"Uh, the identity of our informants is the company's highest secret. Don't go poking around about that."
Huang Lichen's playful expression faded, and he grew serious. "Then let's get down to business. Supervisor Ye, why don't you explain?"
Ye Mei nodded, took out a new file, and said solemnly, "Li Jinshui, since you don't like beating around the bush, I'll be direct. We know you've been hiding your strength for two years. You couldn't possibly have only just begun practicing Stake Standing. Although you went back to the school a few days ago to buy the complete Stake Standing manual and Basic Lightness Skill, that couldn't fool our investigators."
Huh?
Li Jinshui didn't say anything, but he nearly laughed out loud. I should be thanking you for helping me patch that loophole.
Still, it made sense. Who would believe that someone who hadn't even begun practicing Stake Standing could achieve minor mastery in just a few days, while also learning Basic Lightness Skill?
He steadied himself, nodded, and said gravely, "Yes, Supervisor Ye, you're right."
"But the fact that you've reached this level before the age of seventeen shows that both your natural aptitude and your comprehension are far beyond ordinary. That's why you're A-grade. We can provide A-grade members with abundant training resources, but naturally, our requirements are stricter too."
Ye Mei pushed up her glasses and handed over the file. "Each Youth Training Camp lasts only three months. During that time, you'll need to demonstrate the talent you're supposed to have. Every week, we'll provide you with one pound of E-Class Exotic Beast Meat and one D-Grade Supplement Potion free of charge. But you'll also be tested every week. If you fail to meet the standards, your resources will be cut immediately. You can read the details in this contract."
Li Jinshui's eyes widened.
The cheapest Iron-Skin Beast meat on the market was F-grade, and it already cost more than two thousand yuan per pound.
E-Class Exotic Beast Meat was only one grade higher, yet cost at least eight thousand yuan per pound. Add a D-Grade Supplement Potion worth twenty thousand yuan, and they were offering all of it for free every week!
That meant he'd be getting nearly thirty thousand yuan in A-grade resources each week, or one hundred and twenty thousand a month!
Wow. They were seriously loaded.
It was only for three months, but it was still a sweet deal!
He lowered his head and continued reading the contract. A-grade trainees received resources in a class of their own, far exceeding those given to members of other grades. But the tests were harder too.
There were two subjects: academics and martial arts.
The academic subject was really a test of map knowledge. Each week, he'd have to memorize every route in one community. During the test, they would randomly select two locations in the community, and he'd have to give the safest, most convenient route between them within a short time.
There were ten questions in total, and he needed a score of at least ninety percent.
The martial arts subject was tested once a month. With resources worth one hundred and twenty thousand yuan being poured into them, A-grade trainees had to raise their Qi-Blood by at least ten percent each month, and make substantial progress in their martial skills.
If he failed either subject, his future resource allowance would immediately be cut in half.
"The requirements are pretty tough!"
Li Jinshui sighed.
He had nothing to worry about when it came to the martial arts test. During the earlier assessment, he'd already held back thirty percent of his Qi-Blood. Even without any resources, increasing it by ten percent each month would be easy. And now he had all these generous resources on top of that.
But the academic test was a bit of a problem. Memorizing routes on a map was hard enough, and now he had to work out the safest, most convenient route too?
Why bother? Wasn't phone navigation good enough?
"The requirements are tough, but take a look at what comes after that."
Huang Lichen's lips curled into a tempting smile. "If you pass every test over the three months, you'll automatically be promoted to a Single King Seed. You'll also get to choose an entry-grade martial art from the company's collection, free of charge. That's another reward exclusive to A-grade trainees."
"Oh? Which grades can I choose from?"
Li Jinshui's breath caught. Now that was tempting.
Entry-grade martial arts easily cost over a hundred thousand yuan. Prices rose exponentially with each grade. More importantly, middle-third- and upper-third-grade martial arts were almost never available on the market. They were difficult to obtain even if you had money.
"You can choose either a ninth-grade or an eighth-grade martial art," Huang Lichen replied.
"Well... that's not bad."
Li Jinshui felt a little disappointed. He'd thought they might offer at least seventh-grade.
