Your salary will be tripled

Meika didn't feel scared at all; on the contrary, she suddenly felt a sense of familiarity with him, as if the person standing there was her relative.

However, that feeling was quite faint, not very clear, but enough for Meika to notice it.

"I… feel like you look very familiar." Meika suddenly said, "As if... I've met you somewhere before."

Negut tilted his head and replied, "Perhaps."

He believed what Meika had just said. After all, her family used to be one of the great

families, so it was understandable that he and she had met before.

However, the memories he had 'digested' from the 'old Negut' were too few; he couldn't even remember clearly the events that had happened recently.

As for things that happened when he was a child, he definitely couldn't remember them.

"Thank you…" Meika continued, her hands clutching the blanket tightly, "Thank you for helping me so much."

Negut shrugged and replied, "No, I'm just giving you the opportunity, not helping you. You are the one who is helping yourself."

"You've worked hard enough, but you should also take some time for yourself."

"After all, we should love ourselves a little, right?"

Negut didn't feel that his words had any loopholes. After all, he had only given the order to help Meika yesterday, so perhaps what he had helped with wasn't much.

After carefully reviewing her file, he knew clearly… how hard this girl had tried.

A petite girl… even an ordinary person, surviving in this dangerous world was already an extremely dangerous thing.

She also had to earn money to cover all her expenses, even paying for that bastard Alec's tuition.

Therefore, Negut knew how hard Meika had worked to carry both her living expenses and Alec's tuition on her shoulders.

Meika was startled when she heard that; suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes uncontrollably.

"Heh?! You… I… did I say something wrong?" Seeing Meika crying like rain, Negut immediately asked worriedly.

Meika's lips trembled, then she pursed them tightly, not knowing what to say.

She suddenly recalled the time she had lived with Alec. Those words… Alec had never said them to her, instead, it was always...

"Meika, have you received your salary yet? How much? Can you give me half?"

"Meika, you are my only sister. Take care of me now, and later, I will let you enjoy a happy life."

"Meika, I am a Survivor, I need to spend a lot more than ordinary people."

"Meika…"

"Meika…"

"Meika…"

Meika bit her lip, feeling as if the one who understood her the most was not Alec but Negut.

It was funny, the person she thought was her family, the person she would rely on, the person she trusted the most, didn't actually understand her.

As for Negut, the person she had never met, this was even the first time they had talked to each other. Yet he understood her, he said the words that Alec had never said to her.

Alec had never asked her how hard and tiring work was for her.

Negut was different, she thought he had been helping her all these years, but he didn't deny her efforts.

On the contrary, he even said that... he was just giving her the opportunity, and she was the one who had seized those opportunities and worked hard.

Meika's tears rolled down her cheeks and onto the blanket beneath her.

Meika shook her head slightly, "No, it's just... I just feel like... you seem to understand me very well."

Negut: "..."

'Of course, I understand you very well. I even know you very well. What you don't know, I know all about it.'

'It's just… ah! Forget it; I can't say it out loud, or else you'll probably hate me to the point of wanting to chop me into pieces.'

He sighed and said, "Alright, you should get some rest. As for Alec, I'm sorry… I can't help him."

Meika pursed her lips and nodded slightly. "I know that what he did was wrong and that that's his punishment. It's just… I just feel a little heartbroken."

"After all, he is my only family, now that he is in jail, I… I don't know what to do next."

Negut shrugged and said, "Just live as usual, do the things you normally do, do the things you want to do, or haven't been able to do."

"At least, now you can pay attention to yourself a little instead of living for someone else."

"Pay attention to myself?" Meika murmured, "I… I…"

Negut felt a headache coming on. He had no experience in love, nor did he have any experience in giving advice, so now he didn't know what to say that would be appropriate.

"Negut… you… can you give me your contact information?" Meika said hesitantly, "If… if you find it troublesome then…"

"Okay!" Negut replied, acting as if it wasn't a big deal.

