# Chapter 7: Letter of Recommendation
The blazing sun hung high overhead, scorching the earth. With temperatures reaching thirty degrees Celsius, the pedestrians on the streets gradually thinned out.
Su Xiao walked along the street under the scorching sun. Pedestrians who approached him furrowed their brows, looking at him with some disgust.
He had already disposed of the carriage and sold the horse at a low price.
Counting the paper currency in his hand, Su Xiao sighed. This was a currency called Belly. Selling the horse had earned him one hundred thousand Belly, which sounded like a lot, but was actually only equivalent to about six thousand RMB in purchasing power.
Please don't overestimate this one hundred thousand Belly. Its purchasing power was far lower than imagined.
Su Xiao had already tested this. Buying a decent set of clothes cost eight thousand Belly, and having a full meal cost about nine hundred Belly.
He scanned his surroundings. After confirming no one was watching, Su Xiao slowly walked to a civilian house.
Though it seemed like a random choice, he had actually been observing this house for quite some time.
The house wasn't particularly tidy, but there were no climbing vines on the walls, indicating someone lived here and the facilities were complete.
The thin layer of dust on the doorknob suggested the owner didn't return to this house often, only occasionally. This was an excellent choice for temporary shelter.
As for why he didn't stay in places like inns or taverns, it was because those places were mixed with all sorts of people and could easily cause unnecessary trouble.
He had come to the One Piece world to complete a mission. Now, with only sixty-eight hours left on the mission timer, aside from what the mission required, he wouldn't interact with too many people.
Contacting too many people of unknown background = trouble = unknown danger.
After confirming once more that no one was around, Su Xiao took out some simple lock-picking tools.
"Click, click, crack~."
The door opened with a sound. Su Xiao had learned lock-picking techniques, and this crude lock from the One Piece world was child's play for him.
As if walking into his own home, Su Xiao entered the civilian house and then closed the door tightly.
After entering, just as he had expected, there was no one inside.
This was a house of over a hundred square meters. A photo hung on the wall, showing a man, a woman, and a little girl a few years old. From the sincere smile of the woman, it was clear this was a very happy family.
Su Xiao quickly stripped off his clothes and headed straight for the bathroom. Although his endurance was remarkable, the stench on his body was making him nauseous.
Clean water flowed down from above his head, washing away the dirt and odor. After changing into new clothes, Su Xiao felt completely refreshed.
Sitting on the sofa, a white treasure chest suddenly appeared in Su Xiao's hand.
[Treasure Chest (White) Yes/No to Open.]
He chose to open it, and the treasure chest in his hand silently opened. There was no brilliant light, not even any sound.
[You have opened the Treasure Chest (White) and obtained the following items:]
[Belly 500,000 (Can only be used in this world)]
[City Gate Guard Captain Rowen's Letter of Recommendation]
[Paradise Coins 100]
He had obtained only three items. The harvest wasn't abundant, but it wasn't bad either. After all, this was just a white treasure chest. According to the item ranking system of 'Reincarnation Paradise,' white treasure chests were the lowest grade.
He first put away the Belly. He wouldn't need this for now. Su Xiao picked up the letter.
[City Gate Guard Captain Rowen's Letter of Recommendation]
Quality: White
Type: Trigger-type Item
Rating: 5 (Item rating is the same as equipment rating. 1-10, the higher the rating, the more valuable the item.)
Description: This is a passionate letter of recommendation. Captain Rowen has abused his authority to recommend a thug from Windmill Village as a member of the guard. With this letter, anyone can become a member of the guard, provided they are male and have sufficient Belly in hand.
After reading the introduction of the letter in his hand, Su Xiao showed a pleased expression. This was exactly what he needed.
Since he couldn't directly assassinate that king, he at least needed to meet him. The difficulty of a Nightmare-level world mission couldn't be solved by brute force alone.
Su Xiao put all the items into his storage space and immediately left the civilian house.
First, he found a restaurant and had a full meal. After that, he began to pay attention to the patrolling guards on the streets.
The so-called guard should be the ones patrolling the streets and punishing petty thieves. Although their authority wasn't great, they were still a power department under the Goa Kingdom.
After tailing several guards, Su Xiao quickly found the location of the guard headquarters. It was a two-story office building, with two lazy-looking guards standing at the entrance.
Since Su Xiao had the letter of recommendation, he walked straight up.
"Stop right there. This is the guard headquarters. No trespassing."
A young guard had an arrogant attitude. After seeing Su Xiao's civilian attire, his tone became somewhat haughty.
"I'm the new guard..."
Su Xiao was about to say his name, but immediately realized that the name Su Xiao felt out of place in the One Piece world. His mind raced, and he continued.
"I'm the new guard, Bai Ye."
The young guard was stunned and looked Su Xiao up and down.
"Bai Ye? I haven't heard of any new recruit. You're not trying to sneak in..."
"Reese! Remember what the captain said before? Don't ask too many questions. Bai Ye, come with me."
Another, older guard glared at the young guard, 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 character. Following the older guard, he arrived in front of an office.
"Ahem~."
The older guard straightened his body, adjusted his appearance, and was about to knock on the door when a series of rapid panting sounds came from inside the room.
Su Xiao and the older guard exchanged glances, both understanding what was happening inside. The older guard lowered his hand and stood quietly to the side.
Knocking on the door at this time would obviously be inappropriate, as it would disturb the older guard's superior's enjoyment.
The older guard smiled apologetically at Su Xiao. Since Su Xiao was someone with 'special attention from above,' the older guard didn't want to offend him.
Su Xiao and the older guard walked to the side. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his chest and offered one to the older guard.
"Snap~." The cigarette was lit, and the two chatted casually in the hallway.
Although it was just a cigarette, it could establish some unreliable 'friendship.' Why not?
"You're really lucky, kid, to have 'attention from above.' Don't worry, someone has already put in a good word for you joining the guard. No problem at all. By the way, I'm Hank. We'll be colleagues from now on."
Su Xiao smiled modestly, but the emotion in his eyes remained unchanged.
"I'm Bai Ye. Pleased to meet you."
As he spoke, Su Xiao stuffed the remaining cigarettes in his hand into Hank's upper jacket pocket.
He was already considering whether the guard in front of him had any use. He knew nothing about the situation in the royal capital, and this person could be very valuable.
The smile on Hank's face noticeably brightened. Just then, a short, sharp grunt came from inside the room.
Both of them understood. It was time.
Hank waited a few minutes before knocking on the door.
"Who is it? Get the hell in here."
A rough voice came from inside the office.