Life as a mercenary turned into a girl is a bit difficult

As soon as Lingjiu opened the door, a voice greeted them in the restaurant, and they saw a familiar figure sitting in a corner of the restaurant waving to them.

He is... Luo Shi?

At first glance, Hiiragi almost didn't recognize the other person's identity. In fact, Luo Shi at this time was far different from the image of a soldier Hiiragi knew in the past.

Black sunglasses with a slightly exaggerated size were hung casually on his forehead. A striking white skull pattern was printed on the light gray short-sleeved shirt. The muscles of his exposed arms were bulging and thick body hair spread all the way to the back of his hands. Dark black There were a few silver chains with unknown uses dangling from the cropped trousers. Only the part of the dagger handle exposed from the mouth of the waist bag could still smell a little familiar.

When Hiroyuki looked at Luo Shi, the other party also paid attention to the appearance of the two of them today. It has to be said that when the two little girls opened the door and fell into sight, Luo Shi's eyes lit up. The refreshing dresses were different from the usual ones. The black combat uniform has a different charm: "You are so beautifully dressed. Is it a private uniform specially brought for Changming City?"

"thanks……"

"No! This is not the private clothes I brought. It is a meeting gift from Aunt Chang Lin. I put it on because I really didn't have any other clothes to change."

Ling Jiu thanked her for the compliment, and Hiiragi subconsciously explained to her the origin of this outfit and the reason for wearing it. However, Luo Shi obviously couldn't understand what she wanted to clarify, and just thought it was Hiiragi's wish. Promote Hai Changlin's kindness in giving gifts to others.

"Really? Director Hai is really good at taking care of people. Although we don't meet him often, I heard that he was very popular with the children when he was teaching in the school in the newborn city."

"Well, by the way, where are the other team members? Have they all eaten?" After reacting, Hiiragi asked Luo Shi about the other team members in order to cover up the embarrassment of her unnecessary actions just now and to avoid the topic of dress. However, it was indeed strange that they only saw Luo Shi dining alone in the entire restaurant.

"Other team members? You should still stay in bed. Late last night, they were all drunk and picked up by the bartender from a nearby bar. It was really embarrassing for the soldiers of the Newborn City." Luo Shi snorted. Regarding these team members yesterday, Wan Wan was obviously dissatisfied with his indulgent performance, but he quickly sighed again, "But these guys have really worked hard along the way. After experiencing so many dangers, they are still able to reach Changming City alive and well. It's a blessing. These days off are indeed the rewards they deserve.”

Alcoholism?

It seems that alcohol is a common means for both soldiers and mercenaries to vent and celebrate after escaping a life in a high-risk mission. In the illusion of drunkenness, they temporarily forget the pressure of survival in the wasteland world and relieve themselves from the pressure. Nerves about to collapse after death.

What does that feel like?Hiiragi has always been curious.

It's a pity that although Hiiragi tried many times, all she could get from the alcohol was a bitter taste and a pungent smell. She frowned and swallowed a small mouthful, which was immediately regurgitated into her throat by her restless stomach. If you were careful, you would choke to death, and you would have to endure the painful burning sensation in your trachea while responding to the boos of the hecklers in the tavern with glares and middle fingers.

In the end, she could only give up alcohol and use sugar to relieve mental stress. Every time she saw others drinking freely, she could only feel a little envious in her heart.

"But..." Luo Shi suddenly narrowed his eyes slightly when looking at the two of them, "If those guys knew that they missed the opportunity to observe two beautiful women this morning, I'm afraid many people would regret it."

"Captain Luo is joking, please take your time... Let's go check out the breakfast, see you later." Faced with this low-level teasing, Hiiragi didn't know how to respond, so she had to pull Ling Jiu to end the conversation with Luo Shi.

After being delayed for so long, she felt a little hungry. Finally, she could satisfy her curiosity about the food situation. Even the matter of the skirt was temporarily forgotten, and Hiiragi quickened her pace to get closer to her goal.

The breakfast in the restaurant is served in a buffet style. There are several stainless steel insulated boxes placed on a row of long tables against the wall. The transparent glass sliding cover displays the built-in dishes in front of every customer. Because of the number of diners, The total amount of food is not much, but the variety is very rich.

