I've seen people make last-minute preparations, but never this last-minute! The robbers are already at the door—is hiring a bodyguard on the spot really going to help?
At that moment, everyone's eyes turned to the man in black and Xiao Qicai.
It was then they noticed the towering figure of the black-clad man before Xiao Qicai, his aura icy and formidable—clearly not someone to be trifled with.
Of course, no matter how intimidating he was, facing a hundred or so armed robbers was another matter entirely.
The robber leader paused, then erupted in furious curses:
"You're asking for death! You think some weakling hiding behind a mask can protect you?"
He even aimed his particle cannon directly at the man in black.
"Hand over the toll if you want to live, then get lost!"
His underlings similarly raised their guns in their direction.
Any normal person would be trembling under the barrage of weapons, but unexpectedly, the man in black remained unmoved, as if completely indifferent to the dozens of guns trained on his head.
Ignoring the robber leader's threats, he instead looked at Xiao Qicai with an inscrutable tone:
"Little girl, first of all, I'm not a bodyguard. Secondly, you can't afford my price."
Xiao Qicai steadied her breathing.
Calmly, she opened her terminal, pulled up her account card, and deliberately projected the display.
Instantly, her account balance was projected for all to see.
She looked up at Xi Yuanche: "On this Class-D planet, a thousand gold coins a month is already generous for an ordinary bodyguard. Guess how much I can offer you?"
One zero, two zeros, three zeros...
A full eight zeros!
That's a hundred million!
The crowd was stunned by the balance. No one could have imagined this young-looking girl actually had a hundred million to her name!
And she was hiring a bodyguard on the spot.
With that kind of money, even they would consider applying for the job.
Though, of course, their lives were more important.
Xi Yuanche looked at Xiao Qicai's serious expression and scoffed: "So how much can you offer?"
With a hundred million, she could surely afford ten thousand, even a hundred thousand—especially in such a critical moment! The crowd thought to themselves.
Sure enough, Xiao Qicai raised a single finger.
Ten thousand, as expected!
If not for the dire circumstances, everyone would be envious—after all, on this Class-D planet, a monthly salary of ten thousand was rare.
But to everyone's astonishment, Xiao Qicai said unhurriedly:
"A hundred million!"
"Be my bodyguard—one flat fee, a hundred million!"
In that instant, the entire room gasped.
Good heavens!
A hundred million—an ordinary person, no, even someone from a high-tier planet, would struggle to earn that in a lifetime.
If not for the guns pointed at their heads, they'd all be volunteering!
On the entire Planet 4628, those with assets exceeding a hundred million could be counted on one hand.
And she was offering a hundred million just for one person's protection—was the girl crazy, or were they?
All eyes turned to the man in black.
There's a saying: when the profit is sufficient, men will brave danger; when it doubles, they'll risk their lives. Men die for wealth as birds die for food.
At this moment, that hundred million had nearly everyone present tempted.
If the girl offered that sum to everyone here to resist, they might even consider fighting back against these robbers.
Even the robbers were utterly shocked. Though they had anticipated this job would be lucrative and received advance payments, the fact that this young girl could produce 100 million still stunned them.
Had she simply handed them the 100 million upfront, they might not have gone through with this heist. After all, hijacking a government star vehicle was no small crime—even if someone had promised them protection, getting caught would still mean severe consequences.
But what was truly surprising was the black-clad man’s reaction. Though slightly taken aback, he remained unmoved.
"The money is substantial, but a mere 100 million to hire me as a bodyguard? Far from enough."
The crowd collectively gasped.
Just who was this man? How could he dismiss 100 million so casually?
Even the most elite interstellar mercenary king would take action for that sum!
Xiao Qicai, however, didn’t seem surprised.
She knew that negotiating with someone of his stature required more than just one bargaining chip. For a man of power and influence, money alone—no matter how rare—wasn’t enough to make him help a random girl.
Those in high positions were always more risk-averse than those below.
Especially in a situation like this, where the other party clearly held the upper hand.
So, she leaned slightly closer to Xi Yuanche’s ear and whispered a few words, soft enough that only he could hear.
Then, everyone watched as the composed, imposing man in black suddenly erupted in fury. His entire demeanor turned icy, his aura murderous, as he seized Xiao Qicai by the throat.
"What did you just say? How do you know about her? Are you playing me?"
