Arknights: The Life Inside-Chapter 98

On this day, the world was still peaceful.

Turtle stood at the entrance of the headquarters and stretched.

"That nap was so comfortable!"

Ergou sat lazily on the steps next to Yoren, holding a bottle of orange soda. The two of them were whispering like spies exchanging intel.

Across the road, a broad-shouldered man stepped out of the restaurant. In his hand were a few thick slabs of raw meat. He glanced up at the blazing sun, then calmly hung the meat on a rack outside the door, clearly intending to dry it.

This man was well into his forties or fifties, with explosive muscles and a simple, almost cheerful demeanor. Humming a tune, he looked like a man enjoying life.

Ergou lowered his voice and nudged Yoren, pointing at the man.

"Yoren, see that guy? That's the owner of the restaurant—Bloody Cook."

"Bloody Cook?"

"Yeah. He's from Ursus. Twenty years ago, he committed the most horrifying crime in Ursus history and fled to southern Victoria. He joined a gang, and legend has it he was terrifying. Cruel, twisted, and unbelievably strong. Fifteen years ago, he became the underground boxing champion of the South. People called him Bloody Cook. But now? He's retired."

Yoren blinked.

"Snowsant, that's seriously six kinds of wild."

"I don't tell just anyone this stuff."

Yoren watched Bloody Cook curiously. Just then, a stray kitten strolled out of the alley, tail swaying as it approached the meat rack.

Cook and the kitten locked eyes for a moment. Then, a grin as bright as spring bloomed across his rugged face. He tore off a small piece of meat and, despite his two-meter-tall frame, squatted gently down. The kitten purred, nuzzling into his hand as it munched.

Yoren's brow furrowed.

"Ergou, who told you all that about Bloody Cook?"

Ergou took another sip of soda.

"Captain Roger."

"Who's Captain Roger?"

"Speak of the devil—look over there."

Yoren followed his gaze. A white-haired old man was hobbling toward them with a cane. Ergou's voice carried on like a dramatic narration.

"Captain Roger... legend. Ever heard of that cruise ship disaster decades ago?"

Yoren nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Multiple ships vanished, right? Then months later they found everyone dead?"

"Exactly. Forty years ago, Captain Roger led the fleet into uncharted waters to track down the culprit. After a brutal sea battle, only Roger's ship survived. He found the monster hiding in the depths of the ocean."

"And then?"

"He fought it. Lost an arm but drove the thing off. Then he found the monster's treasure hoard. Said it was too big to recover—bringing it back would've sparked a world war. So he hid it."

"Wait. Is this treasure called One Piece?"

"What? No! It's the Deep Sea Treasure. Don't interrupt."

"Fine, fine. Continue."

"Anyway, Roger returned. Told the military everything. But they decided he was more dangerous than the sea monster and sentenced him to public execution."

"Excuse me?"

"Right? He was executed. But then he mysteriously came back to life. Strong men are like that. He's lived in hiding here ever since."

Yoren looked at the old man, who squinted into the distance, seemingly lost in grand memories. To Yoren, it looked more like he was wondering what to have for dinner.

"Thud!"

The old man tripped and face-planted on the sidewalk.

Yoren stood up quickly. "Hey! Captain Roger fell!"

Ergou shoved him back down. "Don't worry. That's just proof of his strength."

After that, Ergou gave Yoren the full tour of the street.

"See that rundown building? The Sakaz family lives there. The adults pretend to be guards. The daughter? She's actual royalty from the Sakaz line, escaped here during the demon war."

"That photo studio? Owner's from the Luper tribe. Former hitman. Only killed the strong. Before each kill, he'd snap a photo of his target. If you've ever taken a photo there, bad luck."

"That curtained house over there? An ex-court magician from Sami lives there. Got dumped. Started casting curses on society out of heartbreak. Anyone she glares at dies within three days."

"And that house... and that one too... that one's amazing..."

As Ergou rambled on, Yoren sipped his soda and felt like he'd gotten ripped off—fifty cents for this?

Just then, a girl around thirteen or fourteen crossed the street, schoolbag over her shoulder.

Yoren leaned toward Ergou.

"Hey, that girl lives here too? Who is she?"

Ergou straightened up, fixing his hair.

"Oh, she's amazing."

"How so?"

"Hey, Lily! Back from cram school?"

The girl, Lily, paused and greeted Yoren politely.

"Hello, uncle."

Yoren winced. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

"Hey now, I'm not that old. Just call me Yoren. I moved in recently."

"Hello, Brother Yoren."

Then she turned to Ergou. "Li Tianye, all you do is mess around. School starts soon. What about your homework?"

"I'll do it the night before."

After she left, Yoren asked, "Alright, who is she really?"

Ergou watched her disappear into a house across the street.

"She's my classmate. Class rep. Top student. Absolute genius."

"That's it?"

"Isn't that impressive enough?"

Yoren narrowed his eyes. "Ergou... you have a crush on her, don't you?"

Ergou blushed. "Wh-what are you talking about?! We're just classmates! Our moms are friends! Don't twist it!"

"Sure, sure. Got it."

Yoren turned back toward the street with a complicated expression. If even half of what Ergou said was true, Baigui Street was less of a neighborhood and more of a powder keg. Honestly, he couldn't tell if Ergou was making stuff up. But if a kid could spin stories that elaborate, maybe there was something to it.

Ergou finished his soda. "Alright, intro's over. I'm heading home."

