Li Chonglou frowned, "Wait, what did you say your name was? Didn't you say your name was Yi Defang?"
Yi Defa immediately rolled her eyes, "Is there something wrong with your ears? My name is Yi Defa, De from 'to get', Fa from 'to prosper'!"
"Huh?"
Li Chonglou was completely stunned.
Yi Defa? Not Yi Defang?
He felt his head couldn't quite process it, what the heck! He thought Yi Defang was weird enough, but now it was Yi Defa?
Who was the genius who came up with this name?
If complaining had levels, Li Chonglou figured he was already exceeding all limits.
"Um, do you have some kind of vendetta against your parents?"
Yi Defa didn't hear him clearly, "What did you say?"
Li Chonglou quickly shook his head and returned to the main topic, "You said you had nothing to do with the # murder case, so why were you there? And why did you stop me?"
Yi Defa rolled her eyes again, "Didn't you say you were just wandering around there late at night yourself!"
As for the latter question, Yi Defa completely ignored it.
While she was speaking, Li Chonglou kept staring into her eyes. There was nothing unusual about them; in fact, they held a hint of righteous indignation.
It seemed it really had nothing to do with her.
Li Chonglou had his own answer, but this matter wasn't just his alone. He still had to report back to Lin Qianqian, so he asked all the necessary questions.
After a good half hour, Li Chonglou finally understood the whole story.
Yi Defa had originally been active in the northern part of Shangjing. Due to personal reasons, she couldn't operate as a freelancer and had to mingle in small gangs, either as a capable assistant or a boss.
Yes, he said "either" because she herself didn't have a fixed profession. One month she might be the boss, and the next she might suddenly decide to become someone's subordinate.
Furthermore, having been confused about her gender from a young age, she had mastered the art of disguise to a divine level. This not only meant she had never been recognized by anyone, but no one even knew her true gender.
Well, back to the main point, the reason she came to Yi'an this time was because three days ago, she had visited the Freelancer Agency of the General Bureau for the first time and accepted a mission.
Only then did she set a trap under the overpass near the mission location, hoping to lure a big fish, but she didn't expect to catch the unlucky Li Chonglou.
"Didn't you say you weren't interested in being a freelancer, so why did you suddenly go to the General Bureau's Freelancer Agency?"
Yi Defa sighed, "It's the pressure of life. I could scrape by by following the gangs, but ever since the General Bureau issued a notice, all my bosses went back to their villages to farm."
Li Chonglou remained silent. Yi Defa was the worst-off insider he had ever met. As a second-level expert, she actually relied on the few thousand yuan she got from hanging out with gangs to make a living. To put it bluntly, she would be better off working as a laborer in his company!
"You are quite something."
"What?"
Li Chonglou quickly changed the subject, "So, according to you, you're still working for someone else?"
Yi Defa rolled her eyes, "What else? I don't know the place, and I can't go to any legitimate venues. If I don't follow a boss, where else can I get money?"
"You can't go to legitimate venues, what does that mean?"
"It seems you're even more out of touch than I am. There are places that can tell if you're male or female, you know? That's the power of technology. Your disguise skills are useless there!"
Li Chonglou fell silent.
He couldn't bring himself to tell Yi Defa the truth: such equipment, if not entirely non-existent, was at least so rare that you could count the ones visible in the entire Shangjing on one hand!
However, whether this question was answered or not was of no consequence.
"Um, have you ever thought about changing bosses?"
Yi Defa's expression froze, "Of course I've thought about it. The problem is, in this situation, where can I find a boss? They've all become cowards."
Only then did Li Chonglou realize that the situation in Shangjing was even more serious than he had imagined.
Yi Defa was currently at the lowest rung of society. It was only people like her, who were at this level, who could truly perceive societal changes.
If even the small-time thugs at the bottom were acting like cowards, then it was even more so for those above!
However, Yi Defa's words suited Li Chonglou's intentions, "Then, do you think I'd be suitable?"
As soon as he said this, Yi Defa seemed startled and quickly stepped back, staring at Li Chonglou with a wary expression.
"What do you mean by that? You don't mean to say...!"
Li Chonglou quickly waved his hands, "No, no, no, don't misunderstand. I already have a company, and I also hire freelancers. You won't have to do any rough work, just be responsible for guarding the company's safety."
Yi Defa's strength, while not weak, was that of someone from within the circles. In any case, she was an expert.
But if she were to be truly ranked among the experts in their circle, she was still far from it! She didn't even know how to use her own aura. If a fight were to break out, she might not even be able to defeat someone who had just entered the realm!
One must remember that a real battle was a life-and-death struggle, not just a comparison of combat power. Someone like Yi Defa, who had never even killed anyone, would likely have her combat effectiveness greatly reduced by the mere sight of blood!
However, speaking of which, Li Chonglou didn't care about these things. What he valued was Yi Defa's potential.
She was only in her early twenties, and she hadn't received any formal training. She probably didn't have much time to cultivate while hanging out with gangs, yet she had managed to reach the second level.
Her talent, compared to Yue Hai, might even be stronger!
However, Yi Defa didn't immediately believe him and continued to stare at Li Chonglou warily.
"How do I know if what you're saying is true or not?"
"Don't worry about that. I'm not asking you to come with me right now."
Li Chonglou took out his phone.
"Give me your contact number. I'll add you first. When you have time, you can come over to confirm the salary. If everything is fine, then we can discuss the employment."
Yi Defa showed a hint of difficulty, "But my phone is still with my boss. He doesn't allow us to carry personal communication devices while working."
Did she have to be so obedient? She was a powerful expert!
Li Chonglou's understanding of Yi Defa's personality deepened. Perhaps she was the only one in this world with such strength who would do such things.
"Then do you remember your own phone number?"
Since she didn't have her phone with her, Li Chonglou had to settle for the next best option. Fortunately, Yi Defa didn't falter this time and skillfully recited her phone number.
"Can I leave now?"
After saying that, Yi Defa cautiously looked at Li Chonglou. Only when she saw Li Chonglou nod did she leave without looking back.
To be precise, she left at lightning speed! As if she was afraid that if she walked any slower, she might change her mind!
It wasn't until five minutes later that Yi Defa dared to look back.