2: Second-level assassin

Xie Yu didn't hide anything and replied, "His older brother is called Zhao Jian. In the years when the legal system wasn't so robust, he was already messing around on the streets, dredging sand, collecting protection money, loan-sharking—specializing in all those shady businesses. He amassed quite a fortune. In recent years, with stricter controls, Zhao Jian started to pivot, moving into construction and the entertainment industry. You know that Golden Sand nightclub in our city, right? That's Zhao Jian's business. The guy has a lot of people under him. Even though his younger brother is useless, you crippled him. Zhao Jian definitely won't let this go. So, Brother Yang, you need to be extra careful on your end."

After listening, Qin Yang nodded while expressing his gratitude, "Thanks, Brother Xie. If it weren't for you, I'd really have thought that Zhao guy had backed down. Looks like I underestimated the opponent."

"Don't mention it. I've had it with Zhao Dong (the Zhao manager) for a long time anyway. That damned gambler has skinned us laborers more than once. If it weren't for his older brother, that punk would've been dealt with long ago," Xie Yu replied.

Then, Qin Yang asked Xie Yu to help him find more work. Xie Yu readily agreed. Only then did the two hang up the phone.

Qin Yang certainly felt the pressure from Zhao Jian. The man had fought for decades in H City to achieve his current wealth and status, something Qin Yang, a greenhorn just starting out, simply couldn't compare to. Of course, Qin Yang wasn't exactly scared either. Because Qin Yang understood that the greatest fairness God gives mankind is that everyone has one life. And Qin Yang, with the infinite death warrior system, wasn't afraid of a fight to the death.

Immediately after, Qin Yang called his landlord and rented ten more rooms in the building he was living in. Almost all the apartments in this building were for rent, mostly to migrant workers. So each room was roughly the same size, with a monthly rent of five hundred. One room could comfortably fit about four people. Ten rooms could house fifty or sixty people, enough for the system to refresh a month's worth of Death Warriors. The rent required one month's deposit and two months' payment upfront, which used up three-quarters of the money Qin Yang had earned yesterday.

Looking at his deflated WeChat balance, Qin Yang had only one thought: two words—make money!

Fortunately, Xie Yu came through, arranging several daily-paid jobs. The pay per job wasn't as high as yesterday's, but there were more of them. So, Qin Yang took the Death Warriors and got to work.

Meanwhile, in a special care ward at H City People's Hospital, Zhao Dong was tearfully recounting the injustice he had suffered to a stern-faced man.

"Damn it! For six thousand bucks, you end up like this? Aren't you ashamed? I'm ashamed for you!" Zhao Jian glared at Zhao Dong, his face dark with anger, scolding him for being such a disappointment.

"Brother, I never thought they'd actually dare to lay a hand on me! And they were so ruthless!" Zhao Dong whined.

"Forget it. Have you found out who the other party is? Any background behind them?" Zhao Jian took a deep breath and asked.

"No. My limbs were broken, I went straight into surgery after arriving at the hospital, got anesthesia. I only woke up right before you came," Zhao Dong shook his head.

"Useless!" Zhao Jian shot Zhao Dong a glare, then turned to a young man beside him. "Xiao Ning, go find out who the other party is. Those who dare to touch my brother, Zhao Jian, are either reckless fools or seasoned players. Check their background thoroughly. If we've kicked an iron plate, I'll accept it. But if not... hmph, my brother isn't someone to be messed with so easily!"

"Yes, Boss Zhao. I'll go right now," the young man named Xiao Ning replied immediately.

Zhao Jian waved his hand dismissively.

In the blink of an eye, five days passed.

During these five days, Qin Yang led the Death Warriors, constantly moving between various residential complexes across H City. As the number of Death Warriors kept increasing, the money in Qin Yang's hands also kept growing. Because the Death Warriors worked so efficiently, Qin Yang had now become Xie Yu's go-to contractor. Xie Yu found the jobs, Qin Yang led the team to do them. The relationship between the two grew closer.

Ding! Three thousand yuan received via WeChat!

At an apartment complex, Qin Yang and four Death Warriors had just finished the afternoon job and gotten paid.

Qin Yang immediately opened the system interface.

Ding! Congratulations, host. Level increased.

Sure enough, as soon as he opened the interface, he saw the system notification.

infinite death warrior system

Host: Qin Yang

Age: 22

Occupation: Food Delivery Rider (Construction Laborer)

Level: 1 (Daily refresh: five First-level Death Warriors, one Second-level Death Soldier)

Death Warrior Levels: First-level Death Warriors have no skills, but their physical fitness is 10 times that of an ordinary person.

Second-level Death Soldiers have the same physical fitness as First-level Death Warriors, but they are guaranteed to have one ordinary skill.

