Counterattack

Faced with the sarcastic voice of the lord next door, Xi Ye did not refute him right away. It was his first time encountering such a situation, and reacting too fiercely would easily let the other party control the pace. Teacher Jianuo De had taught him that whenever he encountered something he was not good at, he should remain silent as much as possible. Only by keeping his emotions calm could he prevent things from becoming even worse.

The little girl was clearly encountering such a situation for the first time as well. Her expression became somewhat complicated. She looked as if she wanted to hear what the other party had to say, yet also felt that it would be bad for her side, leaving her deeply conflicted.

Although Xi Ye was anxious when he saw this, he remained silent according to his teacher's teachings.

Seeing Xi Ye remain silent, the little girl became slightly too embarrassed to look at him. She thought to herself: Could he be unhappy because I hesitated? Will I lose this rare opportunity?

The thought immediately made her somewhat angry at the person who had spoken.

As if sensing the little girl's emotions, the celestial being next door said unhurriedly, "Little girl, don't mistake good intentions for malice. Think about it yourself. Along the way, have you seen anyone offer such a high salary to a newcomer? This treatment is clearly meant for the direct descendants of those clans, right? Haven't you had any doubts at all?"

His words immediately stirred something in the little girl's heart again. That's right. Why is his salary the only one that's so high? There must be something strange going on. Even those Great Lords only offer one or two thousand, while this helmet-wearing strange lord starts at over ten thousand. Could there be some kind of trap?

There was no denying that imagination could sometimes be terrifying. After being guided like this, the little girl suddenly felt that Xi Ye was sinister and suspicious beneath his helmet!

Watching the change in the little one's eyes, Xi Ye grew extremely anxious. He cursed the fellow next door for being a bastard, practically spelling out to the girl that his side was some kind of sinister trap.

How am I supposed to refute him?

Xi Ye's expression shifted unpredictably. Fortunately, he was wearing a helmet. If the little girl saw how guilty and anxious he looked, she probably would have turned around and left immediately!

"But... isn't this a legitimate talent market? Aren't all the lords here supposed to have clean backgrounds? What kind of trap could there be?" Seeing that Xi Ye was not speaking, the little girl began questioning him first.

This made Xi Ye relax slightly. He thought to himself: Luckily, this girl is merely introverted, not stupid!

"That's why you newly emerged youngsters are too naive. Just because there's no problem with someone's background, does that mean there can't be a trap?" The lord shook his head with a laugh. "Let me give you an example. What if the contract he signed with you lasts for a hundred years?"

The little girl trembled, as if she suddenly understood something. Xi Ye trembled as well. Damn... my contract really was drafted for a hundred years!

"Understand now?" The lord shook his head with a laugh. "If you sign for a hundred years, then he can keep you at this salary for the entire hundred years. Do you still think the salary is high?"

Bullshit!! Xi Ye nearly cursed aloud, but forcibly held it back. He had set the term at a hundred years only because he did not want to expose the secrets of his base too early. How could it be as shameless as that fellow claimed? Only a boss who paid dishwashers your kind of salary could do something like that, right?

However, he still did not refute him immediately. The main reason was that the other party had actually guessed his contract term correctly. If he argued too fiercely now, it would easily make him look guilty.

The little girl had clearly been frightened by the other party's explanation. She timidly glanced at Xi Ye. "Th-That can't be, right?"

Xi Ye was just about to speak when the other party cut in first. "Even if it isn't, even if everything he said is true, are you really prepared to make such a hasty choice?"

"If it's true... why wouldn't I choose it? The salary is so high..." the little girl said weakly.

The commotion on this side quickly attracted quite a few spectators. Before long, a circle had formed around them. Xi Ye's heart tightened when he saw the scene. He knew that if he handled this badly, he could forget about recruiting any good prospects today. He might not recruit a single person!

This guy is doing it on purpose...

I wondered why he had deliberately made his voice so loud. So this is why. Damn, he's trying to trample me into the dirt. What grudge does he have against me?

"That's why you youngsters are so incredibly naive. Didn't your teachers teach you even a little common sense when you graduated?"

Sure enough, seeing more and more people gather, the lord next door's eyes lit up. He immediately expanded his attack to include everyone.

"Do you choose a faction based only on salary? Let me ask all of you: if this side offered you a monthly salary of five thousand, while that Great Lord offered two thousand, where would you go?"

The people who had gathered around were stunned. Although none of them spoke, most of them secretly glanced toward the Great Lord's territory in the front hall. Clearly, they preferred that kind of established major faction!

