?36: Chapter 34 To Pinch 36: Chapter 34 To Pinch “What kind of task do you prefer?”

    Gao Yi had just parted ways with Luca, and now someone was proactively offering him a new task.

    If this was merely a coincidence, it was far too coincidental.

    But Gao Yi still wanted to see what this task that had landed on his doorstep was all about.

    Just out of pure curiosity.

    To his utter astonishment, the answer he received was this.

    He was stupefied.

    Could tasks really be customized to one’s preferences?

    Perhaps seeing that Gao Yi had not responded for a long time, another message came through.

    “I heard about you from a friend, and I’m sure you know who this friend is.”

    This time Gao Yi knew how to respond.

    He replied with a “know.”

    “I have many tasks, and I no longer have suitable personnel to complete them, so I don’t mind outsourcing some tasks for others to help finish.

    This is subcontracting.

    But I will post a new order on the Dark Web, so you don’t have to worry about the bounty, nor is there a middleman to earn the difference.”

    The person on the other end was quite straightforward, so now the identity of the visitor could be confirmed—it was the Gardener.

    Gao Yi’s initial intention was to refuse, but looking at the conditions being offered, he felt there was no need to decline.

    Even if the task was subcontracted, why not accept as long as the price was right?

    After pondering for a moment, Gao Yi replied, “I don’t have any preference for the type of task.

    It depends on whether you have one suited for me.”

    Gao Yi liked tasks that offered good money, minimal trouble, and were easy to handle, but where would he find such a sweet deal?

    So, without further ado, he waited to see what task the Gardener would propose.

    After a moment of silence, a message arrived.

    “I’ve heard you work alone, so tasks that require clean-up afterward might not suit you.

    You have high combat skills, ideal for targets that are hard to approach, but once you’re close, tough to take down.

    I do have a task that’s perfect for you.

    In Mexico, a drug lord surrounded by guards.

    You don’t need to worry about the cleanup after the hit.

    The commission is two hundred thousand, and the task has another advantage—you can level up quickly.

    One task could pull you out of the F grade quagmire and qualify you for higher-valued tasks.”

    All these conditions fit Gao Yi perfectly.

    It felt as if the task was tailor-made for him.

    Was this a test from the Garden?

    If he completed this task well, would he gain the Gardener’s recognition?

    Without much hesitation, Gao Yi sent a message back.

    “Thanks for your consideration, but no thanks.

    I’m not planning on taking any tasks at the moment.

    We can collaborate another time.”

    Gao Yi still chose to refuse because he didn’t want to be controlled or work for someone else.

    It was better to be self-aware and not bite at the bait thrown his way.

    He didn’t want to enter any Garden and become an Assassin under someone’s control, so even if the Gardener seemed harmless, it was nonsense.

    The rejected Gardener didn’t show any special reaction; he merely replied promptly, “It’s a pity, but let’s collaborate another time.

    We can add each other as friends, and if you change your mind, you can always contact me.”

    This time, Gao Yi didn’t refuse.

    He casually added the person as a friend.

    The account name was Big Sword, probably the Gardener’s alternate account.

    Keeping this name in mind, Gao Yi then exited the chat.

    Afterward, he pondered how simple yet complex the whole situation seemed.

    Even though they only made contact briefly, without either side being overly eager to collaborate, Gao Yi was still a newbie.

    The Gardener had voluntarily revealed his identity to recruit him, but Gao Yi’s snub might offend him, no?

    It wasn’t uncommon to offend someone with a single phrase and then face retribution.

    Flaunting arrogance for a moment, what if the Gardener truly valued Gao Yi?

    If his pride was hurt after the refusal, he might create obstacles to keep Gao Yi from smoothly reaching the United States or even encountering dangers, ultimately forcing him to seek the Gardener’s help.

    That scenario wasn’t impossible either.

    This was a dangerous world, and people were dangerous; one couldn’t afford to be negligent.

    Gao Yi decided to abandon the contact with the West African smuggler he had been dealing with.

    Cheap fares were not good deals.

    To reach the United States quickly and safely, he would have to find someone else.

    With enough money, one could really buy anything on the Dark Web.

    Just as Assassins had rankings, people specializing in smuggling had rankings too.

    Gao Yi directly chose an account with the highest grade, an A-grade, which clearly stated that it specialized in handling immigration and naturalization affairs in the United States.

    Asking for the price was always a start.

    “I want to enter the United States.

    How much will it cost?”

    Gao Yi was somewhat nervous as he sent the message, which was almost instantly replied to.

    “Nationality, departure, and destination.”

    A confident response.

    After thinking it over, Gao Yi replied, “Nationality: China, departure: undetermined, destination: United States.”

    He dared not directly state that he was departing from Liberia.

    He was concerned that he would be linked to Gray Horace’s death, so he vaguely said his departure point was undetermined, waiting to see how the other party would respond.

    “Any criminal record?”

    “None.”

    “Are you a registered Assassin?”

    He wasn’t sure whether being a registered Assassin would be more expensive or cheaper, but since his account was registered, he couldn’t deny it.

    Gao Yi replied straightforwardly, “Yes.”

