As the word "programming" flashed through his mind, Xu Yi looked at the crystal ball with even greater eagerness.
The fellow before him, who looked like a beggar, clearly had no idea how valuable the magic array he had designed was. Xu Yi, however, understood perfectly. If his guess was right, and this fellow really could configure magic arrays in advance much like programming, allowing them to change autonomously while running, then this could very well transform the course of the entire Magic Industry and greatly narrow the industrialization gap between the Sains Continent and Earth.
"Did you set up the magic array on this?" Xu Yi asked to confirm.
The man nodded, a hint of hope appearing in his eyes.
"What... what do you think of it?"
Xu Yi suppressed his excitement and nodded slightly. "It's pretty good. But if you can set up magic arrays, you must be a mage. How did you end up like this?"
The man's eyes dimmed again. He shook his head but said nothing.
Since he did not want to answer, Xu Yi did not press him. He raised the crystal ball and asked, "If I asked you to set up the magic array on this again, could you do it?"
"Of course." The man caught a hint of something else in Xu Yi's words, and excitement crept into his voice.
"Good. Let me introduce myself again. My name is Xu Yi, and I'm from Bunta City. I'm the president of a merchant guild there. I'd like to hire you to research magic arrays for me, with an initial salary of ten gold coins a month. Would you be willing?" Xu Yi watched him intently.
"Ten gold coins a month? That much?" The man stared at Xu Yi, seemingly unable to believe him.