Weapon seller in the world of magic

Meanwhile, at a studio complex in Genesis Town;

The set was buzzing with activity. Stylists darted back and forth, makeup artists adjusted their brushes, and cameras clicked incessantly under the bright studio lights.

Tianzhu sat alone in a corner, his mask and cap blocking most of his face as he scanned the contract sent by the management. The figures were very impressive, to say the least—8544 Credits a month, an amount greater than what even a typical white collar earns (avg: 4.6k) and far higher than a typical road manager (avg:1.8k), almost in the same lines as a B-listed Celebrity manager. But still, it didn’t feel good when he looked at that salary amount. After all, the pocket money he used to give Vera and Theo is 3000 credits each.

As he was contemplating whether it was worth becoming a road manager and even going as far as threatening the CEO just to earn this amount, a shadow then fell over him. ”Tianzhu-ssi?”

”Hmm?” He looked up, eyes meeting a young woman in her 20s standing before him. She had sharp yet pleasant features, her hair tied back into a neat ponytail.

”I’m Kim Yuna,” she introduced herself with a polite bow. ”A fellow road manager.”

Tianzhu gave a small nod. ”Hello.”

”Xueli-nim wants to treat everyone,” Yuna continued, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. ”Iced Americanos and snacks. I was told to bring you along.”

Tianzhu hesitated for a moment before pocketing his phone and standing up. ”Alright. Let’s go.”

The café they stopped at was modern and sleek, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the air.

Yuna placed the order—eight iced Americanos, five lattes, two cappuccinos, and two mochas. The cashier moved swiftly, preparing the drinks while Yuna wandered over to the pastry display.

She stared at the selection, her brows slightly furrowed.

”What’s wrong?” Tianzhu asked, noticing her expression.

Yuna sighed, biting her lip. ”I, uh... forgot to ask exactly what kind of snacks to get. I was supposed to get croissants for Xueli-nim, but it looks like they aren’t available here. And I didn’t ask Jingmin-oppa what to substitute them with, in case they weren’t available.”

She glanced at her phone and dialed the manager’s number, but the line was busy.

Tianzhu observed her for a moment before replying. ”Give me a second.” He held up a hand, signaling Yuna to wait. With his other hand, he slipped his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.

”Hmm?”

Yuna watched, curious. His demeanor remained calm as he called someone.

”Jiejie... Ahem, Teacher Jiang,” Tianzhu spoke as soon as the call connected, before correcting his tone. ”They don’t have croissants. What do you want instead?”

On the other end, Xueli’s voice came through, casual but firm. ”Bagels.”

Tianzhu nodded. ”Got it.” He ended the call and turned to Yuna. ”Get bagels.”

Yuna’s eyes widened slightly. ”Wait... was that Xueli-nim just now?”

”Yeah.”

Yuna stared at him as if she were trying to process something. ”You have her number?”

Tianzhu merely nodded again, unfazed. ”Yes.”

Yuna blinked. ”Huh...”

Tianzhu raised a brow. ”Just buy the bagels. And a couple of rice cakes for me.”

”Ah, Yes.” She nodded, adding bagels to the order along with a few packs of rice cakes.

Soon, the two returned with a large coffee carrier, each cup neatly placed in its slot, along with bags of snacks. Yuna took charge of distribution, checking the list as she handed out drinks—iced Americanos, lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas.

Tianzhu, without a word, helped distribute the snacks. It was a simple, repetitive task—something he had never done in this or past life. Yet, he did it without hesitation, efficiently moving from one person to another, handing them their orders with a calm demeanor.

From a distance, Xueli spotted him. Her arms were crossed, her expression unreadable.

Finally, she turned to Manager Jingmin and pulled him aside.

”Hey, why are you giving my brother menial tasks like this? It’s enough that he had to go out there to buy for everyone, but now, he also serves it? That’s the job for production assistants and interns,” she said, her tone sharp but quiet enough that only he could hear.

Jingmin sighed, rubbing his temple. ”Teacher Jiang, this is part of a road manager’s job. Miss Yuna has been doing the same thing for the past couple of years, and there are no interns either. If I start giving him preferential treatment, the higher-ups might not like it. Moreover, neither of you wants your familial relationship with him to get out. So...”

Xueli sighed, leaning against the wall. ”I know, but it is uncomfortable for me. Let Yuna handle such things by herself, atleast when I’m in the room. You can send him on another coffee run or whatever you can think of.”

”Understood.” Jingmin nodded, glancing at Tianzhu for a moment before walking away.

Xueli gave one last glance toward Tianzhu, who continued working with the same composed expression, oblivious to the conversation happening behind his back.

