Counterattack

Facing the neighboring lord's sarcastic voice, Xi Ye didn't immediately retort, because it was the first time he'd encountered something like this. If he reacted too strongly, he'd easily fall into the other party's rhythm. Teacher Jianuo De had taught him that when encountering something he wasn't good at, he should try to remain silent. Only with a calm mind could he prevent things from spiraling into a worse situation.

The little girl was clearly encountering this for the first time as well. Her expression became somewhat complicated, looking like she wanted to hear what the other party had to say, but also feeling that it wasn't good for her side, appearing very conflicted.

Seeing this, Xi Ye felt anxious in his heart, but he maintained silence according to his teacher's teachings.

Seeing Xi Ye's silence, the little girl was slightly afraid to look at him, thinking to herself: Will he be unhappy because I hesitated? Will I lose this rare opportunity?

Thinking of this, she suddenly became a little annoyed at the person who had spoken out.

Seeming to sense the little girl's emotions, the Celestial God next door said unhurriedly, "Little girl, don't mistake good intentions for malice. Think about it yourself. Have you ever seen anyone offer such high wages to newcomers? This treatment is completely for the direct descendants of those families, right? Don't you have any doubts?"

These words immediately made the little girl's heart waver again: Yes, why is it that only he offers such high wages? There must be something fishy. Even those big lords only offer one or two thousand in wages, but this helmeted strange lord directly starts at tens of thousands. Could there be some kind of trap?

It must be said that imagination is sometimes a terrible thing. With the other party's guidance, the little girl immediately felt that Xi Ye was sinister and sneaky under his helmet!

Watching the little one's eyes change, Xi Ye was greatly alarmed in his heart, cursing the guy next door for being a scoundrel, practically implying to this girl that his side was some kind of ghostly trap.

How should I argue?

Xi Ye's expression changed uncertainly, but thankfully he had a helmet, otherwise, if the little girl saw his guilty and anxious appearance, she would probably turn around and leave immediately!

"But... isn't this a formal talent market? Aren't all the lords here with clean backgrounds? What kind of trap could there be?" Seeing that Xi Ye didn't speak, the little girl began to question first.

This made Xi Ye breathe a slight sigh of relief, thinking: Fortunately, this girl is just introverted, not stupid!

"So, you new kids are just too naive. Does having a clean background mean there won't be any traps?" The lord shook his head and smiled, "Let me give you an example, what if the contract he signs with you is for a hundred years?"

The little girl was immediately shocked, as if she understood something. Xi Ye was also shocked, Damn it... my contract really is set for a hundred years!

"Understand now?" The lord shook his head and smiled, "If it's a hundred-year contract, he'll directly give you this wage for a hundred years. Do you still think this wage is high?"

"Bullshit!!" Xi Ye almost cursed out loud, but he forcibly held back. He had set a hundred years only because he didn't want to expose his base's secrets too early. How could he be as unscrupulous as he said? This kind of thing is something only a boss who offers dishwasher wages would do, right?

However, he still didn't immediately retort, mainly because the other party had really guessed the length of his contract. At this time, arguing fiercely would easily make him seem guilty.

The little girl was obviously frightened by the other party's statement. She timidly glanced at Xi Ye: "N... no way, right?"

Xi Ye was about to speak, but the other party preempted him, "Even if it's not, even if all of this is true, are you really going to choose so rashly?"

"If it's true... why not choose? The salary is so high..." The little girl said weakly.

At this time, the commotion here attracted a lot of spectators, and soon the area was surrounded. Seeing this situation, Xi Ye felt a sense of urgency in his heart. He knew that if he didn't handle this properly this time, he wouldn't be able to recruit any good talents today, probably not even one person!

This guy is doing it on purpose...

I said why he was deliberately making his voice so loud, so that's how it is. Damn it, he's planning to trample me to death. What's the grudge?

"So, you young people are really too naive. Didn't your teachers teach you any common sense when you left school?"

Sure enough, seeing more and more people gathering, the lord next door's eyes lit up, and he immediately expanded the scope to "you".

"When choosing a force, do you only look at the salary? Let me ask you, if this side gives you a monthly salary of five thousand, and those big lords give you two thousand, where would you go?"

The surrounding people were immediately stunned. Although they didn't say anything, it was clear that most of them were secretly glancing at the area where the big lords were located in the front hall. Obviously, they preferred that kind of mature, powerful force!