Experience: Next level requires 10,000,000 points (Economic value created by Death Warriors converts to experience. 1 RMB = 1 experience point)

Current Number of First-level Death Warriors: 16

Note: The host must provide for all Death Warriors' food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

Seeing the system level up, Qin Yang was quite pleased. It was worth all the crazy work he and the Death Warriors had put in these past few days. Hard work pays off. The reason the leveling was so slow was mainly because the Building Porter jobs didn't have many big contracts. Usually, a job only earned one or two thousand, a few hundred was common. Big jobs like the previous two were hard to come by.

After having dinner with the group of Death Warriors, Qin Yang returned home to rest, planning to figure out what the Second-level Death Soldier could bring him. Also, after leveling up, he now had three times the number of Death Warriors per day compared to before, which increased Qin Yang's pressure considerably.

Since today's two Death Warriors had already appeared, the Death Warriors from the level-up would only start appearing from tomorrow at midnight. Qin Yang wasn't in a hurry. He lay on the bed and started scrolling through his phone.

Time flew by while he scrolled, and soon it was midnight.

As soon as the clock struck twelve, six Death Warriors abruptly appeared in Qin Yang's small room. By now, Qin Yang was used to it.

He opened the system interface. Five of the Death Warriors were like Iron Ox, possessing no skills, just brute ox-like strength. Qin Yang called Iron Ox over and had him arrange for these brothers to eat and rest. Then, Qin Yang turned his attention to the Second-level Death Soldier that appeared today.

Second-level Death Soldier: Song Wu

Skill: Proficient-level Culinary Arts. Increases deliciousness of meals by 10%. (Skill levels are: Ordinary, Skilled, Proficient, Master, Grandmaster, and Divine.)

"Proficient-level Culinary Arts? Wonder how his cooking is?" Qin Yang murmured, stroking his chin.

But it was the middle of the night, and Qin Yang's rented room had no kitchenware or ingredients. If he wanted to test Song Wu's skills, he'd have to wait until tomorrow.

After arranging for Song Wu to rest, Qin Yang slept soundly until dawn. When he got up, he had Iron Ox buy breakfast.

After breakfast, Qin Yang had Iron Ox lead the team to continue working on the jobs Xie Yu found. He himself took the six Death Warriors who had just arrived today to buy kitchen utensils and ingredients. He planned to first test Song Wu's cooking skills, then see if he could execute the plan he had thought of before sleeping.

Soon, Qin Yang and the others returned to the small kitchen in the rented room with large and small bags from the market, ready to watch Song Wu perform.

Once Song Wu entered the kitchen, he got into the zone. It was clear he was proficient in frying, stir-frying, boiling, and deep-frying, showing solid foundational skills. Tempting aromas continuously wafted out from the small kitchen.

Before long, six dishes were placed before Qin Yang.

Qin Yang picked up his chopsticks and first took a bite of his favorite braised pork. As soon as the meat entered his mouth, he immediately felt a rich, fragrant aroma spread through his mouth. The meat was tender and soft, fragrant but not greasy. Based on Qin Yang's over twenty years of experience eating braised pork, this was the best he had ever tasted.

After savoring that bite carefully, Qin Yang immediately gave Song Wu a thumbs up. His expectations for the system grew even higher. Such excellent cooking skills were only rated as Proficient? What would the Master, Grandmaster, and Divine levels be like?

Qin Yang thoroughly enjoyed this meal. With several Death Warriors helping to finish it, even the plates and bowls were licked clean by the First-level Death Warriors, a testament to Song Wu's skill.

Knowing the level of Song Wu's culinary skills, Qin Yang immediately decided to implement the plan he had thought of last night: starting a food business.

Of course, with Qin Yang's current balance of just over a hundred thousand, opening a restaurant was out of the question. But not opening a restaurant didn't mean he couldn't start a food truck. As long as the quality of the food was good, he wasn't afraid people wouldn't pay.

Once decided, Qin Yang took people to the market. First, he bought two tricycles, over a dozen insulated containers, and a bunch of lunch boxes. Then he bought ingredients and seasonings. With many hands making light work, the preliminary preparations were quickly completed.

They used the small kitchen again. Given the current conditions, Qin Yang couldn't afford professional kitchen equipment yet, so he had to make do with the small kitchen for now. Fortunately, the other rooms Qin Yang rented also had small kitchens he could use, avoiding too much chaos.

Moreover, Qin Yang had plenty of manpower. Although the First-level Death Warriors couldn't do skilled work, they could handle washing and prepping vegetables, and other labor-intensive tasks, all under Song Wu's direction.

They worked for three hours straight. By the time they finished, it was already past 4 PM, about an hour before dinner time. Qin Yang directed the Death Warriors to pack the food into the insulated containers. Then, two Death Warriors pedaled the tricycles, following Qin Yang to the largest nearby construction site.