Still, it wasn't bad. Ninth-grade martial arts started at over a hundred thousand yuan, while eighth-grade ones cost at least five hundred thousand.
And the higher the grade, the harder they were to master, requiring even more investment in nutritious foods and medicinal supplements. It was like buying a car: buying it was easy, but maintaining it cost money.
But for Li Jinshui, both buying and maintaining one were hard!
"There's one last important clause, and it concerns your future."
Ye Mei spoke again, her slender finger tapping the contract on the table. "Three months after the Youth Training Camp, regardless of whether you become a Single King Seed, you'll be assigned to a station in Rong City and work there. The contract lasts ten years. During that time, you may only work for Flash Group Delivery, but you'll still receive your normal commission for every delivery you make, and promotions will follow the usual process.
"Also, if you're rated as a Single King, you can accumulate mileage while making deliveries. You'll be able to exchange that mileage for entry-grade martial arts that money can't buy on the open market."
Hmm!
That sounded pretty tempting.
Li Jinshui nodded slowly, then his eyes shifted. "I have just one question. Isn't ten years too short? If I signed on for longer, would the company be willing to invest more resources in training me upfront?"
"What, you think ten years is too short?" Huang Lichen gave him another playful smile.
"Of course! If the company would give me more training resources, I'd sign away my whole life."
Without hesitation, Li Jinshui declared righteously, "Commander Huang, Supervisor Ye, to be honest, my admiration for Daming Technology has flowed on like the mighty Yangtze, unbroken and endless, then burst forth like a flood from the Milky Way, unstoppable! You must believe in my loyalty. In life, I belong to Daming Technology; in death, I'll be its ghost. Pour every top-tier resource you have into me!"
Well, he was just saying it. It was only a contract.
As long as he had enough resources, Li Jinshui could ascend to Martial Saint right then and there. By then, their legal department could sue him all they wanted!
But Huang Lichen and Ye Mei seemed to have expected this. They exchanged a look and burst out laughing.
"Give it a rest. You think the company's made of fools with money to burn? Contracts are always meant to bind the weak."
Huang Lichen shook his head. "Even if a contract could bind the strong, so what? The company spends a fortune training you, then uses a contract to restrict you—or even sues you. Why turn a relationship built on mutual investment into one of mutual resentment? That's why ten years is the limit."
"I wouldn't call it a relationship built on mutual investment. You need the company, and the company needs you. It's just a mutually beneficial arrangement," Ye Mei added calmly. "Still, ten years is enough time for the company to recoup its costs and make a substantial profit, provided you don't die young. If you really want a longer contract, come back after ten years and negotiate a more equal partnership."
Li Jinshui was silent for a long time. In the end, he could only give them a mental thumbs-up.
Thorough.
Damn thorough!
No wonder this capitalist giant had monopolized the world. They'd long since figured out every loophole in human nature.
But it wouldn't work. He had Heaven Rewards Diligence.
Capital couldn't defeat his hard work!
"Hand me a pen!"
Li Jinshui swept up the pen with a grand flourish and signed his name in two quick strokes.
Once the contract was signed, smiles spread across Ye Mei's and Huang Lichen's faces.
Looking at the list of resources in his hands, Li Jinshui grinned too.
Both sides felt they'd come out ahead and were thoroughly satisfied with how the meeting had gone.
"Oh, there's one more thing I should tell you," Huang Lichen said casually, as if he'd just remembered something. "You're the only trainee in this Youth Training Camp who qualifies for A-grade."
"Huh?"
Li Jinshui froze. Didn't that mean he'd have to bear the jealousy of every B-grade and C-grade trainee all by himself?
sigh No choice. It was another perk of being the protagonist!
He sighed. "Looks like I came at the wrong time."
"No, you came at just the right time."
Huang Lichen walked over and patted Li Jinshui on the shoulder. "Classes are set to start at the beginning of next month. Since it's almost the end of this month, you can take a few extra days to rest and get familiar with the company. Next month, you'll attend classes with the B-grade trainees.
"Then, as the chief instructor, I'll personally teach you Flash Buy Delivery's signature martial skill, the Lightning Pulse Step, said to rival an eighth-grade martial art."