Chapter 128: Commission and Conditions

(First update today)

Chapter 128: Commission and Conditions

This man smiled with great elegance, his eyes brimming with mirth. Such an expression, such a posture, such a demeanor... suddenly caused Chen Xiao to involuntarily recall someone else—the Jack of Spades from the Service Agency whom he had once encountered, the Thunder Fox!

The same elegance, the same handsome appearance... and the same slightly pretentious mannerisms.

He remained silent, merely scrutinizing the other person. Beside him, Gonggong raised an eyebrow as he looked at the newcomer, a hint of displeasure coloring his expression. "White Glove?"

"White Glove?" Chen Xiao glanced at Gonggong.

Gonggong looked coldly at the fellow, without even turning his head, yet he explained to Chen Xiao as if deliberately doing so: "A fellow from the Club... Hmph, every organization has people everyone likes and some who are thoroughly unlikable... Without a doubt, to most people, this gentleman belongs to the latter. As for White Glove, that is his codename... much like the face cards of the Service Agency's committee. However, the Club does not call it a committee; it is known as the Tribunal, consisting of eight senior members. As members of the Tribunal, they all use various colored gloves as their codenames."

White Glove seemed entirely unperturbed by Gonggong exposing his background right to his face. He even gently pulled that white handkerchief from his pocket and smiled while covering the corner of his mouth.

His smile was deeply misleading—he appeared quite young, roughly a youth of around thirty, with fair, clean, and handsome features. When he smiled, there was even a trace of shyness in his gaze, much like a well-educated scion of a noble family. He covered his mouth and looked at Gonggong, his eyes filled with amusement. "Gonggong, after all these years, it seems you still understand the Club very well."

With that, he deliberately sighed. "Very well, this is not the time for reminiscing... May I be invited inside? I have heard that the commission requirements here are not overly strict regarding clients. Whether I come from the Club or the Service Agency, to you, I am simply a client who has walked through the door. Am I right?"

Gonggong said nothing, instead turning to look at Chen Xiao with a questioning gaze. The meaning was clear: You are the agent, and you call the shots here.

Chen Xiao pondered for a moment, nodded, and stepped aside. "Please come in."

As the group walked into the café, Old Tian, Zhurong, Young Master Xu, and the others had already cleared away the mahjong table.

Seeing White Glove enter, Old Tian and Zhurong immediately exchanged a swift glance, and both furrowed their brows simultaneously.

"Little Xu, you should head back first," Old Tian said, waving his hand.

Young Master Xu was exceptionally sharp and nodded immediately. "Alright!" He stood up without the slightest hesitation. As he passed Chen Xiao, he lowered his voice and said, "Take care of yourself, brother!"

Chen Xiao smiled faintly.

White Glove looked at Old Tian, then at Zhurong, and leisurely seated himself on a sofa. "It seems we are all old friends. Gentlemen, how have you all been these past years?"

Old Tian shrugged. "Not bad, just muddling through."

Zhurong, however, simply rolled his eyes.

"Since the pleasantries are over, may we begin discussing business now?" White Glove was still wiping the corner of his mouth with that white white handkerchief, but his gaze shifted to Champagne and the fatty. "Can these irrelevant people step outside first?"

Champagne immediately puffed out her chest and smiled triumphantly. "I am the waitress here, not an irrelevant person."

White Glove nodded, then frowned as he looked at the fatty.

"I... I... I'm the cook!" The fatty also puffed out his chest, imitating Champagne—only, while such an action had a certain distinct charm when performed by a pretty girl like Champagne, coming from a fatty like him, it inevitably looked rather clumsy.

White Glove smiled, then reached inside his jacket and slowly pulled out a thin envelope.

"Here are the documents and the details of the commission."

The envelope was slowly pushed across the table. The three old fellows looked at Chen Xiao simultaneously, their expressions conveying a single thought: It's up to you.

Chen Xiao walked over, sat down opposite White Glove, maintained a calm expression, and unsealed the envelope.

Inside was a photograph. The person in the photo appeared to be a girl of about seventeen... though it was a profile shot, and her features were not entirely clear. Her facial contours were soft and rounded, and she had a head of long, flowing dark hair... Judging by this profile, she was rather pretty.

Yet... Chen Xiao's initial reaction was not particularly favorable.

Because the girl in the photograph was wearing a kimono and had one hand gently resting on the branch of a cherry blossom tree...

Japanese?

