Chapter 84: Partners again

"You are way too casual about something that sounds absolutely earth-shattering to me."

Kai gave him a sheepish smile. "Go ahead. Ask whatever is confusing you."

They were driving back toward Blue Mountain, but Kai deliberately kept the car moving at a slower pace. He wanted to finish the conversation before they arrived.

"So, let me get this straight. The stocks you invested in gave you enough of a return that you could afford a house in Blue Mountain. Then, all of a sudden, you reawakened and became strong enough to manhandle Drake. And on top of all that, you finally grew the balls to confess your feelings to the woman you’ve been in love with all this time?"

Mark hummed thoughtfully. "I can believe everything except the last part."

Kai looked offended. "Hey. I really did confess to her. It took a lot of courage, but by that point, keeping it to myself didn’t make sense anymore."

Mark tilted his head. "And yet the two of you are sharing a house, so should I assume she said yes?"

The corners of Kai’s lips lifted faintly. "Well, not exactly. But not because she’s uncertain about her feelings. She wants to take things slowly and assure me that what she feels is genuine, rather than something influenced by everything I’ve done for her."

Mark crossed his arms. "Not to sound rude, but do you really trust her, Kai? She left you without a word back then. You were so caught up in your feelings for her that you ended up breaking up with the one girl who actually loved you."

Kai’s expression grew serious.

"I trust Jean, Mark. And please, don’t mention Megan in front of her."

Mark shook his head. "Trust me, dude. If you genuinely see a future with Jean, you shouldn’t hide things like that from her. Finding out from someone else would hit much harder."

Kai sighed. "We’ve only just settled in together, and I confessed my feelings less than a day ago. I want to give her time to adjust to this new life and get used to having me around."

Mark exhaled slowly. "I understand. I won’t mention anything about her."

A few moments of silence passed before Mark suddenly asked, "So? Have you done it?"

Screech.

The tires shrieked against the pavement, partly because of the sheer absurdity of the question and partly because they had just arrived.

Kai raised a warning finger at him.

"Another exception. You can’t mention something like that either."

Mark snickered. "Look at this grown-ass adult, getting shy like a maiden."

Shaking his head, he released his seat belt and stepped out of the car.

Kai could only let out a weary sigh before following him.

After shifting the seat forward, they carefully pulled the crib out of the car. Thankfully, they managed to get it out without damaging the seat covers and finally set it down on the pavement.

"Come on." Kai smiled as he picked up the gift and walked toward the main gate.

Mark followed, but he could not help looking around in awe.

He had visited Kai’s previous home only an hour ago, back when he had gone there to deal with the noisy old man and his tantrum. That made the contrast all the more striking.

He could still vividly picture Kai’s old shack.

Compared to this manor, the difference was almost mind-boggling.

Ding-Dong.

As Mark rang the bell and waited, he turned toward Kai.

"How should I address her?"

"By her name?" Kai shrugged.

Mark nodded earnestly. "Understood."

Click.

The door opened.

"Finally, we meet, sister-in-law."

"...."

Kai stared at the bastard.

What had even been the point of asking him?

Jean was caught slightly off guard by the sudden familiarity. She glanced at Kai, the corners of her lips automatically curving into a faint smile before she turned back to Mark.

"Hello, Mark. I have heard a lot about you from Kai and have been eager to meet you as well."

Mark nodded. "Hopefully, good things."

Jean nodded and stepped aside, inviting them in.

A moment later, her gaze fell upon the large, gift-wrapped crib. Realizing it was meant as a present, she looked at Mark.

"You didn’t have to bring a gift. This is still your friend’s home. You don’t usually bring gifts when visiting a friend."

Mark chuckled. "Yes, this is Kai’s place. But now he has a daughter, and she’s my niece too. How could I show up empty-handed as her uncle?"

Mark didn’t have many relatives, and even those he did have rarely got along with him because of his blunt personality.

He had never really gotten the chance to dote on a child before. So when he learned that his only friend had suddenly become a father, he had been genuinely excited to meet the little girl.

And, of course, he wanted to bring something for her.

Something he believed would actually be useful.

As they settled into the living room, Jean said, "I’ll go prepare some tea."

She glanced at Kai before walking away.

"Tea, huh..." Mark smiled. "Feels kind of strange."

"Right?" Kai leaned back in his seat. "This new life feels strange to both Jean and me."

Mark let out a quiet sigh.

"Well, now that you’ve got a decent amount of money and a reliable way to earn more, I guess our old line of work is over?"

At this point, he was almost certain of it.

And that realization affected him more than he wanted to admit.

Being Kai’s manager had never been particularly demanding, but the pay had been stable for as long as Kai was willing to continue working. It had given Mark a comfortable position, even if the work itself had never amounted to much.

"And truthfully it’s better if you don’t go back to that line of work," Mark said. "You have a family now, and you have a respectable way to make money. Though I suppose the risks are going to be greater from here on."

Kai watched him quietly for several moments. He knew exactly what must be going through his friend’s mind.

After a sigh, he said, "I was actually thinking of giving you the job of decorating our house since you have a degree in that field and all. But now, I have a better opportunity for you."

Mark’s brows rose.

"You do?"

Kai nodded.

"Become my manager."

Mark leaned back and stared at him.

"Don’t kid around. You know I’m not cut out for that. And you were the one who said you wouldn’t reveal your identity to the world until you’d built up enough strength and influence."

Kai nodded. "Exactly. And that’s why I need you instead of a professional manager."

Mark frowned.

"What do I have that they don’t?"

Kai’s lips curved into a faint grin.

"Connections."

Mark’s frown deepened.

"Connections for what?"

Kai lowered his voice before telling him, "The black market. Mark, I want you to become my mediator and handle the sale of every monster corpse I bring back from the dungeons. You’ll get a thirty percent commission on every deal, along with a five-thousand salary each month. What do you say?"

Mark fell completely silent.

His heart trembled at how good the offer sounded.

He knew exactly how vast the black market was and how easily monster materials could be sold through the right connections. Truthfully, Kai could have handled it himself. He himself had several connections and people who hold Kai in good regards. Finding buyers would hardly have been difficult.

Yet he was deliberately giving Mark the opportunity.

An opportunity to keep his life stable and earn far more than he ever could have from their old line of work.

"Don’t overthink it, man. Just accept it for Mia’s sake."

Mark snickered, though his voice came out heavy with emotion. "I’m convinced. No need to emotionally blackmail me."

Kai smiled and gave his shoulder a firm pat.

"It’ll be fun working with you again, partner."