Chapter 61 Residence

For Xingyu, the daily routine of a candidate agent had already become effortless.

Before passing the evaluation tomorrow and officially becoming a full agent, she was truly restricted to running errands.

Upon finishing today's deliveries, she immediately began scouting for a new residence.

She had truly had enough of that remote, desolate Ring F, devoid of both electricity and running water!

Although the position of agent at the Raindrop Agency included housing—and everyone else besides her lived on the street governed by the agency—Xingyu had abandoned her initial idea of moving straight in there.

If she lived right in that district, any nocturnal activities of hers would easily expose anomalies to Hill or the others.

Strolling through the streets of Ring B, Xingyu's heart was filled with anticipation.

The environment here formed a sharp contrast with Ring F: the streets were clean, the buildings looked much sturdier, completely devoid of the outer ring's desolate aura.

She was now longing for a room... with a bathtub.

Her gaze swept over the bulletin board at the street intersection; there actually were a small number of apartments for rent here.

However, as her eyes scanned the detailed illustrations and descriptions, landing on the rental price at the bottom, the expression on her face instantly froze, as if a basin of ice water had been poured straight over her head.

Twenty thousand... for a week?

And she had to pay three months' rent upfront all at once?

Even within the jurisdiction of the Raindrop Agency, the weekly rent was only fifteen hundred...

Was this genuinely reasonable?

Xingyu muttered in sheer disbelief. This price far exceeded her expectations.

She briskly crossed the street, hoping to find other, more reasonable housing listings.

However, as her investigation deepened, a disheartening truth gradually emerged—

Such exorbitant price levels were standard across the residential areas of Ring B.

Not only that, but there was also a strict curfew. From 11:00 PM to 4:00 AM, all forms of travel were strictly prohibited in Ring B.

"I simply don't wish to be restricted by such a lengthy curfew, it's not that I couldn't afford the subsequent rent..."

Xingyu whispered as if to comfort herself, trying to give herself a reasonable excuse to back out.

After weighing these comparisons, she redirected her gaze back toward Ring C.

Though not as glamorous and polished as the streets of Ring B, it might perhaps offer her greater opportunities and freedom.

After some searching, she settled on a residence located in District 10 of Ring C.

It was a secluded two-story building with a terrace. Although quite expensive by Ring C standards, Xingyu considered it a worthwhile investment.

It was situated right next to District 11, where the Raindrop Agency was located, falling under the jurisdiction of the "Blue Box Agency."

It was less than half an hour's walk away, making the location ideal.

Likewise, it enjoyed a relatively stable electricity supply, and the tap water network was essentially complete, eliminating the need to haul water from public stations.

The interior of the house was clean and tidy. Although the location was somewhat secluded, she had no concerns regarding her own safety.

On the contrary, this perfectly facilitated her future nocturnal operations.

The household appliances were fully equipped, which explained why despite the subpar location, the price was so steep.

Most importantly, with the cold winter approaching, the place was actually equipped with air conditioning.

That was a rare luxury indeed.

This jurisdiction had no fixed curfew hours; instead, curfews were imposed irregularly, with announcements broadcast in advance.

After weighing all factors, Xingyu was convinced there was no better choice than this.

She decisively finalized the lease on the property, a rare sense of satisfaction welling up within her heart.

The moving procedures were much simpler than anticipated.

A deposit equal to one month's rent plus three months' advance payment, totaling six thousand paid all at once, followed by signing a legally binding agency contract. Once her signature was affixed, two metal keys dropped into her palm, bringing a tangible sense of weight.

By the time this selection and paperwork were completed, night had completely fallen, and the clock quietly pointed to eight o'clock.

Making her final trek through the dilapidated streets, Xingyu returned to Ring F.

In the span of merely a single day, the area controlled by the Mutual Aid Alliance had completely transformed.

The shacks were shattered and scattered, some completely collapsed with wooden planks strewn everywhere.