Multigrain rice porridge, steamed buns, vegetable soup, small cakes... There are also many things that Hiiragi can't name. They seem to be pastries. They are not very high-end, but compared to the food during the trip. But it's much better. Although I will hunt to improve my food when camping, my main food is camping dry food and various canned food. Perhaps it is because of the poor workmanship of the cannery in Newborn City. This kind of sealed packaged food always has a bad taste. strange smell.

If it were placed on Hiiragi Jing when she was a full-time mercenary, she would naturally accept it and even be satisfied with such a level of food. You must know that it is not easy to have a serious meal during outdoor activities. Mercenaries are the most The common way to eat is to fill up your stomach with a mouthful of dry food and a sip of water. However, after tasting Sister Fei's cooking, Hiiragi Jing can no longer simply be satisfied with the pursuit of 'fullness'.

He took some of each pastry he didn't recognize, and soon the food filled the entire plate. Hiiragi completely forgot about his original idea of ​​just trying it out, and he just found something to do and couldn't wait to fill a piece of it. It's a small square round cake that is put into the mouth.

"Hmm——." It's like a biscuit but surprisingly soft, and the taste is sweet, which suits Hiiragi's preference. Of course, in her heart, it is still not as good as Phil's craftsmanship. She picked up another one and said to herself while chewing it. Observing to himself, "What is this thing called?"

"The name seems to be called waffles, or plaid cakes." Lingjiu, who was sitting opposite her, answered, "My father used to bring me some snacks."

"Grid cake... Is this what you want, Lingjiu?" The meaning of the name in front is unclear, but the name 'Grid Pancake' is quite appropriate. When Hiiragi was about to try the next one, he suddenly noticed that Lingjiu didn't have it. dinner plate, but only holding a glass of milk.

"I'm not very hungry." Lingjiu shook his head slightly and shook the milk in his hand as a signal. Hiiragi's attention was immediately attracted by the next novel-shaped pastry.

"Then what about this?"

"egg tart."

"this?"

"Brown sugar hair cake..."

It is indeed a large urban base with a population of 50. The variety of pastries alone has made Hiiragi gain a lot of knowledge. She patted her belly and leaned on the back of the chair with satisfaction. At this time, Luo Shi also ended the meal and placed the meal. He put the plate in the recycling bin and was about to walk out of the restaurant when he suddenly stopped as if he remembered something.

"By the way, ladies, Researcher Han and the others went to the Science Department of Changming City early this morning. If you have anything to do with them, you have to wait until the evening. If you have any plans to go out today, just go to the front desk and talk to the waiter there. Hai The director seems to have specially arranged a tour guide for you, and he will be here soon after a phone call."

Chapter 12 How to deliver the evaluation form

Sitting on the sofa in the front lobby of the hotel, Hiiragi squinted as he recalled the breakfast just now while digesting the feeling of fullness in his stomach.

Originally, she only had the idea of ​​trying the breakfast here, but she unknowingly filled her stomach. What's more, she was surprised that most of the breakfast she had just eaten were desserts. Is sugar so common in Changming City? ?However, there may also be reasons why Changming City provides preferential treatment in terms of food supply.

In this case, just rest and wait for the tour guide to arrive.

In fact, in the original plan, Hiei Jing did not plan to hire a tour guide. In her opinion, she brought a simple map that would not make her get lost and then followed her own consciousness to explore the unknown in this long-awaited city base. is where the fun lies.

But Hai Changlin had mentioned arranging a tour guide since last night, and even asked Luo Shi to relay the reminder before leaving this morning. Hiiragi Jing is not very good at refusing the kindness of others.

Changming City is very big... It is not possible to visit it all in one day, and there is a lot of room for exploration in the future. Thinking of this, she finally made a paging call based on the number provided by Luo Shi and accepted the tour guide service.

Compared to her sitting position, Lingjiu was much more active. She was waving the weapon in her hand vigorously in the open area of ​​the front hall for combat practice. According to her, she wanted to familiarize herself with the use of the new weapon as soon as possible to prepare for accidents. situation occurs.

As for the new weapon, it is a swing stick delivered by Ross. When it is folded, it is only about the length of a palm, but when extended, it is the length of a forearm. It feels good when held and is relatively light in weight.

Hiiragi naturally also got one. It was tied to the outside of her left leg with a matching leg hanger. The lowered skirt just happened to completely hide it. There was no clue about it from the outside, and it could have a surprising effect during a battle.

As for the reason for the delivery, according to Luo Shi's original words, "Although Changming City has always boasted good public security, a large number of outsiders entered Changming City due to activities, so there is nothing wrong with it just in case."

