The day the main team returned.
Baimu rushed to welcome them and attempted to ask Flop for specifics about the stalemate battle at Mine No. 2.
Although the latter shook his head and remained silent, it wasn't hard to tell from his weary eyes tinged with regret that the Sand Group had paid quite a price.
Fortunately, there were no casualties among the squad leaders under Liu Ge's command, but it was unclear about the ordinary members. Baimu really couldn't recognize all their faces and had to rely on memory to slowly check.
Yet he couldn't match a few faces.
However, Flop's silence didn't mean others wouldn't speak. The well-informed Otsuka soon informed Baimu of the casualty numbers from this battle.
Hearing the details, Baimu inevitably fell silent.
Just counting the injured, over a hundred members of the Sand Group were severely wounded and forced into retirement, including a few squad leaders and one manager. Although the number of deaths wasn't high, each represented a vibrant life.
For the sake of two mines, the Sand Group was heavily damaged.
If the Crystal Team were to cause trouble for the Sand Group now, could they still maintain their usual superior position?
Baimu didn't know; he only knew that things were progressing in a peculiar direction.
The Evil Dog Team's miners returned to their original mine to continue working. The elderly and children, deemed insufficient labor by the Quicksand Team, were temporarily housed in shacks near the mine.
The captured Evil Dog Team members and some high-level managers were placed under house arrest, not directly thrown into the underground mine, which made him consider a possibility.
A possibility of rapidly expanding the Quicksand Team.
The next morning.
He received a message from Cang Zhilang, unexpectedly, as the boss should have many things to do—why did he have time to see him?
Upon reaching the designated location, Baimu understood the general reason—
Cang Zhilang was injured, and the injury was not light. A thick layer of bandage was visibly wrapped around his waist and abdomen.
Judging from the blood seeping from front and back of the bandage when he got up, it seemed to be a penetrating wound.
Obviously, this was a result of his confrontation with Luo Qi of the Evil Dog Team, but the latter shouldn't have had a good time either, otherwise he wouldn't have given up so easily after such a long struggle.
"You surprised me."
The medicinal-smelling Cang Zhilang looked slightly pale, yet his voice carried a strong sense of authority.
"To be honest, it wasn't my intention to fight with a manager; it was purely a necessity. But fortunately, I survived." Baimu understood that this boss didn't want to hear empty words. He knew what he wanted—"the truth."
So he just went along with his intention.
Sure enough.
Faced with such straightforward words, Cang Zhilang not only didn't get angry but rather nodded in satisfaction, saying, "You defeated a manager, which barely counts as having the strength of a manager. But your qualifications are too shallow, and your prestige within the team is insufficient. Promoting you directly to a manager level would harm you.
"So for the time being, you're a candidate for manager. Meanwhile, build your reputation within the team and make friends so that more people will support you. By then, you can become a manager—of course, until then, I allow you to enjoy some of the manager's benefits."
"Manager's benefits?"
"You can ask at the headquarters yourself for specifics. I've already informed them, so go ahead." Cang Zhilang succinctly handed over the promise he'd made earlier, then started sending him on his way.
Baimu had no choice but to leave.
Manager's benefits? What benefits does a manager have?
As a level just below the top managers, being a manager already counts as high-level within the Quicksand Team. The benefits must be more than just moving up a floor, at least several floors.
Turning around.
He went to the headquarters office building, where he learned from an administrative staff member about some of the manager's benefits arranged for him by Cang Zhilang.
Firstly, his base salary increased from five million a year to thirty million. Next, the scope of his territory greatly expanded—mostly from a manager who was forced into retirement, who voluntarily stepped down after receiving a pension.
The decisiveness of the choice was shocking.
Of course, since Baimu is a candidate manager, he didn't have enough squad leaders to manage the territory, so it was still managed by the existing Quicksand Team members. He only needed to collect the money.
This means that he gets paid but can't expand his power to a managerial level; this is what they mean by partial manager benefits.
Various potentials, such as offspring benefits, are set aside.
The key point is that Baimu can utilize various resources and connections from the Quicksand Team. For instance, any new high-tech combat suits from an upper-level company; as long as conditions permit, he can acquire them at a minor cost.
