Chapter 7: Chapter Seven: Letter of Recommendation

The sun blazed overhead, scorching the earth, its temperature reaching thirty degrees Celsius, causing pedestrians on the streets to grow sparse.

Su Xiao walked under the blazing sun, and every passerby who drew near frowned, some glaring at him with clear disgust.

The carriage had already been disposed of by Su Xiao, and the horse sold at a low price.

After counting the banknotes in his hand, Su Xiao sighed; these were bills called Beli, and selling the horse had earned him one hundred thousand Beli—sounds like a lot, but in reality, it equaled only six thousand RMB in purchasing power.

Do not overestimate these one hundred thousand Beli; their purchasing power is far lower than imagined.

Having tried it himself, Su Xiao learned that buying a decent set of clothes required eight thousand Beli, while a satisfying meal cost roughly nine hundred Beli.

His gaze swept the surroundings; once he confirmed no one was nearby, Su Xiao slowly approached a residential house.

Though it seemed a casual choice, he had observed this house for a long time.

Though the house was not tidy, no vines clung to its walls, indicating someone lived there and all its facilities were intact.

The fine layer of dust on the doorknob revealed the owner rarely returned, only coming back occasionally—perfect for his temporary shelter.

He avoided inns or taverns because such places were full of unsavory characters, easily inviting unnecessary trouble.

He came to this pirate world to complete a mission; only sixty-eight hours remained before the deadline, and beyond what the mission required, he would not interact with more people than necessary.

Interacting with too many unknown individuals = trouble = unknown danger.

After confirming once more that no one was around, Su Xiao pulled out a few simple lock-picking tools.

“Click, click, click-clack~.”

The door swung open at once; Su Xiao had studied lock-picking techniques, and such crude locks in this pirate world were child’s play to him.

As if entering his own home, Su Xiao stepped inside and shut the door tightly behind him.

Inside the house, as he expected, no one was present.

It was a residence over a hundred square meters, with a photograph hanging on the wall: a man, a woman, and a little girl of a few years old; from the woman’s sincere smile, one could tell this was a happy family.

Su Xiao quickly stripped off his clothes and headed straight for the bathroom; though his endurance was extraordinary, the stench on his body made him feel nauseous.

Clean water poured over his head, washing away dirt and odor; after changing into fresh clothes, Su Xiao felt utterly refreshed.

Sitting on the sofa, Su Xiao suddenly produced a white treasure chest in his hand.

【Treasure Chest (White) — Open?】

He chose to open it; the chest unlocked silently, without any dazzling light or sound.

【You opened the Treasure Chest (White) and obtained the following items】

【One hundred thousand Beli (usable only in this world)】

【Letter of Recommendation from Captain Rowan of the City Gate Guard】

【One hundred Eden Coins】

Only three items were obtained—modest, but acceptable; after all, this was only a White Treasure Chest, and according to the “Circus of Reincarnation” item tiers, White Treasure Chests were the lowest rank.

He first stowed away the Beli—he had no immediate use for it—and picked up the letter.

【Letter of Recommendation from Captain Rowan of the City Gate Guard】

Quality: White.

Type: Trigger Item.

Rating: 5. (Item ratings follow the same scale as equipment: 1–10, higher ratings mean greater value.)

Description: This is an impassioned letter of recommendation. Captain Rowan abused his authority to recommend a bully from Windmill Town as a guard. With this letter, anyone can become a guard, provided they are male and possess sufficient Beli.

After reading the letter’s description, Su Xiao’s face lit up—it was exactly what he needed.

Since he could not directly assassinate the king, he must at least meet him; the difficulty of a Nightmare-level world cannot be overcome by brute force alone.

Su Xiao stored all items in his storage space and left the house immediately.

First, he found a restaurant and ate a full meal; then he began observing patrol guards on the streets.

The Guard Corps, he assumed, patrolled the streets and dealt with petty thieves—though their authority was limited, they were still a power division under the Goia Kingdom.

After tailing several guards, Su Xiao quickly located the Guard Headquarters: a two-story office building, with two guards lounging lazily at the entrance.

Since Su Xiao held the letter of recommendation, he walked straight up.

“Stop! This is the Guard Corps—no unauthorized entry!”

A young guard spoke harshly; upon seeing Su Xiao’s common attire, his tone turned haughty.

“I’m the new guard…”

Su Xiao was about to state his name, but immediately realized “Su Xiao” sounded odd in this pirate world; his mind raced, and he continued:

“I’m the new guard—Baiye.”

The young guard froze, sizing Su Xiao up and down.

“Baiye? I never heard of a new recruit. You’re not trying to sneak in…”

“Ris! Remember what Captain said earlier? Don’t ask questions. Baiye, follow me.”

The older guard shot the young one a glare, then led Su Xiao into the Guard Headquarters behind them.

The young guard glared angrily at Su Xiao and muttered something under his breath.

Su Xiao paid no attention to such an insignificant figure; following the older guard, he arrived before an office door.

“Cough, cough~.”

The older guard straightened his posture, adjusted his uniform, and raised his hand to knock—when a rapid, labored breathing came from inside.

Su Xiao and the older guard exchanged a glance; both understood what was happening inside. The older guard lowered his hand and stood quietly to the side.

Knocking now would be inappropriate—it would disturb his superior’s pleasure.

The older guard offered Su Xiao an apologetic smile; Su Xiao was under “upper command”’s special attention, so the older guard had no desire to offend him.

Su Xiao and the older guard stepped aside; Su Xiao pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to the older guard.

“Click.” The cigarette lit; the two chatted casually in the corridor.

Though only one cigarette, it could forge a fragile “friendship”—why not?

“You’re lucky, kid—someone high up took notice of you. Don’t worry, your entry into the Guard Corps has already been arranged. By the way, I’m Hank. We’ll be colleagues from now on.”

Su Xiao smiled politely, but his eyes remained expressionless.

“I’m Baiye. Please look after me.”

As he spoke, Su Xiao slipped the remaining cigarettes into Hank’s jacket pocket.

He was already assessing whether this guard had any value; he knew nothing of the capital’s situation, and this man could be useful.

Hank’s smile grew noticeably more pleased—when suddenly, a short, guttural growl came from inside the room.

Both understood: it was time.

Hank waited a few minutes, then knocked on the door.

“Who is it? Come in!”

A rough voice boomed from within the office.