Chapter 17: The Contract
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Hao Ren had a dreamHe hoped of becoming a warrior. Having superhuman powers, he would travel the world, upholding justice and protecting all four corners of the world without fearing.
Hao Qiang. He would be loved by all the people and become a hero in due time.
Oh, that was when Hao Ren was nine - it was ages ago. Also, his perception of the ‘four corners of the world’ then was limited to the radius of Nan Jiao Elementary School and a couple of streets nearby. Also, Hao Qiang was his class teacher.
In the past couple of years, similar to most of the people then, Hao Ren’s noble ambitions had dwindled to things more realistic: having a higher than average salary, getting married to a above than average woman, having one or two children that are better than the average kids; buying a decent house (which is not much of a worry as he already had one. Those where the things he thought would make up his life – up till this moment.
The turning point of his life was inching closer, Hao Ren could literally feel as if an entirely different future was laid out right in front of him. Looking to the self-proclaimed, but seemingly queer Goddess in front of his eyes, he nodded. "Alright, I promise."
There was not a shade of surprise on Raven 12345’s face, it seemed that she had gotten quite used to this kind of situation. Also, she already knew what Hao Ren’s answer would be before he even say it and she just nodded her head. "Yes. From now on you will be on probation as a junior examiner in the Space Administration. The welfare that you’ll be receiving will be similar to part-time trainees outside the administration....."
Hao Ren replied, "... Please don’t go into the details. I’ve had a hard time picking up the courage to do this!"
Raven 12345 seemed to smile upon seeing the worried and lost Hao Ren. "Don’t worry. We’re not evil, we maintain universal peace. Don’t you think it’s a very noble job? If I were to look for an assistant in another galaxy, I would have people queuing up the mountains and sea. It’s just that planet earth is at such a state of godlessness, that’s why I did not get myself involve all this while. And since I had to look for an assistant now, I can only keep a low profile while doing it. So don’t be embarrassed of your job because of this..."
Hao Ren muttered. "Why do I feel that you do not sound like a God? Gods behave this way?"
"Sigh…. It’s not just you, even I myself am not used to this title." answered Raven 12345 with a carefree tone which surprised Hao Ren as she swung her hands. "We’ve only changed our title in these recent years, we were not called Gods prior to this. I you prefer, you can address us as Xi Ling disciples. That was our clan name, and being God is actually our job."
"Xi Ling disciples?" Hao Ren asked as he tried to take in this new bizarre term. "It still does not sound right…. What should I normally address you? Royal Goddess??"
Hao Ren was lost for words: if this woman was a self-proclaimed God, he should address her as a Royal Goddess, but that did not seemed right at all. From their conversation so far, Raven 12345 reminded him of an elderly sister, having a casual chat with him in the supermarket. So this was how Goddesses supposed to be like?
"Well, I’m not saying that you have to have a halo behind you but at least do not fiddle your fingers whilst talking?!?!"
Raven 12345 took no notice of this matter and continued fiddling away with her fingers whilst nodding her head at Hao Ren. "Well, I’m not used to this title. Just call me by my name, or call me 12345."
"...…..that is worse… that is not a human name at all...." Hao Ren was speechless.
After that, Raven 12345 went into the details of Hao Ren’s future ‘career’. There was actually not much to it, it was just about how he should continue to welcome bizarre guests into his home. Since he already had a werewolf and a vampire in his house, Hao Ren thought to himself that a few extra abnormal creatures would not be a problem - well, as long as the new guests wereas easy going as the current two.
"Don’t worry," Raven 12345 reassured Hao Ren while thumping on her chest. "We’re quite concerned about our worker’s welfare, so we will not endanger you in any way. The ones sent to you would have already passed some ‘tests’. This is your current mission and for now, leave the other matters to those concerned. About some other situations that you may face... we’ll only discuss those when you’ve come to face them. Are there any more questions?"
Reluctantly, Hao Ren finally blurted out what was troubling him the most. "Then.... What about Lily? You did not arrange that?"
"No. As I’ve already mentioned, only the new guests coming from today onwards are arranged by the administration. The werewolf.... take it as your fate since she was the one who found you. Also, you seemed to be getting used to this pretty well, that’s why I chose you. Normal people cannot accept this, hence I was looking for someone who can cope with these challenges and bizarre events to be my assistant."
"I just have to take good care of the welfare of these ‘guests’ right? So, where do we draw the line on ‘taking good care’ of their welfare? Worship them like my ancestors?"
"That’s unnecessary. All you have to do is to prevent them from causing trouble. The main goal for all missions are to let human civilization develop and grow the way it’s supposed to. Humans do not need to come in contact with things that have a different direction to their civilization’s development. These things can cause humans to have misconceptions regarding their own cosmic laws. As humans have short lifespan, misconceptions in one or two generations can lead to the destruction of the development and civilization attained for the past hundreds of years, and of course this will also greatly affect the future - judging by your expression I guess you’re already confused with all these things, I’ll just briefly explain the rest." As Raven 12345 was talking to Hao Ren, she took a stack of papers out from the drawer.