Furthermore, for any large store in the Underground City collaborating with the Quicksand Team, he can enjoy VIP treatment. At some Pokémon Massage Shop, he can get multiple discounts; or have a professional Pokémon Breeder prepare the most suitable food for his Pokémon.
If he's looking for something, Pokémon or otherwise, just mention it internally, and someone will help him look for it, and so on.
These are just the surface benefits. The potential ones—if Baimu is willing to be greedy and Cang Zhilang allows it—even if spending is substantial, he could easily accumulate over a billion in savings.
As for other material benefits—
As usual, he got the latest model hoverbike, along with a new hover ATV, a new high-strength combat suit, a super luxury flat in the core area of the Sand Group, an independent office building located in the Underground City, and more permits for starting ventures.
Finally, one Pokémon worth less than ten million dollars, not provided by the team, can be purchased elsewhere, and the invoice can be reimbursed by the team.
In sum, apart from not having real power, Baimu enjoyed everything a manager could. However, to most managers, it's apparently the real power that drives them crazy.
A manager commands a hundred-member squad and has territory covering nearly half a block, with thousands depending on him for their livelihoods. Anyone who meets him bows respectfully—it is up to him to mold them as he wishes, without them daring to speak up.
Even in the entire Pyrite Town, they are the undeniable upper class.
Being at the squad leader level is already something the ordinary people look up to, and being a manager is something they can only dream of, like dreaming of being a king.
After obtaining the related benefits of a manager.
Baimu also received bonuses for completing missions and achievements—equivalent to a whole year's salary, which amounts to thirty million.
This high standard of rewards made him deeply realize that although the environment in Pyrite Town is a bit harsh, one can still make a fortune in a short time through hard work; certainly, in his previous life, many would pursue this opportunity.
—
Baimu spent half a day moving to his new home.
The main effort was with Aggron's shrubs and those two trees; transplanting them was quite challenging, as was finding a suitable place for planting—
Because the new house's landscaping had already been prepared in advance.
The benefits of plants are not well understood by most, but the upper echelons of the Quicksand Team naturally know. Thus, the super-flat brought Baimu not only a more spacious internal space but also a green front yard and a vast battle area backyard covering hundreds of square meters.
The decor was top-notch, even from Baimu's previous life's perspective.
The standard of living had evidently again risen a notch.
There were even a few maids pre-assigned internally to take care of Baimu and Aggron's everyday needs, cleaning, etc.
Unfortunately, the latter was not keen on strangers intruding into his personal space. Thus, he allowed the maids to occasionally come over for cleaning before dispatching them.
The old house keys were still with him, and ownership remains under Baimu's name.
At the moment, he couldn't find an appropriate way to deal with it. Giving it to Cheng Hong or Otsuka seemed unnecessary and could easily get them into trouble, so he just left it aside.
After moving to the new house, Aggron was the most excited.
Since the new house is a single-story flat, there's no limit on the height. Both the height of the doors and ceilings please him greatly.
The vast backyard allows it to move freely without the previous constraints.
What attracts it the most is the greenery in the front yard. Seeing the lush lawn and clusters of vibrant shrubs, it felt an overwhelming sense of fulfillment throughout its life.
Aggron's performance also made Baimu quite embarrassed.
Although he always wanted to provide the best for his Pokémon, due to various constraints, he had to make Aggron and others compromise for a while.
There was this feeling of making empty promises to his Pokémon, similar to drawing pie in the sky without honoring them.
Even Cang Zhilang was better.
Baimu couldn't help but feel another sort of urgency—he must figure out a way to make big money. Otherwise, even if they escape, he could never fulfill Aggron's wish to have a mountain.
Unless he finds a deserted mountain, though the existence of such an environment is doubtful.
He learned from the internet that people in other regions have maximized the utilization of environmental resources, and there are hardly any places unvisited by them.
Many wild areas remain undeveloped for the sake of wild Pokémon—to achieve a balance between wild Pokémon and humans.
If he, as an outsider, recklessly assumes power over a mountain, it might trigger significant issues.