Another mission...
When she’s one...
’How come her missions have a timeline?’
He looked at the mission details again. It was a little complicated, with no clear definition.
’What kind of activity would be considered "outdoor social interaction"?’
Chen Yuan asked inwardly, but Tongzi didn’t respond.
It was the type to assign the hit but not help bury the body.
Soon, the four of them arrived at Dormitory 9.
"I just had an idea," Wang Chuyue said.
"There’s a scrap collection station behind our school. Let’s take all the cardboard boxes from our dorm room and sell them. We might make enough to pay the electricity bill."
"Sure, we’re not doing anything else anyway," said Cao Yumeng.
"Nian Nian, you coming?" Wang Chuyue asked.
"I’ll do whatever you guys do," Song Jianye said, a bit out of it.
Wang Chuyue looked at Chen Yuan. "Do you have anything to sell from your dorm? Want to go with us?"
"We don’t get that many packages, but I’m free. I can go with you guys, just to kill some time."
"Alright, wait for us here. We’ll go up and get our stuff, then we can head out."
"Okay."
The three girls went upstairs, and Chen Yuan did some quick thinking.
’Tongzi’s requirement is to take her for an "outdoor social interaction." Selling scrap together should count, right?’
’If it doesn’t, this mission will be hard to complete. We barely know each other, so it won’t be easy to find another opportunity.’
He sat on the edge of a planter, slurping his fruit tea as he opened his phone and scrolled through his social media feed. Jiang Wanyi had just made a new post.
"Today is a lucky day. I hope you can grow up slowly and without a care in the world..."
The accompanying picture was a photo of a sleeping child, apparently taken recently, with some cute little graphics edited onto it.
’Can’t just look for free. Here’s a like for you.’
By the time he finished his fruit tea, the three girls had come back out. They had tied the cardboard boxes together, but the bundle was loose and didn’t look very secure.
Chen Yuan tossed his empty cup into a trash can and went over to help.
"Just leave it here. I’ll tie it again, or it’ll fall apart before we even get there."
"Okay."
It wasn’t a job that required any skill, just a bit of muscle.
"Did you weigh it all? How many pounds is it?" Chen Yuan asked.
"It’s 18.3 pounds total, but I bet they’ll try to scam us. There’s no way they’ll be honest, just like that watermelon vendor," Wang Chuyue said.
"We should get some water and pour it on the cardboard. It’ll get heavier once it soaks it up. That way, even if they try to short us, it’ll probably even out."
Wang Chuyue and Cao Yumeng both looked at Chen Yuan with a hint of admiration.
’He even thought of a trick like that. He’s pretty sharp.’
"I’ll go get some right now."
"Let’s go together."
Wang Chuyue and Cao Yumeng ran back to the dormitory, leaving Chen Yuan and Song Jianye outside alone.
"I, I..."
With her roommates gone, Song Jianye’s social anxiety flared up. She wasn’t at all used to being alone with Chen Yuan.
"I’m going back inside too..."
Like a startled fawn, Song Jianye scurried back into the dormitory building.
The summer breeze lifted the hem of her skirt and her long, flowing hair, making her look like a heroine from a Makoto Shinkai film.
Before long, the three girls came back out carrying two bottles of tap water.
Chen Yuan untied the bundle of cardboard, and Wang Chuyue and Cao Yumeng slowly poured the water over it.
They then covered the damp cardboard with a dry piece, retied the bundle, and from the outside, you couldn’t see a thing.
"One bottle is about a pound of water, so we’ve added two pounds. Even if they rip us off, we won’t lose too much," said Wang Chuyue.
"Let’s go."
The four of them headed out the back gate to the scrap collection station, but they didn’t go over right away.
"Nian Nian, you see the scrap station over there?" Wang Chuyue said.
"I see it."
"You go sell it. Chen Tongxue, could you be a dear and help her carry it over?"
"Sure."
"I can do it myself," Song Jianye said quietly.
"Feeling brave all of a sudden?"
"I meant I can carry it myself."
Song Jianye lifted the bundle of scrap, which weighed around 20 pounds, and started walking toward the station.
’Whoa, she’s got some serious muscle.’
Remembering he had a mission to complete, Chen Yuan followed her and took the bundle from her hands.
Seeing that some local university students had arrived, the male owner got up and walked over.
"Just put it on the scale there."
Chen Yuan placed the bundle on the scale, and the owner pressed a few buttons on it.
"11.8 pounds. I’ll round it up to 12 for you. Fifty cents a pound, so that’s six bucks."
Chen Yuan: ???
’Even a master swindler would get cheated out of half his fortune here.’
At this, Song Jianye had no idea what to do.
She knew the owner was ripping them off, but she was too shy to argue. She glanced at Chen Yuan, then back at Wang Chuyue and Cao Yumeng.
The two of them stayed quiet, since Chen Yuan was there to handle it.
"What do we do now?" Song Jianye whispered.
"Ask him if his scale is accurate. Be brave," Chen Yuan leaned in and whispered.
"Oh, okay."
Song Jianye looked at the owner. "Is your scale accurate?"
"Of course it is. I just had it calibrated," the owner said with conviction.
Chen Yuan whispered something else to her, and Song Jianye said, "Then I’ll go find somewhere else to weigh this."
"Fine, go ahead," the owner said nonchalantly.
Chen Yuan picked up the bundle and walked away. He glanced around and spotted a small truck selling watermelons nearby.
"Sir, could we borrow your scale to weigh these cardboard boxes?" Wang Chuyue asked as she walked over.
"Sure, put it on."
The vendor was easygoing. He flicked the ash from his cigarette and glanced at the scale’s display.
"24 pounds."
"Erm..."
’Damn, can’t any of these watermelon vendors be trusted?’
’Unbelievable!’
The watermelon vendor and the scrap collector exchanged a glance. The atmosphere turned a little awkward.
"Neither of them is accurate. Let’s call and report them," said the ever-blunt Cao Yumeng.
"Not so fast..."
Chen Yuan looked at the two men. "So what should we do about this? Should we get the Bureau of Market Regulation down here to see whose scale is wrong?"
"Kid, there’s no need for that."
The scrap station owner was the first to speak, a strained smile on his face.
"It’s not a lot of money either way. How about I just give you ten bucks, alright?"
’We added water, bringing it to 20 pounds. At fifty cents a pound, ten bucks is the right price.’
"Is that alright?" Chen Yuan asked, looking at Song Jianye.
"We don’t need ten. Nine dollars is fine," Song Jianye said quietly.
’Such an honest kid.’
"It’s fine, it’s fine, I’m not worried about one dollar. Here, I’ll send you ten."
He transferred the ten dollars, and the deal was done.
[Mission Complete: Reward: 500 in cash, Comprehension +5%]
The reward arrived in his account, and his mood instantly improved.
They made ten dollars, bought four ice creams on the way, and headed back in high spirits.
"We’re heading off, Chen Yuan!"
Wang Chuyue said as they passed Dormitory 9.
After everything that had just happened, she had dropped the formal "Chen Tongxue."
"Alright."
The three girls left, and Chen Yuan returned to his dorm room. Sun Pengnan was still engrossed in his novel.
Chen Yuan took his pile of laundry to the bathroom to wash. After cleaning up, he played on his phone for a bit before taking a nap.
When he woke up, he had a message from Jiang Wanyi.
Jiang Wanyi: "Is now a good time for a video call?"