Upon hearing this bad news, Chen Ming felt that his future had turned pitch black, as if some Great One was thoroughly tormenting him. One setback after another left him mentally and physically exhausted, without even the strength to get angry. He waved his hand and asked, "So how much compensation are you planning to give me?"

  The innkeeper said, "The inn has an obligation to safeguard guests' belongings during their stay, but to prevent unscrupulous people from using this for blackmail and extortion, the imperial court has established rules: if a guest loses belongings during their stay, compensation is limited to four times the accommodation fee."

  Chen Ming flew into a rage. He was now staying at a cheap inn that didn't cost much. If he only received four times the fee as compensation, he wouldn't even have money for food in a few days.

  His anger flaring, he grabbed the innkeeper and shouted, "Maybe you stole my luggage yourself and are now trying to fob me off with a pittance!"

  The innkeeper hastily waved his hands and said, "How could that be? If such a thing happened, how could our little inn stay in business? Sir, don't falsely accuse me. It's also possible that you stole your own belongings to extort the inn."

  Chen Ming finally lost his reason and threw a punch. The innkeeper hastily dodged, and several attendants rushed forward together. A brawl broke out, with shouts and curses rising one after another.

  As the saying goes, a good dog is no match for a pack of mangy ones. Chen Ming's anger couldn't translate into combat effectiveness. He was shamefully defeated, knocked to the ground in a miserable state. And because of the affray, they were all hauled off to the County Government Office.

  The petty officials at the County Government Office had extensive experience handling fights. Without distinguishing right from wrong, they first threw everyone into jail. After both sides had cooled down, some mediation took place, and ultimately each side backed down, mutually agreeing not to pursue charges for the fight. As for Chen Ming's stolen luggage, the inn followed the rules and compensated him four times the accommodation fee.

  After receiving that paltry compensation, Chen Ming's tears nearly fell. Why was his fate so miserable? Damn The Great One—since he'd brought him here, couldn't he have arranged things a bit better? Now he was almost a beggar. If this continued, he might as well just give up. No matter how awesome The Great One was, he couldn't make use of a useless person!

  Chief Constable Zong happened to be on duty. Seeing Chen Ming back again, he asked what had happened and deeply sympathized with him. Sighing, he said, "Mr. Chen, you've truly suffered one disaster after another! But cheer up. As the ancient saying goes: 'When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it first frustrates their heart and mind, exhausts their muscles and bones, starves their body, leaves them destitute, and thwarts their endeavors—thus stimulating their mind, strengthening their nature, and increasing their capabilities.' It's just a small setback. Losing some money is nothing to worry about."

  Chen Ming smiled bitterly and shook his head. "Tomorrow I'll have to beg on the streets. How can I not worry?"

  Chief Constable Zong couldn't help but laugh. "Making money—what's so difficult about that? At worst, you could do manual labor. You'd survive somehow. Besides, you're an educated man who can read and write. Becoming an accountant or a private secretary—what's so hard about that?"

  He paused for a moment, then said, "I have a connection in the provincial capital. The risk is a bit high, but the profit is excellent. As they say, wealth is found in danger. In just one night, you could earn five hundred yuan. The government office guarantees it—completely legal and reasonable—and I think this job suits you perfectly!"

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Chen Ming's eyes immediately lit up. Heaven never seals off all exits!

  He quickly asked, "What kind of business is it?"

  "Being a Night rover!"

  Seeing Chen Ming's confused expression, not understanding the term, Chief Constable Zong began explaining it to him.

  So-called Night rovers were people who traversed the wilderness at night.

  This world was extremely dangerous, filled with countless demons and monsters that devoured people without number. Therefore, people could only protect themselves by building fortified settlements. During the day, people could still venture out of the cities in groups to farm, travel, or conduct business. But at night, all kinds of demons and monsters emerged, and people had to return to the cities, relying on the city walls for protection. Anyone remaining in the wilderness would surely die.

  For this reason, traffic between cities ceased at night. If special circumstances arose—such as urgently needing life-saving medicine—someone had to cross the wilderness to connect two cities. This was extremely risky; one misstep could mean death in a monster's maw. Hence the rewards were very high, with fees often starting at a hundred yuan—several months' or even a full year's income for ordinary people.

  Compared to the hardships of life, no matter how dangerous traversing the wilderness at night was, there were still bold and reckless individuals willing to take enormous risks, crossing from one city to another at night, betting their lives on the path. These people were called "Night rovers."

  Chief Constable Zong said, "Mr. Chen, I see you as quite extraordinary. Twice you ventured deep into the forest and came back unscathed, untouched by monsters. If so, why not give it a try? Become a Night rover, earn a substantial fortune, and turn your life around."

  Hearing this, Chen Ming's mind stirred greatly. Wasn't this a tailor-made profession for him? With the golden finger granted by The Great One, he had no fear of nighttime monsters.

  He thought to himself: the burning of the Chen & Zhu Firm, the theft of his wallet and luggage—though they seemed like disasters, they might actually be arranged by The Great One's unseen hand, guiding him toward the path of a Night rover.

  Chen Ming made up his mind and said, "No problem. I'll take this job."

  Chief Constable Zong instead cautioned him, "Mr. Chen, this is extremely risky—virtually betting your life. Of those who've become Night rovers in Renhe County in the past, nine out of ten didn't survive their first trip. The occasional few who completed one job never had the courage for a second. I advise you to think twice. You're not at your wit's end. With mere money, even selling your labor, you could earn several yuan a month."

  Chen Ming shook his head. "Thank you for your concern, Chief Constable, but my mind is made up. Please introduce me to this job."

  Chief Constable Zong sighed. "I've said all I needed to say. Your life is ultimately your own."

  He then began explaining the details of this job. It turned out that tonight, a wealthy household in Hangzhou had a severe illness. After diagnosis, the physician needed a specific medicine, but it happened to be unavailable in the city. They telegraphed nearby cities and found that Renhe had it in stock. So they commissioned the government office, offering a reward of five hundred yuan, urgently seeking a brave soul to deliver the medicine at night.

  Chief Constable Zong said, "The medicine still needs some time to prepare. Wait a while. Also, if you have any difficulties about being a Night rover, speak up quickly. If I can help, I certainly will."

  Chen Ming thought for a moment and said, "I'm not afraid of the demons and monsters at night, but Renhe to the provincial capital is about forty or fifty li—too far. They say saving a life is like fighting a fire. If I delay and worsen the illness, that wouldn't be good."

  Chief Constable Zong laughed heartily. "That's not a difficult problem. Come with me."

  Chen Ming followed him and saw Chief Constable Zong lead him to a large bicycle. Patting the seat, Chief Constable Zong smiled and said, "How about using this tonight?"

  Chen Ming was momentarily stunned, then upon reflection, couldn't help but admire the idea.

  He had previously learned that The Great Ming had already invented internal combustion engines, but due to a lack of petroleum, they hadn't become widespread. Therefore, the only mechanical transportation was trains—no automobiles or motorcycles.