Xi Yuanche’s eyes burned with killing intent—this was no joke.
The suffocating grip on her neck only made Xiao Qicai calmer.
The stronger his reaction, the more it confirmed that the information from "002" was correct—Xi Yuanche’s weakness was indeed his so-called "white moonlight."
Unfazed, she forced out her words, strained but deliberate:
"Every word I just told you is true. I can prove it. And if I lied, I wouldn’t survive on Planet 4628 anyway."
Her gaze was steady, unwavering.
She even dared to meet Xi Yuanche’s murderous glare head-on.
Finally, he released her. "You’d better not be lying. Otherwise, your fate will be worse than today."
Xiao Qicai gently rubbed her bruised neck.
"Naturally. Now, will you accept my employment? I’ll transfer this month’s payment first."
Then, right in front of the robbers, she initiated a face-to-face transaction, tapping Xi Yuanche’s terminal to transfer 10 million into his account.
The robber leader finally snapped. "Trading right under my nose? You think I’m dead? I don’t care who you are—this is our prey! Transfer that money to me, or today’s your last day!"
He even fired another particle blast in their direction. The deafening explosion echoed through the underground tunnel, making everyone’s hearts leap into their throats.
Though they had witnessed the intimidating aura of the man in black and knew he must be formidable, even the strongest couldn't withstand weapons. He wore only ordinary clothes, appearing completely unarmed.
With nearly a hundred thugs surrounding them, how could he possibly win?
Amid the explosions, the other passengers crouched low, covering their heads—only Xiao Qicai and Xi Yuanche remained standing, their expressions unreadable.
And Xiao Qicai, infuriatingly, had already ducked behind Xi Yuanche.
"You took the money, so honor the deal. You're my bodyguard now."
The gang leader, hearing this, nearly choked on his rage. Snatching a magnetic gun from his belt, he couldn't resist firing directly at Xi Yuanche, hoping to eliminate the nuisance first.
The onlookers' hearts leaped into their throats—this man in black likely wouldn't live to enjoy that billion.
But to everyone's shock, the moment the gang leader pulled the trigger, Xi Yuanche moved at an inhuman speed, dragging Xiao Qicai out of harm's way.
Stunned silence followed.
My god—how could anyone move that fast? Even the elite special forces of the United Government would struggle to match such reflexes. Just who was he?
The gang leader hadn't expected this either. Panic flickered across his face, but with his underlings watching, he forced himself to stay composed.
"Not bad, kid!"
He raised his gun again, this time switching to a more powerful shock rifle, clearly desperate to save face.
But Xi Yuanche was faster. In a flash, he drew a small silver pistol from his pocket and fired.
A silver bullet tore through the gang leader's chest, leaving a gaping wound.
For a moment, the man stared in disbelief before collapsing, clutching his chest.
His underlings froze in terror, too stunned to react.
"Y-you... who the hell are you? You dare kill me? Don't you know I'm from the West Street—"
Gasping for breath, the gang leader writhed in a pool of his own blood, still refusing to accept defeat.
With his dying breath, he snarled at his men:
"Avenge me!"
Just as the thugs raised their weapons, Xi Yuanche finally removed his mask and hat.
His face was sharp as a blade, a faint scar cutting through one eyebrow. Cold and sculpted, he looked too refined for a life of bloodshed.
Yet the moment they saw him, every thug dropped their weapons, collapsing to their knees in terror.
Because every underworld crook recognized him.
Xi Yuanche—the undisputed king of the underworld, the planet's shadow ruler.
The gang leader's last breath left him, his face frozen in horror.
The tables had turned. The ordinary passengers gaped at the sea of kneeling criminals.
Some recognized the underworld overlord, though Xi Yuanche rarely appeared in public and stayed clear of politics, leaving many civilians unaware of his identity.
Only then did Xiao Qicai finally relax.
The battle was over.
As 002 had predicted, this man named Xi Yuance held absolute control over this planet—or more accurately, over these underground factions.
The absurd hijacking of the star train was swiftly concluded.
Security officers arrived and took away all the hijackers present—except for Xi Yuance.
The star train prepared to resume its journey.
Xiao Qicai looked at Xi Yuance and said,
"I'm heading back to the government-subsidized housing in District 27. Do you think I’ll be in danger, bodyguard?"
