Did this kid know what she was talking about?
He leaned back against the sofa, pondering.
A seven or eight-year-old girl had gotten his private contact info through some unknown channel, and the first thing she asked was, Will you place orders with me in the future?
Place an order? What kind of order? What was this career she was talking about?
Sui Ning made a bold guess.
Was her family in the WeChat business? Getting ready for live-stream selling?
He remembered that day in the restaurant, the father and daughter arguing over a pair of sunglasses for ages. The man's clothes were ordinary, and they certainly didn't look like a wealthy family.
It really is true that children from poor families grow up early.
Sui Ning sighed in his heart and typed a reply:
Sui Ning: [So you want to be a strong WeChat businesswoman in the future?]
If it was WeChat business, he did indeed have a lot of client resources he could introduce to her.
Among the people he knew, who hadn't had their social media feeds bombarded by WeChat sellers? One more or one less made no difference.
Sugar-Coated Bullet: [Pretty much. Can you support me in the future?]
Sui Ning didn't hesitate. Money was just a number to him anyway, and at the time, he genuinely thought she was quite cute, so he agreed.
Sui Ning: [No problem.]
After securing a potential long-term client, Shen Yi hugged her phone and excitedly rolled around on her bed a couple of times.
She rolled over, held the phone above her face, and sent another message:
Sugar-Coated Bullet: [It's a deal then, wait for me to grow up!]
Sui Ning: [Mm.]
Shen Yi turned off her phone in satisfaction and tucked it under her pillow.
Since she had decided to be an assassin, she definitely needed to make more friends and cast a wide net in the future.
...
After the mission was completed, they set off for home. Coming out of the airport, Wen Ya went her separate way from them.
Dad, where are we going? Shen Yi asked in confusion after parting ways with her mom.
Archive, Shen Sihang said. Taking you to see your future company.
Hearing this, Shen Yi silently tightened her grip on Shen Sihang's hand.
This was Shen Yi's first time going to the legendary gathering place for assassins.
It was also the first time she was going to meet that uncle she had only heard of but never seen.
Upon arriving at the destination, the first thing Shen Yi caught sight of were several striking grayish-white buildings in the distance. The logo lights on the roof were lit up with two words: Archive.
Clean and sharp, without any superfluous design, it looked just like an ordinary tech company.
There were people walking around inside.
Shen Yi noticed that everyone was dressed quite like normal earthlings.
Hoodies, jeans, sneakers. Some held coffee in their hands, some were wearing headphones and making phone calls.
If she didn't know what this place was for, Shen Yi would have thought it was no different from any internet company's industrial park.
The exterior featured grayish-white outer walls and dark glass curtain walls, while the interior boasted a spacious lobby. Shen Sihang led Shen Yi toward the elevator.
The twelfth floor arrived.
The elevator doors opened to reveal white walls on both sides. Every few meters there was a door with an acrylic sign hanging on it, displaying department names: Operations Department, Technology Department, Intelligence Analysis Center, Customer Relationship Management...
What a well-planned and orderly place...
Completely different from the assassin organization in her imagination.
In Shen Yi's imagination, it should have been a place reeking of blood, with various weapons hanging on the walls and skulls piled in the corners.
But the reality was white walls, carpets, sensor lights, access control systems, OA processes, weekly meetings, and KPIs.
Just like an ordinary office building.
Shen Sihang led her down the corridor and stopped in front of a door.
The automatic sensor door opened. Shen Yi peeked her head in, blinking, and looked at the current head of the Shen family.
Shen Sigui was a few years younger than Shen Sihang.
The temperaments of the two brothers were completely different.
Shen Sihang was harmless and lacked presence, whereas the other man gave off an exceptionally flamboyant vibe. Even his smile carried a lofty arrogance and elegance.
He stood up from his chair, moving very slowly. Hello, Shen Yi.
I am your uncle.
My name is Shen Sigui.
Though he said hello, he merely glanced down at her condescendingly. After greeting Shen Yi, he completely ignored Shen Sihang, treating his older brother like thin air.
Shen Sigui directly bypassed Shen Sihang, the guardian.
He seriously treated Shen Yi as a little adult and talked to her about joining Archive.
Shen Yi, have you really thought this through?
Shen Sigui sat in his chair, rocking it slightly, and emphasized, You should know what coming in here means. I am your uncle, but I won't give you any special treatment.
I am very busy.
He couldn't be bothered to manage the affairs of Archive.
Shen Yi: I really have thought it through, but Uncle—
Her voice was clear. I am still a student and I have to go to school. I can't go on business trips while I'm at school, but weekends and winter and summer vacations are fine. Does this count as part-time or full-time? May I ask if I will get social insurance and the housing provident fund when I grow up?
There was no helping it; being an assassin was also a job.
So as a wage earner, she definitely had to understand this.
Shen Sigui: ...
He raised his eyebrows imperceptibly.
Was this kid crazy from being poor? She was about to step into the assassin industry, yet she was still thinking about things like social insurance and the housing provident fund.
It was evident that Shen Sihang, this useless corporate slave, hadn't stopped muttering about it in Shen Yi's ear on a regular basis.
You can have it if you want, Shen Sigui said, clasping his hands together and resting his chin on them. So, Shen Yi, you can think of a codename now.
Hearing this question, Shen Yi clenched her fists and spoke without hesitation.
Grilled Sausage! Grilled Sausage!!
Her voice was crisp, carrying a resolute determination, as if she had been waiting her whole life for this very moment.
...
Shen Sigui's clasped hands tightened slightly for a moment.
He refused decisively, leaving no room for negotiation: No.
It sounded too awful.
Seeing her downcast expression, Shen Sigui calmly reminded her, ...The codenames for female assassins in Archive are generally chosen from the names of flowers.
If she dared to use Grilled Sausage as a codename, she would definitely never get any orders in the future.
Tell me, what client would feel at ease seeing an assassin named Grilled Sausage?
Calling out this codename would only make opponents or peers die of laughter.
At the thought of this, Shen Sigui's temples throbbed faintly.
How about I pick one for you?
Shen Yi really didn't have any talent for naming. Seeing her Grilled Sausage rejected, she slumped her shoulders dejectedly and answered softly, Okay.
From now on, you will work in the Ninth Group of Archive, Shen Sigui said slowly, assigning her to the Ninth Group, which had the most girls, the worst performance, and was the most leisurely.
Then he seriously observed this little niece.
The impression she gave him was that her eyes were clear and bright, she was highly organized, and she didn't lack courage. She was like a tiny seedling that had just broken through the soil, resilient and full of vitality.
Shen Sigui suddenly thought of a flower whose language would fit her perfectly. This flower was not delicate; it grew on the plateau, able to withstand the cold and endure the wind and frost.
The harsher the environment, the more vibrantly it bloomed.
Your codename will be—Kelsang Flower.
