Chapter 40: Chapter 40: I, Jang Hyun, Will Be Invincible Across the Heavens and Earth!
"Brother, the monsters plan to attack Bluewater City in a week. They will block all roads, turning Bluewater into an isolated city."
This was the message from the little monster, Kylie.
In the early morning, Alex sat in the café reading a book when he heard a notification on his phone. He picked it up and checked.
Alex smiled slightly.
It was happening faster than expected, but that didn't matter.
The last batch of pretenders had produced over a dozen super fruits through spiritual cultivation.
To resist this monster invasion, Alex kept only three super fruits for himself, distributing the rest to the residents of Bluewater City.
According to the backend data, the Mercenary Guild now had two hundred virus-infected hunters and thirty C-level super fruit hunters.
If the monsters knew that Bluewater City now had so many experts, they wouldn't dare act so recklessly.
If these monsters dared to attack, Alex was confident he could bury them all.
Alex took out his notebook from his bag and flipped to the latest page.
He began writing on the page:
"The Mercenary Guild is gradually getting on track."
"The missions, trade, and chat systems have been fully perfected."
New missions were being issued daily, not only targeting awakened criminals and searching for spiritual items but also gathering all kinds of intelligence.
Most of the mission rewards were points, which could be exchanged for extraordinary plants through the trading system.
The most sought-after and coveted item in the trading market was a super fruit.
Next were several trumpet flowers—'Vine of Ascension.'
"Managing a guild of a few hundred people is easy for now, but what about when it grows to thousands or tens of thousands?"
"I need to find some management talent. The Mercenary Guild needs elders."
"Ethan Blake is decent, but he's a security officer. Giovani? Forget it, that gang leader isn't loyal enough. Yvette remains undecided."
"The delivery department, with the help of Ethan, is being managed reasonably well by Willard Smith and Jack, but it could use further improvement."
"There's also a tricky issue. The garden in the old district needs someone to guard it. That's the foundation of the Mercenary Guild, but which hunter is suitable?"
All of the hunters had families and jobs; none were suitable for guarding Alex's garden full-time.
Alex circled the word "gardener" in his notebook.
Pressing his pen to his forehead, his brows furrowed slightly.
At that moment, Linlin, the café waitress, interrupted his thoughts:
"That guy is so weird. Lately, I've been seeing him around a lot. I don't know what he's up to."
Alex followed Linlin's gaze to see a young man in tattered clothes sitting about a hundred meters from the entrance.
"A beggar?"
Alex shook his head. The man's vitality didn't match that of a typical beggar.
The young man kept glancing toward the café as if he were looking for someone.
Alex paused for a moment and tapped the table. Yvette, who had been watching Alex closely, immediately approached:
"Sir, what are your instructions?"
Alex glanced at the young man and said:
"Go check it out."
Yvette bowed slightly and took two hundred solars from the counter before heading outside.
Alex lowered his head and continued writing.
"Money? The Mercenary Guild should have its own industries."
"Next, I should hand over the guild's financial operations to a professional. Yvette might be a good candidate."
"The branch offices of the Mercenary Guild can't rely entirely on Giovani's operations. Perhaps I should open a bar exclusively for hunters."
"If I start a courier company, the delivery department will be fully independent."
"Money. Right now, money is crucial."
Alex meticulously planned every step of the Mercenary Guild's future, treating each hunter as a chess piece, ensuring their roles were maximized.
His thoughts grew clearer as he methodically laid the foundation for a massive extraordinary organization.
Yvette returned, sitting across from Alex, her expression somewhat odd:
"That person isn't here to beg. He seems to be looking for someone."
Yvette was gentle and approachable, easily gaining others' trust—a natural socialite.
The young beggar, inexperienced in the ways of the world, completely opened up to her without suspicion.
Alex raised an eyebrow and asked:
"Looking for someone? Who?"
Yvette replied:
"He said he's looking for a very beautiful girl."
Yvette recounted the young beggar's description of the girl.
That should be Rosie, right?
Alex's eyes gradually grew cold.
Did Rosie run into some trouble yesterday while shopping? Was she followed by this fly?
Rosie was one of the most important members of the Mercenary Guild, without question.
Anything or anyone that threatened Rosie or her work would be eliminated by Alex without hesitation.
Alex took out his phone and sent a message to Jack.
Without waiting for a reply, Alex continued sketching out his grand plans in the notebook.
Night.
The young beggar staggered back to the park and sat next to the old beggar. Once again, he hadn't seen the girl who had captured his heart.
The old beggar was feeding the cats. When he saw the young beggar return, his face darkened, and he asked:
"Did you go to that café again?!"
The young beggar froze for a moment, then shook his head in denial:
"How could I, Master? You told me not to go, so how could I possibly have gone?"
The old beggar kicked the young man to the ground and yelled angrily: "Jang Hyun! Are you even trying to fool me now?!"
Jang Hyun was completely stunned by the kick. How did his master know he had gone to the café?
Then he noticed the cat by the old beggar's leg—it was the same one he had seen near the café earlier today.
He had long suspected that his master could control animals and even communicate with them.
Jang Hyun stood up, dusting himself off, and shouted in frustration: "What's the big deal with that café anyway?
I, Jang Hyun, have limitless potential. Where can't I go?"
Jang Hyun had been orphaned at a young age, and at twelve, after leaving the orphanage, he was tricked into becoming the old beggar's last disciple with nothing more than a piece of candy.
But he was indeed a genius. In just a few years, he had cultivated six levels of spiritual power, and on his eighteenth birthday, he awakened a D-rank combat talent.
Despite his ragged appearance, his talent alone was enough to outshine many of the top students from prestigious high schools.
With the old beggar's teachings, his future could indeed lead him to become a powerful figure.
This was exactly the type of protagonist template found in power fantasy novels.
It was also the source of his arrogance.
The old beggar was so angry he nearly passed out, pointing a trembling finger at Jang Hyun for a long time: "You have no idea what that café really is!
It's a den of demons! Do you understand?!
That girl's beauty is otherworldly, and she might very well be the private possession of a powerful figure. How dare you even think of touching her?!"
Instead of being afraid, Jang Hyun became even more excited upon hearing this! A powerful figure's private possession?
Poisoned by online novels, his mind immediately conjured up an image.
A peerless beauty, kidnapped by an old, powerful, and sinister villain, locked in a cage like a canary, waiting for a young hero to rescue her from the demon's lair.
Was this the female lead from a novel? Had she just appeared in real life?
Jang Hyun suddenly felt like his extraordinary life was about to begin.
He clenched his fists in excitement, his eyes shining like stars, and a wild grin spread across his face as he declared:
"So what? I, Jang Hyun, will be invincible under the heavens! All demonic and evil forces will be my stepping stones! That woman will be mine!"
The old beggar nearly fainted on the spot, collapsing onto the park bench and hitting his head in despair, crying out:
"Idiot! You're a complete idiot!"
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