Interview Assessment

As the factory expanded, Xu Yi had more and more to handle. He spent increasingly long hours there, until he finally had a small room built as an office.

Xu Yi led Akali and Avita into the office. He washed up first, then poured them each a glass of water before sitting down to take a good look at them.

The two young women seemed about Stille's age. Akali looked livelier, while Avita was much quieter.

Their clothes made that clear, too.

Both wore magic robes, but Akali's hem ended above her knees, leaving her calves completely bare. She had clearly had it altered.

Her robe also had a few small decorations that made her whole appearance brighter and more animated.

Avita's robe, by contrast, kept entirely to the traditional style. Its hem nearly covered her heels, with no alterations at all.

The only distinctive touch was a pale blue flower pinned to her chest—a small reminder that Avita was still a young woman.

As Xu Yi studied them, Akali and Avita looked him over with equal curiosity.

Stille had described President Xu Yi quite a few times in her letters to them.

According to Stille, President Xu Yi was supposed to be "a rather handsome older man." But when they first met him, all they saw was someone covered in dust, so filthy they could barely make out his face. How could they tell whether he was handsome?

While receiving them, though, Xu Yi had taken a moment to wash his face. Once they saw what he looked like, both agreed with Stille's assessment.

Well... the first half of it, anyway.

President Xu Yi really was quite handsome, with even features, clear eyes beneath expressive brows, and a straight nose. But he was obviously still young, only a few years older than they were. What made him an older man?

While Akali focused mainly on Xu Yi's looks, Avita paid closer attention to his movements.

From the moment she met him, she watched those small gestures, hoping they would tell her what kind of person he really was.

Only if he was as good as Stille had claimed in her letter would she consider working here.

Otherwise, even though Stille had brought them here, she would have to decline.

What she observed pleased her.

When they first met, Xu Yi had deliberately kept a little distance because he was covered in dust and did not want to dirty their clothes. That gesture alone had made Avita warm to him.

After they reached the office, he had not rushed into conversation. Instead, he had gone into another small room to wash and change, showing his respect for them.

When he brought them water, Avita had paid particular attention to his hands. His fingers were long, his nails neatly trimmed without a sliver extending past the tips, and even the spaces beneath them were spotless. He had washed with remarkable care.

All this raised Avita's opinion of Xu Yi another notch.

She continued watching his every movement.

The way someone walked, bent over, swung their arms, or made little gestures while speaking often revealed their true character. Such things were hard to hide.

From what she had seen so far, Avita judged that President Xu Yi was careful and attentive, yet also open and easygoing.

No wonder he managed to start a merchant guild and grow it so quickly, Avita thought with quiet admiration. Stille must admire him so much because he has so many good qualities.

"May I ask you two a question first?" Xu Yi suddenly said.

"Ask away. We'll answer anything." Akali grinned. "Of course, President, if you ask anything too personal, don't blame us for changing our minds."

Xu Yi smiled faintly. Akali really is lively.

"This may actually be rather personal. Since you graduated from Lampari Royal Academy like Stille, you must be among the kingdom's rare magical talents. Why would you choose to work here?"

"No, no, President, have you got the wrong idea? We only came to have a look. We never said we'd definitely stay and work here." Akali waved her hands.

Avita gave Akali a gentle nudge, signaling her to show a little restraint.

After all, they had come at the guild's invitation, and the Xinfei Merchant Guild was covering both their travel and their room and board. They ought to show Xu Yi some courtesy.

Xu Yi did not mind in the least. He laughed and went on. "All right, let me put it another way. Since you came, I assume you're interested in the work here. What would I need to show you to convince you both to stay?"

"That's easy. Pay us thirty gold coins a month, and we'll stay without another word," Akali answered breezily.

Xu Yi shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Stille is a researcher at the Research Institute, and she earns only fifteen gold coins a month. I can't offer you twice her pay."

"President, please don't listen to her nonsense," Avita finally cut in. "Stille made your terms very clear in her letter. We came to see exactly what kind of work we'd be doing. If it suits us, we'll probably stay."

This time, Akali shot Avita a glare.

Why was she giving away so much ground? Now the president could dictate whatever terms he wanted.

"The work? I happen to have some plans here. Take a look, and you'll get a general idea." Xu Yi bent down, took several sheets from a drawer in his desk, and handed them over.

Akali and Avita each took a few sheets with curiosity. They found Magic Arrays drawn on them.

Unlike the standard Magic Arrays they had studied at Lampari Royal Academy, these were only rough diagrams, with requirements written beside them.

For example, the sheet Avita was examining showed what should have been a Wind Spiral Array, but it listed three requirements.

First, the array had to slow the Wind Vortex. Second, powered by a Magic Crystal, it had to run normally for at least ten hours. Third, the vortex it produced had to maintain a steady rotation speed.

At first glance, the requirements seemed simple. But as Avita considered them, she could not help frowning.

Modifying a Magic Array was not especially difficult. She felt confident she could meet any one of those requirements, but meeting all three at once was another matter.

"President, is this what Stille usually does—modify Magic Arrays to meet requirements like these?" Avita asked.

"More or less. Usually I set the requirements, and then we work out the modifications together," Xu Yi said. "Look through those plans and see if you have any suggestions."

Avita and Akali exchanged a glance. This must be their assessment.

Neither hesitated. They asked Xu Yi for paper and pens, then began studying the plans.

Seeing how absorbed they were, Xu Yi smiled and refilled their glasses. He let them know he was stepping out, then left the office quiet for them to think.

Outside, a large cluster of buildings now stood on what had once been barren ground.

Besides the Magic Fan Production Workshop, the first building constructed, there was a larger one built of stone.

It was the Magic Machine Tool Production Research Workshop, where the Dwarf Craftsmen worked.

When Xu Yi first had the workshop built, Heinz had been thoroughly baffled. He had no idea what a Magic Machine Tool was, much less what it did.

But some time ago, Xu Yi had signed a contract with President Fasak to sell him five Magic Machine Tools, and Heinz's attitude had changed at once.

According to Xu Yi, the five Magic Machine Tools cost only twenty-seven gold coins in total to make. Yet he had charged President Fasak a full two hundred!

The selling price was nearly eight times the cost!

And selling those Magic Machine Tools was only the beginning. For repairs or replacement parts on any of the five machines, President Fasak would have to go through the Xinfei Merchant Guild. Even training the operators required the guild's help.

All of that cost money too. As for the prices... even Heinz, who had always considered himself ruthless in business, thought Xu Yi had gone too far when he read the contract.

Xu Yi had offered only one explanation.

"That's the power of a monopoly."

Even so, President Fasak had talked with Xu Yi in excellent spirits. Judging by his expression, he seemed to think he had gotten a terrific bargain.

Heinz could only marvel at Xu Yi's talent for making money. He could never match it.

The enormous profit from those five Magic Machine Tools had also transformed the workshop into a hive of activity.

Praised and encouraged, the dwarves had been brimming with enthusiasm lately. They spent nearly every waking hour in the workshop, determined to do their utmost on the task Xu Yi had assigned them.

Of course, the most immediate reason was Xu Yi's promise: if they successfully developed the Magic Harvester, each of them would receive one gold coin.