Texas emerged from her hiding place.
She'd actually arrived only a step ahead of Chen Xiu, yet she wasn't even slightly out of breath. Seeing him wave that little mouse pouch around—utterly oblivious to the risk she'd just taken—she finally let the tension bleed out of her shoulders.
Chen Xiu, of course, noticed none of it. His entire world had narrowed to the first pot of gold in his hands.
He tugged the pouch open. Inside were three bundles of crisp, blue-tinged hundred-denomination bills, each printed with a black dragonhead emblem.
Licking a fingertip, he slid the notes between his fingers and counted at speed.
Shhk—shhk—shhk.
The sound alone was enough to make a person happy.
As for that clerk, Han Jin… Chen Xiu would let him off for now.
If the man had any brain at all, he wouldn't dare swallow Lin Yuxia's money.
After confirming the full thirty thousand Lungmen dollars, Chen Xiu split the stack cleanly down the middle and stuffed half into Texas's hands.
"Here's the agreed fifteen thousand. Count it if you want. But once you leave the counter—no refunds."
His exaggerated "bank teller" act made Texas laugh despite herself.
Honestly, she hadn't expected him to get the full amount so smoothly—much less to have a gang hand him the cash upfront.
By black-market logic, they should've given half if they were feeling generous… or nothing if they weren't.
Texas held the thick wad of bills and felt surreal.
She randomly pulled one out, rubbed the corner the way she'd learned long ago.
Real.
Did this idiot actually run into a genuine good person?
She stuffed the money into her pocket and asked, "Do you know the Grey Tail Hall young mistress?"
"Met her yesterday," Chen Xiu answered openly. "The meat buns you ate were literally handed to me by her… Wait—how do you know who I went to?"
He'd never told Texas which side he planned to approach. He didn't want to boast and then fail—nothing more embarrassing than that.
"I can read lips."
Texas met Chen Xiu's suspicious stare without blinking.
It wasn't exactly a lie. She was good at it—she just hadn't needed it earlier.
"You can do that?" Chen Xiu's eyes widened.
Texas sighed, a flicker of memory passing behind her gaze.
"Back then, people would talk where they thought I couldn't hear. But I needed to know what they said."
A skill straight out of spy films—but coming from Texas, it weirdly made perfect sense.
Chen Xiu didn't dwell on it. He simply picked up the thread again.
"Good thing Miss Lin still remembered me after one night. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been nearly this smooth."
Texas looked genuinely reflective.
"Sounds like Lungmen's gangs are nothing like Siracusa's. Over there, the 'families' wouldn't even consider turning a criminal in for a bounty. Their existence is the crime."
Chen Xiu glanced at Texas, then leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"Here's a secret. Grey Tail Hall belongs to the Lungmen Governor's side. Their purpose is to control the slums."
Texas's eyes snapped up.
Chen Xiu's expression was serious—no hint of joking.
But how could a drifter like him possibly know something like that?
"So this trick only works here." Chen Xiu grinned smugly.
Texas sank into thought.
If that was true, then Grey Tail Hall cooperating to cash in a bounty wasn't strange at all.
Chen Xiu patted his stack of bills against his palm. Fifteen thousand in hand felt nothing like a number in a game.
If he could cash out the Lungmen dollars in his game account, he'd be a multimillionaire on day one.
But with daily intel, he'd eventually carve out something even bigger here.
He reined in his swelling ambition and looked at Texas again.
"Miss Texas, by rights our cooperation ends here. We should part ways."
Texas's ears twitched. She lifted her gaze sharply, staring at the smiling Sarkaz youth. Her tail's swaying slowed—quiet, unreadable.
"However," Chen Xiu continued, "I do have an improper request."
"Thirty thousand isn't much. Split in half, it's even less. Until we have legal status, we can only live in the slums. And making money here isn't easy. So… how about we share a place for now, support each other?"
He extended his hand again.
This time, Texas didn't take it immediately.
Celinia Texas had always been a lone wolf. A solo operator.
No matter the job, she preferred doing it alone.
If her situation weren't so desperate—and if she hadn't eaten six of his buns—she would never have agreed to partner with a stranger, much less live under the same roof.
And yet…
This guy was weak. Worse, he trusted people too easily.
Letting him wander around a gang-infested slum alone felt… unsafe.
He was the first friend she'd made in Lungmen. Their time together hadn't been unpleasant.
But living with an opposite-sex peer—was that really okay?
Seeing her silent hesitation, her tail swaying left-right in indecision, Chen Xiu knew there was still a chance. He just needed a reason that the proud wolf would accept.
"Texas, you know my situation." Chen Xiu sighed and admitted it outright. "If I'm with you, I'm the one who needs protection. So—during the time we share a place, I'll cover all expenses. Treat it as hiring you as my close-protection bodyguard."
Texas's tail lifted slightly. The tightness between her brows eased.
If it was a security job, then there was nothing to overthink—living with the client was normal.
Or rather, for a truly professional bodyguard, it was basic ethics.
"Deal."
Texas clasped Chen Xiu's hand.
Chen Xiu smiled as well. Only now did it feel like he'd truly secured Texas.
With her integrity, even if she later saw Penguin Logistics hiring, she probably wouldn't just walk away.
Honesty really is the ultimate weapon, he thought.
Especially with someone like Texas—someone trying to step out of darkness.
"No time to waste," Chen Xiu said brightly. "Let's find a place. I saw a unit for rent around Building 29."
Texas's lips curved.
The days ahead shouldn't be too boring.
Meanwhile, inside Grey Tail Hall—
A burly Perro man nudged Huang Mingjie with his foot. "Miss, what do we do with him?"
"Send him to the Guard Department," Lin Yuxia replied casually. "Report it under Chen Xiu's name and collect the bounty. He's the one who caught him."
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My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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