American comics: Starting in Arkham, a system-based Batman

Chapter 30 I'm a respectable person

Zheng En looked completely bewildered.

What, do people from the East District get special treatment when looking for jobs?

He remembers living in the East District, not the Diamond District.

"Hey, you should have said you were from the East District earlier."

In no time, the agent had already mentally listed about a dozen positions to choose from. Things like firearms ownership and shooting experience were all considered above average given the location of this residence in the East District.

He leaned forward affectionately, pointing at the pages of the notebook with his pen.

"Look at this, the Mooney Gang, a gang affiliated with the Falcone family. The boss, Fish Mooney, is a ruthless and vicious character who is both tough and gentle. He treats his subordinates quite well compared to other gangs, and he particularly appreciates smart people, especially handsome young men."

The agent's eyes darted around Zheng En's face. Even with a face that had no distinguishing features except for his glasses, he could still lie through his teeth.

"Although your appearance may not be her usual type, it's not impossible that she might want to try something new once she gets tired of it."

Real estate agents are masters at tailoring their services to different people. If someone has no work experience but wants an easy, leisurely job, they're basically living off a woman.

He thought his words would touch the other person's heart, but to his surprise, Zheng En shook her head repeatedly.

"I'm a decent person, I wouldn't do something like that."

The agent rolled his eyes, thinking, "You really think they'd be interested in you?"

Pu Xinnan, really down there.

He turned around and gave a fake smile. "It's okay. The chances of you being noticed are slim. You usually just work in the gang, checking out the places and doing the math."

People in the East District can find jobs easily; as long as they don't do a terrible job, most gangs will hire them.

The problem is that the other person's educational background is too high. Some people might reject them because they think they are a bookworm who doesn't know how to adapt, or they might think that such a person is too arrogant and dishonest.

Zheng En tapped the table: "I told you, I'm a decent person, I don't do this kind of thing."

The agent paused, then frowned. "You're not planning on working for the gang?"

He said that people from the East District wouldn't come to an agency to find jobs; they could just join a gang as odd jobs.

The agent initially thought that Zheng En wanted to spend money to buy a channel and find a big gang to rely on, but he didn't expect that the other party wanted to be a law-abiding citizen.

Zheng En nodded.

The agent clicked his tongue, tapping his pen on a page of his notebook. "And then you want to find an easy, leisurely job?"

He was puzzled. "Dude, I'm not trying to be mean, but if I could find a job like this, would I be suffering like this?"

"These days, even being a gigolo requires physical labor. Not to mention, with your face showing like that, the GCPD might arrest someone, and who knows who they'll take away."

Jung Eun choked back tears: "...This isn't my true self."

"Yes, I know, the real you is much more handsome than this."

Every man says that.

The agent didn't take that seriously at all. "In Chinese terms, you just haven't fully grown in yet. But I don't understand, don't you all have the same face from childhood to adulthood?"

He shrugged. "Even aging naturally until death."

These days, nobody believes you when you tell the truth.

Zheng En silently shed tears, thinking, "This stereotype is a bit too extreme. I'm going to sue you for racial discrimination."

The agent chuckled. "This is Gotham, after all."

I deleted all the dozen or so job postings I had in mind and started looking through my notebook for real estate agents.

"Got it."

He showed Zheng En the pages of the notebook, where the key point was marked in red—Ciennis Investment Company.

"Go apply to this company; you'll be satisfied."

The agent seemed quite proud of being able to meet such a demanding request, and Jung Eun clapped along in response.

"However, I can't connect you with companies of this size, nor can I guarantee you a job." The agent then changed the subject, "I've just selected the companies I know that are currently the most suitable for you."

"As for the rest, it all depends on your own fate."

Jung Eun understood the other party's disclaimer.

Given that the daily tasks refreshed on the panel have gradually evolved from the initial tasks of eating, finding housing, buying a mobile phone, and buying clothes to providing a meal for a homeless person and stopping a crime (robbery), (theft), (murder)...

He needs to find a task that will guarantee him completing his daily tasks.

The daily tasks provided on the panel will refresh after completion. Tasks like "Have a Big Meal" are fine, since everyone needs to eat every day. However, tasks like "A Place to Stay" and "Contact Information" will not reappear after completion.

Other tasks will take their place.

Do one good deed every day

No matter the reason, someone will always suffer misfortune. People who have fallen to their lowest point are capable of anything, but sometimes, they may just need a loaf of bread or a bowl of hot soup.

[Crime Aborted (Robbery)]

For some, the willingness to resort to violence to plunder is far greater than the desire to create wealth themselves.

[Criminal Attempt (Theft)]

Some people are taught from a young age to make a living this way, and even when they have better options later in life, they can't shake off the pleasure of getting something for nothing.

[Accidental Murder]

Whether it was premeditated or a spur-of-the-moment decision, it all boils down to two things: profit and pleasure.

These tasks are not difficult for Zheng En, but they are too random, and he cannot guarantee that he can complete them on time every day.

The former is manageable, as homeless people are everywhere. But for Jung Eun to happen to encounter more than three different types of crimes every day is a bit of a challenge.

Even though Zheng En lives in the East District, he's not so unlucky as to be a plague god, with trouble happening wherever he goes.

He can't possibly stay up all night and steal Batman's job, can he?

In comparison, tasks like clocking in at work, which can be refreshed daily, are much simpler.

After returning to his residence, Zheng En tried submitting his resume to the Ciennis Investment Company. He had no intention of joining a gang to fight to the death, nor did he intend to become a corporate slave.

Send out resumes indiscriminately, cast a wide net and catch as many fish as you can, whatever you catch, and quit if you're not happy with the job.

...If all else fails, just compete with the local Batman for the job; they can't arrest him anyway.

Perhaps Gotham has an abundance of talent and no shortage of workers, or perhaps his resume simply lacked any highlights, but Zheng En's resumes mostly went unanswered, with the few responses being polite rejections.

Zheng En thought there was no hope, but then he discovered that the first company he had contacted, Ciennis Investment Company, had sent him a new email.

"We regret to inform you that your application for this position is unsuccessful. Because your academic qualifications, professional skills, and abilities demonstrated in your resume do not meet the requirements for this position, we have to decline your application."

However, you possess unique talents, and our company welcomes you to join us. If you are interested, please call the following number for further information.