The few shacks still barely standing were teetering on the verge of ruin, their doors and windows wide open, interiors thoroughly ransacked.

Water storage tanks lay tilted and toppled, some smashed open with massive holes, the remaining water spilling onto the ground and mixing with dirt into turbid mud.

The once conspicuous logo of the "Border Mutual Aid Alliance" had been defaced beyond recognition, leaving only vague outlines.

Dark red bloodstains remained not only on the ground but also splashed across walls and collapsed shacks. Trails of dragged blood extended to the end of the street before vanishing.

A few gang members were still roaming the streets, conducting final sweeps and scavenging for anything of potential value.

When these gang members noticed Xingyu's presence, their originally ferocious faces instantly turned respectful and fearful.

Some even lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact with her.

A brawny man rummaging through a dilapidated shack caught sight of Xingyu, immediately dropped what he was holding, and quickly stepped aside to clear a path for her.

A young member stammered, "W-We didn't know you would come today. We were just... just cleaning up."

The middle-aged man from earlier hurriedly chimed in, "We've carried out your instructions. That girl, we didn't touch her. We didn't even go near that area!"

His tone carried a mixture of flattery and profound dread.

Xingyu swept her gaze across them expressionlessly and continued walking forward.

Behind her came sighs of immense relief and hushed whispers.

Those words were cut short before they could even finish, abruptly silenced by a harsh warning from a companion.

Locating her original dwelling, the humble yet completely intact shack stood out starkly against the surrounding devastation.
A heated argument caught her attention.

Turning toward the source of the noise, she saw a bulky Ash Gang member threatening a scrawny young man.

"Hand over everything you've hidden right now!" the gang member barked coarsely, his hand already gripping the young man's collar.

The young man trembled, his eyes filled with terror.

Suddenly, he noticed Xingyu not far away, and his eyes lit up as if he had caught a final straw.

"Wait! Wait!" he shrieked hysterically, his voice hoarse and trembling as he pointed frantically toward Xingyu.

"I know her! She's Number 17's younger sister! We're neighbors, we know each other! Please, spare me!"

The gang member's movements froze abruptly. He slowly loosened his grip, looking at Xingyu with a mixture of confusion and fear.

Xingyu's gaze lingered on this unfamiliar face for a moment.

A vague memory surfaced in her mind—

This indeed was her "neighbor."

When the inspector came knocking to collect rent, this exact person had stood right across the doorway, gloating and watching the spectacle.

Seeing Xingyu approach, the gang member assumed a completely different expression, asking with a flattering and terrified demeanor, "Boss, this person says he knows you..."

Xingyu had no energy to correct his form of address.

Her gaze lingered on that terrified face for a few more seconds before she calmly stated, "I don't know him."

The middle-aged man's face turned ashen instantly, the hope in his eyes shattering like bubbles.

"No! No!" he cried out, his voice laden with terror and despair, "I really do know you! I'm your neighbor!"

The gang member's attitude shifted instantly.

He grinned hideously at the middle-aged man, grabbed a handful of the man's hair, and forced him to look up. "Did you hear that? The boss says she doesn't know you. If you know what's good for you, spit it out honestly, or else—"

Xingyu ignored them completely, turning and continuing on toward her dwelling.

Behind her echoed the "neighbor's" heart-rending screams, but she did not look back.

Pushing open the familiar wooden door, Xingyu saw Qixue sitting by the table inside, looking anxious.

Qixue immediately stood up, a look of delight washing over her face.

"Xingyu, you're back!" Qixue hurried toward Xingyu, but hesitated and stopped as she drew close, her hands nervously twisting together.

"Are you alright? Outside... terrifying things happened outside."

Taking a deep breath, Qixue tried hard to keep her voice steady.

"I originally wanted to apply to leave... but strangely enough, the inspector didn't come today. And people from outside suddenly had the audacity to come and ransack the place. T-This has never happened before."

Xingyu fell silent for a fleeting moment.

When she finally spoke, her voice was low and calm: "Can't you guess what I did last night?"