Her grip on her phone tightened.

”Why was he lowering himself like this? Was it really for Vera, as he said?” She couldn’t understand what was going through her brother’s mind.

Meanwhile, Manager Jingmin, without wasting a second, hurried over to Tianzhu, who was in the middle of handing a coffee cup to a cameraman.

”Here. Good work.” ”Thank you.”

”Tianzhu, a quick word, please.”

Tianzhu raised an eyebrow as Jingmin grabbed his arm, pulling him aside with an awkward smile. ”Tianzhu, you don’t have to do this. We have other staff for it.”

Tianzhu looked at him blankly. ”Why not? I’m a road manager, and I believe this is also part of the job.”

Jingmin gulped, replying in a pleading tone. ”Just... please don’t. Teacher Jiang will tear me apart if you keep doing this.”

Tianzhu sighed, shaking his head slightly. ”I’ll talk to her later.” He patted Jingmin’s shoulder. ”For now, let me do my job.”

Before Jingmin could protest further, Tianzhu turned away and continued distributing the coffee, bowing slightly in courtesy as he handed each cup to staff members.

”Ugh... this brother and sister pair would be the death of me, one day. They just do whatever they want and refuse to listen.” Jingmin muttered under his breath, rubbing his forehead.

Once the photoshoot wrapped up, the team packed their equipment, and Xueli, Tianzhu, and Manager Jingmin left the studio, heading toward their vehicle.

As soon as Jingmin started the car, his phone suddenly rang. ”Excuse me—” he muttered, answering the call. ”Hello?”

A few seconds passed, and his expression quickly shifted from casual to tense. ”What? When?” He listened intently before sighing. ”I understand. I’ll be there soon.”

He ended the call and turned to face Xueli. ”Something happened at home. I have to go.”

Xueli frowned slightly. ”Is it serious?”

Jingmin didn’t elaborate, but his urgency was evident. He looked over at Yuna. ”You’ll have to drive them.”

Yuna blinked. ”Me?” Her eyes momentarily darted to Tianzhu, who kept his mouth shut.

”You have a Class 2 license, don’t you?”

Yuna hesitated for a second but nodded. ”Yeah, of course.” She stepped out of the passenger seat and moved to the driver’s side.

Jingmin quickly bid farewell to Xueli and Tianzhu before rushing off.

As Yuna adjusted the seat and started the engine, she glanced at Xueli through the rearview mirror. ”Fasten your seatbelts, ma’am, Tianzhu-ssi.”

As the vehicle cruised down the road, Xueli spoke. ”You don’t have to wear the mask anymore.”

Tianzhu nodded and pulled it off.

Yuna, glancing at him through the corner of her eyes, nearly did a double-take. She could already see that he had good looks even when he had a mask all along, but his sharp features and well-defined jawline made her pause.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally asked, ”If you don’t mind me asking... Tianzhu-ssi, why were you wearing a mask? Fine dust is minimal today.”

Tianzhu shrugged, his voice calm. ”I can’t handle crowds properly. Wearing a mask helps reduce my anxiety.”

Xueli, who had been watching him from the back, shook her head slightly. ’That lie is actually pretty believable.’

Instead of pressing further, she leaned back in her seat, closed her eyes, and put on her headphones, immersing herself in music.

Meanwhile, Yuna couldn’t shake her curiosity. ”So, Tianzhu-ssi, have you worked as a road manager before?”

”No. I’m a rookie.”

Yuna’s eyebrows raised. ”A rookie? But... rookies aren’t usually assigned to top actresses like Xueli-nim.”

Tianzhu didn’t react much. ”I guess I got lucky.”

Yuna remained silent for a moment before pressing on. ”What were you doing before this?”

Tianzhu leaned back, looking out the window. ”I was a store owner in Kitezh.”

Yuna blinked. ”Kitezh? That’s in the Novarusk Republic. And a store owner? Why the sudden career change?”

”The war and sanctions hit the economy hard. Our country went into recession, and many companies were forced to lay off their employees. I had to return home.”

Yuna nodded slowly, processing the information.

Then something else clicked in her head. He had called Xueli ”Jiejie,” which already indicates a close bond. Then, He had her personal number. Manager Jingmin, who was usually strict, was acting quite polite around him. Tianzhu sat in the front seat. It would be common sense for the manager to give the job to a male road manager who sat beside him to drive in his place.

But instead, he gave the job to her. Something didn’t feel right for her.

Yuna wanted to ask how he knew Xueli personally, but she held back as the actress sat right behind them. She knows her place.

As a result, Yuna kept her thoughts to herself and continued driving; her curiosity wouldn’t die down anytime soon.