"Wait. That house across the street. Someone lives there, right?"

For the first time, Ergou hesitated.

"That house... it's weird. Moved in years ago, back when I was in primary school. But I've only ever seen someone enter or leave, like, five times. I thought they'd moved. Then, one day when the police were checking houses, I saw someone open the door."

"So... they barely go out?"

"More like never."

"Then how do they eat?"

"Devil knows."

Yoren shrugged. Maybe the resident was just a recluse. Back in his old world, he'd survived summer breaks on instant noodles and gaming.

But then Ergou added something.

"One more thing. No one says it out loud, but this street only started being called 'Baigui Street' after that family moved in. The weird stuff? The hauntings? They all started then."

Yoren frowned.

So... not just a quiet neighborhood after all.

Is a street haunted at night just because a new family moved in?

To be honest, Yoren couldn't make the connection. If he had to force one, maybe if the new neighbors were some kind of ghost-summoning dancers. Of course, he didn't think that sort of profession existed in this world.

He remained 90% skeptical about what Ergou had told him. A bloody cook, Captain Roger, a Sakaz princess, a super assassin, a warlock from the Sami court, and a mysterious shut-in. If this street really housed such a cast, it would be like tossing all the rarest ingredients into a pot just to cook up a dark, twisted stew.

The 10% belief came from the fact that Yoren now lived here himself. To the outside world, he was just a young man starting a family, but his true identity was the successor to the Black and White Twins. Who could have guessed that?

So he didn't dare judge his neighbors just by appearances. For all he knew, that trembling old man with the white beard could be the Pirate King himself.

That morning, Yoren sat in his newly set-up office, going over the plan he'd almost finished in his head. It was a plan with high tolerance for error and quick potential returns. If executed properly, it could flip the Freddo Chamber of Commerce like a pancake.

Just as he was mulling over the final details, a clear voice called from the door.

"Hello? Is this No. 106, 4th Street, District B, Kilt?"

Yoren looked up to see a girl in business attire standing at the entrance.

ACE, lounging on the couch with a newspaper, stood up immediately.

"Yes, this is it. What can we do for you?"

"Thank goodness. This place is so hard to find. I wandered around for ages."

"Yeah, it's a bit tucked away," ACE replied.

The girl took a breath and composed herself.

"I saw the job posting in the newspaper yesterday—you're hiring an accountant, right? That's why I came."

That got everyone's attention. Snowsant cracked open an eye. Ifrit kicked the ball aside mid-game with Ergou and rushed inside. Yoren stood up and quickly walked over.

"Yes, we're definitely looking to hire an accountant."

The girl looked at Yoren. "And you are?"

"I'm Yoren, the boss here."

She turned to ACE. "Then this gentleman?"

"ACE, head of security."

"I see. I thought he was the boss at first. You're younger than I expected, Mr. Yoren."

"Appreciate the compliment, but just call me Yoren. We're pretty casual here."

"Alright. If you don't mind, can we talk about the position in more detail?"

"Of course."

There was something refreshing about her demeanor. No nervous stammering, no excessive pride. She struck a balance—confident, polite, and approachable.

She introduced herself as Nancy, a Philin from Victoria. Tall, about 1.68 meters, with fair skin, long brown hair tied back, and a poised, friendly face. Even though it was their first meeting, her calm energy made a good impression.

She handed over her resume. Everyone huddled in. Even ACE peeked over Yoren's shoulder.

It was a strange feeling. Yoren had never interviewed anyone before. Now he was doing it for real, palms slightly sweaty as he read the resume.

Nancy, 23. Studying at the Royal Victoria College, majoring in Business Administration. She had racked up a string of awards: Outstanding Talent, Morality Award, Champion Debater, Outstanding Student Leader...

Yoren had heard of the Royal College—top tier, with campuses both north and south. Nancy was clearly a strong student. A true professional. But...

"Nancy," Yoren said, setting the resume down. "Looks like you don't have any work experience yet?"

Nancy's eyes flickered with concern. That was clearly her weak spot.

"That's right. But I believe every career has a beginning. I'm willing to learn quickly, improve my skills, and adapt to your expectations."

"Fair enough. I just asked out of curiosity. Experience isn't everything."

Truthfully, Yoren didn't mind. Having someone with a clean slate might even be better. Someone moldable. Someone who might take on more than just accounting duties in time.

After a few more questions—all answered with calm clarity—Yoren nodded.

"Last question, Nancy. You haven't graduated yet, have you?"

She relaxed a bit, sighing.

"That's right. I've finished all my coursework and done well, but I still need my internship certificate. I got sick for a while, and this is my first job search since recovering. I don't care much about salary—what matters most is getting that certificate. And of course, if you accept me, I'd love to stay here long-term."

"Got it."

The certificate was the final requirement from the Royal College. Students had to find their own internships, minimum two months, at a legally registered company with at least 2 million in registered capital.

Yoren grinned. "Alright. You start tomorrow."

ACE tugged at Yoren's sleeve.

"Too hasty. We're not even a registered company yet."

Yoren whispered back, "This girl's a gem. I won't let her slip away. I'll get the company registered in four months. And if something happens, I'll go to hell and back to get her that certificate. We don't cheat people."

Hearing that, Nancy gave a sincere smile and stood to shake Yoren's hand.

"I'm so glad. Please take care of me from now on."

Yoren shook her hand firmly.

"Let's do great things together."

And so, beyond the four founders, the headquarters welcomed its very first employee.