Once again, I had to admire Ling Jiu's serious character. Even though Luo Shi repeatedly explained that this was just a cautious guess and an extremely small probability event, Ling Jiu immediately made preparations for the response. Strong strength is not without reason.

He said it was to familiarize himself with the new weapon, but the precise movements of swinging the stick were not unfamiliar at all from the beginning. He must have received the fighting skills suitable for short stick weapons before, which is different from when fighting or fighting monsters. To sum up, she is completely different from someone with such a wild background.

In fact, Hiiragi Jing also tried to learn skills from Reijiu, but although Reijiu was very active in asking for advice from Hiiragi Jing, he obviously did not have the qualifications to become a qualified teacher. These skills have become her feelings in battle. Even she herself didn't know why she took this or that next step.

The rough explanation of "This should be done at this time, this should be done at that time..." is simply incomprehensible to Hiiragi Jing.

In short, after realizing that Ling Jiu could not provide effective help based on feelings alone, Hiiragi had no choice but to continue to learn from Hu Lan, who was more reliable.

The formal study time is not long, but I have gained a lot of new insights. I don’t know what my chances of winning are if I fight against Zero Nine again?

"Sorry to bother you. I am a member of the Ministry of Civil Welfare Administration who has been assigned to provide tour guide services. Is there anyone there..."

Just as Hiiragi was thinking about verifying the progress he had made during his studies, a figure suddenly appeared at the door of the hotel. While giving his identity information, he leaned forward to inspect the front hall of the hotel. As soon as he finished speaking, he inspected at the same time. His eyes also happened to meet the eyes of Hiiragi Jing and Lingjiu.

It's him? !

Hiiragi didn't expect that the person arriving would be the boy he met yesterday when delivering weapons in the assembly area.

At this time, he had already changed out of the gray and white uniform he wore while working in the assembly area yesterday. Instead, he was wearing his ordinary summer clothes, but on his arm was an armband with the words "Administration Tour Guide" written in red and yellow. To indicate the duties performed, there is no doubt that he is the person responsible for providing them with tour guide services.

After seeing Hiiragi Jing and Lingjiu, the young man was no less surprised than the two of them. He obviously recognized Hiiragi Jing and Lingjiu. After all, they had just met yesterday afternoon, and they were so outstanding. In terms of appearance, even if he wanted to forget, it would not be easy.

Is the distinguished guest from Newborn City mentioned during the appointment really the visiting convoy?But why do they come to this private hotel instead of staying in a guest house?Naturally, a small role like him had no way of knowing the official arrangements of Changming City, but he knew that these two little girls waiting here were probably his tour guides today.

"Hello, we meet again."

Sure enough, after seeing his arrival, the two girls came over to him and said hello. The boy soon noticed that the two girls were dressed completely different from yesterday. The exposed white and smooth arms and calves made him Can't help but want to take a few more looks.

But he knew clearly: apart from Miss Ruoxiang, the higher the status and the more beautiful the woman, the more trouble she would have. I am afraid that his work today would not be easy.

"Um, these two should be Miss Hiiragi Jing and Miss Lingjiu. My name is Pingcang, and my employee number is 170203. I am the person in charge of providing tour guide services for you today." After sorting out his thoughts, he quickly entered When closing a position at work, you should report your name and job number as usual.

Close position?Was it originally called this?They thought they were just passers-by, but today they are their tour guide. This world is really small.

"Didn't you still work in the assembly area yesterday? Why did you become a tour guide today? Did you change your job or was it part-time?"

Since the other party still remembers him, this question is natural, and Pingcang is already ready to answer: "Both the gathering area management department and the service management bureau that provides tour guide services to outsiders are under the Ministry of People's Livelihood of Changming City. I am a temporary worker employed by the Ministry of People's Welfare, and I will work wherever there is need. The position is not fixed, and becoming a regular employee requires assessment and a certain number of positive reviews."

In order to prevent the other party from questioning his professional ability because of his status as a temporary worker, Hengsang immediately added: "Although I am not a formal employee, I am a local of Changming City and grew up here. Except for the military restricted area, I’ve been to basically all the places.”

"Really? I'll leave it to you today... Oh, by the way." Hiiragi suddenly remembered something and took out a neatly folded piece of paper from the pocket of her skirt and handed it to Heng Cang.