"In a nutshell you’re a junior employee as well as a temporary one. You do not need to know about the complicated things and even if you do know about them, you would not be able to handle them. When the time comes I’ll tell you more. Please do not worry, I have no bad intentions. Let’s sign the contract....."
Hao Ren felt that the other party was still hiding a lot of things from him. However, he had no choice as Raven 12345 seemed to be a woman of discipline although she was easy going. She would not reveal something that she’s not supposed to. Also, Hao Ren knew that there was no need to rush things, it is better to be more careful when he was still unclear about the situation.
Hao Ren sensed that he was being tricked but he did not have the courage to escape- he was sure he was no match for any of the creatures in this place, the fog-like creature included.
He was shocked looking at the contract in front of him. The words can be easily understood, but the contents did not make sense: "Appointment Letter for Trainee Examiner - Space Administration of Xi Ling Kingdom" was the title followed by the subheading "Xi Ling Celestial Family Alliance Agreement" and another subheading "Related Documents for Temporary Employees Working at the Civil Division" below it. In addition, a line of tiny words were written below: 106th Edition, Re-edition, Revised edition, Final Edition, the ‘absolutely won’t be revised’ Edition. Apparently, even the queen herself will not be able to revise this contract easily- it was hand-written by the kingdom’s head of state himself, each department was very careful with their work.
The main body of the contract was written below, the job scope and attendance system can be easily understood. It was also stated that the newly joined employees’ rank was similar to that of the bishops, hallowed scions and agents. It was noted that this was in accordance to the degree of civilization of the employee’s work place and this was to ease the new employee to orientate oneself into one’s community.
What was written after that shocked Hao Ren: The highest order of the Xi Ling Celestial Family clearly stated that, the newly appointed examiner in charge of those wanting to convert (in other civilizations they are referred to as prophets, the first chosen one to have an epiphany) shall enjoy a worker’s welfare which includes: receiving staples during festivities and gifts during Spring festival as well as monthly reimbursements. According to where one is at, the welfare given shall be arranged by the local God responsible.
Upon seeing the contract, Hao Ren’s eyes were filled with tears. He found the contract somewhat familiar, very much familiar in fact....
"How’s it? The welfare offered is quite good right?" Raven 12345 asked. "I know you weren’t interested in the welfare just now. After my many encounters with all kinds of lifeforms, most of them would feel weird reading this contract as they felt that they should be volunteering when it comes to working for God. However, the administration doesn’t work this way. A few experienced bosses came up with this contract, saying that humans are more used to this contract. Sign it if you do not have any other suggestions."
Hao Ren could only remain speechless...
He decided to not believe in TV programs and novels anymore for the rest of his life!!!
Chapter 18: What Does the Future Hold?
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Walking back to his home, Hao Ren was holding a stack of poor quality prints, his emotions welling inside him.
His face was covered in tears.
From that moment forth, he was a civilized, trans-universal employee. He was a human who could communicate with celestial beings directly. He was someone from the Space Administration (hearing about this titan in his background would definitely cause a commotion). In his possession was a contract with God himself and his employee identification number can be found on the heaven’s attendance sheet. If he lived in a world where God was paramount, he would be able to proudly proclaim that he was a candidate for sainthood; as long as he passed the tests for his internship. He would be promoted from a contracted saint to a permanent one.
Who would not be overwhelmed with emotions and covered in tears after finding out about all these?
Why are these godly things and issues so different from the ones seen on TV and novels?!
No matter the circumstances, Hao Ren was appointed to a position in an extraordinary place. Disregarding how weird Raven 12345 is, the Space Administration as well as the whole Xi Ling Kingdom definitely exceeded Hao Ren’s knowledge and imagination by far.
Looking at the contract in his hands, Raven 12345’s words flashed in his mind. "Henceforth, you shall be a trainee examiner. Your one and only mission is to take good care of your house guests. The Xi Ling Celestial Family is not used to employing religious means to manage its affiliated organizations as other religions do. Thus, employees will be graded by their attendance as well as performance. It’s best if you do not blindly follow the religious lore and booklets found on Earth say. I’ve seen this type of silly children in other worlds… anyway, do not worry about it that much and just perform well."
Letting out a sigh, Hao Ren had a feeling once again that he had been hoodwinked. He folded the stack of paper and planned to lock it in a secure location at home so as to prevent Rollie from eating it. In fact, Hao Ren could not believe what he had just been through. He had his doubts on Raven 12345, especially when she held that stack of paper in her hands (have you ever seen God’s contract printed on paper? Also, there were spelling errors on it!) However, Hao Ren was aware of his current situation. No matter who Raven 12345 was, her abilities greatly differed from his. Based on her spelling errors, her habit of playing with her fingers, her fondness for Chinese pancakes as well as her gibberish speech… ordinary human beings would just be unable to handle her quirks.
Thus, in order to guarantee a peaceful life, Hao Ren had no choice but to play along.
Walking under the scorching sun, Hao Ren checked the time on his phone. He was at a deserted road and there was no one to be found. He thought to himself. Working for God is not a reliable job after all. Even transportation can still be an issue. Even though I’m a prophet in the celestial society, I still have to take the bus after the inauguration. Also, I’ve been waiting for such a long time for the bus!