Seeing their reactions, the lord became even more pleased with himself and continued, "When choosing a faction, you can't just look at the initial salary in front of you. You also have to consider the prospects. An established faction can give you a more stable environment, fairer and healthier competition, and a larger platform. That's why most people prioritize Great Lords. Little Lords... especially certain Little Lords who have only just entered the development stage, may give you a certain chance of becoming a core member, but such factions are extremely unreliable. Many of them don't even have basic military defenses. If you happen to encounter a Cosmic Beast or something like interstellar pirates, they'll be wiped out in an instant. At that point, forget about earning money—you might even lose your life there!"

Everyone's expressions turned solemn at his words, and each of them looked deeply convinced.

"Little girl, why don't you come take a look at my place?" Seeing the girl's hesitation grow, the lord finally revealed his true intentions. He smiled amiably. "Although I'm not some major faction, I've at least begun to take shape. My Governing Star has already applied to the Federation for a Level 6 assessment, and there are more than a dozen surrounding subsidiary star systems. Our military facilities are complete, and defending against interstellar beasts below Level 10 is no problem. Although I can't compare with those major factions, among the lords in this backwater region, my environment definitely isn't bad. Besides, I'm urgently in need of someone in a sacrificial profession. You'd have plenty of opportunities for advancement with me!"

The little girl hesitated before asking carefully, "Then what is the salary over there?"

"Fifteen hundred!" the man said with a wide grin.

"Ugh!!"

A wave of jeers immediately rose from the surroundings.

The lord did not seem to care at all. "I already said that new graduates like you shouldn't care too much about the starting salary. You need to take the long view. When you've just entered society, the main thing is to accumulate experience and improve yourself, thereby gaining more opportunities for promotion. As a newcomer whose abilities are still uncertain, I indeed won't offer too much. But once you prove yourself, I naturally won't begrudge you that little bit of salary. Compared with tempting newcomers with money, mature lords pay more attention to cultivation. As long as your performance is satisfactory, you'll receive the opportunity to pursue advanced professional studies at a higher-level institution."

As soon as he said this, everyone became excited. Most collateral-line descendants could only study until earning a bachelor's degree. No matter how talented they were, they could only reach the level of a junior profession. If they wanted to advance to an intermediate or even advanced profession, those without clan support could only enter society to find work, save up some money, and then pay for further education themselves. If a lord could provide an opportunity for further study, that would be ideal!

The little girl was also moved by these words. She had originally wanted to earn money quickly so that she could save enough to pursue an intermediate profession as soon as possible. Otherwise, once she missed the Golden Age, she might end up like her parents, spending her entire life as an ordinary teacher.

Even within a Great Clan, only a small number of descendants could receive the qualifications to be cultivated all the way to an advanced profession. Raine was one such example. He had already been over a thousand years old when he entered the workforce, and his starting life level was already Level 9. Ordinary descendants would not dare hope for such treatment.

Therefore, for people like them, opportunities often vanished in the blink of an eye.

Xi Ye listened to the other party's lengthy speech without saying a word, maintaining his silence throughout. Anyone could see that this man was silver-tongued. If Xi Ye rashly interrupted, he would certainly be refuted until he was utterly discredited. Until he had absolute confidence, he would continue to remain cautious and silent.

After being persuaded, the little girl hesitantly glanced at the contract Xi Ye had handed her earlier. She had not opened it. Instead, she looked timidly at Xi Ye and asked in a soft voice, "L-Lord, how long is the term of this contract?"

"A hundred years!"

Xi Ye answered directly.

The contract was in the other party's hands, so he could not change it even if he wanted to. If he said that the contract term was negotiable now, it would only confirm that the other fellow's claim had made him nervous. Thus, he simply continued maintaining his attitude.

Another wave of jeers rose from the crowd. The lord became even more pleased with himself. Although he said nothing, his eyes were filled with an expression that clearly said: See? Wasn't I right?

The little girl tightened her grip on the contract slightly and continued asking, "Lord, could you tell me about your faction's situation?"

"We're just starting out. We only have one Level 8 Planet and a group of natives."

Xi Ye once again told the truth. There was no need to lie about this. It could all be investigated anyway, and it was better to state it openly than to speak evasively.

"As expected!" The people around them immediately began discussing it.

"No wonder the listed salary is so much higher. It turns out to be a new faction."

"What's wrong with a new faction?" someone asked in confusion. "Isn't it normal for new factions to appear in the market?"

"Then you apply."

"I'm not applying..."

