Goodwill

Amidst the many haphazardly constructed, strange buildings in the Outer City, stood a large, Hui-character-shaped castle, towering above the rest.

In terms of craftsmanship and material uniformity alone, it was far more aesthetically pleasing than the Inner City walls, which were patched with wood.

This was also Starlight Company's branch office in the Outer City, handling almost all of the company's affairs there. It was a place even the Security Team had no authority to enter without permission, and was collectively called the 'Black House' by the Outer City people.

The dark stone material of the building's exterior could indeed live up to that name, but perhaps some other meaning was also attributed to it.

"Yo, Tiger's here. How's it going? Getting used to the mechanical arm?"

A permanent Security Team squad was stationed at the main entrance, patrolling and responsible for access control.

The squad leader saw Tao Hu arriving with Tao Yu and greeted them with a smile. Tao Hu, in turn, handed out his homemade rolled cigarettes to the six security team members.

"My nephew has good talent. I'm bringing him here to handle some business."

"Whoa, if you call it good, it must be at least a C-rank combat talent, right? He can join the team. Got any B-rank?"

The squad leader said, taking a puff of his cigarette with a grin.

Previously, Tao Hu had the [Precognitive Eye] and his abilities were already formidable. Now, with the addition of the mechanical arm, he had become a master within the Security Team, so naturally, they showed him respect.

"Haha, A-rank [Dynamic Vision]. It's a shame it's just a common combat talent, a bit disappointing."

Tao Hu laughed heartily, having waited for this moment. His face was full of pride and a desire to show off.

"A-rank?"

This exclamation caused several nearby Security Team members to gasp in low voices.

The Security Team was a pretty good gig in the Outer City. To get in, you needed at least a D+ rank common combat talent, and it required an assessment. To get in steadily, you'd at least need talent comparable to a C-rank common combat talent. It was okay if your strength was a bit lacking for now, but your talent had to be top-notch.

It could be said that their talents weren't bad, and they usually had their own pride.

But upon hearing "A-rank talent," they all turned their heads, and many showed envious expressions.

Since they brought him here, it definitely wasn't bragging!

What kind of business was he here to conduct? They'd probably have to test him!

Even a common combat talent reaching A-rank was extraordinary.

"Haha, the kid's just lucky, lucky."

Tao Hu wore the expression of an angler who had caught a big fish, his face a mask of fake smiles, which made Tao Yu a little speechless.

However, since he was going to show him off anyway, showing off a bit here and there wasn't a big deal.

Because of the power of the 'first encounter kill,' intelligence was indeed important, but Outer City people had to prioritize gaining benefits through their talents!

There needed to be a balance; one couldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Tao Hu went through the registration process step by step, signed his name, noted his destination, and then entered the castle.

In the dim environment outside during the day, the castle luxuriously used electric lights, making it brighter than outside. The walls were somewhat mottled, but still much better compared to ordinary Outer City buildings.

Occasionally, passing employees had an air of arrogance about them, while others who were clearly from the Outer City handling some business appeared rather timid.

Both their attire and demeanor made them easily distinguishable.

At this point, Uncle Hu's mechanical arm also served as a symbol of status. They encountered no trouble or difficulties on the way.

Even for Uncle Hu, Tao Yu could sense that he wasn't as relaxed as he was when chatting outside, but as an old hand in the Outer City, he quickly led Tao Yu to an office and knocked on the door.

Tao Yu saw the sign on the office door. He recognized the few words: 'General Affairs Office.'

"There aren't many Outer City partners, so business is usually handled here. But don't worry, everything you need is here."

Tao Hu quickly said to Tao Yu before hearing a lazy voice from inside.

"Come in."

Pushing the door open, they saw a middle-aged man with silver hair, lounging with his legs crossed, flipping through a magazine.

Heaven knows, Tao Yu had been in this world for eighteen years and had almost thought there were no books in this world. He couldn't even recognize all the characters and was semi-illiterate.

To see a magazine here!

It must be something published in the Inner City. He had never seen anything like it in the Outer City, only seen large posters with the smell of ink.

"Captain Tao Hu?"

The silver-haired middle-aged man glanced at Tao Hu's mechanical arm, raised an eyebrow, then uncrossed his legs and casually tossed the magazine onto a nearby table.

"Something wrong?"

This was a basic level of respect shown to Tao Hu, but as a direct employee of the company, it was all he would offer. There was no smiling service here.

"Manager Chen, this is my nephew. He has an A-rank [Dynamic Vision] talent and wants to become a partner."

"Oh, don't call me Manager Chen. I'm a few years older than you, just call me Brother Chen."

Chen Yong, who had been sitting, stood up with a smile on his face. He then looked at Tao Yu with a gentle expression.

"A-rank talent, that's truly remarkable, and a combat talent at that."

As he spoke, he rummaged through a nearby drawer, pulled out a form, and then walked out directly.

