After watching Nicole, Anby, and Billy drive away, Sam Li didn't go out to wander. Instead, he casually pulled a novel titled Notes from the Cave from a drawer in the Hare's House and settled onto the sofa, flipping through it.
The story wasn't complicated—it followed a group of characters as they experienced strange and mysterious events while looting ancient ruins.
From this novel, Sam Li gained a deeper understanding of the world.
Simply put:
Due to the devastation caused by the Hollow disaster, a cultural divide had ford between the old and new eras. Most of the books, videos, antiques, and cultural artifacts from the old era had been buried in the ruins, with only a scarce few surviving to the present. Those that remained had beco valuable relics.
Any book or antique from the old era could fetch an exorbitant price on the black market.
As a result, a new breed of scavenger erged—people who specialized in venturing into the Hollows to excavate lost relics from the past.
"So, this world is even more perilous than I thought… Humanity is already at the brink of survival."
Closing the book, Sam Li fell into thought.
On the surface, the scientific and technological culture of this world seed similar to that of Earth, perhaps even more advanced.
But in reality, under the relentless pressure of the Hollows, only New Eridu remained as a habitable oasis for humanity.
According to Notes from the Cave, New Eridu might appear peaceful, but beneath the surface, countless factions were locked in a never-ending struggle, their conflicts ignoring humanity's future altogether.
The novel's author harshly condemned this internal strife.
...
Just as Sam Li was lost in thought, the door to the Hare's House suddenly swung open.
A girl with green hair, green eyes, and a casual green jacket stepped inside.
Her hair was tied into two playful green braids, and as she walked, her movents had an endearingly bouncy rhythm.
The mont she entered, she began scanning the room, as if searching for sothing.
Then—
A voice ca from behind her.
"Welco to the Hare's House, the Universal Agency."
Sam Li stood up from the sofa.
Startled by his sudden voice, the green-haired girl nearly jumped.
"Ah—hello… You suddenly speaking like that—were you trying to scare ?"
Their eyes t.
She quickly greeted him out of reflex but regained her composure almost instantly.
That alone made her more capable than most ordinary people.
Clearing her throat lightly, she said, "Of course, I know this is the Hare's House Universal Agency. I'm here to request your help."
She didn't rush to explain her commission. Instead, she strolled around the room, curiously examining everything as if it were her first visit.
Finally, she turned her gaze back to Sam Li and remarked, unhurriedly, "I've heard that the Hare's House is ho to three lunatics who only know how to cause trouble. If you ever need help, they're the last people you should hire. But now that I'm here, it seems the rumors were just that—rumors. Turns out, there's at least one normal person in this place."
Sam Li: "…"
It was obvious that the "normal person" she was referring to was him.
As for the so-called lunatics, she was likely talking about Nicole, Anby, and Billy.
Since Sam Li didn't refute her, the girl continued, "Dressed in ancient robes, looking like soone straight out of history… If you held a spear, you'd resemble the war gods from old legends!"
Sam Li was speechless.
"…"
Who was this girl?
Was she narrating a story or sothing? Her words were oddly smooth and rhythmic.
Sam Li smiled. "Little girl, if you have a request, just say it."
The green-haired girl sighed. "'Little girl'? I'd suggest you take that back. If I revealed my identity, you'd be in for a shock."
Sam Li: "…"
She smirked. "I am Qingyi of the Criminal Investigation Task Force. To put it simply, I'm the nesis of criminals—including criminal groups like yours."
As she spoke, Qingyi narrowed her eyes, waiting to see Sam Li's reaction.
When she finally looked at him again, she found that his expression remained unchanged—calm and composed, with not even a hint of fear.
Rather than being annoyed, Qingyi beca intrigued. "So the rumors are true. The people of Hare's House are fearless—even against the Criminal Investigation Task Force. Alright, enough jokes. Let's get to the actual request…"
"A few days ago, I discovered a gang of professional artifact thieves—ruthless criminals who even have blood on their hands. My plan is to pose as a treasure appraisal master to lure them out and take them down in one sweep. Unfortunately, I don't exactly look like a treasure appraisal master, so I need soone to take on the role for ."
Originally, Qingyi had intended to do it herself.
After all, antique appraisal was both a passion and a specialty of hers.
But after dressing up for the role, she quickly realized a problem—she was too short and looked far too cute. Instead of an expert appraiser, she looked more like a pop idol.
With no other choice, Qingyi set out to find a stand-in.
She searched all over the Security Bureau, but no one fit the bill. They either lacked knowledge of antiques, didn't have the right appearance, or simply didn't have the ti…
In the end, she had no other options.
She turned to hiring an agent and checked multiple agencies, but none were suitable. That's how she ended up at Hare's House—an agency with the worst reputation.
But the result was unexpected.
The mont she stepped inside, she saw Sam Li.
Handso features, refined deanor, elegant vintage attire, and an air of unshakable composure…
He didn't look like a man operating in the gray areas of the law. If anything, he resembled an aristocrat from the old era, a noble who had sohow stepped into the modern age.
There was no need for any disguise.
Just standing there, he was a treasure appraisal master.
He looked the part—down to every detail.
"Here's the deal—you play the role of the appraiser, help lure out the artifact thieves, and I'll take care of the rest. Once the job's done, I'll pay you 30,000 Denny."
This was Qingyi's first ti hiring an agent, but in her mind, agencies like these operated on a simple principle—pay enough, and they'd take on any job. Many firms even had a motto: As long as the money's good, even the Hollows are negotiable.
However…
Sam Li didn't imdiately agree.
Instead, he fell into thought.
Drinking tea, listening to books, bird-watching—these were all actions that progressed his role-playing.
So what about treasure appraisal?
Would taking on this job, pretending to be an appraiser, advance his role-playing progress?
Seeing Sam Li remain silent, Qingyi assud he wasn't satisfied with the paynt. She casually waved a hand. "Fine, 50,000 Denny. Think of it as doing a favor. And if I ever catch you in the future, maybe I'll go easy on you."
Sam Li nodded. "Sounds good. When do we start?"
Qingyi: "Right now."
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