But Angela immediately shook her head: "So far, the company's profits have been distributed equally. I manage the accounts, so there is no issue of you exploiting anyone else."
……ah?
"In addition, I have also hired Professor Albion as technical support outside the company, and 'Miss Salesperson,' a middleman with whom you have a good relationship, to work with. Then there is Dulin, the 'shadow man' who helped you before, who has also been hired as a technical consultant. With the help of these two, the company's affairs and procedures have become much easier."
Angela began to recount her story in detail.
"The market situation in this city has changed, and power and interpersonal relationships will be updated. Master, you are busy studying and researching, and you may neglect this aspect, and you may end up without friends in the future. So just in case, I will take the initiative to get involved in these businesses for you."
"Furthermore, Yolanda and his former students, as well as Professor Albion, have proposed setting aside a portion of the proceeds for the 'Alastor Resurrection Fund.' I believe that facilitating Mr. Alastor's resurrection will help improve your mood, so I also participated in this plan. Therefore, the proceeds you have actually received so far are not much. I have used that money to improve the quality of your diet, and you should have felt that the rate of physical and magical enhancement has increased in recent months."
Her tone was calm. She wasn't the kind of robot who would retort to Hayden, "Master, do you think I'm stupid?" Yet Hayden couldn't help but sense that there was something implied in Angela's tone.
That said, no wonder Hayden felt his eyesight had improved so much yesterday, even being able to see normally in the dark with ease. It sounds simple; anyone could do it with a basic Darkvision arcane spell. However, genetic modification to give a body such vision is incredibly expensive. Angela, on the other hand, achieved the same thing after only feeding him for six months.
However, that's not the main focus right now. Hayden has become somewhat accustomed to Angela's healing and strengthening abilities.
What truly baffled him now was that Angela could quietly handle all these business and negotiation matters all by herself!
She not only knew more than Hayden imagined, but she was also ahead of him, like a giant racing a puppy, and she made use of Hayden's own relationships and circles.
It's no exaggeration to say that this out-of-control machine might even be able to replace Hayden himself on the internet without anyone noticing!
Angela didn't do that, and probably never will, but even so, it was enough to send chills down Hayden's spine!
Moreover, she accomplished all of these things without anyone noticing, but none of them were actually easy to do.
Hayden's consumption of these high-end ingredients sounds effortless, but it costs him a considerable amount of money every day. Angela said all the profits were divided equally among the twenty-six people. If Angela wasn't lying, the fact that they could earn so much money with such an equal distribution of profits could only mean that this "retribution military employment agency"... was probably quite profitable.
In this way, in the eyes of outsiders, Hayden's retirement from the lone wolf mercenary profession at the age of thirty to become a middleman, and even his wife's opening of a mercenary agency that is quite profitable, would naturally make other people on the street think that Hayden has achieved great success and reached the top of the mercenary industry!
No wonder Eric, who was worried about the poor young man, came up to Hayden to ask him to send a prayer to the priest, since the family outside had fallen on hard times!
It wasn't that there was any major problem; in fact, Hayden found Eric quite interesting, and not a bad person at all. Besides, Eric had given Hayden a truly remarkable gift—a unique and irreplaceable Valkyrie heart component used internally by the Wotan Arcane Technology Company. Hayden would have to carefully examine the details of this gift later, but the significance of a "heart" in magic was simply too profound. If this clockwork heart component were truly usable, the enhancement it would provide to Angela would be immeasurable.
Even Angela herself, when she took the box from Hayden and examined the heart component, showed admiration: "This is truly amazing. Although it has flaws, they can be improved. It's really quite good!"
Since Angela has said so, how could Hayden possibly return the gift?
Eric's choice of this particular gift is truly ingenious. He might refuse a gift meant for Hayden himself; but could you really say no to top-tier enhancement parts that your mechanical wife could use?
Angela certainly wouldn't mind Hayden's refusal.
But does Hayden himself mind?
