Night fell, and the room lit up with colorful, rotating lights. Spots of color danced across the ceiling and floor, accompanied by the cheerful jingling of bells.
Hestia sat with Granny He and her family around a table, upon which a cake flickered with candlelight.
“Lisa, happy birthday!” The family congratulated the little girl, who wore a birthday crown, their voices full of joy.
“Thank you, Granny, Uncle, Mom and Dad, and my favorite big sister, Hestia!” Lisa, holding a plastic knife and fork, blinked excitedly at the cake in front of her, eager to begin.
“Alright, we won’t keep you waiting any longer. Go ahead, Lisa.”
“Okay, I’m starting now. Hehe!” Lisa cheerfully stabbed a large cherry with her fork and popped it into her mouth before cutting the cake.
First, she served Granny. Then, the rest of the family, leaving the final slice for herself—strictly off-limits to anyone else.
Watching the carefree, happy girl, the adults couldn’t help but smile. They teased her playfully, filling the room with laughter.
By 10 p.m., after eating cake and bathing, Lisa, exhausted from playing, was carried off to bed by her mother. Meanwhile, Granny He and the others stayed in the living room.
“Hestia, you’re heading off to study far away, aren’t you?”
“Yes, in a few days.” Hestia nodded, feeling a pang of reluctance. Ever since her father left, she had lived alone. Over the past few months, she had grown accustomed to the warmth of living with Granny He’s family.
“That’s a good thing. No need to feel sad, hehe,” Granny He said with a warm smile.
“You’ll grow into a beautiful adult someday, Hestia. You can’t stay in this little place forever.”
“I’ll still miss it,” the girl replied, shaking her head gently. Though much of her past was sorrowful, there were still things she cherished.
“Just let things take their course,” Granny He sighed softly.
At that moment, an idea struck Hestia. She glanced over at He Cheng, who was chatting and drinking with Lisa’s father.
“Actually, I recently learned about a good company that’s hiring. Maybe Uncle He Cheng could give it a try.”
“Oh? What kind of company? He Cheng is hardworking, but he doesn’t know much. I’d hate for him to waste your kindness,” Granny He asked cautiously.
“It’s a logistics and transportation company. It seems like a good fit,” Hestia replied, nodding.
She handed over a business card and a special white card.
The white card featured a corner adorned with a blooming blue flower and Hestia’s name printed below. Besides the subtle anti-counterfeit watermark on the back, it bore no other markings.
“A former classmate of mine founded the company and invited me to get involved…” Hestia hesitated, considering how best to explain.
In truth, the company was still small, with fewer than three employees. It had been funded by Irene, who roped Hestia in, granting her 30% ownership. Its sole significant asset was a brand-new truck valued at 600,000 Federation Credits—purchased with Irene’s lifelong savings.
Irene’s parents were aware of this venture and seemed supportive, treating it as an opportunity for Irene to experiment with entrepreneurship. It was a low-stakes way for her to gain experience before inheriting the family business.
Rich kids sure lived differently, Hestia mused, shaking her head slightly at the thought. She quickly adjusted, though.
“The company is still new but already has business lined up,” Hestia explained, glancing at He Cheng, who was still chatting and drinking.
“There’s a new city being developed in Northern 4th District. There’s no rail line there yet, and they need a lot of industrial materials.”
“A new city? That’s a big deal. I hadn’t heard about it. Guess I’m getting old and out of touch,” Granny He chuckled. She didn’t doubt Hestia’s words—knowing the girl’s cautious and thoughtful nature, this was likely a reliable opportunity.
Granny He waved He Cheng over.
“What is it, Granny?” He Cheng asked as he sat down, glancing at Hestia with some suspicion.
“You’re probably going to tell me to drink less so I can take Hestia to the station tomorrow, right? No problem.”
“No, that’s not it,” Granny He said, shaking her head.
“Hestia found you a job. Go check it out tomorrow. If it’s a good fit, take it. If not, don’t waste their time, understood?”
“Well, uh… Hestia just graduated middle school…” He Cheng scratched his head, stopping mid-sentence.
“Alright, I’ll go see tomorrow,” he finally agreed, figuring it was probably a small side gig or odd job.
“The pay is about 20,000 Federation Credits per month. Since the company’s new, the rate might not stay that high for long,” Hestia said thoughtfully. Irene still had nearly 2 million Federation Credits in savings, but starting a business involved countless expenses, so they couldn’t afford to be too generous yet.
“Wait, 20,000 Credits?! That’s just starting out?” He Cheng nearly fell out of his chair. As a driver mostly handling short city routes, he earned no more than 7,000 Credits a month, with no benefits.
“Yes, it’s for a big truck,” Hestia said, recalling the scene from a few days ago when she and Irene had visited the factory in Arpeggio City to inspect the truck.
It had been quite a sight—two teenage girls, 16 or 17 years old, not shopping for a sleek personal car but inspecting an enormous, rugged truck. The tires alone were taller than Hestia.
Sobering up instantly, He Cheng asked for more details. To him, a job offering such high pay seemed too good to be true.
“Transporting industrial materials, huh?” After listening to Hestia, he felt it sounded straightforward. Industrial materials weren’t perishable like fruit or hazardous like certain chemicals. They were generally durable and low-maintenance, making this one of the easier logistics jobs.
“Yes, this is just the beginning. Demand will likely grow steadily,” Hestia said confidently, full of hope and anticipation for “Gray Dove Logistics.”
After hearing the girl’s explanation, He Cheng and Granny He began to understand the new city’s development and the long-term potential of this project. It seemed like steady work for at least the next four to five years.
“No problem. I’ll give it my best shot starting tomorrow,” He Cheng promised, thumping his chest.