    After a slight pause, another message came.

    “Illegal entry, US$ 50,000; regular visa, US$ 100,000; Green Card, five hundred thousand dollars; direct citizenship, five hundred thousand dollars.”

    The offer was abrupt, direct, and neat.

    But also, indeed, expensive.

    Many wealthy people couldn’t find a way to immigrate and ended up spending far more than five hundred thousand dollars.

    Here, getting a Green Card directly cost five hundred thousand.

    Considering that, it wasn’t too pricey, but why were the costs the same for a Green Card and citizenship?

    Gao Yi was still curious, but the other person added,

    “As an Assassin, I strongly advise you choose direct citizenship, which is an internal discount price.

    You will certainly need multiple passports.

    If you obtain citizenship and maintain a long-term partnership with us, we can issue you passports from most countries in the world, ensuring your travel safety and smoothness.”

    The pitch hit right where it needed to with Gao Yi.

    Hesitant for a moment, Gao Yi cautiously asked, “Can you tell me the difference between a Green Card and citizenship?

    Why are the prices the same?”

    “A Green Card has more complex procedures, takes longer, and requires twenty days.

    Citizenship procedures are simpler, faster, and can be arranged at any time, depending on your departure location.”

    It turned out citizenship was more convenient than permanent residency.

    Gao Yi hesitated; he only had a bit over three hundred thousand.

    He didn’t have enough money!

    “You can compare prices with others.

    No one is faster, safer, or more affordable than us.

    Contact us again once you’ve made a decision.”

    The other party ended the conversation decisively.

    So confident, so self-assured, it made Gao Yi confident they were confident they would be the ones to take care of these matters in the end.

    Gao Yi was conflicted.

    The Dark Web really did have everything for sale, but what if one didn’t have enough money?

    Five hundred thousand dollars wasn’t a small amount.

    Was spending so much money for just a passport worth it?

    Now the dilemma was this: Gao Yi was planning to find another route and leave quickly to escape the Garden’s influence.

    But he realized he could opt for a simple, one-time solution—only he didn’t have enough funds.

    If he didn’t have enough money, he needed to find money.

    The fastest way to get money was to take on the task offered by the Gardener or look for a suitable mission in public tasks and see if he could earn that two hundred thousand.

    Wait a minute.

    Something seemed amiss.

    Suddenly, Gao Yi understood why Luca had warned him not to tell anyone where he was headed.

    Luca knew how much money Gao Yi had.

    He knew Gao Yi wanted to go to the United States.

    He knew Gao Yi was most likely to pass through Mexico.

    Even if Gao Yi didn’t go through Mexico and entered the United States directly, he would still have to find the most famous and reliable smuggling group on the Dark Web.

    And the upfront price for that was five hundred thousand dollars.

    Thus, the task offered by the Gardener was highly targeted.

    The target was in Mexico, with a payment of two hundred thousand.

    Luca had just given Gao Yi a lesson on the consequences of revealing one’s intents too visibly.

    Gao Yi refused to believe he couldn’t find a task that would make him money.

    He quickly reviewed all the public tasks available to him.

    Then Gao Yi rapidly reopened the chat with the Gardener. Sёar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    “Hello, I was young and foolish before.

    Can we talk about the task again?”

    The public tasks suitable for F-grade newbies were simply too miserable.

    They seemed not too difficult, but either they were actually very hard, the requirements were extremely high, or the pay was too low.

    It was simply not possible to earn two hundred thousand in a short time, nor was it likely to be easy and stress-free.

    Gao Yi thought that when an opportunity presented itself, it had to be seized.

    He also felt that he could swallow the bait and spit out the hook.

    The Gardener, giving face, didn’t express anything unnecessary, immediately replying, “I will send you the details.

    If everything looks good to you, I will create a specific task for you on the Dark Web.

    I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration.”

    A file came through, and Gao Yi examined it carefully.

    The target was indeed a Mexican drug lord who looked very fierce and had several hundred men under him—a notable figure in Mexico.

    There was a photo, a name, an address, and cautionary notes.

    Speaking of danger, it was certainly risky.

    But Gao Yi thought that a drug lord had to be easier to deal with than a warlord, right?

    He had taken down a warlord under CIA protection.

    Could a drug dealer who showed his face all the time really be harder to deal with?

    Gao Yi still had some doubts, and he sent another message.

    “What if the task fails or can’t be completed?”

    “The Dark Web’s processing fee of twenty thousand dollars would be on you.

    I’m not setting you a trap, so that is the only consequence.

    These terms will be outlined in the contract.”

    They had said as much.

    If he refused again, it would be too embarrassing.

    No need to hesitate anymore.

    Gao Yi immediately replied, “I’ll take on the task.”

    “Good.

    I’ll set up the task now.

    Do you need help getting to Mexico?

    It would cost about three thousand dollars.

    I can assist, but you’ll be the one to pay.”

    He really did need that; it was just too convenient.

    Gao Yi couldn’t refuse.

    Appreciating the Gardener’s professionalism, Gao Yi didn’t hesitate and said, “That would be necessary, thank you.”