Chapter 125: Supervisor Jacques

For many evolvers hailing from the wilderness, yet possessing only E-level abilities and relatively modest strength, securing a position as a guard or supervisor was undoubtedly a dream come true. Such roles spared them from prolonged exposure to the radiation and viruses rampant in the wild, and from the daily struggle of outwitting countless mutated beasts—a life lived in constant fear, where death could come at any moment.

However, for those evolvers originating from the wilderness, such a comfortable existence was mostly something they could only envy silently. After all, they had all undergone training at the Black Hawk Youth Training Camp and carried a hefty debt of one million Black Hawk Coins as per the rules.

Within the Black Hawk Corporation, there was no rule prohibiting wilderness-born evolvers from serving as guards. Yet, there was a crucial condition: they had to repay their debts first. Consequently, these wilderness evolvers had no choice but to repeatedly venture back into the wild just to survive.

Of course, this was the situation for ordinary evolvers. For those like Zhang Ran, who was gifted and powerful, a debt of one million Black Hawk Coins was not an insurmountable obstacle and could even be directly forgiven by the company.

Yet even for these talented evolvers, possessing formidable evolutionary potential, the prospect of settling for a mere guard’s position was unthinkable. Instead, they aspired to fight relentlessly and evolve further, becoming true powerhouses who enjoyed far better treatment.

“This esteemed sir, my name is Jack, and I am a supervisor at the Trading Center. It is my pleasure to serve you! I was informed by the attendant that you wish to sell a Level 3 alloy weapon and several primary high-energy crystals. Is that correct?” Jack said respectfully, bowing slightly as he addressed Zhang Ran.

Before meeting Zhang Ran, Jack had already learned about the items Zhang Ran intended to sell from the attendant. Upon hearing that Zhang Ran was offloading a substantial amount of Level 4 mutated beast materials, Jack had mentally categorized him as a Level 5 evolver.

Though Jack himself was an evolver with official status at Black Hawk Corporation, he maintained utmost respect when dealing with a Level 5 evolver. After all, such individuals were already quite formidable, and with one more step, reaching Level 6, they could ascend to the company’s upper echelons.

“Yes, that’s correct, Supervisor Jack. Here are the items I intend to sell,” Zhang Ran confirmed with a slight nod, extending his right hand to point toward the counter before him.

“Very well. Allow me to conduct a brief appraisal,” Jack replied, stepping beside the counter and extending his right hand.

As Jack moved, a faint, soft white glow appeared in the palm of his hand, radiating a gentle and beautiful light. He then touched the high-energy crystals and the large cleaver with his glowing hand.

“Appraisal Technique! So that’s the ability—no wonder he managed to become a supervisor at the Trading Center, such a cushy job!” Zhang Ran thought to himself as he observed the gentle white light emanating from Jack’s hand.

The Appraisal Technique was a relatively rare auxiliary-domain ability. Though it held no combat power, it allowed its user to appraise items, discerning their true value and attributes. It was a very special, somewhat niche ability—seemingly trivial but immensely useful in specific contexts.

Thanks to this ability, Jack had secured his position as a supervisor at the Trading Center, responsible for authenticating high-level goods and preventing counterfeit items from entering Black Hawk Corporation’s inventory.

“Excellent. The items you are selling are all genuine and of high quality!” Jack smiled kindly after the appraisal, as detailed information about the goods appeared in his mind. Confirming their authenticity, he nodded and continued.

“As for this Level 3 alloy cleaver, it carries three enchantments. On behalf of Black Hawk Corporation, I offer you 720,000 Black Hawk Coins for it. Regarding the thirty-four primary high-energy crystals, we will purchase them at the company’s official price of 10,000 Black Hawk Coins each, totaling 340,000. How does that sound?” Jack said, squinting thoughtfully before addressing Zhang Ran again.

“Your price is very fair—no issues at all,” Zhang Ran responded with a slight smile and a nod.

Jack’s offer closely matched the prices provided by the chip appraisal system, even exceeding it by 20,000 Black Hawk Coins—undeniably fair and reasonable. Naturally, Zhang Ran had no grounds to argue.

“Very well, that brings the total to 1,082,300 Black Hawk Coins, along with 108,230 merit points. Would you like to withdraw any Black Hawk Coins now, or shall the entire amount be paid via cheque?” Jack asked, seeing no objection from Zhang Ran.

“I don’t need to withdraw any coins now. Just issuing a cheque will suffice,” Zhang Ran replied after a brief pause.

“Understood! I will prepare the cheque for you immediately and report the changes in merit points. Please wait a moment,” Jack said, producing a specially crafted cheque with Black Hawk Corporation’s seal, filling in the amount, signing his name, and stamping it before handing the paper to Zhang Ran.

“Thank you, Supervisor Jack,” Zhang Ran said as he accepted the cheque, carefully inspecting it before putting it away.

This cheque was not only redeemable for cash but also served as a guarantee that Jack took responsibility for the transaction.

To prevent supervisors from embezzling or colluding with other evolvers by accepting forged goods and defrauding Black Hawk Corporation, any supervisor found responsible for fake items would be held accountable—especially if the loss was substantial, punishable by severe torture or even execution.

Therefore, these supervisors operated under tremendous pressure. Though Appraisal Technique was only an E-level ability and not infallible, it could be tricked by abilities such as Disguise, Transformation, or Temporary Attribute Enhancement, leading to erroneous results.

Nonetheless, while the supervisor role bore risks, it was also a lucrative position. Compared to guards who could only earn a small additional city fee, Trading Center supervisors, despite heavy oversight, had many means to amass wealth. It was easy for them to earn forty to fifty thousand Black Hawk Coins a month, rivalling the income of Level 3 evolvers—a truly generous salary.