He could not help but think of earthly myths and legends. He was trying very hard to recall how saints and prophets go back to their homes after they had a revelation. Did they enter a crowded carriage to return home? However, after giving much thought into this, Hao Ren still had no idea. Which holy book would actually take note of this?!
While his thoughts were jumbled, he heard a ring. Looking at his phone, he realized he did not recognize the number. Thank God! It’s not 00000012345!
"Hello, who’re you looking for?" asked Hao Ren politely as he picked up the call- from that moment he was someone with an identity, it was time for him to be cautious of his speech and actions. Although the goddess above him was not a reliable one, he was determined to showcase himself as a dependable person.
Lily’s voice could be heard and she was speaking in a worried tone, "Landlord! It’s me! I’m Lily!"
"Sill… Lily?" Hao Ren managed to stop himself from saying ‘silly werewolf’. "What’s wrong?"
"Oh, I have just recalled that your number is on the newspaper ad. I was searching for the place yesterday and I should’ve just called you…"
Sweat was rolling off Hao Ren’s head. "… You called me just for this?"
Lily’s immediately became excited. "Oh, no! Something’s not right with Vivian. She flew out from the window in broad daylight! I’ve tried chasing after her but I lost her!"
Hao Ren wanted to roar at Lily stating that this was supposed to be the main point for her call! Why did she talk about so much irrelevant rubbish in the first place?
"Vivian flew away? She transformed into a bat and flew?" Hao Ren did not know why he was still curious with the details even during times like this. It was probably because he was a bit confused at that time. A few minutes ago, a self-proclaimed God was just reassuring him that the creatures staying in his home will not cause any trouble. Well, he was just out moments ago and now something’s happening back home!
"She transformed into a huge bat before flying away," Lily corrected Hao Ren in a serious manner before continuing. "Before flying away, she mentioned that this place was not safe… I do not know who to look for and that’s why I called you."
"Stay right where you are at home and do not go anywhere. I’ll be back shortly," Hao Ren answered hurriedly as he caught sight of an old and battered bus from the corner of his eyes. Whilst trying to flag down the bus, he was reassuring Lily. After he slammed his phone down, he squeezed inside the crowded bus and thought to himself… What’s wrong with Vivian?
Although Hao Ren’s knowledge on mutants were limited and the only things he knew about them stemmed from unreliable sources such as the television and novels (it was already proven that these sources were in fact unreliable), he was at least certain that vampires were not comfortable out in daylight. In addition to that, Vivian had confirmed this fact personally. Thus, he was certain that a vampire transforming into a colony of bats to fly away was primarily due to an emergency and not because she just happened to wake up and decided to go out for a stroll! And what did Vivian mean when she said that ‘this place is not safe’? Was she referring to his house?
Hao Ren knew that apart from the vampire, the silly werewolf was the other powerful being at home. Vivian looked down upon Lily, so the scene of ‘the vampire being chased away by the werewolf’s bad breath’ was certainly impossible. So, why was his house unsafe?
Suddenly, Hao Ren felt that the mission that Raven 12345 handed to him… was in fact a trap.
It was half an hour later when Hao Ren arrived at the old city of the Southern Suburbs. A few people clothed in work attire was walking towards him when he exited the bus. His heart stopped, thinking to himself, "We’ve been exposed so quickly? Who are these people? Scientists from the Science Academy? Are they setting up traps for the vampire? Was any surveillance system installed? Maybe they’re Special Forces disguised as telecommunication workers?"
He was relieved once they got nearer to him. They were indeed repairmen…
Hao Ren could barely make out their conversation when they briskly walked past him.
"… this is a first in my career, how did that piece of brick manage to get up there?"
"I have no idea. I can only say it’s not done by a human. Who has that kind of arm strength to throw a brick up this high on top of the TV station? But this is so bizarre, that piece of brick snapped three steel rods…"
"Yes, this is so bizarre. I was just wondering what the problem was when I got a call about people not getting any TV signals in Southern Suburbs. Witnessing half a brick smashed into the broadcasting tower, I wonder what are we going to write in our work report now?"
As the repairmen slowly disappeared from Hao Ren’s sight, Hao Ren was clear of two matters:
First, he finally obtained the reason asss to why there was no TV signal in his house.
And of course, now he knew where the brick Lily flung at Vivian during the fight the previous night ended up at…
What’s the point of knowing this?!
Hao Ren carefully went up to his front door. After making sure there were no traces of Special Forces or mysterious men in black suits hiding nearby, he took out his key. However, before he could insert the key into the keyhole, the door opened.
Vivian was standing in front of him, smiling. "Landlord, you’re home!"
After catching his breath (as a matter of fact, it took him awhile), Hao Ren looked at this vampire who apparently ‘flew away’ and with uncertainty, asked, "Vivian, you… didn’t you not fly away?"
"Yes. Something was up and I went out. But I’m back now!" said Vivian as she chuckled.
Hao Ren could only remain speechless.
I can’t imagine what the future holds!
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
10 Power
stone 
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