Since Wise had already said as much, Andrew readily agreed, getting ready to take a look at the details of this commission.
Besides being a little curious why both siblings were such big fans of this idol, there was also the matter of the record that had been smashed to pieces in the hands of Soldier 11 and Anby Demara. Back then, Wise had promised Andrew he'd get him a new one at the signing event.
Now that this commission had come up, it was the perfect opportunity.
It would also save Andrew the trouble of having to queue up with a horde of other fans.
"So, what are the details of the commission?"
Now that he knew Wise's thoughts and was quite interested in the idol himself, it was time to get down to the specifics.
"The commission seems pretty simple. Basically, act as a bodyguard for two days and prevent her from getting attacked by any gangs."
Wise pulled out his phone and forwarded the commission details he'd received from the middleman, Shepherd, to Andrew.
The file contained not only the schedule but also various potential risks along the planned routes.
The various points of interest were marked clearly, but one location, an ecological park, immediately put Andrew's hunter instincts on high alert.
A special cactus cultivation area within it caught his eye, making him linger on it for a few extra moments.
Looking at such a detailed intelligence file, Andrew looked up at Wise with some confusion.
"This detailed? Are you sure they're not just messing with people? With this level of intel-gathering, do they even need other bodyguards?"
"Oh, based on what I've gathered from the Web these past two days, the real reason for this might be tied to something else."
With that, Wise handed over another piece of intel he'd collected from the Web. It was an info-sharing post about an unknown outer-ring gang preparing to publicly kidnap the movie star Monica.
"The whole thing's been blown way out of proportion. A lot of people believe it's true, and even Public Security has sent a bunch of extra personnel over there."
Wise rubbed his chin and gave a helpless smile.
"If Public Security hadn't done anything, it would have been fine. But their actions made even more people believe it, causing a bit of a panic in that area recently. To maintain stability, they had no choice but to keep increasing their security presence."
"Then shouldn't it be Monica's agent posting the commission on the Web? Why is it Astra Yao's?"
Hearing this, Andrew scratched his head in confusion, but after a moment of thought, the pieces clicked into place.
"So, because Public Security sent an overwhelming number of officers, the other side doesn't need to hire extra help. But on the flip side, Astra Yao, with her reduced security detail, is now more vulnerable to potential danger?"
Besides, there was no way to know if this kind of news was true or not; for now, it was just a precaution.
If the threat was real, who knew if the target might also change.
Having figured it all out, Andrew immediately understood. His presence was simply an insurance policy. If he wasn't needed, all the better.
Wise nodded as he listened to Andrew's analysis. In fact, the agent who contacted him had said exactly that. He hadn't expected Andrew to figure it out so quickly.
Now that Andrew understood the whole situation, Wise brought up the most important part of the commission—the payment.
"According to the price they offered, DGA Entertainment is paying a base fee of 3 million Dennies. If there really is an attack, the payment will increase depending on the situation. If things get really dicey, we could end up making tens of millions of Dennies from this one job."
"Whoa?!"
Even Andrew couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise at that figure.
"You mean, if nothing happens at all, I get 3 million Dennies just for showing up?"
One could only say that this was expected of a TOPS corporation. The sheer depth of their pockets made even Wise swallow in astonishment.
This single base fee was equivalent to half a month's hard work for Phaethon. If the pay got bumped up a few times, a single job might cover an entire year's worth of expenses?!
When it came to being loaded, you really had to look at those capitalists in TOPS.
Indeed, if you want to make money, you have to make it from those who have it.
After confirming his acceptance of the commission on the Web, Andrew finally asked Wise:
"Since you're such a big fan of Astra Yao, aren't you going to go see the concert live?"
Hearing Andrew's question, Wise looked a little embarrassed.
"Well, mainly as a 'report' on the fixed record, I've already made plans to see a movie with Elfy that day, so I'll have to tearfully pass on the concert."
And you say there's nothing going on?!!!
"Alright, but what about the video store? You're making Belle cover?"
At the mention of shifts, Wise's eyes instantly turned dangerous.
"We agreed to take turns, and now I've been stuck running the shop alone for this long without so much as a single phone call!"
He snorted coldly before continuing:
"It's time for her to pay her dues! For the next few days, my dear little sister can just obediently watch the store. I won't give her a chance to slip away!"
Andrew looked at Wise's darkening expression, clearly fueled by the resentment of an older brother who had been completely forgotten while his little sister was out having the time of her life.
Thinking back on it, how did I end up looking like the blond-haired delinquent who spirited his sister away for fun?
His motorcycle was even still parked in the lot behind Random Play. It was just one step short of him saying:
"Hey, pops! Parked my crotch rocket downstairs. Make sure you watch it for me!"
"Ahem."
Not daring to dwell on the thought, Andrew cleared his throat and, to prevent Wise's wrath from turning on him, quickly said his goodbyes and slipped out of the video store.
Outside, Sixth Street looked the same as always, with one small difference: a familiar pair of tall and short, beautiful police officers were on patrol.
Spotting the familiar figures of Zhu Yuan and Qingyi, Andrew raised a hand in greeting.
"Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, you two on patrol again? Shouldn't the great heroes of New Eridu who just cracked a major case be on break?"
Seeing the two of them practically in full gear, Andrew asked with some confusion:
"You achieved something so huge, and they didn't even give you a few days off?"
Zhu Yuan had been looking around with a serious, almost guarded expression, unconsciously creating a vacuum of space around her.
But upon seeing who it was, a happy smile bloomed on her face and she waved. After hearing Andrew's words, however, she became a little sheepish.
"Andrew, don't tease me. I'm hardly a great hero. I was just there for the cleanup, at most."
"Really? That's not what I saw on the TV news."
Just as Zhu Yuan was about to explain, she was cut off by a small, subtle elbow jab from Qingyi. Realizing that speaking carelessly might compromise the safety of that mysterious person, Zhu Yuan immediately clammed up.
As the one who had called Zhu Yuan over in the first place, Andrew played dumb, putting on a clueless expression that looked completely genuine.
He watched Zhu Yuan, who was torn but didn't dare speak up for fear of exposing someone's hidden identity.
Andrew finally understood why so many criminals enjoy returning to the scene of the crime after they're done.
____
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