Seeing the crowd's appearance, the lord became even more smug and continued, "Choosing a force is not just about looking at the initial salary, but also about the prospects. A mature force can provide you with a more stable environment, fairer competition, and a larger platform. This is also why most people prioritize big lords. Small lords... especially some small lords who have just entered the development stage, although there is a certain chance for you to become a core member, this kind of force is extremely unstable. Many of these forces don't even have basic military defenses. If you accidentally encounter some Cosmic Beast, or space pirates or something, they'll be gone in an instant. At that time, don't even think about making money, your life might be lost there!"

Everyone's expressions became serious upon hearing this, and they all looked like they deeply agreed.

"Little girl, would you like to come and take a look at my place?" Seeing the girl's increasing hesitation, the lord finally revealed his fox tail, smiling kindly, "Although my place isn't a major power, it's at least taking shape. The Governing Star is already applying for a level six appraisal from the Federation, and there are a dozen or so sub-star systems around. The military facilities are complete, and it's no problem to resist Cosmic Beasts within level ten. Although it can't compare to those major powers, the environment is definitely not bad among the backwater lords. Moreover, I'm in urgent need of priestly professions. There are great opportunities for you to develop if you go to my place!"

The little girl hesitated upon hearing this, and asked cautiously, "Then what's the salary like there?"

"One thousand five!" the man grinned.

Boo!!

A chorus of boos immediately erupted from the surroundings.

The lord said with a nonchalant expression, "I said just now, you new graduates shouldn't pay too much attention to the starting salary. You need to have a long-term vision. When you first enter society, you mainly need to accumulate experience and enrich yourself, so as to obtain more promotion opportunities. As a newcomer, I certainly won't give you too much without knowing your abilities, but as long as you prove yourself, I naturally won't be stingy with that little bit of salary. Rather than using salary to lure newcomers, mature lords will pay more attention to cultivation. As long as the performance is qualified, you will get the opportunity to go to higher institutions for advanced vocational training."

As soon as these words came out, everyone was immediately tempted. Most collateral descendants can only graduate with a bachelor's degree. Even the most outstanding can only reach the level of a junior profession. If they want to be promoted to intermediate or even advanced professions, they can only find jobs and accumulate some savings before paying for further education themselves without family support. If the lord can provide further education opportunities, that would be great!

The little girl was also very tempted when she heard this. She originally wanted to earn money quickly so that she could accumulate enough funds for advanced vocational training as soon as possible. Otherwise, once she missed the golden period, she would most likely end up like her parents, an ordinary teacher for the rest of her life.

Even in large families, only a few descendants can obtain the qualifications to be cultivated all the way to advanced professions, such as Raine. He was already over a thousand years old when he started his job, and his starting life level was level nine. Ordinary descendants would not dare to expect such treatment.

So for these people, opportunities are often fleeting.

Xi Ye listened to the other party's long speech without saying a word, maintaining silence throughout. This person was obviously eloquent, and if he rashly interrupted, he would definitely be refuted and become even more worthless. Before he had absolute certainty, he would cautiously remain silent.

After being persuaded, the little girl hesitated and looked at the contract that Xi Ye had just handed over. She didn't open it, but looked at Xi Ye weakly, and said in a low voice, "Lord... Lord, how long is the contract period?"

"One hundred years!"

Xi Ye said bluntly.

The contract was in the other party's hands, and he couldn't change it even if he wanted to. If he said now that the contract period was negotiable, it would only confirm that guy's remarks and make him seem guilty, so he simply continued to maintain his attitude.

A chorus of boos rang out again, and the lord became even more smug. Although he didn't speak, his eyes seemed to say: See, I was right, wasn't I?

The little girl's hand holding the contract tightened slightly when she heard this, and she continued to ask, "Lord, can you tell me about your power's situation?"

"Just starting out, only one level eight planet and a group of natives."

Xi Ye once again told the truth. There was no need to lie about this. Anyway, it could be found out. It would be better to say it generously than to be evasive.

"As expected!" The surrounding people immediately started discussing.

"No wonder the salary is so much higher. It turns out it's a new power."

"What's wrong with a new power?" Someone asked doubtfully, "Isn't it normal for new powers to appear in the market?"

"Then you invest?"

"I don't invest..."

Seeing that the surrounding discussions were becoming increasingly unfavorable to him, Xi Ye was extremely anxious, but in the end, he forcibly endured it and didn't say a word.

