Chapter 4
I've always wanted to know the identity of the first person I killed. I don't know why, but this desire is particularly strong, like a knot in my heart. The only way I could find out is through my handler. Besides my master, handler, H, tool manager, and my personal manager, I don't know anyone else in this company. I've never seen what the boss looks like.
My handler is a girl named L, not much older than me, maybe in her twenties. She has a cold appearance but deep down, I can tell she's passionate. She's one of those who seem cold on the outside but are warm inside.
Before L gave me my second task, I deliberately drank some alcohol and waited for her at my place. When she arrived, she still had that indifferent attitude. She just said, "You did well on the task. The boss really likes you. It's rare to see someone as skilled as you at your age."
I thanked her, but suddenly my heart started hurting badly. I collapsed on the floor. L noticed and knelt down, helping me up, asking anxiously what was wrong. I said it's nothing, just angina, an old problem.
She remarked, "I didn't see that in your file." I replied, "It's hereditary. My dad has it too. Seems like it's not the type of thing to be noted in the file."
L poured me a glass of water and watched me drink some. I jokingly said, "You seem to care a lot about me." She replied, "Oh, please. It would just be a waste of the company's investment if you died." It's true, nurturing a professional in the company requires a lot of expenses, but that was the first time L joked with me.
After chatting for a while, I asked her, "What kind of person is my first target? Can you tell me?" L responded, "Looks like you'll be promoted soon, and then I'll have to tell you. But why not be a good person for now and tell you in advance?"
I laughed happily like a child, feeling silly with a big grin on my face.
L asked, "Does something small make you so happy?" I replied, "Sometimes, because people's needs are different. A half cup of water can mean more to a thirsty person than a feast of gold."
L revealed that the person was a human trafficker from China to India, involved in various illegal activities. L assured me that he was not a good person, so I could feel relieved.
That's all I wanted to know - whether I killed a good person who got on the wrong side of bad people or someone who deserved it.
L gave me a second task, and if the difficulty level of my first task was a 1, then the second one felt like a 4 to me.
Starting from the second task, L would proactively share the specific details of our objectives without me having to ask each time. I truly appreciated her, so I always bought her whatever she wanted. Girls, you know, always want to wear designer clothes and carry designer bags. After all, she didn't earn as much as I did, so at first, she refused, but gradually she accepted it. L also advised me to buy any tools needed from our own company, at almost cost price. The company only made a small profit, ensuring quality and safety.
Suddenly, I asked her about her previous target. L's expression darkened and she said he had passed away. I inquired if it was due to being caught by the police or an accident, to which she replied it was an accident. Seeing her troubled look, I didn't press further, being tactful is a good trait.
My second task was targeting a person from J country. Once I knew his nationality, I didn't ask L for any more details about the target. L asked me why I wasn't curious this time. I replied that people from J country were all the same - deserving of death. L commented on my deep-seated animosity towards J country. Indeed, my hatred towards the people of J country stemmed from the fact that my great-grandfather and great-grandmother were killed by J country soldiers during the war.
L observed, "T, your eyes have changed, it's quite frightening."
As I looked over the target's file, I saw the typical face of a person from J country in the photo - sunken cheeks, high nose bridge, slanted eyes, and bushy eyebrows. I asked L, "How can such an ugly nationality exist in this world?"
L chuckled and remarked that not only were they ugly but also twisted and arrogant, calling themselves the great J country in their tiny piece of land. This person from J country was the president of a well-known company in J country, doing big business, but it seemed like he was involved in shady dealings, otherwise why would he become a target? This individual from J country was a bit tricky; he visited every two months, flying directly to ZJ and staying secluded in his private club, accompanied by two bodyguards, also from J country. I wasn't concerned about the bodyguards' skills; I was worried about exposing my own appearance, a big taboo.
Dealing with the second task involving the person from J country proved challenging for me for several days. With limited experience and facing this recluse, I couldn't get into his private club and lacked the opportunity to act.
L mentioned that normally, I shouldn't have been assigned this task. For some reason unknown to her superiors, it was assigned to me. Perhaps some senior members retired, and they urgently needed a new generation of pillars, thinking I showed promise and wanted to test my abilities.
I remarked, "They really think highly of me, but how can one cook without rice? Let's give it a shot."
For the second task, I received a reward more than ten times that of the first one, with the company taking a 70% cut, as per their rules. For rewards under 50, they paid in cash, and it was the first time I saw so much money laid out in front of me.
After L left, I stacked the money on the coffee table, layer after layer, thinking to myself, "Is a dog's life really worth this much?"
The next day, I set off for ZJ because the person from J country was due to arrive the following day.