Chapter 20: This Childhood Sweetheart Is No Simple Matter

"Is that scar on your neck a 'Stigma'?" Wang Xi asked.

Hearing this, Chu Nai hurriedly pulled a strand of silver hair to cover her neck, then whispered, "Yes. Does it look very ugly?"

"No," Wang Xi shook his head. "I actually think it's quite beautiful. It has a unique, holy charm that suits you well."

Chu Nai couldn't help but narrow her eyes in a smile.

Wang Xi asked again, "By the way, you still haven't told me if you're a professional Brave."

"Uh, I suppose so." Chu Nai thought for a moment and nodded.

"Suppose so?"

"I haven't taken the Brave Association's assessment, so I don't have a professional certificate," Chu Nai admitted truthfully. "But my mentor said that my current strength is greater than that of an average professional Brave."

*Greater than that...* Wang Xi thought to himself, mocking the understatement. He had never seen that silver-framed skeleton before.

"Brother Xi, are you very interested in becoming a professional Brave?" Chu Nai asked.

Wang Xi didn't hide his intentions. "Yes, I plan to take the Brave assessment."

"The mortality rate for professional Braves is very high..." Chu Nai looked worried. "Unlike the City Defense Force, which only needs to clean up disasters, professional Braves must leave the city, head into the wilderness and disaster zones, and even enter labyrinths regularly. It is very rare for one out of ten professional Braves to retire peacefully..."

"Chu Nai." Wang Xi interrupted her softly.

The girl turned to look at him, her light blue eyes filled with melancholy and concern.

"I cannot spend my whole life living at the very bottom," Wang Xi said calmly. "Disasters have no pattern. If I lack strength, I will be a sitting duck when calamity strikes. This is a difficult era; I don't have the talent you do, but I don't want to just drift through life either. I've already signed up for the amateur Brave assessment at Cupid Housekeeping. I'll be taking it next week."

"..." Chu Nai pursed her lips, looking at the young man's calm yet determined gaze. She stopped trying to dissuade him. Silently, the girl grabbed Wang Xi's hand and pressed a wild card into his palm.

"Use this if you run into danger!"

[Covenant Prayer Stone (Prop Card)]
[Quality: Blue Three-Star (Non-upgradable)]
[A miracle witnessed by an ascetic. A miracle was born from a stone tablet where hundreds of people inscribed prayers in blood. Holy light soared into the sky, banishing evil and darkness. After the miracle, the tablet shattered into countless pieces; this is one of them.]
[Upon use, the stone will erupt with the holy power of a pseudo-miracle, incinerating enemies within fifty meters. This card will disappear after use.]

Blue Three-Star! This was the first time Wang Xi had come into contact with a card of this quality.

"Xiao Nai, what is this?" he asked, surprised.

"A wild card that can protect you," Chu Nai smiled. "Don't worry about using it; I have plenty more."

*Plenty more...* Wang Xi was stunned. Could this childhood friend of his actually be a wealthy little heiress?

In reality, however, Chu Nai did not reveal the truth. This card was actually a gift her mentor had given her when she left the Eastern Continent—a trump card intended to save her life. But compared to Wang Xi's safety, Chu Nai felt it wasn't worth mentioning.

"Brother Xi, every city in the Nine Provinces offers perks for professional Braves," Chu Nai said softly. "Take Valley City, for example. The authorities provide a 'Tier 1 Talent Subsidy' of 100,000 credit points per year for three years."

"Three hundred thousand?" Wang Xi's eyes lit up. He was currently short on money; if he could pass the professional Brave assessment, he could use the funds to solve his immediate problems. Beyond daily expenses, he also needed to purchase magic stones to draw cards.

"The subsidy is secondary. The most important things are the increase in citizen rank and the various undisclosed privileges," Chu Nai explained patiently.

In the Shanhai Federation, citizens are divided into three tiers. Ordinary people like Wang Xi are Third-Tier citizens. Above them are civil servants from official agencies like the Defense Force, the Oversight Bureau, and the Public Security Department, along with professions like doctors and firefighters—all of whom are Second-Tier citizens, enjoying various social benefits and preferential treatment.

Wang Xi and Chu Nai's parents, as former researchers at the Labyrinth Research Institute, had been First-Tier citizens. This tier of talent is protected by the authorities and enjoys high social status and priority. To give an inappropriate example, when a disaster strikes, the Defense Force prioritizes the rescue of First-Tier citizens.

In the New World, there is no such thing as equality. When a First-Tier citizen encounters trouble, they can apply to the authorities for help, and the vast majority of problems can be resolved. Every person who passes the professional Brave assessment is unconditionally promoted to First-Tier citizen status. For them, even manslaughter is not considered a very serious crime; the authorities are very lenient toward First-Tier citizens. This is the privileged class.

"The Brave Association manages the assessment, but the Oversight Bureau also participates and supervises. The professional assessment is divided into a combat exam and a written exam, with the final grade being a combination of both," Chu Nai continued. "The combat exam changes every year, so it's not a reliable reference. But you can prepare for the written exam in advance. It focuses on labyrinth disasters, wilderness disaster zones, wild cards, and other supernatural fields. You can buy relevant study materials online."

"Great, more books to memorize," Wang Xi smiled.

