Of course, there’s also a city with that name—the capital of this planet.

So, however you look at it, it doesn’t make anyone feel any better.

Sending him to this planet was no different from tying a rope around his neck and hanging him out the window to end it all.

William Carter replied without a second thought:

- Not going.

- ?

- Just seeing that name gives me a headache. Not going.

William Carter pressed his fingers to his forehead and rubbed his temples.

The other side was silent for a few seconds, then sent a message back:

- I remember you’re supposed to be a newly hired intern, but you seem to think you’re a senior partner. Am I crazy, or are you?

William Carter: “……”

A heavy wave of sarcasm hit him right in the face.

But he had to admit, it was the truth… a fact that William Carter always forgot.

Professor Yan moved his lips and mocked himself: Sorry, forgot my role.

He moved his fingers, about to reply again. The other side sent two screenshots—

The first was from the intern handbook: Extra travel allowance is given based on the number of days, 120 Xi per day.

The second was also from the intern handbook: Interns with a performance rating below C may have their salary deducted accordingly.

William Carter: “……”

A slap and then a date—this classmate, you’ve really got some nerve.

A well-known professor once said, anyone who tries to threaten the poor with money is worse than a beast.

The well-known professor replied in defeat:

- I’ll go. I’ll go right now.

- Also, carrying the intern handbook around with you all day must be exhausting. Don’t you get tired, Teacher Bennett?

James Bennett didn’t reply again, probably not wanting to deal with him anymore.

In the evening, William Carter stood at the entrance of the Newser Port hall.

This was Dekama’s transportation hub, with twelve departure gates where shuttles and starships came and went nonstop from morning till night.

Shuttles were fast and convenient, always taking the shortest interstellar routes, suitable for business trips. The downside was frequent route and jump changes, not ideal for people with weak constitutions.

Starships took more romantic routes—steady and leisurely, better for pleasure trips.

People like William Carter and James Bennett were basically destined to spend their lives on shuttles.

The evening temperature was even lower than during the day. William Carter turned up the collar of his black coat, shoved his hands in his pockets, scanned the area, and spotted James Bennett across the crowd, raising a hand to signal his location.

“That gesture is really conspicuous. If your eyesight was even a little off, you’d be looking for me until next year.” William Carter shook his head and grumbled.

As his lips parted slightly, a white mist dispersed in front of his face, half-obscuring his features.

When he walked up to James Bennett, he found James Bennett frowning slightly at him.

“What are you looking at?”

“Nothing.” James Bennett looked away, glanced at his smart device screen, and sounded dissatisfied. “Why are you only just getting here?”

“Didn’t you say six o’clock?” William Carter deigned to pull a hand from his pocket, his slender, clean fingers pointing at the schedule screen in the hall. “Six o’clock sharp, not a second late. What’s the problem?”

“Did you listen to your university negotiation class with your face?” James Bennett strode into the hall, the hem of his gray wool coat flipping up as he turned, revealing a well-tailored shirt at his waist. “Never learned about the golden ten minutes?”

The golden ten minutes means that people who arrive ten minutes early for business are always at a psychological advantage over those who barely make it on time. Before anyone even speaks, the early arrival already has the upper hand, because the other party will usually apologize first for almost being late.

Of course William Carter knew this—he was the one who requested that class be added. But he himself never put that theory into practice.

The reason was simple: as long as he wasn’t late, even if he made the other person wait a full ten minutes by arriving at the last second, he wouldn’t feel the slightest bit of guilt. He’d carry on as usual, not holding back at all. Calm and collected.

He called it strong mental fortitude.

James Bennett would probably call it shamelessness.

“I half-listened to that class and tossed it aside.” William Carter followed him, answering unhurriedly, “If I arrive early, others owe me; if I’m late, I owe them. Rather than playing power games, I prefer that we owe each other nothing.”

Besides, who could ever overpower me? Dream on.

William Carter thought to himself.

Not only did he think it, he shamelessly put it into practice—

After passing the ticket check and sitting down in the shuttle, William Carter tapped his ring, brought up the holographic screen, and tapped a few times.

James Bennett’s ring buzzed.

“You sent this?”

His smart device was also in the form of a ring—simple and elegant, worn on the right pinky, looking for all the world like a perfectly fitted pinky ring, making his hand look even paler and more slender.

But he didn’t seem to like the sudden vibration, or maybe he just didn’t like getting messages from an annoying intern.

“What is it? A ticket?” James Bennett glanced at the message he’d received—it was an e-ticket.

William Carter leaned back in the soft seat, fastened his device, and said calmly, “Travel expenses to Newser Port. Reimbursement.”

James Bennett: “……”