Selling boxed lunches naturally required going to places with high foot traffic. However, Qin Yang was now a mobile vendor with no permits, so he naturally didn't dare go into the city center. The best choice was a construction site.

As for the food at construction sites, those who know, know. The paid food is bad, and the free food is even worse. Qin Yang had worked on a site for a month before. Honestly, the food there was... indescribable. Cabbage and potatoes every day, making Qin Yang gag. So later, Qin Yang also bought fast food from the vendors outside construction sites. Those food trucks operated exactly like Qin Yang's current model. If the people don't complain, the officials don't investigate.

Arriving outside the construction site, work had already ended for the day. Many mobile vendors had gathered, mostly selling food.

In places like this, while there might be some scheming and rivalry, the most crucial factor was the cooking skills of the vendor. Whoever had the best skills got the best business.

Seeing Qin Yang and the others, the other vendors just glanced their way before continuing with their own tasks, their eyes showing a hint of nervousness. It couldn't be helped. Among Qin Yang's group of seven, aside from Qin Yang himself who looked somewhat slender, the other six were all broad-shouldered and imposing, appearing not to be trifled with. Seeking advantage and avoiding harm is human nature; no one is immune to it.

Qin Yang found a spot close to the site entrance, with a sunshade for cover. He had the Death Warriors open the insulated containers and set up a sign on the tricycle: 'Boxed Meals, 18 yuan per box, generous portions, guaranteed to fill you up!' Then he quietly waited for customers.

Song Wu's cooking skills were undeniable. Soon, the enticing aroma of food filled the surrounding area.

It attracted the workers just leaving the site, who all sniffed eagerly. But upon seeing the direction where Qin Yang and his group of burly men were standing, they hesitated.

Qin Yang was also observing the workers' movements. Seeing this, he realized his mistake. A group of men standing together selling boxed meals did indeed seem inappropriate. From others' perspective, it looked suspiciously like a shady operation.

Qin Yang knew this wouldn't do, but finding a few women to help now was too late.

Just then, two women in dresses suddenly appeared on the road. They were decent-looking, of course, with makeup on. Immediately, Qin Yang gritted his teeth and strode forward.

"Hello, ladies. Would you be interested in a part-time job? It's only for two hours, 150 yuan each!"

Qin Yang quickly stood before the two women, startling them. To avoid misunderstanding, he swiftly stated his purpose.

Only after hearing his explanation did the women refrain from screaming.

Then the two women exchanged glances, both showing interest. The average monthly salary for ordinary office workers in H City was around 3,000 to 4,000 yuan, making the daily wage just over a hundred yuan. But that required working 8 to 10 hours a day. So, earning a day's wage in just two hours was a pretty good deal.

Next, the bolder woman asked, "What do you want us to do for this part-time job? We can't handle heavy work."

Hearing this, Qin Yang breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried they would refuse and was even prepared to offer more money.

He immediately replied, "It's not manual labor. Look over there. I set up a boxed meal stall with relatives from my hometown. My brothers are a bit too... robust, and it's scaring customers away. So, I'd like to ask you two to help greet customers. You won't need to do much."

After listening, the two women looked in the direction Qin Yang pointed. Sure enough, they saw a group of burly men standing around awkwardly, looking somewhat at a loss.

The two women couldn't help but chuckle.

The other woman said, "Those who know might think you're selling boxed meals. Those who don't would probably think you're collecting protection money."

"Hah!" Qin Yang couldn't help but laugh too.

"Alright, we'll take this part-time job. Let's go over." After whispering to each other again, the two women finally agreed.

With the addition of the two women, sure enough, the workers began to give it a try.

Once they tried it, they couldn't stop. Through word of mouth, over ten containers of food rapidly diminished. Many even bought several extra portions to take home to their families, which was proof enough of how amazing Song Wu's cooking skills were!

Fortunately, Qin Yang had plenty of people, so no incidents occurred.

A little over an hour later, the insulated containers on the tricycle were empty. Qin Yang stopped the sales, kept four boxes aside, and handed them to the two women.

"Brother Yang, your boxed meals are really delicious! This is the best boxed meal I've ever had!" Zhang Ya praised while eating.

After two hours of getting acquainted, Qin Yang also learned the two women's names. The taller one was Liu Yuan, and the round-faced, livelier one was Zhang Ya. Both were students at H City Normal University, about a kilometer away. They were on holiday today, had gone out to have fun, and were 'recruited' by Qin Yang on their way back to campus.

"Right? Our chef's skills are top-notch." Qin Yang also took the opportunity to praise Song Wu.

"Mhm, Brother Yang, why did you come to sell boxed meals at a construction site? Why not go to the university district? There are far more students there than construction workers." Liu Yuan, who was beside them, agreed and asked.