While Chen Xiao was not an extreme nationalist, he naturally held no great affection for the nation of Japan.

"To put it simply, this is a protection mission. The person in the photograph is the target who requires protection. Miss Chiba Sato, seventeen years old. She has recently encountered some trouble, and her safety has become somewhat compromised, so..."

Chen Xiao frowned. "Mr. White Glove, since you are a high-ranking member of the Club, if you wish to protect someone, I am certain that with your authority, you could mobilize numerous high-level supernatural powerhouses at any moment! Is there really any need to come to us with a commission?"

White Glove smiled. "Based on my understanding, the commission work here does not include a rule requiring clients to answer such questions, does it?"

Chen Xiao gave a faint smile. "That was in the past. Here, the agent has the right to make adjustments at any time. The former agent was the elderly Mr. Edward, but now it is I! I have the authority to make adjustments at any time according to the circumstances... As you know, we run a small, independent, and free business; there is no need to bind ourselves with too many rigid rules and restrictions."

"So... answering is mandatory then?" White Glove nodded. He looked into Chen Xiao's eyes, his expression turning serious. "Because... much like the Service Agency... the interior of the Club is not monolithic! Based on the intelligence I have gathered, I have reason to suspect that the hidden threat to Miss Chiba Sato's safety likely comes from other factions with differing agendas within the Club itself. Therefore, I cannot mobilize personnel from within; I cannot take that risk."

When he spoke these words, he looked earnestly at Chen Xiao, not even sparing a glance at Old Tian and the others beside them, acting as if he truly regarded Chen Xiao as the ultimate authority here.

"So, the person in this photograph is a figure of great importance to your Club?" Chen Xiao sneered.

"Yes, very important." White Glove nodded without the slightest hesitation. "I cannot disclose any further specifics."

"Yet, for someone in your position, a high-ranking member of the Club encountering a difficulty, you seek help from a few people originating from the Service Agency. Such an approach inevitably arouses my suspicion."

"You are mistaken." White Glove suddenly burst into hearty laughter. "This time, my commission comes with a special request as well—which is... the content of the commission is not to be handled by the other three old friends! Instead... it is you!"

He stared directly into Chen Xiao's eyes. "I want you to take action personally, not them! This matter can only be handled by you yourself."

Only then did Chen Xiao feel a sense of surprise. "Why?"

In terms of raw strength, although Chen Xiao had advanced by leaps and bounds recently... compared to the three old fellows, he still fell quite short.

Passing over the strong in favor of the weak... Could there be some hidden conspiracy afoot?

"It is a rather unspeakable reason." White Glove waved his hand, a gesture reminiscent of swatting away a mosquito. "This young lady has a rather peculiar and eccentric temperament. Throughout her life, she has detested supernatural beings the most; she loathes any and all supernatural individuals, especially those under my command. The most awkward part is that she is very familiar with our people. If I were to dispatch someone of my own, I fear she would recognize them within two days. Therefore, I am compelled to employ an unfamiliar face. And unluckily, Old Tian, Gonggong, and the others are simply too famous within this circle. If they were to go, their identities would be uncovered by this clever young lady in less than half a day. As for you... Chen Xiao, you are still a newcomer. As long as your disguise is appropriate, she will tolerate your presence."

"Why..."

"Because this young lady has read through our database. She seems to have memorized almost every notable supernatural expert in the world." White Glove offered a wry smile.

The expressions of Old Tian and the others turned peculiar.

The database! To any supernatural organization, while the database might not be considered top-secret, it was certainly not something easily opened for others to peruse, let alone... memorize?

"I have a request." Chen Xiao suddenly turned his head to look at Old Tian and the other two behind him. "Since the client has specifically requested that I complete this task personally, then... may I speak with the client alone?"

Old Tian's expression was somewhat strange. However, after a brief hesitation, he actually nodded. "Alright!"

With that, he grabbed Zhurong, who still looked as though he wanted to say something, and strode toward the outside. Gonggong walked at the very end, nodded toward Chen Xiao, cast a "be careful" look his way, and quickly departed as well.

"Let's discuss the matter of remuneration." Chen Xiao suddenly relaxed, a leisurely smile surfacing on his face. He then crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back against the sofa.

"Ten million US dollars." White Glove gave a faint smile. "Of course, we are all well aware that for people like us, money holds little significance. However, I can make a promise to you on behalf of the Club: within the scope of my authority, the Club will owe you a favor. At any time and in any place in the future, you may ask the Club to do something for you. As long as it does not exceed my authority, no matter what the matter is, we will fulfill it for you!"

