Chapter 4: The First Task
Yang Bo couldn't help but feel anxious. Who in their right mind knew what penalties awaited for killing these animals? In this world, the animal protection laws reportedly contain over 3,700 articles, with more than 500 of them carrying the possibility of life imprisonment.
While Wu Bing was busy packing the plants into large bags, upon spotting the bat, he exclaimed with unexpected delight, "Don't worry—the client is even willing to pay us extra. Bats carry many kinds of viruses, and this service isn't even included in our standard contract. I'll contact the butler immediately."
"Brother Wu, killing small animals is a very serious matter…" Yang Bo protested.
"Listen, kid, don't worry about that now. Once this job is done, I'll explain it all to you in detail. Just hold on—I'm off to find the butler." Wu Bing carefully placed the bat's corpse in a transparent bag and went off to consult with the butler.
The butler soon arrived, looked at the bag containing the bat, and said something to Wu Bing. Shortly after, a servant-like figure, carrying a black bag, came over and took the bag from Wu Bing's hand.
Yang Bo couldn't help but feel the societal divide. In his former life, he'd been taught that no animal should be harmed; the consequences were extremely severe.
For now, he decided not to dwell on it. As he continued working, Yang Bo noticed that the plants in the garden must be quite valuable. Lost in thought about his "time-traveler perks," he was suddenly startled by Wu Bing's exclamation.
A rat had burst out from the soil and charged directly toward Yang Bo, drawn by the numerous uncleaned plants around him.
"Get it," Wu Bing ordered urgently.
Hearing this, Yang Bo immediately hurled his shovel. It struck the rat squarely; the rodent bounced slightly and then lay still.
Dynamic Vision +1!
This time, as Yang Bo focused intently, a new piece of information flashed in his mind.
"System?"
"Character Panel?" he silently queried, but nothing further happened. His confusion deepened—where did this ability come from?
"Don't be alarmed; it happens all the time. Do you know why people hire us residents for these services? It's because if they were to hire a professional pest control company, they'd need to submit a series of applications, undergo various inspections, and pay hefty fees," Wu Bing explained while cleaning up, addressing the bewildered Yang Bo.
"For instance, the rat we just killed required an application. If you wanted to drive away bats, it would be even more troublesome—and all of it is recorded. For wealthy individuals, the garden is their garden, not someone else's."
"These animal carcasses are handled by specialized companies. The rich just pay a fee, and it's that simple," Wu Bing continued in his work attire.
"Then why can't their own servants do it?" Yang Bo asked, puzzled.
"If they did it themselves, it would be considered deliberate harm, and they'd be accused of premeditation. When our service company accidentally harms an animal during cleaning, it's different," Wu Bing replied.
"So, are we liable in any way?"
"Of course not. We even receive a handsome compensation—sometimes enough to cover therapy sessions, because no one wants to be responsible for killing a cute little creature," Wu Bing said very matter-of-factly.
"I don't buy what you're saying—who was it that shouted 'get it' just now?" Yang Bo thought, though he remained silent.
"However, such remarks can only be made in this environment. In these mansions of the wealthy, no device can intrude. Once your watch is returned, you must watch your words and actions," Wu Bing cautioned.
"Thank you, Brother Wu," Yang Bo replied, understanding that the rich wield many privileges.
"Words said here won't be recognized later, so…" Wu Bing trailed off.
"I understand," Yang Bo nodded in acknowledgment.
"From now on, when you handle a task on your own, just remember: if anything goes beyond the scope of our service, regardless of what happens, these clients have the power to handle it—and they'll pay for it."
For every rat killed—Dynamic Vision +1!
For every rat killed—Dynamic Vision +1!
For every rat killed—Dynamic Vision +1!
Later, while cleaning, Yang Bo ended up killing four rats, a few centipedes, and even discovered an ant colony. However, only killing the rats triggered the time-traveler perks; the centipedes and ants yielded nothing.
Wu Bing also killed a snake.
At noon, the two of them had a boxed lunch provided by the client. After eating, they returned to work.
By late afternoon, after three hours of labor, they finally finished clearing the approximately 300-square-meter garden. The area actually planted with vegetation was only around 100 square meters—all the plants had been uprooted, the flowerbeds leveled, the ground swept clean, and the debris loaded onto the truck. With that, the service was complete.
"Yang Bo, how are you feeling today?" Back at the company, Liu Zhijie greeted him with a smile.
"Boss, it's acceptable," Yang Bo replied, not admitting that he was secretly relieved.
"Today, you earned 462 credit points. In the future, when you work on tasks alone, you'll earn even more. Additionally, once you're officially employed, the company will purchase insurance for you, contribute to your pension, and even cover maternity funds, among other things." Liu Zhijie was quite satisfied with Yang Bo's reaction. Many new hires quit after a single task, because who wants to work when life at home is so comfortable?
"I'll consider it carefully," Yang Bo replied with a nod.
After watching Yang Bo leave, Liu Zhijie led Wu Bing into a room. Before entering, he removed his own watch.
"So, how was it?" Liu Zhijie asked in a languid tone—a stark contrast to his earlier conversation with Yang Bo.
"The odds of him staying are pretty high. Today, the newcomer killed four rats and one bat—especially that first bat, which he killed almost on instinct," Wu Bing reported respectfully.
"People who choose to work usually do so either to experience life or to pursue freedom. I have a feeling Yang Bo is after freedom," Liu Zhijie mused.
"Isn't that even better? With substantial assignments, he'll eventually be able to afford a house and a car, and then he'll know what freedom truly means," Wu Bing chuckled.
"Tomorrow, you'll show him something even more intense. If it works, great; if not, so be it. Some people are just wired for violence," Liu Zhijie remarked.
"Understood."
"Thank you for taking care of the newcomer and guiding him," Liu Zhijie added.
"Sir, you flatter me. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today."
"Let's go—the day is over." Liu Zhijie patted Wu Bing on the shoulder as they headed out.
"Hopefully, our new recruit will become a genuine cleaning professional."
"Yeah. In our line of work, things are getting tougher while the number of tasks keeps growing by the minute," Liu Zhijie said, shaking his head as he opened the door and stepped out.
(End of Chapter)