Chapter 6: Tama Town, Collecting the Bounty
"Sarah…"
Stanley quickly called out to stop her.
"I guess you could say that," Jiang Qize replied with a smile.
He hadn't yet decided whether to become a pirate or a Marine, but for now, bounty hunting was the faster way to make money. All he had to do was kill pirates—and he'd be paid for it.
"That's amazing…" Sarah said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.
Jiang Qize simply smiled, saying nothing.
Stanley quietly shook his head. He could already see that his daughter had taken a liking to this young man, which worried him. After all, bounty hunters lived with their heads hanging by a thread—death could come at any moment.
…
Half an hour later.
Jiang Qize turned down their offer to stay. After taking some food, he carried Evil Wolf's severed head back to the wrecked ship and set off once again—straight toward Tama Town.
Four hours later, a small town appeared before him.
"Canglong, go have some fun for a while," he said to the mosasaur swimming beneath the waves, before grabbing a bundle and leaping onto the Raptorex's back.
"Go!"
"Roar—!"
The Raptorex let out a thunderous roar and bounded forward.
Boom!
Its massive body landed on the shore with a heavy thud.
"That's a dinosaur, right?"
"My god, someone's actually riding a dinosaur…"
"It's huge!"
"Get out of the way! Do you want to get trampled to death?"
People at the dock shouted in shock, but surprisingly, none of them ran. They seemed to accept the scene rather quickly.
Sitting atop the Raptorex, Jiang Qize scanned the town's Japanese-style buildings with open curiosity.
"Hey, uncle."
He waved to stop a man who was about to walk away.
"Y-Yes? What is it?" the man stammered, swallowing nervously as he glanced at the snarling dinosaur looming right in front of him.
"Could you tell me how to get to the Marine branch?" Jiang Qize asked with a polite smile.
"Just go straight and take a left—you'll see it right away," the man said, pointing ahead.
"Thanks."
A short two-minute walk later, the Marine base came into view.
Because of the Raptorex's enormous size, the ground trembled with every step it took.
By the time they arrived, a row of Marines stood at the gate, rifles raised.
"Stop right there!"
One of the soldiers blocked his way, shouting loudly.
"I'm here to collect a bounty."
Jiang Qize patted the Raptorex lightly and spoke in a calm tone.
The tall Marine gave him a wary look, his gaze lingering on the bundle in Jiang Qize's hand.
"Come with me. It stays outside," the soldier ordered before turning around.
Jiang Qize jumped down, carrying the bundle as he followed.
The other Marines kept their weapons trained on the Raptorex, beads of sweat on their foreheads. The creature's presence alone was suffocating.
…
"Hahaha, and how should I address you, sir?" In his office, Lieutenant Commander Randolph greeted him with a cordial smile.
"Just call me Ze," Jiang Qize replied evenly.
"Mr. Ze, your bounty payment will be delivered shortly," Randolph said with a nod. "But with your strength, why not join the Marines?"
"I'm only interested in making money," Jiang Qize said, shaking his head.
Becoming a Marine was out of the question. However, if he ever had the chance, he did plan to learn their Six Powers techniques.
Still, he had no intention of getting too close to them. His ability to control dinosaurs wasn't something recorded anywhere. If the Marines started investigating him… he wasn't ready to take on a giant like that yet.
"Oh, I see," Randolph said, his smile unwavering. "As long as a man has desire, that's fine."
A desire for wealth was harmless—it meant the man could be reasoned with. So long as he wasn't after "freedom," there was nothing to worry about.
Before long, two large crates were brought in.
"Mr. Ze, here's your thirty million bounty."
"Thank you."
Jiang Qize accepted the boxes with a polite nod, then turned and left.
After he was gone—
"Commander, why'd you give him the full amount?" an ensign asked, stepping into Randolph's office with a puzzled look.
"With our strength, we couldn't keep him even if we tried…" Randolph said flatly, glancing at him.
From the moment Ze entered, Randolph had felt the pressure rolling off him. Anyone capable of killing Evil Wolf wasn't someone ordinary.
And besides—there was still that massive creature standing guard outside.
(Show your support and read more chapters on my Patreon: [email protected]/psychopet. Thank you for your support!)