"Exactly five hundred thousand. Mr. Sam Li, I'll be waiting at the school gate at eight tomorrow morning."
For Nicole, five hundred thousand Dennies was already an outrageous amount.
But for Ellen, it was a bargain—if she'd asked her boss instead, it would've cost her at least three million.
With the payment made and the time agreed upon, Ellen glanced briefly at Nicole, who was busy counting the money, then at Sam Li. After a slight pause, she added, "And don't forget—if anyone asks, just say you're my brother."
With nothing more to say, Ellen turned and left Hare's House.
Once she was gone, Billy could no longer hold back his excitement.
"Five hundred thousand Dennies just to attend a parent-teacher conference? Nicole, we hit the jackpot!"
Anby murmured to herself,
"Ever since Sam Li joined, Hare's House has been earning more and more. We're headed toward a bright future."
"Told you Victoria Housekeeping was loaded. I wasn't wrong about them."
Then she suddenly frowned, clearly annoyed.
"Damn, I forgot to get her contact info. Sam Li, when you go to the conference tomorrow, don't forget to get Little Shark's number. If we could get more commissions , we'd never have to worry about money again."
Nicole loved this kind of commission—simple, safe, and absurdly well-paid.
If only there were more like that.
Just then, Nekomata's stomach growled loudly—it was mealtime, and she was clearly starving.
With a straight face, she said,
"That's just how us cats are—we can't stand being hungry, meow—"
"It's not just cats. Humans can't stand hunger either."
Nicole wiped the smile off her face.
"Quit rushing me. Keep it up and we're skipping ramen."
That shut Nekomata up immediately. She covered her mouth and kept quiet.
"Actually, I've decided—we're canceling the ramen plan. To celebrate this big commission, we're going to Lumina Square for a feast!"
Nekomata leapt with joy.
"Yes! I knew Nicole was the best, meow—!"
"Since Sam Li joined, Nicole's become a lot more generous. We've been eating out at Lumina Square more and more."
Before Sam Li joined Hare's House, Nicole would only splurge on a big meal once or twice a month.
But ever since he arrived, they'd been landing commission after commission—hundreds of thousands, even millions of Dennies.
Income had gone up, and Nicole's generosity had followed suit.
Billy, unable to wait any longer, rushed to lock the agency's front door.
Everyone crammed into Nicole's old secondhand car—it was a tight fit.
"Hey, Nicole," Billy asked, "with all the money we've made, when are we getting a new car?"
Nicole thought about it.
"Once we hit the big time. Then I'll buy a huge off-road vehicle—something that can climb mountains, ford rivers, and ram through Ethereals."
That afternoon, they enjoyed a hearty meal at Lumina Square.
While eating, they ran into Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, and a white-haired young peace officer. The three of them were at the table next to theirs.
Seeing the crew from Hare's House, Qingyi couldn't help but comment,
"Looks like you guys are really raking it in. You're out here eating every other day—so jealous!"
Seth, the young officer, nudged her.
"Hey, Qingyi, you come here every day yourself. Doesn't that make you even richer?"
Qingyi shook her head.
"Doesn't count. I've been saving for years to afford this lifestyle."
As they ate, Qingyi brought up the Mountain Lion Gang again.
They'd confirmed the gang was holed up in the old construction site in the Hollows—apparently scheming something.
She reminded Sam Li and the others at Hare's House to stay clear of that area unless absolutely necessary.
Sam Li nodded in acknowledgment.
Time flew by, and soon it was the next day.
As usual, Sam Li got up early.
He had just stepped outside Hare's House, birdcage in hand, when he saw the sun rising slowly, casting its light above Hollow Zero.
Under its glow, even the normally pitch-black Hollow Zero shimmered faintly with rainbow hues.
From behind him came Nicole's voice.
"Sam Li, don't forget your appointment with Ellen. You're due at the school by eight."
He checked the time—just before 7 a.m.
Taking advantage of the extra time, he stopped by Lumina Square for breakfast, then headed to the coffee shop on Sixth Street for a quick drink.
Before leaving, he put the bill on Hare's House's tab.
By the time it was close to 8, he got up, picked up the birdcage, and made his way to Ellen's school.
It wasn't far from Sixth Street.
Though it wasn't in the city center, the place was a true elite academy. Tuition alone cost millions per semester—only the privileged could attend.
When Sam Li arrived at the school gate, dressed in his usual vintage attire and carrying the birdcage, he immediately drew the attention of many students.
Then came a familiar voice behind him—impatient as ever.
"You're finally here. I've been waiting for two minutes."
Sam Li replied calmly,
"It's exactly eight."
Ellen smirked slightly.
"Not bad. Pretty punctual."
They walked into the campus together.
The school was massive, with all kinds of facilities and specialized buildings.
Everywhere you looked were well-dressed students and stylish young teachers.
As they strolled down one of the paths, Sam Li felt the energetic, cheerful atmosphere of the school.
It reminded him of his own student days—it felt light and nostalgic.
Ellen glanced at the birdcage and asked,
"You're here for a parent-teacher meeting, and you brought that?"
Sam Li answered flatly,
"Taking the bird for a walk."
"Well, I guess walking a bird is better than doing nothing."
When they reached the teaching building, Ellen was about to lead him inside—until several familiar voices called out from behind.
"Ellen, wait for us! We finally caught up!"
"Hey, you know there's a parent-teacher meeting today, right? Where's your parent?"
"If the teachers see you alone, they'll call your folks for sure…"
They were her classmates.
Ellen smiled and said,
"Let me introduce you. This is my guardian—or to be exact, my brother…"