("This business of yours... sounds no different from organ trafficking. How have you not been shut down yet?" Kuchiba Hiro asked with a hint of sarcasm, trying to pry a different reaction out of these mechanical-like fellows.
The Staff Member remained unfazed, responding in a monotone voice, "Consultation fee: one Gold Coin. If your funds are insufficient, you can choose to transfer the remains to us, and we will pay you 6,000 Gold Coins."
Kuchiba Hiro narrowed his eyes in annoyance, feeling a visceral disgust toward this unresponsive, emotionless conversational partner. However, he suppressed his anger and said coldly, "Fine, take the body."
Upon hearing this, the Staff Member acted with extreme efficiency and professionalism. They quickly produced a specialized black body bag, skillfully placed the petite corpse from the ground inside, zipped it up, and then, with one person at the head and the other at the feet, steadily lifted it into the white van.
After a moment, one of them returned carrying a silver-white metal briefcase and opened it in front of Kuchiba Hiro.
Inside the case, Gold Coins engraved with intricate runes and shimmering with a faint metallic luster were neatly arranged in soft padding, exuding a cold yet enticing aura of wealth.
"Quantity: 6,000 Gold Coins. Please inspect them," the Staff Member said flatly.
Kuchiba Hiro's gaze swept quickly over the case. With his extraordinary vision and mental calculation skills, he reached a conclusion instantly. He frowned intentionally and said, "There are 10 missing."
The Staff Member replied decisively, his tone not changing in the slightest, "The quantity is accurate. Please count them carefully."
"I said there are some missing, so there are some missing," Kuchiba Hiro insisted, trying to apply pressure.
The Staff Member still showed no emotional fluctuation. "The quantity is clear. Please confirm again."
The probe failed. Kuchiba Hiro changed his approach, his tone carrying a hint of a threat. "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you and just take all the money and the body?"
The Staff Member's response was unexpectedly... calm, or rather, completely indifferent. "If you need to 'dispose of' me, this service costs 200 Gold Coins. After the fee is paid, you may do anything you wish to me."
Kuchiba Hiro fell silent, his eyes showing clear surprise and a bone-chilling sense of eeriness for the first time. He stared at the face hidden behind the mask and goggles and asked slowly, "Are you... not human?"
Staff Member: "Consultation fee: one Gold Coin."
Kuchiba Hiro took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation in his heart, and said coldly, "From now on, I ask, and you answer. Deduct the money directly from the case!"
The Staff Member nodded, seemingly accepting this method of transaction.
"Are you part of the so-called 'The Authorities'? A government organization?" Kuchiba Hiro asked his first question.
Staff Member: "No. We are merely a commercial institution providing services." After saying this, he took one Gold Coin from the briefcase.
"In other words, there are other people or organizations doing the same 'business' as you?" Kuchiba Hiro continued.
Staff Member: "Yes." He took another Gold Coin.
Kuchiba Hiro waited for a few seconds. Seeing that the other party had no intention of explaining further, he couldn't help but say, "You only answer 'Yes' for one Gold Coin?"
Staff Member: "Yes." (Gold Coin -1)
"Wait! Does that 'Yes' just now count as a question too?" Kuchiba Hiro was a bit annoyed.
Staff Member: "Yes." (Gold Coin -1)
Kuchiba Hiro opened his mouth, nearly choking on his frustration. He clenched his fists, resisting the urge to dismantle this tin-can-like fellow. He told himself to stay calm; these were necessary information costs.
"How do I revoke the 'kill order' against me?" he asked a key question. "And how exactly are these Gold Coins used?"
Staff Member: "That counts as two questions."
Seeing Kuchiba Hiro's gaze turn cold, he immediately followed up with the answer. "To check your wanted status and revocation conditions, you can access the transcendent world's internal network. By paying twice the bounty amount, you can apply to the platform to revoke a specific kill order against you. Gold Coins are the only universal currency for the platform and designated offline locations. They can be used to purchase intelligence, supplies, and services, including but not limited to weapons, asylum, employment, and special disposal. The platform provides anonymous delivery services." (Gold Coins -2)
"What website? What's the address?" Kuchiba Hiro pressed.
Staff Member: "Accessing the official website requires a dedicated access device." (Gold Coin -1)
As soon as he finished speaking, another Staff Member who had been silent all along stepped forward as if prepared, holding a strangely shaped black phone with subtle energy patterns on its surface. He began to "promote" it in a monotone, rehearsed voice devoid of any sales enthusiasm:
"The Transcendent Custom Edition 'Jieyu' phone. It features a built-in encrypted receiver for seamless access to the Transcendent Network, allowing you to check all public or permission-based information, communicate, and complete online transactions. It supports screen mirroring to TVs and computers and can connect to conventional display devices. Price: 100 Gold Coins. By owning it, you will gain the initial key to exploring the true world. The price is fair, and it offers excellent value for money." (It sounded like an advertisement memorized countless times.)
Kuchiba Hiro looked at the phone, then at the two "Staff Members" who seemed to have come off an assembly line, and then thought about this child's-play-like yet cold and cruel "Gold Coin Q&A" and "body recovery"... He suddenly felt that the way this transcendent world—which was hidden beneath reality and should have been mysterious and high-class—operated... was it perhaps a bit too crude? It felt like a makeshift stage crew forced into a high-tech, dark, and gritty outer layer, while the inside was filled with a simple, direct, and even somewhat comical logic of transaction.
A strong sense of absurdity diluted his previous chill, leaving him momentarily unsure of what expression to make.)
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