Chapter 70: A Private Commission

The fat man looked slightly surprised when Lu Xin, having heard the specific reward and seemingly tempted, still mentioned needing to file an application.

However, he didn’t try to stop him, just waited with a smile.

Lu Xin considered it for a moment, then took out the satellite phone and dialed Han Bing.

After some training, he now understood that Chen Jing held a very high position, even within the Main City.

She had interacted with him more initially because she was responsible for his recruitment and initial evaluation phase. But now that work had formally begun, Han Bing, whom he frequently spoke with, was actually the one responsible for liaising with him.

Another reason was that Han Bing always seemed easier to talk to, no matter what.

Chen Jing… she was a top leader.

You couldn’t go asking the top leader about every little thing.

…Especially not small matters like this that didn’t seem entirely above board.

…

…

“Theoretically speaking, Headquarters doesn’t actually prohibit these kinds of private commissions. Of course, they don’t encourage them either.”

Han Bing’s soft voice explained after answering Lu Xin’s call, “But for some complex reasons, there are indeed people who know about Special Pollution and its dangers, yet due to various concerns, they prefer not to go directly through the Special Pollution Cleanup Department. They’d rather pay out of pocket to hire an Ability User or solve it through other means.”

“If we didn’t allow it, it might actually cause these people to hide such incidents, leading to even greater trouble.”

“So, Headquarters’ stance is that members of the Special Action Team can accept commissions when encountering similar situations.”

“There are just a few points to keep in mind:”

“First, estimate the time needed to handle the commission beforehand, preferably noting the general location. This prevents conflicts between private commissions and Headquarters’ operations. Also, if an accident occurs during a private commission, it makes it easier for Headquarters to investigate the whole matter.”

“Second, regardless of whether the client agrees, Headquarters will keep a record of these types of matters.”

“Even if the client wants to sign a confidentiality agreement, the most we can do is conceal their real identity and record it anonymously.”

“Third, after resolving these private commissions, you should assess the subsequent risks. If it’s not resolved, or if you believe there are still hidden risks that could cause issues later, you should deal with them promptly or report them to Headquarters…”

…

Lu Xin was already in a good mood upon receiving her confirmation.

He then listened carefully to Han Bing’s explanation and smiled, “Okay, I understand. Sorry to bother you so late.”

Han Bing replied softly, “It’s okay. This shows your trust in me.”

“Sorry for the trouble…”

“No trouble at all, this is my job…”

“Still, thank you…”

“I should be thanking you for trusting me…”

…

After the usual pleasantries, the call ended.

Since this was a private commission, Lu Xin couldn’t very well ask Han Bing to maintain constant contact and provide informational support during the task. So, after hanging up, he turned to the chubby middle-aged man and said, “I can go take a look at this matter you mentioned. However, I probably can’t completely hide it from Headquarters… Can you understand that?”

The chubby man smiled upon hearing this. “Certainly. It can be recorded anonymously in the end, right?”

Seeing that he even knew this detail, Lu Xin finally believed that this chubby man truly was knowledgeable about the Special Pollution Cleanup Department. After all, even Lu Xin himself had just learned about this type of commission model… and that the pay could be so high.

“Then…”

He asked the question that concerned him most: “When?”

The fat man took a file out of his briefcase and handed it to Lu Xin with a smile. “We can arrange a meeting for tomorrow.”

Lu Xin accepted the file and pulled out the papers. He saw some printed clauses regarding remuneration, confidentiality agreements, and the like – quite simple, really – with a space left for his signature at the bottom. Further down, an address and contact number were written with a gel pen. The file itself suggested that this commissioning company was indeed quite professional.

After the Red Moon incident, despite a period of chaos and disorder, most survivors, whether they entered the High-wall Cities or remained in the Wasteland, had developed a strong regard for contracts, promises, and oaths.

It was a strange but common phenomenon.

Even back at the Red Moon Kindergarten, the Old Director used to say that people didn’t value laws much before, but now they did.

…

…

“If it’s tomorrow, let’s tentatively schedule it for the evening then!”

Lu Xin didn’t commit immediately, just saying, “If I have urgent work, the time might need to be pushed back. If not, I’ll come over after getting off work at six PM. Can I sign this contract then?”

“Okay!”

The fat man agreed with a smile. “Tomorrow at six, I’ll arrange for a car to pick you up at the entrance of the Security Hall.”

After they made the arrangement, the fat man rubbed his right hand and extended it with a smile, initiating a handshake with Lu Xin.

This time, however, Lu Xin didn’t shake his hand, just smiled and waved.

…

…

Returning to the Security Hall the next day, Lu Xin felt a small spark of anticipation.

He didn’t know what kind of task could have prompted someone to go to such lengths to commission a newcomer like him, who had only recently encountered Special Pollution Sources. Having never taken on such a task, he also didn’t know if he could handle it.

But none of that mattered.

What mattered was this private commission task offered a reward of ten thousand yuan even if it wasn’t successful. That was truly astonishing.

Compared to the hundred thousand for completing the task, Lu Xin strangely felt more anticipation for the ten thousand…

…He wasn’t sure what kind of mentality that was.

Perhaps because he was in a good mood, he noticed many more couples around as he walked down the street.

Kissing on the street corner, browsing shops arm-in-arm, or arguing in an alley, they added a splash of color to the city.

It was another routine day of training and studying, and again, no Special Pollution Incidents occurred that required his intervention.

At six o’clock, Lu Xin walked out of the Security Hall, taking advantage of the newly fallen dusk.

He immediately spotted the fat man he’d arranged to meet last night, standing beside the door of a black sedan, waiting for him.

Lu Xin got into the car with him, and they drove towards the City Center. Soon, they entered the Qingyan Mountain area in the East District. This was a region relatively far from the High Wall, sparsely populated but without the desolation found elsewhere. Instead, it looked clean and tidy, almost giving the impression of being in the Main City. The buildings here were mostly neat and spacious, rather than clusters of high-rises.

The car entered a villa area enclosed by iron fences and stopped in front of a three-story house.

A properly dressed man, looking like a butler, opened the car doors for them.

Lu Xin looked around curiously. The scenery here was excellent, with large patches of greenery and gardens, a sizable pond, and another small garden nearby containing a swing set, slide, and playground bars.

“It would be great if the Orphanage could be built in a place like this…”

Lu Xin couldn’t help but sigh, asking curiously, “How much does such a big house cost?”

The chubby man getting out behind him laughed, “I can’t afford it either, so I really don’t know. How much does your house cost?”

His last sentence was directed at the butler who had driven the car.

The butler smiled reservedly. “I don’t know the exact price, but I once heard the master mention that a gentleman from the Main City offered five million Alliance Coins to buy this place for vacations, but Mr. Xu didn’t agree. To him, this house, being a pre-catastrophe German-style old building, holds significant artistic value in itself.”

“Five million…”

Lu Xin sobered up slightly. “Let’s go inside!”