Chapter 17: A Well-Intentioned Lie
Xu Le looked at this pair of widowed mother and orphaned daughter, sighing inwardly once again.
He had previously considered various approaches and explanations for facing the mother and daughter, but in the end, he rejected all those ideas and excuses.
Zhou Ke was already dead. No matter what story he fabricated, it was impossible to bring him back to life.
The so-called well-intentioned lie, in the situation where this mother and daughter relied on each other for survival and lacked sufficient abilities themselves,
Could potentially become the trigger for disaster.
That was not what Zhou wanted, nor would it fulfill Zhou's last wishes.
He didn't kill the man, but Xu Le did, and he was now Xu Le.
So... he chose to tell the truth.
"You've probably guessed it. Yes, Mr. Zhou Ke encountered Ancient Yin Duo anomalies while out and unfortunately passed away."
"You're lying. The old man might have been a bit rotten, but... he was especially tough.
It's not possible, definitely not possible.
You're talking nonsense. Get out, get out of here."
Zhou Tingting's emotions were extremely agitated at this moment. Upon hearing of her father's death, she didn't seem as indifferent as before.
Due to her age, rebelliousness, and some ideological conflicts, she had said those things earlier.
But in fact, Zhou Tingting had very strong feelings for Zhou Ke.
"I'm sorry, but I can't deceive you about Mr. Zhou Ke's unfortunate incident.
Zhou Ke died heroically. His death will be remembered!"
Xu Le added in his heart,
"It will be remembered by me."
Hearing Xu Le state it so definitively, Zhou Tingting also began to cry silently.
The mother and daughter hugged each other tightly. Their only support in this world had disappeared.
What they would face next was not just a difficult life,
But also the wolf-like environment of the lower city district after losing the protection of a man.
Xu Le was very clear about this point, and he knew that this was also Zhou's final concern.
This should be Zhou's last wish.
Xu Le understood even more that at this time, he should play the role he had predetermined for himself well.
"I apologize. Although I know you are very grieved right now, I still need to interrupt. I haven't finished speaking."
Zhou Tingting wiped her tears with her sleeve.
The previously rebellious and wayward girl quickly composed herself after learning of her father's passing.
Perhaps this was the fate of children in the lower city district.
After losing their support and protection, they needed to grow up quickly.
Otherwise, in an environment like the lower city district, the mother and daughter would be devoured until not even bone fragments remained.
Zhou Tingting had always known these things, but Zhou Ke's existence had given her some buffer room.
Now that Zhou was dead, she had to be strong.
"Alright, if there's anything else, go ahead and say it."
Xu Le confirmed Zhou Tingting's emotional state, then spoke somewhat formally:
"In view of Mr. Zhou Ke's heroic actions and assistance to Lighthouse personnel,
Our company will, within 30 working days, implement management measures for the families of sacrificed personnel, relocating the residence to an area near the moat, standard room.
Within 45 working days, we will deliver the due compensation to Mr. Zhou Ke's family, 7,500 yuan.
Death insurance payment, 625 yuan, totaling 8,125 yuan."
"So much?" The mother and daughter exclaimed in unison.
As a security guard, Zhou Ke's salary was 25 yuan per month, which was 300 yuan a year.
This salary was already very good in the Lighthouse lower city district, definitely enough to support a family.
But Zhou Ke wanted Zhou Tingting to attend Lighthouse University, and salary alone was certainly not enough, which was why he went out.
Normal compensation would be considered good if it covered 2-3 years, and some companies don't even provide it.
Not to mention the seemingly outrageous number of 8,125.
This was almost equivalent to 27 years of Zhou's salary, which is why the mother and daughter were so surprised.
"Is what you're saying true?" Zhou Tingting asked uncertainly.
Xu Le's response was to take out a pair of white gloves, then make a gesture of invitation.
"If there are no issues, please give me a strand of hair from each of you."
Xu Le's expression was somewhat indifferent and distracted, and he didn't explain the reason for this action.
Although the mother and daughter found it a bit strange, they didn't raise any questions.
Needing hair sounded like something a Mage would require, and perhaps only a Mage would compensate so much money.
Xu Le took the hair from the two women and wrapped it in white cloth.
"Alright, once I return the hair, the contract will be officially established.
If there's nothing else, then I'll take my leave!"
He was about to leave, counting down in his mind:
"3, 2, 1."
"Wait, when can we receive this money?" Zhou Tingting called out to him.
Xu Le stopped. This reaction was normal, meaning the mother and daughter didn't suspect him.
After all, for poor people, money might not be the most important thing, but it was definitely indispensable.
Xu Le turned around, taking off his white gloves while saying:
"Normally, you should be able to relocate within 30 working days, and as for the compensation, it should take 45 working days to be delivered.
Large companies operate more complexly, I hope you can understand.
If there are no other questions, then I'll be going."
"Then, Mr. Xu Le... take care."
Xu Le nodded and left without lingering.
Under the gaze of the mother and daughter, Xu Le tossed the white gloves on the ground with apparent impatience.
As if coming to their home was somewhat of a boring matter.
His figure gradually receded, eventually disappearing from the mother and daughter's sight.
...
After turning several corners, Xu Le leaned against a wall, somewhat exhausted.
"It seems everything went smoothly?"
False, it was all false. There was no company, no compensation, and no insurance.
The disdainful expression, the indifferent attitude, were all acted out.
Everything Xu Le said was fabricated, made up. He had to do this because he wanted to fulfill Zhou's last wish.
To fulfill the wish, he had invented all of this.
But fabrication is not deception, and he didn't intend to deceive, so he had to complete the relocation of the mother and daughter within 30 working days.
And complete the distribution of 8,125 yuan in compensation within 45 working days.
Actually, to accomplish this task, it could be said to be both difficult and not so difficult.
The best strategy would be to become a Mage, solving everything at once.
The second-best strategy would be to seek Bai Jing's help, as she should have noticed his abilities.
The last resort would be to find a way to extract an Ancient Yin Duo fruit from the Soul Tree and sell it, which would provide the money.
The best method was definitely to become a Mage.
And this was what he planned to do next.
Xu Le took out the medal and murmured:
"Old Zhou, your last wish..."
Before he could finish the last few words, Xu Le felt a surge of heat.
This heat entered Xu Le's body, making him clench his fist involuntarily.
Although there was some self-doubt, Xu Le still felt it.
His strength was increasing! His body became lighter, and his observational skills began to sharpen.
The medal was changing.
When Xu Le focused his gaze on the veteran's medal, its attributes had already undergone a transformation...
(End of Chapter)
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