"Is this?" Hengcang looked at the paper in front of him blankly and didn't understand what the other party meant.

"Evaluation form, the one you gave me yesterday." Hiiragi shook his hands and unfolded the evaluation form completely in front of his eyes. "This form was written last night. I thought I would go out and look for it today." Just a mailbox will do, I didn’t expect to meet you again by such a coincidence, so there’s no need to go to such trouble.”

"Ugh?"

After receiving the evaluation form from Hiiragi, all aspects of etiquette, performance and service were unanimously praised. The words "Come on" were also left in the last message box. Although it was just two simple words, it was the first to close the position. This is the first time I've seen the message box come into play.

It's just that the word is a bit ugly...

"What's wrong? Does it mean that the form can't be handed over to me directly? Or did I write it wrong?" Seeing Hirakura Hiiragi who was suddenly lost in thought after getting the form, she became a little panicked. If she had written it on the evaluation form herself, It would be really shameful if there were any mistakes in the content.

"No, no problem. Thank you for your feedback." He put the evaluation form into his pocket and put on his trademark service smile. "Then let's get started. I will lead you to tour this city."

Maybe today's work is not as difficult as imagined.

Chapter 13 What I experienced on the first day

Located in the middle of the traffic lanes is not only a green belt for beautifying the streetscape, but also a tram stop for people to wait for.

'Southern Line A3 Station' is the number of this platform. The blue sign next to the platform indicates the tram route and the stops along the way. Unfortunately, it is just a simple text description and does not provide a traffic map for reference. Except for the names of a few stations, the names of most stations are a combination of letters and numbers.

Not to mention newcomers like Hiiragi Jing, even people who have a certain understanding of Changming City may not be able to identify the specific locations of all the stations.

Reluctantly giving up the plan of killing time by looking for information on the sign, Hiiragi leaned her weight on her right foot to relieve the pain in her left foot caused by standing for a long time. There were benches on the platform for people to rest, but there were no benches above. It was mottled, dusty, and even stained with unknown stains. None of the dozen or so people waiting on the platform dared to sit on it.

In addition, the temperature is also an annoying problem. The pergola on the top of the platform blocks the strong direct sunlight but cannot block the sultry temperature. By now, Hiiragi Jing and Lingjiu have already secreted a lot of fine drops on their foreheads. beads of sweat.

"Close... close the position, how long do we have to wait here?" I am still full of expectations for the tram, but the ten-minute wait not only has to endure the high temperature, but also the pain of standing for a long time. There was still no trace of the tram on the other side of the track, so Hiiragi finally couldn't help but ask.

"It should be here within 5 minutes. I'm sorry, because the area where the southern line passes has less traffic than other lines, so there are fewer trams." Heimagang wiped the sweat from his head with his sleeves. , "But don't worry, the trams in Changming City are quite punctual, and the deviation from the schedule will basically not exceed 3 minutes."

"Do you often take the train?"

"There are tram lines between where I live and where I work, but if I am not pressed for time and have to be late, I will still choose to walk. Although taking the tram is not very expensive, it will cost a lot of money if you use it frequently."

"Huh?" Hearing this sentence, Hiei Jing suddenly realized a problem. So, wouldn't his request to take a train be an additional consumption for closing the position?

"There is no need to worry about the expenses. My travel expenses can be reimbursed to the bureau. It's all thanks to you." Heng Cang guessed what Hiiragi was thinking from the change in her expression at a glance.

"The car is coming." Ling Jiu's voice suddenly came during the conversation. Following her finger pointing, it turned out that a yellow tram was driving along the track towards the station. The top of the tram was shaking with a pole connected to the cable. The swaying as it travels is what Hiiragi finds most interesting about trains as a means of transportation.

There were a lot of passengers on the tram, but there were also a lot of empty seats. The layout of the seats was just as Hiiragi expected, with a corridor in the middle and two chairs in a row on the left and right sides.

Hiiragi Jing and Reijiu sat down in two empty seats side by side, while Hirakura sat in the row in front of them.

started.

It is very different from the ordinary vehicles I have ridden in the past. The start of the tram is extremely smooth, without the slightest sense of frustration, and there is no noise from the engine. If it were not for the scenery outside the window slowly moving to the rear, it would be almost impossible to notice the start of the tram.

