It had been less than three days since becoming the manager of the club. Yet, when Xavi stepped through the portal from his home to the club again, a sense of comfort as familiar as being at home made him marvel in amazement. <br><br>You Ye, holding a set of clothes in both hands, was already waiting at the spot where he usually appeared. <br><br>Hmm… this doll maid had quite the eye for the details. <br><br>Every manager of the club should carry the demeanor of one. Since elegance and erudition couldn't be immediately expected, at the very least, attire should be somewhat fitting. <br><br>Although Xavi didn’t feel there was anything wrong with wearing casual clothes, seeing how strongly You Ye was attached to this matter, he decided to comply. <br><br>Black, in the end, hides many things and gives off a mysterious vibe. Standing at 1.76 meters tall, Xavi donned the single-breasted blazer-style black overcoat prepared by You Ye. Beneath it was a long linen shirt with a square collar, also black, paired with a gold long necklace. This ensemble brought out a style that matched the club's vibes. <br><br>Of course, under You Ye’s insistence, Xavi even styled his usually untidy hair into a slicked-back look. <br><br>Hmm… it felt like he added a few years of life experience all of a sudden. As the saying goes, clothes make the man. <br><br>After tidying up his outfit in front of the mirror, Xavi prepared to go downstairs to meet the guest while listening to You Ye’s preliminary briefing on the new visitor. <br><br>When You Ye mentioned that the new guest might be a demon who had only recently taken form, Xavi almost missed a step and tumbled down the staircase. <br><br>Well, he held onto the railing and managed to descend with some composure in the end. <br><br>He remembered that as long as the manager of the club did not die, there was nothing to fear even from a demon. This curious realization led him to become more intrigued by the idea of meeting one. <br><br>Were demons as mysterious and handsome as they were depicted in movies, even more so than the manager of the club himself? <br><br>...... <br><br>Reality, many times, turns out to be extremely realistic. <br><br>When Xavi confirmed that the figure before him could indeed move, his understanding of what a demon was underwent a reevaluation. <br><br>Hunched back, dressed in a ragged black outfit, with a shabby hat obscuring either side of the face. Likely wearing a disposable mask bought from a corner pharmacy and sunglasses covering its eyes. <br><br>Even the hands were gloved in the kind of white work gloves typically seen on construction sites. It even wore a scarf… <br><br>There wasn’t the slightest bit of exposed skin visible. Although its appearance was peculiar, it didn’t exceed Xavi’s psychological tolerance. <br><br>“Hello, I’m the manager here. May I ask how I can assist you?” <br><br>Courtesy towards guests was clearly stated in the ‘manual for the manager of the club.’ Therefore, Xavi smiled and broke the silence. <br><br>“I, heard, legend, here, anything, buy, unexpected, true, exist.” <br><br>The voice was hoarse as if the vocal cords had been burnt, and the words were disconnected and unclear. It spoke haltingly. <br><br>Yet, Xavi understood: the guest must have learned about the club from somewhere, became curious, and decided to search for it, eventually finding this place. Hence, the astonishment. <br><br>“How should I address you, guest?” Xavi asked with a smile. <br><br>At this moment, You Ye brought in two cups of floral tea, though the guest seemed disinclined to touch it. Xavi thought, somewhat regrettably: Seems like I won’t get a chance to see what they look like. <br><br>“No name.” The bizarre figure shook its head, “Anything, you.” <br><br>Xavi instinctively glanced at You Ye beside him, only to find the doll maid with her hands lightly clasped, her gaze steady, waiting for instructions. Unlike when she first met Gold Fortune, this time, You Ye remained entirely passive. <br><br>Xavi figured it must have been explained to her that after outlining the essentials a club manager needed to know, she refrained from overstepping her bounds. <br><br>“Let’s discuss this guest’s request.” Xavi pulled out a chair opposite the guest and sat down. Knowing that there were many things he didn’t understand as a fresh start for a new leader, he decided to get straight to the point. “What do you want, and what is your trade offer?” <br><br>“Tomorrow, night, is, important, time. Enemy, one, protect, me. One, night, enough.” <br><br>Still as disconnected as before. <br><br>Buyers Club 66 claimed to be capable of providing anything. Naturally, protection services fell within its scope. <br><br>Xavi thought for a moment and said, “You can stay here until you feel safe enough to leave. We have spare rooms available for you.” <br><br>“No, must, outdoors.” <br><br>Xavi furrowed his brows. “The guest mentioned an enemy pursuing you and that you only need protection for one night, tomorrow night. Is that correct?” <br><br>“Yes.” <br><br>“Please elaborate on your enemy,” Xavi said calmly. “Since the guest knows about this place, you should understand some rules.” <br><br>“Mantis, one hundred, twenty years, me, cannot, contend.” <br><br>Xavi looked at You Ye again. This time, You Ye stepped closer, whispering in his ear, “A mantis demon that has lived for 120 years is considered an undeveloped minor demon in the Eastern regions. It lacks significant power and can be handled or eliminated with relative ease.” <br><br>So… You Ye was suggesting she could easily deal with a 120-year-old mantis demon? <br><br>The principle of equivalent exchange applied: the higher the value of the request, the greater the price of the trade. <br><br>Knowing of the demon existence in the world, Xavi was not yet familiar with the demon community. He didn't know how to extract more information from this guest to satisfy his curiosity. Perhaps it would be better to ask You Ye about this later. <br><br>Moreover, if Xavi couldn't handle a minor demon described by You Ye as undeveloped, this new guest might be the equivalent of a ‘pauper’ in the demon community. <br><br>“What is the trade offer?” Xavi asked, carefully leading the conversation. “The guest should know that we will deal with an enemy you cannot handle. You’re asking for protection, meaning you’re buying the safety of your life.” <br><br>“This, this.” <br><br>The figure carefully reached into its oversized black outfit and pulled out a bundle wrapped in newspaper. <br><br>Unwrapping it revealed a white jade tablet, one finger long, three fingers wide, and one finger thick, narrowing toward the bottom. <br><br>The guest seemed to hold this piece of jade in great reverence, placing it on the table and slowly pushing it towards Xavi. <br><br>Xavi extended his hand, hovering it over the jade tablet. <br><br>...... <br><br>After completing his first trade, Xavi realized that it wasn’t just about extending his lifespan. For instance, he acquired a sort of appraisal ability. <br><br>This ability seemed to grow stronger with each trade. For now, he could only determine the following: <br><br>——Enigmatic jade <br><br>——Further appraisal requires 20 days of lifespan <br><br>——Offering it can grant 70 days of lifespan <br><br>Hmm… so that’s it. The appraisal ability is not strong but can be enhanced further for a price. <br><br>This small piece of jade was worth more than twice the value of Gold Fortune’s 33 lives.")