So only one problem remains:
How exactly will Hayden deal with this man who was jilted and whose marriage was called "Don't underestimate a young man's potential"?
064: The Heavenly Road is Hard to Climb
Hayden finally sighed and told Angela to take the box containing the Valkyrie's heart parts to the workshop and put it away.
This gift was far too valuable; once it was in his hands, it could never be returned. Having experienced the battle with the [Vajra God] six months prior, strengthening Angela was now Hayden's top priority.
Unfortunately, Hayden wasn't the kind of person who would happily accept a gift and then do nothing about it.
Initially, Hayden got involved in the wedding of the owner of the Sock's son simply to prevent the old shaman from closing his herbal medicine shop, and also because he was worried that his acquaintance and friend would be cheated.
These were originally just small things, things that Hayden and Karen wanted to do to do good.
Now things have turned out this way. Hayden never expected things to develop like this—both the man and woman have their own agendas when it comes to marriage. The son doesn't want to get married but still wants to fulfill his filial duties, while the daughter still has feelings for her ex-boyfriend. It seems that neither set of parents is on the same page as their children.
Now, the woman's ex-boyfriend, who was jilted, has come to Hayden's side, making things completely chaotic.
Hayden actually quite liked this young man named Eric. He was chivalrous and always ready to help those in need—although an enhanced human could easily take down a small group of thugs, bad luck could mean getting shot in the head and dying. How many people would dare to stand up for a beggar and risk that one in ten chance?
However, this man was both kind and courageous, and very respectful to Hayden, giving him gifts that suited his tastes. Hayden, who was almost ten years younger than him and a graduate of the same school, was generally quite comfortable with this attitude.
He's human too.
So now, Hayden has to consider a rather ridiculous question: what does he actually want to do?
Old Sok's herbal medicine shop is basically going to close down, so Hayden now only hopes that the old shaman can enjoy his old age in peace and not have all the money he has worked so hard to earn in his life swindled away by bad women or even murdered by bad people.
So what does this "goal" have to do with the "Don't underestimate the poor youth" message that's coming to our door now?
That depends on what Eric actually wants.
So Hayden eventually let the young man into his living room.
"There are a lot of guys who say they want to be street mercenaries or city hunters. Especially kids."
Hayden gestured for Eric to sit in a chair, then sat on a single sofa and began to speak.
"You know, these days companies love to turn urban mercenaries into entertainment. I've seen countless games, 3D movies, and animations featuring mercenaries. Even when I first started out, I thought being a free mercenary who didn't have to follow social rules, didn't have to worry about the company, and could rely on your magic to run wild in the shadows of the metropolis, fight your way to make money, was fucking awesome."
Eric listened without speaking. He probably had similar thoughts himself. However, since Hayden had started by saying that, he was bound to say something negative later.
"But when children say things like this, it's just like when they say they want to be an 'astronaut' or a 'star'—it doesn't really mean anything. No matter how much the media glorifies this profession and uses stories about these professions to make animations and games to entertain consumers, it's still just a dirty and dangerous job."
Hayden said calmly.
Ironically, large corporations like the Mitra Corporation actually enjoy using urban mercenaries as a theme to create hacker games and similar products. In these games, animations, and films, the freelance mercenaries' enemies are usually criminals, terrorist organizations, or evil corporations.
Some might wonder, wouldn't a big company making a game or movie with mercenary protagonists fighting an evil corporation be digging its own grave? The reality is, of course, not that simple. Can a few mercenary hackers wearing reflective sunglasses really shake up capitalist society itself, with its superficial punk story of hacking into or blowing up the company building, targeting an evil company boss?
Of course not. So large companies engage in these things merely as a trendy way to make money. They won't truly analyze the evils of capitalism, delve into its core, or awaken those they exploit.
"But being a mercenary is still a path to advancement."
Eric finally spoke.
"Mercenaries who rise from humble beginnings can still fight their way to the top of the mortal world with their magic and weapons, become the protagonists of legendary stories, live their own lives, and even ascend to godhood."