It can be seen that Hiiragi is very interested in trams, and Hengcang is also happy to introduce this unique transportation system in Changming City: "Actually, compared to the pre-war tram technology, the trams in Changming City are still very primitive. A few years ago there were occasional fires due to unstable wiring connections at the top."

"Primitive? Are there more advanced trams?" Hiiragi stretched out her hand and knocked on the wooden wall.

"The Science and Technology Museum in Changming City has exhibited some advanced tram models. It is said that they are the tram closest to the pre-war world level, but to this day the models are still just models."

"Is it because we lack the technology to trap the tram?"

"Not only that, metal smelting technology, electric power technology, and even cheaper wood prices are all factors that limit the further development of trams. What's more, the transportation system in Changming City is enough to carry daily needs. There are many more important fields than trams. We need to invest resources." Hiiragi Jing was a little surprised. The way he talked about closing his position was not consistent with his status as a temporary employee. Are all temporary employees in Changming City at this level?

"King Kong seems to know these things very well."

"Actually, my job is mostly to run errands and do odd jobs between various departments, so I hear a lot of news. In fact, this job would have been had the administration not specifically requested a teenage boy to act as a tour guide. It will definitely not be my turn to do the work today." Hirakura smiled bitterly and reached out to touch the armband fixed on his arm with a pin.

Asking young people to be tour guides?Could it be that this was Hai Changlin's request for them to consider.Hiiragi picked up some additional information from Ping Cang's words: "Is a job like a tour guide very popular?"

"...It depends on the situation." After pondering for a moment, Pingcang glanced back at Hiiragi Jing and Lingjiu and slowly said, "There are many jobs like tour guides in Changming City, which are divided into private tour guides and There are two types of tour guides from the Administration Bureau. The former is a professional tour guide itself, while the latter is a temporary job that is usually arranged by the Administration Bureau for visitors arriving at Changming City."

"Under normal circumstances, the visitor team that can be specially arranged by the administration to be responsible for tour guides has a distinguished status..."

"So is it considered an opportunity to get closer and gain benefits?" After saying this, Hiiragi naturally understood the meaning of closing the position.

In fact, the same is true for many mercenaries in the New City. Sometimes, rather than the content of the commission itself, the person who issued the commission is the key to them accepting the mission.

"I don't know how disappointing it would be if others knew that we are just two mercenaries." There is no doubt that he is just a mercenary who works as a researcher's personal operator. As for Zero-Nine, although he has a special origin, he is absolutely the same as the so-called The 'nobility' has nothing to do with it.

Looking back at Hiiragi Hiragi who shook his head helplessly, he suddenly felt a little confused. Before he could think about it, Hiiragi suddenly pointed to somewhere outside the window and asked eagerly: "Hiragi, that! What is that?"

Not only Hiiragi Jing, but also Lingjiu, who was indifferent, was lying by the window and showing a lot of interest.

Ok?

Hirakura turned his head for a moment and confirmed the target that attracted the attention of the two girls.

In the middle of the flower bed at the roundabout in front is a nearly two-meter-high cement ledge, and on top of that ledge is placed a pile of rusty scrap metal of the same exaggerated size. No matter how many times I have seen it, Hirakura also felt that this thing was really out of place with the colorful flowers blooming in the surrounding flower beds, but he knew the significance of this weird-looking thing being placed here to the base of the city.

"That is the Heroic Monument... to remember those heroic souls who died for the sake of Changming City and the future of mankind."

"Monument?" This explanation made Hiiragi and Lingjiu even more confused.

"That pile of scrap metal is actually an advance tank that was destroyed by the second-order giant zombies in the battle to recapture Changming City 17 years ago."

"!?"

After listening to Hirakura's words, the two of them found traces of a tank from the pile of scrap metal. The flattened tracks and the twisted barrel were indeed proof that it was a tank in the past, but it looked like this now. It was too brutal. The second-level giant zombie was certainly terrifying, but it seemed too much to destroy a real tank like this.

"Advanced tank?" A name I have never heard of.

"The marching tank was a specially designed tank 17 years ago. Due to some location reasons, the preparation time for recapturing Changming City was very hasty. In order to use limited resources to achieve large-scale mass production in a short period of time, it was better in terms of protection and firepower. It had to be drastically reduced." Ping Cang very considerately attached the information he learned, "Now it has been discontinued in Changming City, leaving a few prototype cars in the museum, most of which were dismantled and recycled, and a small amount was sold to I don’t know if there are other urban bases that lack armor that are still in service today.”