Chapter 3.4 Payment agreement

After a day of rest after the previous job, in which Sirion had been baptized, they finally came for him. The boss wanted to see him to issue another task. Finn's office, as always, had an oppressive atmosphere. He was sitting at his desk, but this time not with a pile of papers. Leaning against the back of the chair, Finn was tossing a hunting knife between his hands, every now and then balancing the blade on his finger. An oppressive look passed over the boy's body, as if he had grown a second head. All this was due to the conversation started by the white-haired teenager when he entered the room. Finn was surprised by the impudence.

"I would like to talk about..." he hesitated, trying to find the words. "About payment for the work."

Finn looked up, his dark eyes flashing with interest, but his expression remained stony.

"Payment, you say?" he drawled, continuing to deftly twirl the knife in his hands. "Well, well, interesting. And what, you think you've earned it yet? - Sirion tensed, but tried to remain calm.

"I completed the task. On time. No problem. I thought I'd passed the test to become a full-fledged courier", - he said, looking Finn straight in the eyes. - "I think it's worth at least discussing."

Finn grinned, and the knife stopped in his hands, pointing straight at Sirion. His gaze ran over the boy's silhouette once more, this impudence he definitely liked, walking on thin ice. Everyone had a cup of patience, and it wasn't that Finn's was too deep. But he appreciated the directness and impudence in some of his charges, who did not cross the line and remained not too annoying.

"You've only just begun, boy. In Zaun, payment must be earned not only by the work done, but also by trust. And trust", - he narrowed his eyes, as if studying Sirion, - "is not bought so easily."

Sirion clenched his fists to contain his irritation. He could feel his back getting wet with sweat. He needed money now, if only to create things with the system. Stealing and picking up materials from the street forever was not an option, he had come to that conclusion yesterday. If it weren't for the system loading, he would have waited a few more days or weeks without asking for a salary, so as not to accidentally anger the Boss, a man who did not trust him and could kill him. But the longer he delayed, the slower his progress would be in the future. He needed a quick start, so that life would be easier later.

"I'm not asking for anything extra. Just what is due for the work done," he said reservedly. Finn leaned back in his chair and laughed shortly and hollowly.

"Okay, let's do it this way. You will get paid, but according to my rules." He leaned forward, his face almost level with Sirion's. — Complete one more task, and if you do it without a hitch, then we'll talk about money.

"What task?" — Sirion nodded, hiding his disappointment. Finn put the knife down on the table and reached out for one of the folders lying on the edge.

"Everything is in this envelope. But remember, boy", — his voice became low and threatening, — "if you decide to turn me in or fail, you'll have to pay for this "payment" with your skin." — Sirion took the envelope, trying not to show the doubts that were beginning to undermine his confidence.

"Got it", — he answered shortly, turned around and headed for the exit. When the door closed behind him, Finn picked up the knife again and continued to play with it, his lips stretched into a thin, predatory smile.

"Let's see, boy, what kind of man you are", — he muttered under his breath.

***

Sirion carefully opened the door and looked out into the hallway. No one. He stepped out, keeping a simple plan in mind: perform the tasks as carefully as possible, but do not forget to gather information. His next target was in another area of ​​Zaun, closer to the edge of the middle-class residential areas. This was the perfect chance to scout out where he could get useful materials for his future inventions.

He reached the elevator, where a small group of workers were already standing. They were all dirty, tired, with sour expressions on their faces. He needed to look the same, so as not to stand out. He took a couple of deep breaths and tried to give his face an indifferent expression. As the elevator creaked and began to rise, Sirion felt someone's eyes touch his shoulder. He did not turn around, but out of the corner of his eye he noticed that one of the workers was looking at him too intently.

"This is all I need," he thought. A man dressed in torn rags was looking at him with too much interest.

"Are you new there?" — the man standing next to him asked sharply. The stranger's face was covered in scars, and his gaze was cold as steel.

"Yeah", — Sirion answered shortly, trying not to meet his eyes.

"Newbies don't last long here, especially couriers", — the man muttered, and his voice died down in the noise of the elevator rising. — "I saw how Jerry trained you, so you're a courier. Couriers don't stay with the Boss for long, half of them die personally at his hands for big mistakes, some are in prison, well, those whom the Boss's people didn't kill there. He doesn't like rats, remember that."

"People here are not friendly. Not even that. Here, everyone sees each other as a potential threat or victim. You have to be careful.", — Sirion didn't answer. When the elevator reached the required level, he quickly left the cabin, trying not to turn around.

He checked the map. The task was relatively simple: deliver a small metal container to a house beyond the edge of the block. On the surface, it was a normal delivery. But Sirion knew that Finn was checking him out. Maybe even watching him through one of his men. Turning into an alley, Sirion quickened his pace. Here, in the narrow streets of Zaun, it was easy to get lost, but equally easy to get ambushed. He followed the route carefully, looking around along the way.

"Materials... We need to find something that can be used." - we need to combine the useful with the pleasant and perhaps hide something good in the inventory that is lying on the ground and no one needs. Moreover, he has not yet checked whether it is possible to put things in the inventory that are not materials for creation.