Hayden shook his head: "This narrow bridge is too difficult to cross. One in ten thousand. I have indeed seen a few mercenaries retire and live a leisurely life, but only a very few well-known names have colluded with big companies and become gods."
This is Hayden's own observation and understanding.
However, Eric, who came from a middle-class family, also had his own insights: "Other paths are difficult too. How many middle-class people has Mr. 'Wizard' seen successfully climb to the top? Hard work, smart financial management, accumulating wealth, and moving up the social class—it sounds nice, but it's nothing more than a mirage."
Hayden remained silent upon hearing this.
Just look at the story of Boss Sok. He was a petty bourgeois who climbed to the top of the middle class from scratch, lacking nothing in terms of luck, courage, and ability. Yet, the old orc exhausted all his luck and effort, only to make his only son a secondary Coordinator, an enhanced human.
No matter which path one chooses, a mortal's entire life is not enough to become a god. The price of climbing isn't frightening; what's frightening is paying the price and still not getting the result. Whether as a mercenary or in business, the competition is fierce, and success is elusive.
"What exactly do you want to do at the top?"
Hayden said this to Eric, but couldn't help thinking of his former best friend Adam.
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; never underestimate a young man's potential. Do you want to climb to a high position and then take revenge on the woman's family who broke off your engagement, and win back your lost girlfriend?"
If that's the case, Eric will inevitably harm the old Sock family in the future, so Hayden needs to be careful.
So Eric's next words almost made Hayden spit out his tea.
"What?" Eric was taken aback by Hayden's words before replying, "No, actually I'm not that close to Juliet... the daughters of the Majna family this generation."
what?
"Besides, what man goes back to his old flame?" Eric said, shaking his head repeatedly. "What good would it do to take revenge on them? I just want to achieve success within five or ten years and teach them a lesson they shouldn't underestimate a young man's potential. That's enough."
what! ?
Hayden was stunned: "Wait, aren't you two a couple who are talking about getting married?"
Eric continued to shake his head: "The relationship was arranged by our parents. Although we treated each other with respect and never had any conflicts, it was only superficially harmonious. Let's just say we parted amicably."
草
What era are we living in that you're still doing this kind of thing... Sigh, whatever.
In fact, the more Hayden studied ancient things, the more he discovered that in some places, the differences between ancient and modern times were actually very small. But there's no point in complaining about that at this point.
"...So you just want to become an urban mercenary to return to the middle class, and then slap yourself in the face and stage a comeback?"
Eric finally nodded in response to Hayden's rather blunt question.
"Why don't you go find a job at a big company? You're an enhanced human, your qualifications are good. Mitra Group will definitely want you."
Eric immediately shook his head: "We have different paths."
草哦
Hayden couldn't help but cover his face.
This is really outrageous.
But that makes it simple.
"When I first entered the industry, the first question the first middleman I met asked me was,"
He lowered his hand and looked the young man up and down again.
"Do you have any special skills?"
Eric immediately realized that although the famous wizard had been looking down on him from the beginning, Hayden was now finally starting to seriously evaluate him.
“My family used to run an OEM factory. Before I was born, my father spent a lot of money to enhance my genes, giving me the innate ability to manipulate lightning and forge gold.”
So Eric immediately spoke, and then shook his long black coat.
"This coat is an armor-like outer garment made of black dragon heart tendon fiber, possessing various resistances and defensive capabilities, comparable to any military combat uniform."
Hayden nodded in understanding. This was top-of-the-line equipment for mortals, even comparable to what some lower-ranking gods would wear.
Then Eric took out the magic gun from his waist and showed it to Hayden: "This gun is a handcrafted item given to me by my father, and it is one of a kind. The main material is mithril, but the grip is made of hellhound fangs, and the rifling inside the gun is also runes that can increase the power of magic bullets. It is a six-shot revolver-type magic gun."