Pausing for a moment, White Glove looked at Chen Xiao and smiled. "I believe you should understand the value and significance of such a promise—a promise from the world's second-largest supernatural organization! Furthermore... I hope you understand, Chen Xiao, that although I am aware you harbor a personal aversion to the organization known as the Club, as an ancient organization with a long history, we place great emphasis on our reputation! Once a promise is made, it is never altered, even if you should become our enemy in the future; this promise will remain valid."

"That much I can believe." Chen Xiao remained noncommittal. "However, I have a few other conditions."

White Glove did not seem surprised. "Name them!"

"Answer a few questions for me!" Chen Xiao's expression grew somewhat more serious. "First, a couple of days ago, some people from the Club came to see me, attempting to use force to drag me back..."

"I am aware; that order was personally approved by me." White Glove's unhesitating reply actually caught Chen Xiao somewhat off guard.

White Glove smiled amiably. "There is no need to be surprised; we do not deny such things. Moreover... business is business! Since you have entered this circle, you should become more familiar with its customs. The so-called enemies and allies shift constantly according to the circumstances! Enemies who were trying to kill each other the moment before can suddenly transform into close comrades or partners as the situation changes. In our circle, such things are commonplace. As for the capture order targeting you, I believe you understand the reason... You possess traits that our research department finds intensely interesting... The fellows at the Service Agency will hypocritically invite you to join them, and when you refuse, they resort to petty actions behind your back. But we do not! The Club's style of operation is much more direct than the Service Agency's."

"Then, if I accept your mission, will you continue to harass me?"

White Glove thought about it very carefully, his expression serious as he seemed to weigh something, before he let out a breath. "I suppose... at least for the duration of the mission, you will not suffer any harassment from the Club. I can guarantee you that much."

"In other words, once the mission ends... the Club might still send people to capture me?" Chen Xiao frowned.

"That is correct." White Glove nodded without concealment.

Though this answer was... rather excessive, at the very least, it was honest.

If White Glove had guaranteed that he would never harass Chen Xiao again for the rest of his life, that would have been downright suspicious!

"One year." Chen Xiao swiftly tossed out a condition. "I demand that for the span of one year, the Club shall not harass me in any form! Including my close family and friends around me. One year's time—let that be my primary condition for accepting this commission!"

White Glove pondered, his expression deeply earnest as he seemed to calculate something, before he exhaled. "Very well! But only for one year, calculated starting from the first day you accept the mission!"

"The second condition," Chen Xiao said slowly, "concerns... a collar!"

At the mention of the collar, Chen Xiao noticed that White Glove's expression shifted ever so slightly.

"A few days ago, two fellows came and presented a commission, bringing along a collar... Just the day before yesterday, when I encountered that red-haired operative from the Club trying to capture me, I saw one in his possession as well!"

With that, Chen Xiao recounted the mission brought by the two strange men in fedoras that night.

"I am unaware of the significance and function of this collar within the Club, but I am concerned. I am someone who cares deeply for my friends, and I do not wish for them to encounter any danger." Chen Xiao frowned. "Yet those two fellows in fedoras seem to have brought along some danger and trouble."

White Glove nodded, his expression growing considerably graver before he sighed. "This matter is somewhat complicated. The two fellows you mentioned belong to a different faction within the Club, and furthermore, they deserted and fled the Club a few days ago. We always deal severely with traitors. As for your mention of them bringing a collar and commissioning you to search for something... I believe I can guess what this is truly about. I will handle this matter. As for you... you may simply consider that commission as never having existed!"

"My apologies, but that won't do!" Chen Xiao shook his head. "Although I am an agent, I cannot compromise my principles. Rules can be modified, but a principle is a principle! A commission that has already been accepted cannot be casually discarded... unless..."

At this point, a trace of cunning flashed across Chen Xiao's eyes, and he smiled slightly. "Unless the commissioned task is suddenly aborted due to some other reason."

White Glove laughed. "I imagine that will not be difficult. Another task that brought me to K City happens to be the handling of this very matter."

He fished an old-fashioned pocket watch from his breast pocket—good grief, in this day and age, who still carried a pocket watch?!

White Glove checked the time and suddenly smiled. "Chen Xiao, do you have time now? Come with me. If fortune favors us, perhaps by tonight we can manage to abort the very matter you requested."