Watching Meng Li's retreating back, Ye Mo sighed helplessly.
"The funds on hand have shrunk again."
His reserve funds, which originally had 280,000 left, now only have 80,000 remaining after this expenditure.
Add in his 280,000 external debt, and his total funds successfully turned into a negative number once more.
However, regarding this 200,000 expenditure…
Although Ye Mo felt the pinch, it could significantly boost his employees' sense of belonging.
Actually, he could have totally used this 200,000 to lure Meng Li into joining the office.
This would make it easier for him to recruit her without needing to waste other words.
But if he did that, his employees' sense of belonging would be greatly reduced.
Because that would count as him forcing her to join with 200,000.
But giving her 200,000 after she joined, that was counted as help instead.
And it was even in the name of a loan.
"Sure enough, although money isn't omnipotent, one absolutely cannot do without it."
While Ye Mo lamented, he opened his attribute panel.
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[Name: Ye Mo]
[Agent Level: Tier 1]
[Experience: 0% (Shared with Contracted Players)]
[Constitution: 12]
[Speed: 11]
[Strength: 15]
[Spirit: 10]
[Mana: 12/100]
[Contracted Players: 2/2]
[Ability: One Body Same Life (Exclusive), Heavenly Demon Divine Lightning (Level 2), Indestructible Body (God-Tier).]
[Currently Grantable Class Cards: God-Slayer Ghost Swordsman (SSS-Rank Warrior Path), Necromancer (SSS-Rank Mage Path).
Spacetime Creator (SSS-Rank Control Path), Berserker (A-Rank Warrior Path)]
[Worshipped God: World-Destroying Demon God]
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These past few days, he spent nearly tens of thousands on small blue bottles to barely raise the "Heavenly Demon Divine Lightning" ability to Level 2.
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[Heavenly Demon Divine Lightning (S-Rank)]
[Ability Level: Level 2 (78%)]
[Consumption: 77 points per second]
[Cooldown: None]
[Introduction: Manipulate lightning, control lightning, devour lightning!
Every attack carries lightning elemental damage, increasing its power by 33%.
During execution, can devour all lightning attribute attacks.]
[Skill Motto: With lightning, shatter the darkness!]
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The Level 2 "Heavenly Demon Divine Lightning" only increased the power boost by 3% and reduced mana consumption by 3 points per second.
The improvement was very small, but the cost was huge.
"Sure enough, whether it's a Divine Agent or a player, if you want to become stronger, you have to constantly pay-to-win."
Closing the system panel, Ye Mo took out a small blue bottle from the drawer.
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Mana +100
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After swallowing it, he directly activated "Heavenly Demon Divine Lightning."
His eyes burst with blue light, his whole body was surrounded by lightning, and every strand of his black hair stood on end!
His entire person's temperament was instantly elevated, standing majestically like a Thunder Dharma King.
If he took off his clothes, he would look just like a black-haired version of Si Kongzhen* who had activated his ultimate.
——————————————————
Heavenly Demon Divine Lightning Proficiency +3%
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However, this majestic aura only lasted for a second before dissipating completely.
"A pity, my mana cap’s too low. Every time I use the ability once, I have to drink a bottle of mana potion."
Ye Mo sighed helplessly.
The price of one bottle of mana potion was 300.
It was equivalent to Ye Mo spending 300 RMB for every 3% proficiency.
A proper gold-swallowing beast!
"But I can enter dungeons tomorrow. Once the players that I handle level up, the increased attributes can also feed back to me."
After the players under him leveled up, their bonus attributes would feed back to him.
Which meant that the stronger the players in his hands were, the stronger Ye Mo's strength would be.
On the other side.
Meng Li trotted all the way home while holding the small suitcase.
After crossing a stone bridge, she arrived in front of a dilapidated small house in the slums.
This small house wasn't big. The broken bricks and tiles were even covered with straw.
Because it was a slum, the surrounding environment was also very messy.
There were no sanitation workers to clean the roads, leading to garbage piling up all the way to the sky.
A sour and rotten smell permeated everywhere.
"Xiao Yao, it's big sister."
Meng Li knocked on the door, signaling the person inside to open it.
Click.
Footsteps sounded from inside the house, and the mottled wooden door was quickly pulled open from the inside.
"Big sister~"
A young voice sounded.
A small figure rushed out and hugged Meng Li's slender waist.
