# 625
Chapter 626: Do You Need a Job?
Looking at Lin Qiye standing there in a daze, Yuzuri Nana wore an expression of "I knew it."
What did I say?
With my Qiqi-ge's looks, he'd definitely be a top-tier host!
Lin Qiye looked at the middle-aged man with shining eyes before him and, after a moment of hesitation, asked:
"I don't quite understand. What exactly does this job require of me?"
"Don't worry, we're a very legitimate establishment." The man emphasized seriously once more. "Your job is just to normally serve tea and pour drinks for the guests, chat with them, listen to them vent their life frustrations, give them advice, and do your best to make them happy."
Lin Qiye nodded thoughtfully.
Serve tea and pour drinks, listen to their worries, then give them advice?
Sounds like a server who's also a part-time psychologist?
Setting aside everything else, Lin Qiye was at least a "highly experienced" doctor with years of experience treating mentally ill patients. Helping others work through their psychological issues wasn't difficult for him. What he excelled at most now was having deep conversations with patients about mental and psychological matters.
"What about the salary and benefits?" Lin Qiye asked.
Hearing this question, the man's eyes immediately lit up.
He knew Lin Qiye was tempted. Now the key was whether the salary could win him over. The man agonized for a while, then gritted his teeth and offered the highest salary he could afford. To keep Lin Qiye, he'd bleeding himself dry.
"Look, our income is mainly divided into these parts: entry fees, booking fees, and drink commissions. Among these..." The man grabbed paper and a pen from the neighboring table and began calculating for Lin Qiye.
"...So, if the store's foot traffic is average, you can earn at least 500,000 yen per month. If the place suddenly gets popular, there's no upper limit. You know, those truly top-tier hosts earn at least 5,000,000 yen every month."
As the man calculated money for Lin Qiye, he also painted a rosy picture.
Lin Qiye fell into contemplation.
For him, money wasn't a necessity, but without it, some things would be troublesome.
Setting aside everything else, without money, he couldn't take Yuzuri Nana out to eat, couldn't buy a train ticket to send her home, and couldn't let this girl keep following him into danger, could he? This wasn't Great Xia, and without the special squad's name backing him, many things were inconvenient. Sometimes using money to open doors was indeed an excellent choice. Like before in the taxi, if Lin Qiye hadn't directly bribed the driver with money, the driver might not have been so obedient in taking Yuzuri Nana away from the mountain bridge.
Another factor was the Kangawa family.
He'd angered the young master of the Kangawa family, and this young master just so happened to be a wielder of a Magatsu Blade. The Kangawa family must be frantically searching for him and Yuzuri Nana right now. If he were to break through the blockade with Yuzuri Nana at this time, it would inevitably cause a series of troubles, and things might end up with him having to fight his way out.
Lin Qiye didn't want to run. If possible, he wanted to find an opportunity to take care of Kangawa Tsukasa. Not only would it completely free Yuzuri Nana from danger, but it would also net him a Magatsu Blade... whether he could use it or not was a separate question, but at the very least, he could hold it and study it.
He was interested in sword spirits.
To kill Kangawa Tsukasa, he first had to wait for the man to show himself. Since Lin Qiye had nowhere to go anyway, if he could hide in this store while earning some money, that would be hitting two birds with one stone.
"Alright, but I have one condition." Lin Qiye thought for a long while before speaking.
"What condition?"
"Salary, I want daily payments." Lin Qiye said. "I won't be working here long-term. When the time is right, I'll leave directly."
When the time is right, he'll leave directly?
When the man heard this, an understanding expression appeared on his face.
Right, with his temperament and looks, he couldn't possibly stay in this small shop of his forever. Once he built up a reputation, he'd definitely go develop in Shinjuku... However, if he becomes famous later, this shop could also claim to have trained a top-tier host, which would be quite prestigious.
A golden opportunity must not be missed!
"Deal, I accept!" The man agreed without hesitation. "Tomorrow, you officially start work!"
...
Osaka.
A remote small noodle shop.
A young man in a black kimono covered in dust walked into the shop. His muddy wooden clogs had just touched the floor when he hesitated, then stepped back outside.
He stood outside the blue curtain, silently for a long while before slowly speaking:
"Boss, how much is your cheapest noodles?"
The owner, who had been sleeping with his head on the table, yawned. "Our noodle prices are pretty much the same, they're all written up there, read it yourself."
Amemiya Haruki looked up at the menu on the counter, silently swallowing.
"I'd like a pork bone vegetable noodle... without the pork bone, can I get a discount?"
The owner glanced at him weirdly, a look of disgust flickering in his eyes, but after thinking, he said: "Without the pork bone, I'll give it to you for 200 yen, but you take it out to eat, don't eat inside."
Amemiya Haruki opened his wallet, took a look, and his mouth twitched slightly.
"150 yen... is that okay?"
"...Fine, fine."
Hearing this, Amemiya Haruki breathed a sigh of relief. His hollow stomach growled again, the loud sound as if he hadn't eaten in days.
Seeing the owner walk into the back kitchen, Amemiya Haruki walked to outside the curtain, leaned against the wall of the noodle shop, and sat down on the ground, letting out a long sigh.
The silver-white storefront sign behind him reflected light, casting the surrounding environment. A figure in white clothes with white hair stood in the reflection behind Amemiya Haruki, overlapping with his silhouette, and spoke softly:
"You shouldn't have given him all that money."
Amemiya Haruki wasn't surprised by his appearance. He just sat there quietly, his eyes revealing a struggle.
"But... he said he was my ally." His voice carried a hint of helplessness. "Isn't it natural for allies to help each other?"
"But now you have no money yourself." The white-haired man continued. "The money you left for yourself is only enough to buy a train ticket to Nara, then you had to sprint all the way back to Osaka from there. If you hadn't found this 150 yen on the road, you wouldn't even be able to afford vegetable noodles."
"As long as this terminally ill country can be cured, going hungry a little is nothing."
"..." The white-haired man quietly gazed at Amemiya Haruki's back, saying nothing.
Soon, the noodle shop owner came out carrying a bowl of noodles and handed it to Amemiya Haruki outside the shop.
"Young man, eat up."
"Thank you."
Amemiya Haruki took the bowl and chopsticks, handing over the last 150 yen from his wallet to the owner. Looking at the plain vegetables and white noodles in the bowl, he swallowed and began devouring the food ravenously.
The owner held the 150 yen, watching Amemiya Haruki eat like a starving ghost, and let out a long sigh.
Then, as if thinking of something, after a moment of hesitation, he said to Amemiya Haruki:
"Kid, I know someone who's currently short-staffed... Do you want a job?"