There was no way Xi Yuance could follow her 24/7. What she wanted was his influence, his power—enough to deter anyone foolish or corrupt enough to make a move against her.
Xi Yuance gazed at her with deep, inscrutable eyes.
"And my payment?"
"Payment? Didn’t I already transfer 10 million? The standard rate for a bodyguard is 1,000 star coins. I’ve paid you 10,000 times the market rate. The full 100 million will be transferred to your account over ten months—just a safety measure, you understand. After all, we’re not exactly close. Who’s to say you won’t take the money and then back out?"
Ten months was a short time to ask for his protection, but clearly, receiving 10 million a month was nothing compared to a lump sum of 100 million—both in terms of impact and intimidation.
He realized he’d been outmaneuvered by this girl. She was playing games.
But he wasn’t about to admit it. Protecting her for a day or ten months—it was all the same to him. A single word from him was enough.
What mattered more was the additional condition Xiao Qicai had mentioned.
So instead of getting angry, he asked, "And what about the other thing you promised?"
"Once I’m safely home, I’ll have it delivered to you immediately. Just leave me an address. I need to make sure I get home in one piece first, don’t I?"
Xi Yuance couldn’t fathom how someone so young could be so cunning. But this wasn’t the place for arguments or outbursts.
"I’ll send someone to collect it later."
With that, he swept a glance over the onlookers.
"Remember this girl. Starting today, she’s my employer."
Then he strode out through the star train platform exit. Clearly, after this incident, he had no intention of continuing his charade as an ordinary passenger reminiscing about the past.
Xiao Qicai exhaled in relief and boarded the train, arriving at the government-subsidized welfare housing assigned to her—Building 48, Unit 7401, District 27.
The entire journey passed without incident. At one point, she even bumped into a pillar, but a kind stranger steadied her, ensuring she made it home safely.
When 002 saw Xiao Qicai actually packing a small delivery box, it couldn’t help but pop up and ask,
"Why are you packing such a tiny box? Shouldn’t you be drinking the potion and shipping yourself over instead?"
"Honestly, I don’t get why you came back to this cramped little room. You should’ve gone with him right away. Even though your actions just now went against my advice, the whole bodyguard-employer dynamic is kind of cute—great for developing feelings. I almost want to praise you. So hurry up and drink the potion already..."
"Who said anything about drinking a potion to become his stand-in for a lost love?" Xiao Qicai shot back.
002: "Isn't that so? Didn't you just whisper in his ear that you had a way for him to meet his white moonlight? If you hadn't said that, he wouldn't have agreed to become your bodyguard just now."
"I said I'd hire him for a hundred million, but didn't specify it would be paid all at once. I said I'd let him meet his white moonlight, but never said I'd become his white moonlight. 002, let me teach you something." Xiao Qicai casually placed the small bottle of potion that 002 had just given her into a box, attached a note, and handed it to the courier who came to collect it.
Then she continued:
"Sometimes, people need to know how to be flexible. The same goes for business and transactions. As long as the terms remain unchanged and the delivered goods don't violate the contract, even the client has no grounds to sue."
If 002 had a physical form, its jaw would have dropped wide enough to swallow an egg right now.
Y-you... you're twisting the meaning! What a terrifying master.
It seemed to recall something, its tone trembling slightly.
"If he realizes what's happened, he'll definitely kill you!"
"So how long does that potion of yours last?"
"O-one... one month?"
"One month is enough. We'll deal with it when he comes looking for me." Xiao Qicai said calmly.
——
Xi Yuanche's trusted subordinate, Xuan Chen, handed him the test report.
"Boss, we've tested it using every method available, even conducted live trials. It's confirmed that this potion is safe and non-toxic, though the ingredients are strange—we couldn't identify them. Honestly, I suggest you wait a bit longer and not act rashly..."
"As long as it's not poisonous, that's enough. All these years, I've done everything possible to see A'Li again. One more attempt won't hurt. You know what? I'm starting to forget what she even looks like. I can't wait any longer."
With that, Xi Yuanche unhesitatingly uncapped the bottle and drank the remaining large portion of the potion.
Xuan Chen had no time to stop him. But when he turned back to look at Xi Yuanche, his pupils dilated in shock, nearly causing him to faint on the spot.
"Boss, your... your face!"
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