"Come, I'll take you to test your talent and then fill out the form."

He led the two of them out, closing the door as if he didn't care that others might come to handle business later.

"Just need to test his Talent? He also has LV2 shooting proficiency. With his Talent, his combat strength should meet the standard, right? A-rank Talents get an admission bonus?"

Tao Hu quickly pulled Tao Yu along behind him, saying.

"Haha, you just said that with LV2 shooting proficiency and his Talent, his shooting will meet the standard. So what's the point of testing his combat strength? I'll just fill it out for you then, to save you the trouble of running back and forth."

Chen Yong said with a smile, much more enthusiastic than before.

Before the test, Tao Yu was still thinking about what to do if he couldn't control his level and it became MAX [Dynamic Vision] again, and how he would explain it to Uncle Hu.

But this kind of professional place was different from Uncle Hu's casual testing.

They arrived at a room that looked like a training ground. After hearing about the Talent and combat strength to be tested, the operator's face broke into a smile. He casually operated a seemingly cumbersome machine and began the test.

A monitor with a large rear displayed a rapid sequence of patterns. Tao Yu had three chances to state the correct sequence. Passing required meeting the total error tolerance or getting all correct in a single attempt.

There was no surprise in the assessment.

"As expected, it's A-rank, and he got all three correct. That should be pretty good even among A-rank, maybe close to A+."

Chen Yong's face was full of smiles. There were still differences among Talents of the same rank, not fixed values. However, performance, state, environment, and other factors also played a significant role, which was why the test had some fluctuation.

"Thank you, Uncle Chen."

Tao Yu acted obediently beside him. Uncle Hu was right about one thing: as long as one's own value was demonstrated, if there were no conflicts of interest, most people would be friendly!

People like Winuo, arrogant Inner City scions, were relatively rare in the Outer City.

"What thanks? Can I call you A'Yu? Do you have a girlfriend? Want me to introduce a couple to you?"

"Ah, I want to improve my strength first. After all, the cannon fodder points aren't that urgent, so I'm not in a hurry."

Tao Yu waved his hands repeatedly.

To be honest, this body had become very strong after consuming the Blood Orchid. His Blood Essence was abundant, and his orientation was also normal. After relaxing, he would sometimes have some stray thoughts.

Images and content from short videos of his past life would occasionally appear.

But thinking about the weathered faces common in the Outer City, Tao Yu quickly suppressed his thoughts.

Besides, he genuinely believed that improving his strength was the top priority now and he didn't want to waste time and energy.

"Haha, that's true. Promising young people are usually carefully selected."

Chen Yong said with a beaming smile, completely unfazed by Tao Yu's refusal. Applying pressure through persistent nagging would only lead to rejection, wouldn't it? That would be foolish.

However, when he began filling out some application forms, Chen Yong said with some surprise:

"Wait, you're a Pioneer from the new settlement?"

The first batch of people from the new settlement had just returned. Chen Yong hadn't expected it to be this group at first.

Choosing the 'partner' model at a time when talent was urgently needed?

Thinking of something, Chen Yong was silent for a moment, then smiled.

"With Captain Tao Hu as a reference, you've made a choice. It's well thought out. Very good, you know how to make trade-offs. Outer City children mature faster."

Chen Yong sighed with emotion, completed the final signatures, and then stamped it.

At the same time, he rummaged through a hard-shell case labeled 'Junior Partner' and inserted one of the cards into it. He also pulled out a booklet and handed it to Tao Yu.

"Congratulations, you have officially become a partner of the company."

After saying this, he paused before continuing, "It's normal for you to choose to avoid the vortex at the beginning. Over the past ten days, Inner City scions have been entering the new development area every day. With this number of people, few have Talents comparable to yours, but their accumulation is much higher."

Seeing Tao Yu's expression of humble inquiry, he continued, "It's good to leave the core of the vortex first. Many of the Inner City folks are arrogant. Young people might not know their limits when they attack. Wait until things are sorted out over there, and then you can go back. The people who want to recruit you will definitely be more numerous than those who fear you."

This was also a kind of well-intentioned reminder. If he were just an ordinary young man with good Talent, Chen Yong certainly wouldn't have said so much.

But with A-rank Talent, and in a new settlement, and knowing how to make trade-offs, as long as he could survive, he would definitely reach a middle-class position.

"Thank you for the reminder, Uncle Chen. I understand."

Tao Yu looked at Chen Yong's kind and earnest expression, contrasting it with his initial attitude upon entering and the arrogance he saw on the faces of almost all the employees along the way. He felt a sense of emotion.

Picking up the 'Junior Partner' certificate, and returning with Tao Hu, Tao Yu noticed that the arrogance that seemed to be present on the faces of the passing employees had also disappeared.

It seemed that their expressions had always been normal, and he had amplified them with the filter he had put on earlier.

Or perhaps...

His own mindset had changed