"Uh, I thought the competition at the university district might be too intense. Today was our first day, so we're just testing the waters at the construction site first." Qin Yang explained awkwardly. Actually, he had just been following past experience and forgot about the university district. But it was fine; today was just a trial. In the future, they could work both the construction site and the university district.

"So the trial was successful today, right, Brother Yang? You should go sell at the university district from now on. I feel like I could eat these boxed meals every day without getting tired of them. They're really too delicious. If you go there, I guarantee your business will boom!" Zhang Ya replied.

Qin Yang smiled and nodded.

After the two women finished eating, Qin Yang settled their part-time wages, which made them very happy. The work wasn't tiring, the hours were short, and the pay was high—it was a dream part-time job.

Then, Zhang Ya asked somewhat shyly, "Brother Yang, will you need part-timers in the future? It's okay if the pay is a bit less, as long as meals are provided."

"Of course! How about this: starting tomorrow, you come here at noon and in the evening. The pay is 150 yuan per day, but meals are provided."

"Yay!! Thank you, Brother Yang!" Hearing Qin Yang agree, Zhang Ya exclaimed excitedly.

Then they agreed on the schedule. Qin Yang had one of the Death Warriors escort the two women part of the way before returning home.

Next, he had Song Wu distribute meals to the other Death Warriors while he ate and did the accounts.

Excluding the kitchenware, tricycle, etc., and only counting the ingredients, seasonings, and meal boxes, they sold over 430 boxed meals today. The construction site Qin Yang went to was a large project by the H City municipal government, with two to three thousand workers daily. Combined with Song Wu's cooking skills, this number wasn't exaggerated.

In other words, Qin Yang's gross profit was 7,800 yuan. After deducting costs for ingredients, etc., and the wages for Zhang Ya and the other woman, Qin Yang's net profit was 2,800 yuan. It might not seem like much, but this was a sustainable business with plenty of market potential to explore. There was definitely something to this.

On the other hand, Iron Ox led the team and completed four jobs today, with a total income of over 4,000 yuan, which was fairly decent.

As the number of Death Warriors under him grew, Qin Yang made a simple plan. Now he needed to earn his first pot of gold to do what he wanted. A hundred thousand yuan was far from enough.

For the boxed meal side, Song Wu and five First-level Death Warriors were sufficient. The Building Porter side had a surplus of manpower, so Qin Yang planned to have Iron Ox lead a team specializing in that. As for the remaining Death Warriors, Qin Yang decided to send them all to construction sites as general laborers. General laborers didn't earn as much as Building Porters, but the current daily wage was 260 yuan with meals and accommodation provided, which would save Qin Yang a lot of costs. Any future Death Warriors without special talents would first be sent to work as general laborers.

Regarding the general laborer work, Qin Yang had to trouble Xie Yu again, mainly concerning wages. Many construction sites had the habit of delaying wage payments, which Qin Yang couldn't accept. So, he needed Xie Yu to recommend some reliable sites.

Xie Yu also wanted to build a good relationship with Qin Yang, so he naturally agreed readily. After all, Qin Yang controlled the manpower. During this period, Xie Yu had earned quite a bit through Qin Yang's referral fees. The key was that Qin Yang's workers did their jobs well and quickly; they were all good workers. Honestly, Xie Yu was a bit envious of Qin Yang, wondering where he found such good workers. Of course, Qin Yang naturally wouldn't say.

At midnight, the Death Warrior appeared on time. Today's Second-level Death Soldier was named Li Fei, with carpentry skills, a proficient talent mastering both ancient and modern woodworking techniques.

Li Fei's appearance perfectly aligned with Qin Yang's construction site plans. So, Qin Yang also intended to assign him to a construction site, forming a team with several First-level Death Warriors to take on contracted work.

There were two ways for carpenters at construction sites to earn money: one was daily work, with a salary of around four to five hundred yuan; the other was contract work, averaging over 1,000 yuan per day. Qin Yang naturally opted for the more profitable method.

Just as Qin Yang was busy planning, at the Golden Sand Nightclub...

In a lavishly decorated private room, Zhao Jian sat imposingly in the center, listening to his subordinate Xiao Ning's report.

"Boss Zhao, we've identified the group that injured Brother Dong. The leader is named Qin Yang, a university graduate who's been out for half a year. We've also checked the people around him; they're from all over, with no other significant background. It was just youthful impulsiveness," Xiao Ning said.

"Hmph, just a green kid. Did you find out Qin Yang's address?"

"Yes, we did. He lives in the rental housing area of Garden Community."

"Good. Since you've found it, go take care of it. My younger brother might be useless, but he's not someone any trash can touch. Otherwise, what will people think of me, Zhao Jian!

Break all four of his limbs and bring him to me. I want to see how bold this little brat has become, daring to touch my people!" Zhao Jian spoke calmly, but his eyes gleamed with malice.

"Yes, sir!"