Seeing that Xi Ye didn't say anything, the little girl finally stood up and handed back the contract, "I'm really sorry, I... I really don't have..."

"Raise your head!" Seeing that the other party was definitely about to leave, Xi Ye suddenly interrupted.

Since Xi Ye had maintained a taciturn and cold attitude from the beginning, the effect of suddenly speaking at this time was extremely strong. The surrounding crowd, who had been discussing, quieted down, wanting to see what Xi Ye would say.

The little girl was stunned. She didn't expect the other party to suddenly say that, so she subconsciously raised her little head and looked at the dazzling purple pupils under the helmet. The girl's eyes darted around nervously.

Just when everyone thought Xi Ye was going to reprimand the little girl, Xi Ye suddenly softened his tone, "Don't be afraid, child, raise your head."

This encouraging tone made the little girl stunned again, and her heart relaxed slightly, but she still looked at Xi Ye weakly with a worried expression.

Xi Ye continued to soften his tone: "You are already an adult, and no one can interfere with your choice of path, but at least you must have the courage to be responsible for your own choice. It's just rejecting one contract and choosing another. Why are you being so timid?"

The little girl perked up. She had only heard such intimate words from her mentor. Suddenly hearing a lord say this, her face became complicated.

"Aren't you going to refute it?"

"What's there to refute?" Xi Ye said with an indifferent tone, "What others said is not wrong, they are just analyzing the pros and cons for you. I am indeed a newly established force, so I offer high salaries to attract talents. Everything in the world has its positive and negative sides. High returns naturally come with higher risks. This is in line with common sense. If I had a mature force like him, maybe I would offer lower wages. Which boss wouldn't be happy to save costs?"

"Then..." The little girl stammered, "Is it true that the contract doesn't increase wages for a hundred years, as he just said?"

"False!" Xi Ye replied flatly.

Everyone was stunned, completely unexpected that he would refute so straightforwardly. This was quite different from his roundabout style just now.

The lord next to him sneered when he heard this, and was about to retort, but Xi Ye preempted him, "But me saying that is one thing, whether you believe it or not is another. Choosing something inherently carries uncertainty. It's hard to say which one is correct before you choose. Just like the senior next to you promised to give you further education opportunities, do you really think it must be true?"

These words made everyone suddenly understand!

"What he said makes sense!" Person A stroked his chin.

"That's right, these lords offer such low wages but draw big cakes. If they change their faces later, wouldn't we get nothing? It's better to have a higher salary from the beginning, at least it's real."

"I also say, now these unscrupulous lords are talking about cultivating you, but they are not even willing to provide a basic living wage. Why should we believe that they will spend more to cultivate you?"

The lord next to him watched the wind change, his face turned gloomy, and he thought to himself: This kid's words are like needles hidden in cotton, I underestimated him before!

"Little girl, are you sure you want to reject this contract?" Xi Ye still asked gently.

The little girl held the contract, stood still for a long time, and finally took a deep breath and raised her head to face Xi Ye: "I regret it now, are you still willing to accept me?"

"Of course..." Seeing that the matter was settled, Xi Ye's mouth slightly raised: "Use the right words, child. The ideological struggle before making a decision is called hesitation, not regret."

The little girl immediately smiled: "Vilin Xingyu, please give me more guidance in the future, Lord!"

Seeing that the other party had signed the contract, Xi Ye nodded with satisfaction: "Go back and prepare, we will set off in two days."

"Okay!" The little girl happily hugged the copied contract and trotted towards the outside of the venue, obviously planning to go back and report the good news of finding a job.

What a vibrant youth! Xi Ye looked at the little girl's cheerful back and sighed.

"Respected Lord, may I ask... are you recruiting counselors for applied biology here? I graduated from Purdell Normal University, and I have a teacher qualification certificate and a professional Level 5 certificate..."

"Are you still short of weapon specialization instructors here? I specialize in guns, Battle Qi Level 5!!"

As the little girl left, the people who had just watched gradually began to appear to apply for the job, while on the contrary, the family next door was surrounded by people because of the previous storm, but no one cared about them, which made the other party's face turn even more purple than his pupils.

Xi Ye looked at the other party's cannibalistic eyes, feeling extremely comfortable in his heart, and smiled slightly: "Come one by one, please line up and fill out the form."