Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

Liu Xingmo turned around and looked directly into Liu Huimin's eyes: "You seem very interested in my private affairs? What? Could it be that you're interested in me?"

"How could that be!" Liu Huimin shouted, her face flushed.

"I thought so too." Liu Xingmo waved his hand dismissively. "Let's get to work! It's going to be two more days of heavy workload."

"Ugh!" Liu Huimin gritted her teeth, roughly pulled out her chair, and sat down at her desk.

The girl recalled her earlier words and the young man's behavior. Regret and resentment swirled within her.

She picked up her pen, and as soon as she started writing, she tore the paper. She didn't even notice what she had written until she looked down and realized it was a man's name.

Her thin shoulders trembled slightly.

Xu Wenting watched this scene and nodded towards Liu Zhili.

Liu Zhili frowned and shook her head slightly.

Liu Xingmo noticed the actions of the male and female employees: "You two, stop making faces here! Let me make this clear, our newspaper does not encourage office romances, it's too inefficient."

"Sizzle—!"

It was the sound of a pen nib tearing through paper, coming from Liu Huimin's desk.

Liu Xingmo was somewhat depressed.

Did I upset this girl? Sure enough, a mature and composed reincarnated person like me is completely out of step with young people.

However, there should be rules in the workplace. Even if someone gets in through connections or is a relative of a leader, they still need to produce decent results.

In the office, the four people had different thoughts.

The stained glass windows were pushed open, and the crisp autumn air washed away the stuffiness inside the room.

The red pine floors and white oak walls, warmed by the sun, exuded a deep woody aroma.

Liu Xingmo put aside all distractions and wrote furiously, immersing himself in the story.

Sunlight streamed onto the desk, making the draft paper dazzlingly white, the pen nib gleaming silver, and the half-empty ink bottle beside it sparkling with clear glass.

Liu Xingmo wrote a bright and sunny story.

The desk closest to his position was Liu Huimin's desk.

The girl was filled with frustration and had nowhere to vent it.

She could only write two lines before she could stop, and she would hunch over in her chair, looking around.

She couldn't help but glance at her neighbor by the window; the man was writing a story.

His expression was so focused, as if the world he was drawing was the most beautiful work of art, requiring his whole heart to forge and polish it.

Sunlight illuminates the white manuscript paper, and a hand with prominent veins grips the fountain pen, dancing in the white light and leaving behind a magnificent black trail.

Her distress gradually dissipated, leaving only peace in her heart.

……

The second day of sales went quite smoothly.

People who never bought newspapers before stopped Liu Xingmo, the newspaper deliveryman, and handed over an iron coin in exchange for three and a half large pages of paper covered with writing.

Unfortunately, it didn't contain what they were looking for.

The spy incident, which started in Luohua Lane and triggered citywide unrest, was kept secret.

The rumors circulating among the people have gone further and further astray.

While resting at the restaurant, Liu Xingmo overheard something that made him break out in a cold sweat.

The storyteller, with meticulous planning and a masterful trap, reaps the rewards from spies with ulterior motives...

The storyteller, a womanizer, seduced the tavern owner with sweet words. The bookstore owner, unable to win her heart, betrayed the entire village in despair and resentment, only to be casually dealt with in the end…

Rumors are flying everywhere and can't be stopped.

Liu Xingmo could only eat in silence.

I'm just a newspaper seller, what do you take me for?

After a long day at work, I returned to the library.

The four of them divided the money and began to plan their tasks for the following week.

Liu Huimin interviews the news in Midtown, Liu Zhili investigates the incidents in South Village, North Village and East Town, and Xu Wenting inquires about policy adjustments in her hometown...

Liu Xingmo's job is simple: just figure out Xizhen. He can spend a few hours each week chatting with his fourth uncle, and that should be enough.

"Is it okay if this week is the same as usual?" Liu Xingmo confirmed.

Xu Wenting frowned: "I have something to report. This year's grand hunt is coming. The announcement will be released tomorrow, preparations will begin the day after, and it will officially start the day after that."

"What?" Liu Xingmo's face lit up with joy. "I just broke through to the next level, I absolutely have to participate this year!"

Liu Huimin chimed in happily, "Really? President, your cultivation is so fast! You've already reached the fourth level, right?"

Liu Xingmo nodded: "Pretty much. I'm going to take this opportunity to capture contracted beasts. What about you?"

"I want to go too..." Liu Huimin said with a bitter face, "but there's too much trouble in the library, and I have to clean up the mess for the old man."

Liu Zhili patted her sister's shoulder: "You can't say that. Opportunities to show your face in front of the manager are rare. If we perform well, we can get an official position in the future."

"What kind of official position? I don't want to be stuck in a hole all day! Our work at the newspaper is tough, tiring, and mentally taxing. Sometimes we get yelled at, and even pranked..." Liu Huimin trailed off, a look of confusion on her face. "Huh? Come to think of it, what kind of lousy job is this! I've been doing it for three years!"

Xu Wenting gave a wry smile: "I also need to go out for a bit. Huimin, Zhili, next week's work depends on you two."

"Help! How am I supposed to finish this?" Tears welled in Liu Huimin's eyes as she looked pitifully at Liu Xingmo. "President, you'll be back soon, right? The Great Hunt lasts ten days. You'll definitely be able to catch your contracted beast beautifully within three days—no, two days—and then come back, right?"

"Well, this matter needs careful consideration..." Liu Xingmo turned his head away, unable to meet the girl's watery eyes. "I'll finish writing the novel and leave it for you. As for the rest... Huimin, believe in yourself! You can do it!"

"Ah—! This is going to kill me!" Liu Huimin collapsed to the ground, feeling utterly powerless.

……

Liu Xingmo returned home, his heart filled with joy.

The annual grand event, the Great Hunt!

With hundreds of thousands of people in the city, many break through to new limits every year, requiring new contracted beasts.

At this time, most of the elders, stewards, and instructors would set out to drive away the wild beasts and clear out a safe area.

It is said that even the mysterious and unpredictable Mountain Goddess will emerge from seclusion to silently protect her descendants.

In short, this is one of the few days throughout the year when it is safe to leave the city.

Families with better means would prepare everything and go out of town together to capture their desired contracted beasts among the insects, fish, birds, and animals that roam the mountains and fields.

Poor families rely on this time to scavenge unwanted prey and gather firewood from the mountains and forests to survive the winter.

Liu Xingmo's excitement was unlike anything else.

He could take this opportunity to have Bao Hei get rid of bad luck and use luck to perform a divination.

What good things will I get?

Purple Ganoderma?

A century-old ginseng?

Thousand-year-old He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum)

It's exciting just thinking about it.

It is worth noting that this large-scale hunt came too suddenly; normally there would be more time to prepare.

It is likely that the targets of the capture are not limited to wild animals, but also include traitors who have fled into the mountains.

In short, be careful.