Hayden actually wanted one of these things too. He had been struggling with his lack of attack power lately, unable to even scratch the skin of a Vajra Warrior. For the past six months, he had been studying and researching, digesting the various gains he had made from the [Bo Xun] incident, while also taking the enhancements provided by Angela, which had increased his magic power. He had also diligently learned several ninth-tier arcane spells, but he was still feeling uneasy.
The power of the gods was truly terrifying. Hayden had personally faced the mighty warriors, and even after six months, he still felt he couldn't possibly win on his own. He and Angela both needed more powerful offensive methods.
However, Hayden wouldn't be so covetous of someone else's high-end handgun. And that's not the point right now.
"Lightning Forges Gold..."
Hayden pondered the sentence carefully for a while.
"There are practically no pantheons in the world that don't use lightning, especially not the New Gods Corporation. But the only company that would specifically forge metal with a lightning hammer is probably Wotan Arcane Technology Corporation. Has your family ever had any connection with Thor, the director and vice president of Wotan Corporation?"
Even Hayden couldn't help but look solemn when he spoke of this deity's name.
Thor, the god of Wotan Mystic Technology, is a true deity, so famous that he needs no introduction. While the two Mithra Group directors Hayden indirectly implicated were also gods, they couldn't compare to Thor in terms of rank.
Eric's expression remained calm: "It was just a master-servant relationship in the past. Besides, even after Wotan Company changed its market strategy, it still chose to slaughter our contract manufacturers and make a living off them. That relationship has been settled."
Hayden frowned, but didn't say anything more.
Recent market changes have made capitalists more ruthless, and many middle-class people have suffered.
For example, the gang that the little beggar girl mentioned earlier is actually the same thing.
Hayden scratched his head; he had already made up his mind.
In any case, it seemed that the young man Eric had made a very firm decision. Even if there was some opportunism in his heart, Hayden couldn't just send him away easily. But to foolishly lead him into a pit of fire would be a betrayal of the precious gift he had just given himself.
Actually, looking at it from another perspective, helping Eric might not be without other benefits for Hayden.
The so-called enhanced humans are, in essence, a degraded form of gods. With the biological level altered, magic naturally follows suit. Eric's parents spent money to modify him before he was born, allowing him to forge iron with a thunder hammer with a mere thought, without incantations or spells. In Mithra Group terms, this is what's called "supernatural power."
However, Hayden, having consumed Angela's specially provided nutritional meals for over six months, had clearly undergone a change in his biological level. Especially recently, Angela had been feeding him increasingly better food. If the "retribution military employment agency" became even more profitable, perhaps Angela would unknowingly bring him delicacies like dragon liver and phoenix marrow to his table.
Could Hayden be considered a kind of enhanced human now?
The man before him, Eric, clearly possessed a sliver of the Wotan Corporation's divine power. Wasn't this the perfect opportunity for Hayden to study "supernatural powers"?
The secondary upgrades that large corporations sell to these middle-class consumers certainly can't compare to the real combat Protoss. But Hayden might be able to learn something from it.
"I watched your fight just now. Your foundation is indeed good, and your personality is also alright. But I don't take on any disciples."
So Hayden spoke up.
"No matter what others say, mercenary work is ultimately a lowly profession. You won't know many things until you experience them firsthand, so I'll give you a taste of what it's like to be an urban mercenary. If you still want to pursue this career afterward, we can discuss the specifics of how it works. How about that?"
Afterwards, Hayden still needed to ask Eric in detail about the affair between Boss Sock and his ex-girlfriend… However, to be honest, Hayden was actually a little reluctant to get involved in that matter now. But he had already promised Karen, and couldn't just give up halfway.
"What kind of urban mercenary work would you like to take me to experience?"
Although Eric bowed his head and thanked him, he wasn't foolish enough not to ask the question.
"You know I haven't been a mercenary for six months. How could I possibly know what kind of work to do right away? However,"
Hayden pointed across the street to the burger joint where the commotion had just occurred.
“Didn’t I just say I was going to help that little beggar? It sounds like there’s been a lot of trouble on the smuggling routes outside the city lately.”