His gaze caught on a pile of metal trash by the wall. There were old pipes, some wires and parts from mechanisms lying around. It was just right to check on something from this. He approached the pile of scrap metal and tried to hide the broken metal piston.

"Analysis. The object is suitable. Metal piston (broken) - 1 unit moved to inventory."

It worked. The object that was not highlighted in yellow was successfully moved to the inventory. But it is considered a spare part, and will it be able to move something that cannot be created? His gaze fell on a banana peel a few meters away. He can test it on it.

"Analysis. Error. The object (banana peel) does not meet the system criteria."

"I see, so I will not be able to move everything with me... Only what meets the criteria of the Inventor System. But there is still one question, how deep and wide is the inventory?", - he continued to run his eyes over the pile of garbage.

Sirion looked over the pile of garbage and began to carefully select what, in his opinion, could be useful. His hands came across a piece of metal sheet covered in rust.

"Let's see how about this," he muttered under his breath, activating the system.

"Analysis. Subject fit. Metal sheet (rusty) - 3 units moved to inventory."

"Three units? So the size and condition of objects also affect how much space they take up. Good, that's good to know," he thought.

His gaze slid over the trash again. He noticed an old gear mechanism half buried in the dirt. Picking it up, he felt its weight and activated the system.

"Analysis. Subject fit. Gear mechanism (worn) - 5 units moved to inventory."

"It looks like heavier objects take up more space. Inventory, open." A window appeared before his eyes:

"Inventory:

Metal piston (broken) — 1 unit. Metal sheet (rusty) — 3 units. Gear mechanism (worn) — 5 units.

Max capacity: 50 units. Used: 9 units."

"Fifty units... That's a lot if you only take useful ones, but not enough if you try to carry everything around. You'll have to choose carefully."

His gaze swept over the pile again. He noticed a shiny piece of copper among the dirt. It was clearly a better material than what he had already found. Sirion picked it up and checked it through the system.

"Analysis. Subject is OK. Copper plate — 2 units moved to inventory."

"Excellent," he muttered, looking at the added item on the list. Now Sirion knew for sure: the inventory was not only limited, it required proper management. Dragging a bunch of scrap metal around with you was not an option. You had to take only the best.

"One more issue resolved. It remains to find out how I can use all these materials. But no big deal.", - He wiped his hands on his pants, stood up and looked around. - "I have to be careful that no one notices that I'm digging through the trash, otherwise they'll start asking questions. Although why am I kidding myself, this is Zaun, kids digging through trash is a common thing here, I think.", - He headed away, his head full of ideas, and his eyes aimed at the next resources.

Returning to the pile, he examined it more closely. Another glance at the inventory system showed that he had 39 units of free space. He found some copper wires, an old lamp, and a broken metal frame.

"Analysis. Objects are suitable.

- Copper wires - 2 units

- Old lamp - 4 units

- Metal frame (broken) - 7 units"

"Inventory is full at 24 out of 50 units. Good for now." - Sirion looked around before heading out again.

***

Sirion walked quickly, trying not to look back and keeping to the shadows. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, and his heart was pounding like it was about to burst out of his chest. A small group might not notice him, but he knew that one look in his direction would be enough to start asking questions.

"Finn certainly knows how to pick a place to check," he thought, feeling his shirt stick to his back.

His route led past old buildings with broken windows. Only occasionally did a lone person pass by, muttering something under their breath or carrying bags with unknown contents. No one paid attention to him, and that was good.

Sirion moved towards the indicated house, hiding his face under the hood. The narrow streets of Zaun were covered in a gray haze, preventing him from seeing anything more than a few meters away. The air was saturated with the acrid smell of chemicals and metal, irritating his nose. An alarming silence filled his ears, broken only by the distant rumble of machinery and the occasional footsteps of passersby.

When he reached the place, his heart began to beat faster. His gaze fell on the flag fluttering on the second-floor balcony. The green cloth with a white stripe was the symbol of one of the minor Zaun factions he had read about in his old materials. The faction was considered neutral, but its members were known for their ruthlessness towards anyone who dared to violate their borders.

"Finn is definitely testing me. If any of them notice me... it's all over."

He looked around. The narrow street was empty, the windows of the houses were dark, and only the flickering light of the lamps gave the picture at least a little life. However, the feeling of someone else's gaze did not leave him.

Slowly, as if trying to merge with the shadows, he began to climb the external metal stairs. Each movement echoed with a heaviness in his chest. The stairs creaked slightly under his weight, forcing him to freeze in place. The silence around him seemed too thick, as if the city was holding its breath.

The container with the package he was holding in his hands began to feel much heavier, as if reminding him of the risk. Finally, he reached the balcony. Sirion placed the container under the door, carefully, so as not to make any unnecessary noise. He checked several times that everything was done correctly, then quickly glanced down. No one. The street was still empty, but the tension did not let up.

"Everything is done. Now the main thing is to leave as quietly as I came.", - He began to descend, trying to step carefully so that the stairs would not creak anymore. When his feet touched the ground, he immediately headed for the exit from the street, still keeping to the shadows. His heart pounded loudly in his chest, his breathing was heavy.

Having reached a safe distance, Sirion allowed himself to slow down and look back. Making sure that no one was watching, he turned into one of the side streets. He still had to get back to Finn, but the first step was taken.