Thud!
However, she bumped her head right onto the suitcase in Meng Li's arms.
"Ouch!"
The pain made this little loli frown.
Her small face scrunched up instantly, and her two soft, cute cat ears drooped down.
"Big sister, what’s this?"
She covered her small head in pain, her eyes teary, complaining in a sweet voice.
"Let's go inside first."
Meng Li didn't answer and pulled the little girl into the house.
"Mom, I'm back."
After closing the door and bolting it…
Meng Li took her sister and walked straight into the narrow bedroom.
On the bed lay a thin, pale-faced cat demi-human.
Hearing the commotion, the eyelashes of the woman on the bed moved slightly, opening a pair of heterochromatic eyes, one blue and one purple.
"Xiao Li, you're back."
Meng Ji propped up her thin body with difficulty, forcing a smile onto her bloodless melon-seed face.
"You must be hungry. There's still rice porridge on the table. Drink some first. After you finish eating, I have something to tell you."
These past few days, she knew Meng Li had been constantly running around for her sake.
As someone who had been through it herself, Meng Ji knew very well that there were only two ways for a Demi-human to join an office.
One was to pay a considerable benefit fee, and the other...
Was to sacrifice her own body and become a toy for the special fetishes of the rich.
Aside from these two methods, there were almost no other possibilities.
Every time she saw Meng Li return in disappointment and secretly shed tears under the covers at night, as a mother, she also blamed herself and felt heartache.
She even worried that she would walk down the second path of no return.
These past few days, Meng Ji had also been suffering.
Clearly, she wanted to live, wanted to accompany her children as they grew up.
But...
The cost of her living was too great.
To prolong her life, the high fees pressed on Meng Li so hard she couldn't breathe.
So, in order not to become a burden to them…
Tonight, she prepared to explain everything.
Then, after her two daughters fell asleep, she would take poison.
"Mom, I'm not hungry. I successfully joined an office today and can go to work tomorrow."
Meng Li's face was brimming with a smile.
"Really? Big sister’s awesome! Mom's illness can finally be cured."
Hearing this, Little Meng Yao immediately cheered with a beaming smile.
Meng Ji was stunned after hearing this.
There wasn't much joy on her face. Instead, she became worried.
She was someone who had been through it all and knew too well the difficulty of a Demi-human wanting to join an office.
"Is that so? That's really great. Then... did that Agent of yours make any requests?"
Meng Ji pretended to be happy, but her words were full of probing.
"No, Mr. Agent is very good to me. He doesn't discriminate against Demi-humans at all, and his treatment of me is even double that of ordinary players."
Speaking of this, she pondered for a while and added.
"Ummmmm... He also said that he likes my ears very much, and even gave me money at the end."
Saying that, Meng Li excitedly opened the suitcase in her hand.
Crash!
Stacks of red bills entered Meng Ji's view just like that.
"Wow! So much money."
Little Meng Yao exclaimed upon seeing it.
But Meng Ji's gaze became complicated.
Didn't discriminate against Demi-humans?
Treatment higher than that of ordinary people?
And actively gave her money?
How absurd did this sound?
'Wait!'
'Meng Li just said that Agent liked her ears?'
'Could it be that my daughter has already...'
A terrifying image instantly surged into Meng Ji's mind.
Meng Li, to treat her illness, didn't hesitate to sacrifice herself to satisfy that person's ugly fetish.
All her words now were just to stop her from worrying.
Thinking of this, Meng Ji's expression became ugly, and her breathing became increasingly rapid.
She took a deep breath, trying her best to adjust her emotions.
Looking at Meng Li with eyes full of heartache, she couldn't bear it and hugged her while murmuring.
"I'm sorry... It was Mom who implicated you, making you endure pain you shouldn't have to bear at this age."
'Gah?'
Feeling the sorrow in her mother's words, Meng Li was completely confused!
After carefully thinking about Meng Ji's words, she reacted instantly.
'Mom couldn't be thinking that Mr. Agent and I already...'
Thinking of this, her pretty face turned red instantly, steam spraying from the top of her head.
Pushing her mother away, she hurriedly explained in a sweet voice.
"Mom! Mr. Agent... He isn't the kind of person you think he is!"
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*Si Kongzhen (or Sikong Zhen) is a popular hero in the Chinese MOBA game Honor of Kings and its international version Arena of Valor