“Thank you, Uncle He Cheng,” Hestia said, standing to bow politely, a warm smile lighting her face.
“Come on, I should be thanking you!” He Cheng scratched his head, embarrassed.
The room soon filled with laughter again.
…
The next day, He Cheng headed to the newly established logistics company’s location.
In front of the warehouse where the truck was parked, two figures, one plump and one lanky, stood waiting.
“The young lady said an uncle of hers would be coming today,” Bulu, who stood like a mountain, remarked.
“Yeah, I remember clearly—his name’s He Cheng, right? Should be one of Granny He’s family members,” Hark replied, leaning against the wall with his arms behind his head, sunglasses perched on his nose. A blade of grass dangled from his mouth, plucked from who-knows-where.
Normally, he’d have a cigarette in his mouth, but Hesia disliked it. Since she was essentially the boss feeding him now, he had begrudgingly switched to grass. After all, life under this young lady’s leadership was leagues better than his former aimless existence.
With the company just starting up, the two young owners would soon head back to school, leaving Hark and the “founding members” in charge. The thought of that autonomy thrilled him—far better than working under someone else.
“Are you Hark and Bulu?”
Before He Cheng arrived, however, a young woman with short silver hair appeared. Her bangs partially obscured her face, and she wore a black dress accented with silver-gray trim. Her figure was lithe, her legs wrapped in sheer gray tights, exuding a mysterious aura.
“Yes, we are. And you are?” Bulu replied cautiously, but Hark quickly stepped in, interrupting.
“What brings you here?” Hark’s brow furrowed as he eyed the silver-haired woman, his hand instinctively reaching for the short knife hidden behind him.
“Oh, not bad. At least you’re alert,” the woman said with a faint glimmer in her gray eyes, as if she saw through them entirely.
Her heeled shoes tapped rapidly against the metal warehouse floor as she closed the distance in the blink of an eye. Despite her slim build, the oppressive aura she radiated was akin to that of a ferocious beast, leaving the two men drenched in cold sweat, frozen in place.
“Not bad,” she muttered after a brief pause, sniffing the air around them. Detecting no traces of hallucinogens or addictive substances, she nodded slightly.
“Acceptable, barely.” She flicked a silver card between her fingers, then tossed it to the two men.
“This contains training materials from the Federation Army. Study them well. I’ll be checking your progress monthly. And if I catch you slacking…” She didn’t finish, but the glint in her eyes conveyed more than words could.
Following her instructions, they opened the warehouse doors. She circled the brand-new truck parked inside, inspecting it.
“The Tiger J-300 Heavy Truck, manufactured by Cold Steel Industries. Not exactly impressive, but given your budget constraints, it’ll do,” she said, giving the truck tire a firm kick, moving it a few centimeters to gauge its weight and durability.
“So, which one of you knows how to drive this thing?”
“Uh, we can only drive regular vehicles,” the two admitted hastily. While AI-assisted driving was common, long-distance trucking still required human oversight to handle emergencies.
“How is this small company even operational?” she muttered, exasperated.
“The young lady mentioned a driver would start today,” Bulu explained.
“Oh, so there’s someone else. Alright, noted.” She lightly tapped an earpiece hidden by her hair, confirming something before nodding.
“I won’t meet this driver personally since he’s just an ordinary civilian. You two explain that I’m the temporary accountant for the company. And don’t call me unless it’s absolutely necessary—I’m busy.”
“Understood,” they nodded emphatically.
“By the way, what should we call you?” one of them asked carefully.
“Mammon. Or, if you prefer, ‘Miss Gray Crow.’ I like that name better.”
“Alright, Miss Gray Crow.”
“One more thing: I’ll arrange for some weapons in the future, and you’ll need to affiliate with a bureau to obtain legal firearm permits.” She tapped her cheek lightly, deep in thought.
“You’re familiar with firearms, yes?”
“Yes,” they replied, straightening up.
“Good. During transportation, you’re bound to encounter thieves or roadblocks. Just flash your weapons and deal with it. But in the city, stay clean. Don’t cause any trouble that’ll inconvenience me.”
“If you trouble me, I’ll be very unhappy. Understood?” She leaned forward slightly, revealing a glimpse of her other hidden eye beneath her bangs.
“Understood!” The two nodded like bobbleheads, too terrified to meet her gaze.
“Good kids. This makes my job much easier. My time is precious,” she said, clapping her hands as if dismissing them.
“Oh, and here’s a form. Have the driver fill it out and send it to me.” She swiped her fingers in the air, creating a projection of a form, which she then “tossed” at them.
Moments later, their personal devices chimed, signaling the receipt of the form—despite no contact details being shared, proving their devices had been hacked long ago.
“Keep it safe. I’ll see you next time.” With that, she waved, spun gracefully in place, and disappeared from their sight, leaving them wondering if it was sheer speed or some other ability.
An hour later, following the map’s instructions, He Cheng finally arrived at the warehouse. After circling the area, he cautiously entered.
“Hello, is this ‘Gray Dove Logistics’?” he asked, looking at the mountainous figure before him, already feeling out of place.
“That’s right,” the burly man said, placing a massive hand on He Cheng’s shoulder. Though He Cheng wasn’t frail, the sheer strength behind the grip unsettled him.
The man’s weighty palm lingered, sending a wave of unease through He Cheng. Thankfully, the words that followed eased his nerves.
“We are Gray Dove Logistics’ crew, eternal followers of Lady Hestia, the founding stars of this mighty vessel setting sail, and the resolute beasts guarding its cargo! From now on, we’ll be a legend in Northern 12th District!”
Standing under the warehouse’s bright lights, the two men seemed to grow taller and more imposing, intimidating the new recruit.
“From this day forward, you’re one of us!”