Chapter 120: Money Talks

"Oh? You’re actually capable of apologizing? The sun must be rising in the west today."

Huang crossed his arms, deliberately turning his head to look out the window as he spoke. Fu Yang shrugged, noncommittal. Only Bear Master seemed deeply intrigued by this "Paper Talisman Master," rolling around on the large desk like a furry ball while keeping a close watch on him.

Wang Jian, however, didn't seem offended, maintaining his calm, steady tone.

"Regarding the incident with the Evil Corpse Tree at the botanical garden, I believe your judgment was flawed. It was beneath the dignity and status of a cultivator. But in retrospect, making a rash conclusion based on a single event was also an oversight on my part. Tonight, Fu Yang fought valiantly against an Evil Sorcerer at the Marriott Hotel, protecting over a dozen key economic figures in Jiangcheng and preventing a public scandal. Simultaneously, you battled a highly dangerous demonic practitioner. This record proves that you are a responsible and capable member of the Taoist community."

He spoke with sincerity; he was offering a genuine apology. Fu Yang had no choice but to accept it with a sigh. Perhaps this man didn't actually have a grudge against him or Huang. It was just his nature—he was intolerant of evil and despised those he deemed incompetent or lazy.

Huang seemed to have reached the same conclusion. Having figured out Wang Jian’s personality, he muttered under his breath: "No wonder a guy this strong is still just a Special Commissioner and hasn't even made it to the director level. Serves him right, hmph."

Still, since a dignified Special Commissioner of the National Security Agency, who also served as the acting Deputy Chief of the Jiangcheng Police Department and a powerful Paper Talisman Master, had apologized so sincerely, and since there was no life-or-death enmity between them, they might as well let it go.

Fu Yang's expression finally softened, and Huang turned his head back to face him.

"Alright, we accept your apology. Let's consider the past wiped clean."

Hearing this, a rare trace of a smile appeared on Wang Jian’s face.

"Holy crap, you actually know how to smile? I thought your face only had one setting..." Huang couldn't help but make a snide, offhand remark.

The three of them exchanged a look; the conflict was resolved with a laugh.

"Ooh, look at that! A bromance! Three men having a bromance right in front of Bear Master! How shameless. Do you need me to provide a fresh giant catfish as an aphrodisiac for your little party?"

The chubby Bear Master, with his furry paws tucked behind his head, leaned comfortably against the wall at the end of the desk, shouting insults and obscenities.

Wang Jian frowned. He performed a complex hand seal and tapped the two pieces of white paper on the desk.

They instantly stood upright, automatically deforming and folding into two palm-sized paper dolls, each brandishing a tiny paper sword. They zipped across the desk, rushing toward Bear Master, who was busy patting his own belly in boredom.

Soon, the creature's shrieks filled the room.

"Hey? Ghost-messenger paper dolls? Ah, what are you doing? Damn you... get away, get away! Ahhh... my backside! Stop poking, stop poking! Damn it, I’ll fight you to the death! Meow! Meow!"

Ah, the screams of that shameless fat cat were truly music to the ears. The three "perverts" let out a long breath and burst into laughter once more.

Wang Jian regained his serious demeanor. He pulled two black-covered identification cards from his trench coat pocket. They bore two imposing gold-embossed characters: "National Security!" He placed them on the desk and pushed them forward.

"The two of you, I am officially extending an invitation. I invite you both to join the National Security Agency’s Zero Unit on a temporary basis to investigate the series of supernatural and evil events at the Jiangcheng University forest farm."

Fu Yang and Huang exchanged bewildered glances.

"NSA Zero Unit? Sounds pretty badass, doesn't it?"

"But it sounds like we'd just be temp workers?"

"Temps? Does that mean if things go south, we’ll be the scapegoats? I always see in the news that whenever a department causes public outrage, they claim it was just the 'temporary staff'..."

"It’s a possibility."

Wang Jian had expected them to be overjoyed. After all, they had previously accepted Zhao Shanshan's invitation to become temporary detectives for the Jiangcheng Police. This was the National Security Agency, and the Zero Unit at that—the most powerful branch. Even if they were only temps, the perks were immense. Were they really going to drag their feet? They didn't even reach for the cards.

Even someone known as the "Cold-Faced Ghost God" of the East China region of the Zero Unit felt a bit embarrassed. He coughed twice.

"Are you two unwilling? You accepted the invitation from Deputy Chief Zhao..."

Huang rolled his eyes.

"Commissioner Wang, are you truly dense, or just acting like it? An invitation from a super-gorgeous beauty is hardly the same as one from a rough guy like you! Besides, Shanshan is Fu Yang’s little sweetheart; we’d help her even without a title."

The chubby Bear Master, having just "defeated" the two paper dolls, came running over, panting and wincing while clutching his poked-up rear end. Hearing Huang's words, his eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh? Besides that sexy, glamorous female CEO, Fu Yang has a top-tier police beauty as a lover? Haha, I’m going to report this to the Ghost Queen tonight! You’d better watch out, or she’ll cut your little birdie off!"

"Get lost!" Fu Yang kicked him, sending him flying in an arc until he landed squarely in the trash can.

"So, you two really don't want to join the Zero Unit?" Wang Jian asked, his brow furrowing in displeasure.

"Only an idiot works for free! Commissioner Wang, we’re just ordinary folks, not as noble as you. We don't work for nothing. Goodbye, we’ll see you around." Huang stood up and cupped his hands in a parting gesture, ready to leave with Fu Yang.

Wang Jian was bewildered. "Work for nothing? You mean the money? It’s not for nothing. Our temporary staff, while not enjoying official government status or public benefits, do receive a salary. As long as you're on the roster, it’s ten thousand a month. For major cases, depending on the difficulty, there are bonuses ranging from one hundred thousand to a million."

What?!

Fu Yang and Huang, who had just reached the door, spun around instantly, their eyes glowing with a wolf-like greed.

Nothing to do, just being on the roster gets them ten thousand a month? And there are bonuses for actual missions?

This job was perfect!

"Ahem, Commissioner Wang, why didn't you say so earlier? My, oh my. After careful consideration, Little Yang and I have decided to accept your invitation to become external combat personnel for the Zero Unit. We’ll take the credentials now."

Before the words were out, they rushed to the desk, each grabbing an ID card. Their speed and agility left Wang Jian completely dumbfounded.