.

It had to be said, anonymous forums truly showcased the depths of human depravity; the bizarre and varied content within truly opened her eyes.

There were posts from people who suspected a rival company had killed their money tree, seeking someone to eliminate the opponent’s lucky cat.

Others suspected their husbands were cheating with men and neglecting them, and were looking for private investigators.

There was even someone wanting to capture a vampire for exhibition… If she could actually find one right now, Xiu Lan would seriously consider catching it to make a fortune.

[Urgently seeking a young female, must be presentable. Please attach a photo when contacting.]

‘What’s this?’

‘These requirements are surprisingly simple.’

Her attention piqued by the generous remuneration mentioned, Xiu Lan hurried to the mirror and scrutinized the gray-haired girl’s face reflected there.

‘I should count as a young female, right…?’

‘Honestly, even without a Vanguard filter, she’s quite good-looking.’

‘Why not give it a try?’

Deciding on the spot, she acted immediately.

Xiu Lan put on a mask, took a photo of herself, and sent it.

[Is it inconvenient to show your face?]

[I will consider it after we meet.]

[Understood. Are you available to meet today?]

[Yes.]

Having accepted the location and contact information sent by the other party, Xiu Lan rummaged through the clothes in her bag.

Having lost her ability to suppress her presence, she could no longer venture out during the day clad entirely in black. She had to search for clothing that would help conceal her identity.

“It’s a bit small…”

Slipping into the underwear she had bought for emergencies, the constricting sensation made Xiu Lan uncomfortable all over. However, remembering her torment at the hands of that blue-haired girl yesterday…

‘Small is small then,’ she conceded.

She continued searching for clothes.

A gray overcoat, blue casual pants, a brown hat, black sunglasses, and a mask.

Gazing at the girl in the mirror, whose original appearance was now completely obscured, Xiu Lan stepped out of the room with a sense of satisfaction.