Chu Nai's light blue eyes looked at him. "Brother Xi, although I don't really want you to walk this path, I will support your choice. If you run into any difficulties, you can come to me at any time."

"Of course," Wang Xi laughed. "I don't know any big shots in Valley City, and now that you're an official at the Oversight Bureau, who else would I go to?"

"Yes!" Chu Nai gave a sweet smile.

Just then, her phone beeped. Chu Nai picked it up and took a look. Wang Xi noticed a flicker in the girl's eyes, and the smile on her lips dimmed.

"Is something urgent?" Wang Xi asked.

Chu Nai put her phone away, smoothed her hair, and shook her head. "It's nothing urgent, just that I've just started the job, so I might be a bit busy..."

"Go ahead and get to work; we'll meet up again when you're free," Wang Xi said with a smile.

After a moment of hesitation, Chu Nai nodded. "Okay, I'm leaving then."

"I'll walk you out." Wang Xi stood up.

Chu Nai waved her hands in a slight panic. "No, no need. I... I'll just take the railcar in a moment."

"I'm just walking you to the railcar," Wang Xi said with a strange look. "You don't think I can afford a car, do you?"

"That's not what I meant," Chu Nai quickly explained.

Seeing this, Wang Xi stopped teasing her. "Alright, go ahead. I won't walk you, then."

"Yes." Chu Nai let out a quiet sigh of relief, waved at Wang Xi, and walked away, turning back to look at him every few steps.

Wang Xi didn't leave immediately. After waiting a while, he walked out of the abandoned amusement park. Across the long, silent street, he saw a blue-gray hovercar parked at the far end. On the body of the car was a yellow logo of a tall tower with a red circle behind it—the insignia of the Oversight Bureau.

Four or five men in black uniforms and sunglasses stood respectfully by the car, bowing to Chu Nai. Two young women, one tall and one short, were talking to her. The taller one had purple wavy hair and gold-rimmed glasses, while the shorter one looked quite familiar to Wang Xi.

*That delivery girl, Ning Meng?* Wang Xi was surprised. *She's also with the Oversight Bureau?*

Unlike her previous appearance in a yellow delivery uniform and helmet, Ning Meng wore a dark teal high-collared trench coat, her hands in her pockets and a cold expression on her face. Her demeanor was completely different.

After a brief exchange with Chu Nai, they all got into the car. The Oversight Bureau's hovercar zipped away, leaving a blur of motion as it vanished at the end of the street.

*It seems Chu Nai's status at the Oversight Bureau is even higher than I imagined...* Wang Xi mused.

As for why Chu Nai didn't tell him the truth, Wang Xi could guess. Just as Chu Nai worried about him, Wang Xi worried about her. Her position was certainly not as simple as a clerk, and it carried some danger; she chose to hide it because she didn't want him to worry. Their bond was deeper than most; having lost their parents at a young age, they had essentially relied on each other to survive. The fact that Chu Nai had handed over her savings and a high-quality wild card for his protection was proof enough.

*I should just focus on improving my strength,* Wang Xi thought to himself. *If my strength isn't enough, I won't even be qualified to help her.*

He shook his head and walked away.

...

Cupid Housekeeping, Cleaning Department Office.

In front of the computer desk, a portly figure was processing information files regarding the intake of corpses. He expertly tampered with a few data points, deleted some records, then picked up his teacup and slumped back in his chair with a long sigh.

*Beep, beep, beep.*

Lin Zhifeng's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, and his expression changed slightly. His corpulent body sprang from the chair. He walked quickly to the door, peeked out to ensure no one was there, and then locked the door tight.

Lin Zhifeng picked up the phone and walked into the corner. "Hello, President An."

"Send another batch of debris from this disaster over." A cold, male voice came from the other end.

Lin Zhifeng's face fell. He whispered cautiously, "President An, I've already smuggled two batches out. If I send any more, it's very likely that the Oversight Bureau inspectors will find out..."

"The situation is different this time. The consortium's laboratory has shown that the saccharified substance has a high affinity with ether crystals and produces a special blackening reaction. This is a major discovery of great value, and the higher-ups are taking it very seriously," the cold voice continued. "We must complete the patent registration before the Gear Consortium and the Labyrinth Research Institute. This could even improve the way 'Demon Braves' grow stronger; it is an unimaginably huge fortune."

Hearing that the Shining Consortium valued it so highly, cold sweat broke out on Lin Zhifeng's forehead. An invisible pressure bore down on him like a mountain.

"But President An, I really can't..."

Before Lin Zhifeng could finish, the voice on the other end interrupted. "Whatever method you use, the materials must be delivered by tomorrow night. Do you understand?"

With that, the call ended. Lin Zhifeng's expression shifted as he clutched the phone.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" he cursed under his breath, leaning against the wall.

If it weren't for the fact that his daughter was still in the Shining Consortium's headquarters laboratory, relying on them for her life, he would never want to act as a spy, stealing materials again and again. Lin Zhifeng wasn't without a conscience, but he knew that if he refused, his daughter would die.

According to federal law, disaster debris collected by the company must be sent to the Oversight Bureau and handed over to the Labyrinth Research Institute. His actions were already a serious crime. But he had no choice!