Jing Shu ran out of the villa courtyard, and the little robot followed behind her, its mechanical steps pattering eagerly. From the courtyard gate, she looked toward the mansion's front entrance and started translating. She wanted to hear what this middle-aged man was actually saying.
He wore gray dress pants, a crisp white shirt, a tailored vest, and a perfectly knotted blue tie. Everything about him seemed just right—his posture, his clothes, even the custom-made formal hat on his head. The man exuded the kind of refined grace that money could buy, and the silver mask covering his face made him look even more aristocratic.
Jing Shu quickly translated the voice that came through the screen.
"My apologies, my friend. I may have disturbed your leisure, and I offer my sincere apology for my rudeness. At the same time, I thank you for visiting my private estate—Rhine Manor—despite your busy schedule. Of course, I welcome your arrival."
A rich man. He was the owner of this private estate!
The man removed his hat politely, a gesture of apology and greeting, then stood up, leaning on his elegant cane. His back was turned to the camera for a moment before he slowly turned around again.
"You must be a capable adventurer—or perhaps part of a team. After all, how else could you have infiltrated this place and retrieved the 'key' from a trap filled with lasers? I must say, I'm quite impressed. You've passed my test."
Jing Shu glanced around warily. Was this video pre-recorded? Then what triggered its playback? Was it this little robot? She remembered it beeping twice earlier.
Ignoring the man's speech, she kicked the robot hard, but the thing didn't even dent. Instead, it wobbled and cheerfully followed her again.
Meanwhile, the gentleman on the screen continued speaking.
"Do you like Rhine Manor? How's your harvest so far? Consider this my gift to you. Yes, you heard correctly—everything within Rhine Manor now belongs to you, or your team. Of course, it's up to you to uncover its value. After all, this place is still full of... dangers. Heh."
Key point: "didn't have time to take away."
"So, he ran away?" Jing Shu murmured. "No wonder the estate feels half-empty. He must've already taken some of his supplies. Left in a rush... was he escaping?" She tapped her chin, still cautious.
The man's voice continued smoothly.
"Alright, my friend, I actually have a request for you. I don't know why you came to Rhine Manor, but there's no denying you succeeded. Whether you're after the formula for the new medicine, the valuable supplies, or life-saving remedies—I've prepared everything for you. They're in the middle of the tower, inside a secret room. As long as you carry the 'chip key,' you can enter freely and take whatever you want."
Then his tone darkened.
"In that same room, you'll also find my 'corpse.' Yes, all of Rhine Manor's assets now belong to you. I, the great Jobus Bus, have only one request: help me provide proof of my death. Simple, isn't it?
The clever and powerful adventurers who killed the top American tycoon Job Sibus in his secret chamber, claiming his fortune—it sounds thrilling, doesn't it?
Now, follow Little Bu. It'll take you there. Oh, by the way, Little Bu only recognizes the holder of the chip as its master. From this moment on, you're the new owner of Rhine Manor."
The man smiled.
Jing Shu thought the broadcast would end there, but the screen stayed on. She hesitated. This Job Sibus probably wanted to fake his death to escape something terrifying—likely the government. If even someone that rich had to run for his life, then maybe she and her team were way out of their depth.
But what if she refused? She already had the chip key. Jing Shu took it out again. It was blinking with a faint signal. She couldn't tell whether something—or someone—was connected on the other end. Either way, it was a problem waiting to happen.
Suddenly, the man on screen leaned forward, his face filling the display. His smile twisted into something devilish.
"You must complete my commission. If you don't finish it by 8 PM on April 2nd, trouble will come knocking. Unless, of course, you'd rather take my place as the dead man."
The screen finally went dark.
The giant display flickered once, then shut off completely. Silence fell across the courtyard. Jing Shu raised her hand and checked the time—7:59 PM.
"Hmm? Did I just miss it perfectly?" she muttered. "So now what? Guess I should grab whatever's in the tower and get the hell out. This place's probably about to turn into a war zone."
Hands on her hips, Jing Shu sighed. Tonight's mission had gone completely off-script, changing too fast for her liking.
Everywhere she looked, danger lurked.
"Wake up, wake up, Hao Yunlai!" she shouted, slapping him a few times. He didn't even twitch.
Jing Shu bit her lip. For her own safety, she decided to give him a drop of Spirit Spring. That guy might actually be useful later. If things went south, at least he could help her cover an escape.
She let a single drop fall into his mouth, then texted Yang Yang, briefly explaining what happened."I think I found the formula data. Meet me now."
Dragging Hao Yunlai along, she kept moving.
After a while, he groaned, his eyes fluttering open. "Ow, ow, ow, that hurts!"
"Where does it hurt?" she asked, turning around.
"Give me a hand," he said through gritted teeth.
Jing Shu grabbed his arm and helped him up. That's when she saw it—his backside and thighs were scraped raw, and he could barely walk, hobbling like an old man.
"See? I'm injured. Probably can't walk anymore."
Jing Shu stared at him speechlessly.
"Cough, cough," she said awkwardly. "Sorry about that. Things were kinda hectic, so I just dragged you along. Want me to pull you the other way instead? There's... been a bit of an emergency."
"Sure," he said, obediently taking off his jacket and laying it over the sack beneath him. "Ready when you are."
Something about this felt off, but she couldn't quite place it.
Jing Shu took off running again, hauling him behind her. Hao Yunlai, his head poking out of the bag, kept getting smacked by the dozen bundles swinging from her shoulders. Thud. Thud. He quickly ducked back inside, tearing a small hole in the sack so he could peek outside.
Jing Shu sighed. Too bad she probably couldn't store anything else in her Cube Space now. There was still that secret chamber of supplies, right? But bringing the newly-awakened Hao Yunlai along was the safer choice.
The robot ran ahead at impressive speed, always just a step faster than her. With it leading the way, the target was clear—the tall tower in the distance.
===
The character's name is 乔布·斯不斯 (Qiáobù Sībùsī), Job Sibus.
乔布·斯不斯 (Qiáobù Sībùsī) is a direct and humorous riff on "Steve Jobs" (史蒂夫·乔布斯 Shǐdìfū Qiáobùsī).