Chapter 171: Version Answer (Revised)

By noon, Qi Hengyu fled as if escaping, running at breakneck speed, and entrusted Ying Duo to Luo Jinyou.

Shen Zexi had someone deliver a message to them, saying he had almost completed the paperwork, that they needed to prepare some gear for the wilderness, and that after the paperwork they could leave the school.

Qi Hengyu claimed he also needed to prepare some items; although Luo Jinyou didn't know how the two would prepare after losing all their money, he still went with them.

Ying Duo just likes to tinker with dangerous things and doesn't listen to others; aside from that, the two wouldn't be running so fast, would they?

Luo Jinyou led Ying Duo to the school cafeteria; after Ying Duo finished his first meal at school, he immediately hauled Luo Jinyou onto the train bound for the Slum.

They transferred trains in the Slum's District One, and finally arrived at the Mercenary Guild in Corroded Square.

Corroded Square remained as noisy as ever, with the edge of Tianmian City casting mottled shadows nearby, and crowds of all kinds weaving through endlessly.

When the two arrived, Shen Zexi was already waiting there, wearing a simple denim jacket, with a bulging hiking pack on his back, clearly carrying a lot of gear.

He cradled a stack of organized documents in his arms, and upon seeing them arrive, he waved at them.

"This way." Shen Zexi's voice remained clear amid the clamor.

Ying Duo and Luo Jinyou hurried over.

Shen Zexi didn't hand the documents to Ying Duo immediately; instead, he first gave a reminder.

"I've already prepared all the paperwork needed to register the Mercenary Corps, and most of the application forms are filled out; you can just take them to the guild's front desk for registration."

He paused, looked at Ying Duo, and asked a crucial question.

"By the way, have you decided what name our Mercenary Corps will have?"

When he asked that, Shen Zexi felt a bit uneasy.

He was very worried about Ying Duo's taste, since he was someone who could dye his hair Ying Guang Lu; Shen Zexi feared the other might blurt out a socially disastrous name like "Ying Guang Lu is invincible," "Explosion is art," or "Qi Hengyu is an idiot."

However, upon hearing that, Ying Duo simply uttered the name he had already prepared.

"Version Answer."

Surprisingly, it was completely normal...

At least it was far better than Shen Zexi's mental prep of names like "Ying Guang Flash" or "Green Storm"!

In that instant of contrast, he actually found the name "Version Answer" oddly acceptable, even somewhat cool?

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Luo Jinyou also looking pleased with the name, and he couldn't help but smile inwardly, confirming he was still a younger brother.

Even if he usually pretended to be mature and steady, keeping strangers at bay, he still lacked resistance to a name he liked.

【5】 No wonder Ying Duo and Luo Jinyou could get along.

No wonder Ying Duo and Luo Jinyou can play together.

"Version Answer, huh? Fine."

Shen Zexi said nothing more, picked up a pen, and neatly wrote the four characters "Version Answer" on the line for the Mercenary Corps name in the document.

After finishing and double‑checking for errors, he handed the entire stack of documents to Ying Duo.

"Just go straight to the front desk to submit the papers and complete registration; I've already verified the procedures, there won't be any problem."

Shen Zexi pointed to the relatively less‑crowded reception desk inside the guild hall.

Ying Duo took the documents, glanced down briefly.

All the fields that needed filling had already been neatly completed by Shen Zexi, leaving nothing for him to write or think about.

Yang Yixie was very satisfied with this "nanny‑style" service.

Ying Duo nodded, took the documents, and turned to walk toward the Mercenary Guild's reception desk.

Shen Zexi and Luo Jinyou watched his resolute back and simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.

At least the Mercenary Corps registration step won't encounter any hiccups now.

——————————————————

The Mercenary Guild's doors were pushed open again, and two figures entered one after the other—Qi Hengyu and Chen Mo Zhi.

It seemed they had arrived on the same train.

Qi Hengyu changed into a combat outfit suited for movement, wore custom gloves, and his face was full of eager excitement.

Chen Mo Zhi, on the other hand, wore a dark‑green battle suit, his expression indifferent, and his oversized coat concealed an unknown amount of toxins.

The two entered the noisy guild hall, scanned the room, and immediately locked eyes on the Ying Guang Lu light source in the corner.

Ying Duo was sitting in a corner of the guild, while Shen Zexi and Luo Jinyou stood beside him, both looking somewhat… solemn?

Qi Hengyu strode over, patted Shen Zexi's shoulder, and asked curiously:

"What's going on? You look all frowning—did the paperwork run into trouble?"

Shen Zexi snapped out of his reverie just as Qi Hengyu and Chen Mo Zhi arrived before him, one after the other.

"The paperwork went smoothly; the 'Version Answer' Mercenary Corps has officially completed registration."

"Version Answer?" Qi Hengyu repeated, raising an eyebrow; the name suited his taste. "Who came up with this? It's pretty bold."

That's not like Shen Zexi's style.

Luo Jinyou silently pointed at Ying Duo.

Qi Hengyu: "……Oh, then it's fine."

Seeing both had arrived, Shen Zexi repeated the topic they had just discussed.

"The issue lies in mission selection; since our Mercenary Corps has just been founded, its reputation rating is zero, so we can only take the lowest D‑rank missions right now."

He pulled out the mission list he had just obtained from the staff and pointed to one entry.

"Most D‑rank missions involve errands or deliveries within the city, and the only D‑rank task that requires venturing into the wild, potentially encountering real Aberrant Species, is this one."

Their eyes focused on that mission brief:

【D‑rank Mission: Investigate Black Stone Mine Cave】

【Brief: The Black Stone Mine Cave in the wild of Zone Eight has recently emitted frequent strange noises; miners report signs of unknown creatures, and mining operations have been halted.】

【Requirement: Dispatch personnel into the cave to investigate, confirm whether Aberrant Species are present, and eliminate them if so.】

【Note: Preliminary assessment suggests low‑threat Aberrant Species (e. g., cavern worms, rock bats, etc.), but the cave environment is complex; proceed with caution.】

【Reward: Calculated according to investigation results and clearance situation, with a minimum of 3000 bucks, and an extra reward of 200 bucks for each Aberrant Species cleared.】

Speaking of missions of the same type targeting Aberrant Species, the reward for this mission is fairly ordinary, so it's no wonder no one would take it; those capable of killing Aberrant Species can completely take better missions.

And those without the ability, upon seeing "there is a probability of encountering an Aberrant Species," will also choose to avoid it.

But for them, the key issue lies in the time consumed for the round trip.

"You've also seen that." Shen Zexi concluded.

"This mission merely has a probability of encountering an Aberrant Species, and just the round trip to the mine cave takes half a day, so I want to ask for your opinions."