Alex had a lot to say to Gu Ning as well, but he didn’t want to interrupt her meal, so he decided to wait until she was finished.

Gu Ning only had a few bites of meat and half a bowl of the rather precious vegetable salad before she started to feel full.

Alex silently gauged how much she had eaten. He knew she’d had quite a few snacks that afternoon and couldn’t manage much more, so he finished off the remaining food.

Once Alex was done, Gu Ning was about to take her own dishes to be washed.

Alex reached out, took her dishes, and deftly cleared the table before taking them to be washed.

Gu Ning sat on the sofa, feeling a little ill at ease as she watched Alex bustle about.

’Should I ask him about Zone 5?’

She glanced at the time. It was still early. ’Knowing his work habits, he probably won’t be resting this soon. He might even have to go out again for work.’

With that in mind, Gu Ning found a pen and paper and wrote down her questions.

After finishing the dishes, Alex washed an apple for Gu Ning and sat down beside her.

Before Gu Ning could hand him the note she’d written, he placed a document in front of her.

Gu Ning paused, then picked up the document and began to read.

It was a signed and stamped contract.

Gu Ning saw Cook’s name on the document, and the end of the contract was stamped with the seal of the Beast Alliance.

"Cook’s contract is done." Alex looked at her, his gaze gentle. "It’s been hard on you these past few days."

Gu Ning looked up at him, her mouth slightly agape. She formulated the words in her head but wasn’t quite able to say them in the Beastman language.

In the end, all she could manage was a choked, "Thank you."

"Don’t thank me. You’ve earned this." Alex’s gaze was tinged with a hint of pain for her.

For the sake of this contract, to ensure Cook maintained a clean personal record, she had braved immense danger living among the Beastmen, taking on work that was incredibly perilous for her.

With that, he placed a stack of Beast Coins in front of her. "This is one month’s salary. A total of thirty-five thousand Beast Coins."

Alex smiled. "Want to count it?"

Gu Ning stared at the thick stack of Beast Coins, exclaiming in astonishment, "So... much?"

’Based on a Mixed Breed’s wages, shouldn’t my salary only be three thousand?’

Alex explained, "For the work you did, your monthly salary is nine thousand Beast Coins, the same as other Beastmen. The rest is back pay owed to you and Cook, along with a work subsidy and injury compensation. I’ve already noted the breakdown in the contract, you can take a look."

Gu Ning picked up the stack of Beast Coins, her eyes flicking back and forth between the signed contract and the money.

Both items felt so heavy.

The signed contract in her hand was light as a feather, yet it felt incredibly heavy. It was the fruit of nearly a month of back-breaking labor and immense risk. It was utterly priceless.

With this...

"With this, Cook can go with us to Zone 5," Alex said. "I checked his personal information. There are no black marks on his record, which is wonderful news."

An immense wave of joy crashed over Gu Ning. The heavy weight that had been pressing on her heart finally lifted.

’This is wonderful, truly wonderful.’

She could take Cook with her and leave Zone 19. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to plant a huge kiss on the document.

"Thank you, Alex," Gu Ning said, clutching the stack of Beast Coins, her heart swelling with gratitude for him.

She was happier now than when she received millions upon millions in tips on PawPress.

"It’s what you and Cook earned, so there’s no need to thank me." Seeing her so happy made Alex happy too, though he wished he could actually see the smile on her face.

Gu Ning was extremely cautious, wearing her head covering even when she was indoors.

"As soon as the Mutant Species are cleared out, I’ll take you and Cook back to Zone 5."

Alex no longer wanted to wait until winter was over. Zone 19 was no place to linger. For Gu Ning’s safety, he had to take her back early.

Gu Ning hugged the money and the signed contract, reveling in her happiness for a moment. Then, a thought struck her, and she grabbed her pen and paper to write:

"Um, Alex, I have a few days of hours I didn’t complete. Do I have to make them up?"

Alex took the note from her and read it, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Yes, you do."

Gu Ning sighed inwardly. ’Of course.’

His gaze swept over her covered face, as if he could see her frustrated expression right through the head covering. The corner of his mouth quirked up a little higher.

He composed himself and said, "But don’t worry. I’ll arrange a suitable job for you."

Gu Ning asked slowly, one word at a time, "What... kind of... job?"