As the surrounding discussion became increasingly unfavorable toward him, Xi Ye was frantic inside. In the end, however, he forcibly held himself back and said nothing.

Seeing that Xi Ye continued not to speak, the little girl finally stood up and handed the contract back. "I'm really sorry. I... I really don't have..."

"Raise your head!" Seeing that she was definitely about to leave, Xi Ye suddenly interrupted her.

Since Xi Ye had maintained a taciturn and cold attitude from the beginning, the effect of his sudden words was extremely strong. The surrounding crowd, which had been discussing noisily, fell silent. They all wanted to see what Xi Ye would say.

The little girl froze. She had not expected him to speak so suddenly, so she instinctively raised her little head. Looking at the dazzling purple pupils beneath his helmet, she shifted her eyes left and right guiltily.

Just as everyone thought Xi Ye was about to reprimand the little girl, he suddenly softened his tone. "Don't be afraid, child. Raise your head."

The encouraging tone startled the girl again. Her heart relaxed slightly, but she still looked at Xi Ye timidly, her expression filled with unease.

Xi Ye softened his voice further. "You're already an adult. No one can interfere with your choice of path. But at the very least, you must have the courage to take responsibility for your own choice. You're only rejecting one contract and choosing another. Why are you acting so timid and hesitant?"

The little girl trembled. She had only heard such understanding words from her own mentor. Hearing them suddenly from a lord made her expression turn complicated.

"Aren't you going to refute him?"

"What is there to refute?" Xi Ye said indifferently. "He isn't wrong. He's merely analyzing the advantages and disadvantages for you. I am indeed a newly established faction, and I offered a high salary to attract talent. Everything in the world has both positive and negative sides. Higher returns naturally come with higher risks. That's only common sense. If I had a faction as established as his, perhaps I would offer an even lower salary. What boss wouldn't be happy to save costs?"

"Then..." the girl stammered. "What he said about the salary not increasing for a hundred-year contract—is that true?"

"False!" Xi Ye replied calmly.

Everyone froze. They had never expected him to refute the claim so decisively. His manner was completely different from his indirect approach earlier.

The lord beside him let out a scoff when he heard this. He was just about to refute him when Xi Ye spoke first. "But what I say is one thing, and whether you believe it is another. Choice itself is uncertain. Before you make one, it's difficult to say which option is correct. Just like the promise that senior beside me made about giving you opportunities for further study—do you really think it's definitely true?"

His words immediately made everyone understand.

"He makes sense!" said a passerby, stroking his chin.

"Exactly. These lords offer such low salaries while painting grand pictures. What if they change their tune later? Wouldn't we end up with nothing? It's better to have a higher salary from the start. At least that would be something tangible."

"That's what I'm saying. These unscrupulous lords keep talking about cultivating you, but they aren't even willing to provide enough salary for basic living. Why should we believe they'll spend even more to cultivate you?"

Hearing the shift in public opinion, the lord beside them grew gloomy. He thought to himself: This kid hides daggers behind his smile. I really underestimated him earlier!

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

The girl hugged the contract and stood there silently for a long while. In the end, she took a deep breath, raised her head, and looked straight at Xi Ye. "I've changed my mind. Are you still willing to accept me?"

"Of course..." Seeing that the dust had settled, the corners of Xi Ye's mouth curved up slightly. "Use the proper wording, child. The inner struggle before making a decision is called hesitation, not changing your mind."

The girl immediately smiled. "Vilin Xingyu. Lord, I look forward to your guidance!"

Seeing her sign the contract, Xi Ye nodded in satisfaction. "Go back and prepare. We'll be setting off in two days."

"Mm!" The girl happily hugged the photocopy of the contract and ran toward the exit of the venue. Clearly, she intended to return home and share the good news that she had found a job.

So full of youthful energy! Xi Ye sighed as he watched the girl's lively retreating figure.

"Respected Lord, excuse me... are you recruiting an applied biology instructor here? I graduated from Purdell Normal University. I have a teaching qualification certificate and a Level 5 professional certificate..."

"Are you still recruiting a Weapon Specialization instructor? I'm specialized in the Spear Department, and my battle aura is Level 5!"

After the girl left, the people who had been watching gradually began coming over to apply. Meanwhile, the family next door was surrounded by people after the earlier disturbance, yet no one went to ask about a job. The other party's face turned even more purple than his pupils.

Looking at the murderous glare from the other party, Xi Ye felt incredibly pleased. He smiled faintly. "One at a time, please. Form a line and fill out the forms."