The scorching sun blazed overhead, heating the earth. With temperatures soaring to 30°C, the number of pedestrians on the streets was dwindling.
Su Xiao walked down the street under the blazing sun. People nearby frowned and looked at him with clear disgust.
He had already taken care of the carriage—sold the horse at a low price.
After counting the paper currency in his hand, Su Xiao sighed. The money was a currency called Beri. He got 100,000 Beri for selling the horse, which sounded like a lot, but in terms of purchasing power, it was only equivalent to about 6,000 yuan.
Don't overestimate that 100,000 Beri—it wasn't worth much at all.
He had already tested it out: buying a decent set of clothes cost around 8,000 Beri, and a full meal would set him back about 900 Beri.
Looking around and confirming no one was nearby, Su Xiao slowly walked toward a residential house.
It might've looked like a random choice, but he had actually been observing this place for a while.
Though the house wasn't spotless, there were no vines growing along the walls—indicating that someone lived there and the facilities inside were intact.
A thin layer of dust on the doorknob showed that the owner didn't come back often—only occasionally. It was the perfect temporary shelter.
Why not just stay at an inn or tavern? Because places like that were full of all kinds of people—too risky and likely to bring trouble.
He had come to the One Piece world to complete a mission. With only 68 hours left, he didn't want any unnecessary contact with people beyond what was required.
Too many unknown contacts = trouble = unpredictable danger.
After confirming again that no one was around, Su Xiao pulled out a simple set of lock-picking tools.
Click. Click. Clack~.
The door opened easily. Su Xiao had trained in lock-picking, and for him, these simple locks in the One Piece world were child's play.
Like walking into his own home, he entered the house and even closed the door behind him.
Just as he expected, the place was empty.
It was a house of over 100 square meters. On the wall hung a photo of a man, a woman, and a little girl. Judging from the woman's warm smile, it looked like a happy family.
Su Xiao quickly stripped off his clothes and headed straight to the bathroom. Though he had excellent endurance, even he was disgusted by his own stench.
Clear water flowed down from his head, washing away the grime and foul odor. After changing into fresh clothes, he felt completely refreshed.
Sitting on the sofa, a white treasure chest suddenly appeared in Su Xiao's hand.
[Treasure Chest (White)— Open?]
He chose to open it. The chest opened silently—no glowing lights, no sound.
[You opened a White Treasure Chest and obtained the following items:]
[Beri x500,000 (usable only in this world)]
[Letter of Recommendation from Gate Guard Captain Rowan]
[100 Paradise Coins]
Only three items—not much, but not bad either. After all, white chests were the lowest tier in the Reincarnation Paradise item system.
He first put away the Beri—he didn't need it yet—then picked up the letter.
….
[Letter of Recommendation from Gate Guard Captain Rowan]
[Quality: White]
[Type: Trigger Item]
[Rating: 5/10]
[Description: A passionate letter of recommendation. Captain Rowan abused his authority to recommend a local thug from Windmill Town as a member of the city guard. With this letter, any man with enough Beri can become a guard.]
….
After reading the description, Su Xiao was visibly pleased—this was exactly what he needed.
If he couldn't assassinate the king directly, then he at least needed access to the palace. In a Nightmare-level world, brute force wasn't enough to solve problems.
Su Xiao stored all the items into his inventory and left the house.
He first found a restaurant and had a hearty meal, then began observing the patrolling guards on the streets.
The so-called City Guard likely handled petty crimes and theft—minor authority, but still part of the Goa Kingdom's official system.
After tailing a few guards, Su Xiao soon located the City Guard Headquarters—a two-story office building. Two guards were lazily stationed at the front.
With the letter in hand, Su Xiao walked up confidently.
"Stop right there. This is the City Guard—no unauthorized entry."
A young guard barked rudely, looking down on Su Xiao because of his plain clothes.
"I'm a new recruit…"
Su Xiao was about to say his name but paused. "Su Xiao" sounded too out of place in the One Piece world. Thinking quickly, he continued:
"I'm a new recruit—White Night."
The young guard was taken aback and looked him up and down.
"White Night? I don't remember anyone saying we had a new guy. Are you trying to sneak in…"
"Reese! Don't you remember what the captain said? Don't ask questions. White Night, come with me."
An older guard shot a glare at the younger one, then led Su Xiao into the building.
The younger guard glared at Su Xiao and muttered something under his breath.
Su Xiao ignored the irrelevant character and followed the older guard to an office door.
"Ahem…"
The older guard straightened up, fixing his appearance, just about to knock, when a voice came from inside.
He lowered his hand and stood quietly to the side.
Knocking now would clearly be a mistake—it would disturb the superior inside.
The older guard gave Su Xiao an apologetic smile. Since Su Xiao had support from "higher-ups," the older guard didn't want to offend him.
The two stepped aside. Su Xiao pulled out a box of cigarettes from his coat and offered one.
Click—the cigarette was lit, and the two chatted casually in the hallway.
Even a single cigarette could help build some shallow "friendship"—why not?
"You're one lucky guy, getting backing from above. Don't worry, someone already gave a heads-up about you joining. You're in. By the way, I'm Hank—guess we're colleagues now."
Su Xiao gave a polite smile, though his expression remained unchanged.
"I'm White Night. Pleased to work with you."
As he spoke, Su Xiao stuffed the rest of the cigarettes into Hank's breast pocket.
He was already evaluating whether Hank could be useful. Since he knew nothing about the capital's situation, Hank could prove very helpful.
Hank's smile grew even more genuine.
After waiting for a while, Hank finally knocked on the office door.
"Who is it? Get in here!"
A gruff voice shouted from within.
(End of Chapter)