Upon seeing the cars in the garage, Duan Chen's eyes became glued to them. Stars and light seemed to sparkle in his gaze. Hill, standing beside him, looked on with some confusion, tilting her head slightly towards the garage, but couldn't quite understand what captivated him.
"What's wrong?" she asked, after a moment of thought.
Duan Chen's expression was one of excitement. He didn't answer Hill's question, instead walking directly towards the vehicles. His hands trembled slightly.
"No way, they've already equipped us with such high-tech vehicles?" As someone who loved cars, it was hard for others to understand his passion. Seeing these vehicles, Duan Chen nearly lost his breath. They were utterly magnificent. Sleek bodies, postmodern designs, combining the strengths of sports cars and race cars, all coated in a silver-white finish, looking like lightning bolts tearing through the night. All the vehicles here shared the same design, yet no one seeing them would think they were mass-produced.
Since they were all placed in the combat garage, it meant these cars were all readily available for use without needing immediate approval. Duan Chen's heart swelled with joy. Without a word, he found the car keys and opened the door of one of them. The interior design perfectly matched his desires.
"Who designed these cars?" Having asked the question, Duan Chen didn't expect Hill, standing beside him, to answer. Instead, he eagerly sat inside, patted the adjacent seat, and looked intently at Hill, who was still outside. "What are you waiting for? Get in!"
Hill blinked in surprise, then opened the passenger door and got in. The moment she sat down, a flicker of delight crossed her eyes. "It's so soft, completely different from other cars I've been in."
"Of course, it's different," Duan Chen replied enthusiastically, starting the vehicle and pulling out. "If they were the same, there would be no point in calling them combat vehicles." He continued, "These vehicles can not only be used for daily purposes but also for combat. Generally, ordinary bulletproof glass wouldn't be effective here."
"The windows of these cars are made with new concept materials extracted from 'Guaiyi' (an otherworldly entity/creature). Combat vehicles are usually made with such materials," Duan Chen explained. "However, I can't deduce which specific type of 'Guaiyi' the material for these windows was extracted from." He glanced at the clean, bright windows, a slight smile playing on his lips. Regardless of where the material originated, it was a good thing for him.
Hill wasn't particularly interested in the details about the cars, nodding with a semblance of understanding. "Is it just the two of us?" she changed the subject.
Duan Chen confirmed. "That's right, just the two of us." He stretched his limbs, releasing his grip on the steering wheel. Combat vehicles, with today's technology, were largely automated and didn't require constant manual control. However, sometimes, for immediate dangerous reactions, a driver was still needed. For normal travel, as long as a destination was set, it required minimal effort, unless combat occurred en route.
"The situation in the surrounding cities isn't very optimistic, but they can hold on. We're going out on an errand," he said with a smile. "It's pretty much like this every year, and the money we can earn is substantial." Relying on a fixed salary to get rich was impossible. That's why he always diligently took on missions; missions were the fastest way to earn money, especially these external assignments.
"Salary? Money?" Hill's eyes widened, looking at Duan Chen with keen interest. "How much will we earn on this 'extra income' mission? Will it be a hundred million?"
A hundred million. Duan Chen's lips twitched. "Of course not that much, what do you think this is?" Hill nodded, saying "Oh," but she didn't seem particularly disappointed. She then asked, "If not that much, can it be ten million?"
Ten million? Duan Chen felt a deep sense of speechlessness. It certainly wouldn't be ten million. Seeing his expression, Hill understood the answer to her question. She frowned slightly and asked with confusion, "If it's not even ten million, why go on a mission?"
Duan Chen was the one truly speechless. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Hill in the passenger seat, seriously wondering if she had any common sense about life. This wasn't a novel about wealthy magnates where millions and billions were tossed around casually. He had saved for years just to afford a good car, even though his previous luxury car was totaled. "How could there be that much? If my estimate is correct, and the mission is completed successfully, we should earn about four to five hundred thousand."
Hill blinked, her voice filled with disappointment. "So little." Although her tone was outwardly calm, Duan Chen clearly detected her disappointment. He was about to say something, but what followed immediately after from Hill rendered him utterly speechless.
She said, as if casually, "But I earn thirty million for a single surgery. Of course, those kinds of surgeries are rare; normally, each surgery only brings in a few million."
Thirty million. A few million, usually... At that moment, Duan Chen felt like turning the car around, heading back to the Spirit Hunter Guild, quitting, and becoming Hill's apprentice.
"That much? Is that in RMB?" Hill nodded, then added in an unintentionally boastful tone, "Sometimes it's not RMB, either. I've hosted some clients who paid in US dollars."
Duan Chen decided to say nothing more. He quietly closed his mouth, his lips twitching. "I'd better not say anything else." It would be too discouraging. However, he was unaware that people like Hill were exceedingly rare in this world, perhaps even unique. What she could achieve, others couldn't, even with a lifetime of effort. She was the most extraordinary one. Moreover, the surgeries Hill performed were not what Duan Chen understood as surgery.
The journey was silent. Duan Chen drove rapidly towards the city next to Sucheng. Luocheng.