He took out his phone and exchanged contact information with Meika. To him, both of them were just 'adding' each other on a normal messaging app.

"Whenever you feel sad or need my help, just message me." Negut shook his phone in front of Meika.

She nodded slightly and said shyly, "Uhm! But…"

"Hm?!"

"What I mean is…" Meika hurriedly said, "You… you don't have to help me too much. I… I can…"

Negut tilted his head and looked at Meika, frowning, thinking about something, then said, "Meika, do you want to go to school?"

"Ah!" Meika was startled, not understanding what Negut meant, "What do you mean? I… I already graduated."

"No!" Negut shook his head and said, "What I mean is… do you want to go to the Survivor Academy?"

"Heh?! Survivor Academy?" Meika was surprised, her eyes wide as she looked at him, "But… I… I am not a survivor; I am just an ordinary person."

Negut frowned, looked at Meika for a long time, and then said, "Alright, don't mind what I just said. You rest first, if you need anything, just message me."

After he finished speaking, he left without giving Meika time to say goodbye.

The door closed, and Meika breathed a sigh of relief; however, her face was still flushed and hot, as if she had a fever.

'Why do I feel so comfortable and familiar when I'm around him?'

Meika wondered inwardly.

'Could it be… that I like him? No! That's not liking, besides, I just met him for the first time.'

'What exactly... is this feeling?'

Meika shook her head, looking outside through the window. However, at this moment, her eyes were filled with the light of life, as if she had been revived.

Negut also let out a sigh after going outside. Before meeting Meika, he wanted to ask for more information about Alec.

However, when he saw her, he really didn't want to bring it up.

He had a feeling that Meika was a fragile girl, like a glass full of water hanging by a thread.

Just a gentle breeze could shatter that glass into countless pieces.

She gave him the feeling that he wanted to cherish her, to protect her.

Therefore, he didn't want to bring up Alec because he knew that the person who had caused her to be hospitalised due to shock and fainting was Alec.

Moreover, Negut asked Meika whether she wanted to study at the Survivor Academy because he knew one thing clearly... If Meika was the female lead, she couldn't possibly be an ordinary person.

And since Meika came from that family, she couldn't possibly be an ordinary person either.

She was definitely a Survivor, it's just... maybe she hadn't discovered her talent yet.

Or maybe because…

Negut thought of a reason, but he immediately dismissed it.

He didn't think Alec's parents could be that cruel.

'Maybe her talent is like Alec's, a hidden talent that requires certain conditions to be met before it can be unlocked.'

Negut sighed, then walked outside. In the waiting area, he saw Uncle Wells talking to a man named Billy.

They also saw Negut, hurriedly walked up to him, bowed their heads, and said, "Young Master!"

Negut nodded slightly, looked at Billy, and said, "Tell me… what exactly did you do?"

His words were laced with a chill that sent shivers down Billy's spine.

He hurriedly recounted everything he had done, including how he had wanted to take Meika for himself from the moment he had met her.

To Billy, Negut was God. And to God, he dared not lie, let alone disrespect.

As long as Negut willed it, Billy would instantly evaporate from this world, leaving no trace behind.

After Negut listened, he knew that Meika had probably misunderstood that he had been helping her for a long time.

However, that was fine. At least, Meika would tell him a few more pieces of information about Alec.

But… Negut looked at the notification panel from the system and let out a sigh.

Billy, seeing Negut sigh, trembled, thinking to himself, 'Young Master sighed… Why? Could it be... did I do something wrong?'

"Young Master…" Billy hastily spoke, wanting to explain something, but Negut cut him off.

"Currently, how much is your salary?"

"Ack!" Hearing Negut ask, Billy was taken aback, then tried to compose himself and replied, "10 'Energy Crystals' of Rank D and 1 of Rank C per month, along with 50,000 credit points."

Negut nodded slightly and said, "Currently, I want to exploit a new safe zone, so I want you to go there."

"You are free to operate as you please, moreover, you can bring your entire family. Your salary will be tripled, leave today."

Billy: "..."