At this moment, Jiang Fan was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, the wide hood covering half of his face. He was also wearing a black face mask to conceal his face.
He walked into the lobby on the first floor. The bright lobby was almost full of people, all of whom were carrying bows and arrows. It seemed that they were all there to apply for jobs.
The receptionist, with her legs crossed and a blank expression, asked, "Here to register?"
"Um."
The receptionist then picked up a registration form from the counter. "Fill in some information."
"Good."
Jiang Fan quickly filled it out and handed it back.
The receptionist looked at the information on the screen and said with disdain.
" Tang Fan, 22 years old, only at the Middle-Stage Martial Apprentice? With such low strength, how dare you come?"
There was no sarcasm in the receptionist's tone; she was simply stating a fact.
It was precisely because of these words that those who had also come for the interview couldn't help but turn their attention to him.
Some grinned and laughed, some watched with amusement, and some remained completely indifferent.
Jiang Fan: "I didn't see a rule on the flyer that said Middle-Stage Martial Apprentice couldn't participate in the interview."
The receptionist raised her delicate eyebrows and twirled the pen in her hand. "Okay, pay the registration fee of 30,000 yuan."
Jiang Fan frowned. "I have to pay a registration fee too?"
"Nonsense! Do you think just anyone can come to Xiaoqiang Studio for an interview without paying the registration fee? If anyone could come, wouldn't we be busy receiving you people who register all day long?" the receptionist said.
Jiang Fan agreed, but the registration fee of 30,000 yuan was too expensive.
The receptionist seemed to have guessed Jiang Fan's thoughts and explained, "The registration fee of 30,000 is indeed expensive, but in this day and age, a good archer doesn't care about such Xiao Qian. The reason we set such a threshold is as the first screening standard. If an archer can't even come up with 30,000 in spare money, it's clear that he doesn't have the ability to join our Xiaoqiang Studio."
After the receptionist's explanation, Jiang Fan understood the significance of the 30,000 yuan registration fee.
He understood all this, but he was short of money!
If the bonus Old Wu mentioned could be received immediately, it would solve this urgent problem.
After a moment of silence, Jiang Fan had no choice but to call Old Wu as a last resort.
Old Wu's puzzled voice came through the phone, " Jiang Fan, is there something you need?"
Jiang Fan, shameless as ever, asked, "Can you give me the 30,000 yuan bonus now?"
"Didn't I make this very clear on the phone before? It's not that I'm unwilling to give it to you, it's just that the approval process takes time. There's nothing I can do about it."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Fan showed a disappointed expression.
Even a hero can be brought down by a lack of money. He wanted to do the tasks at the studio, but alas, he had no funds.
Just as Jiang Fan was about to hang up, Old Wu's voice came from the phone again.
" Jiang Fan, tell me honestly, are you short of money? Do you urgently need it?"
"Mm." Jiang Fan nodded.
Old Wu: "Okay, I'll transfer this 30,000 yuan to you now in my personal capacity."
Jiang Fan was both surprised and touched. "How can I accept your money?"
"Why not? If you hadn't discovered the hideout in time, Xiao Yun would probably be in grave danger. Consider this 30,000 yuan as my way of thanking you," Old Wu said.
Jiang Fan initially intended to refuse again, but later changed his mind.
"I'll take this 30,000 yuan, but consider it a loan. Don't worry, I'll pay you back with interest when I have the money."
"Why would you need to borrow that money? It's a lot for a student like you, but for me, it's just a small amount."
Jiang Fan knew that Old Wu was just an ordinary constable, and although he did a dangerous job, his annual salary and bonuses were limited.
Thirty thousand yuan might be easy for Old Wu to come up with, but for his family, it was a considerable sum of money.
" Uncle Wu, I'm taking the liberty of calling you Uncle Wu, but I'll say it again: consider the money a loan. If you insist on giving it to me, then just pretend I never asked."
Jiang Fan felt this was a matter of principle; if it wasn't his, he would resolutely refuse to accept it. But if it was his, he would take it without hesitation, just like the gold in Chen Wenhua's house, which he took as a matter of course.
Seeing Jiang Fan's insistence, Old Wu stopped trying to persuade him.
"Okay, I'll transfer the money to you first. Don't rush to pay me back. You're still a student. You can pay me back slowly after you enter the workforce and start earning money."
That's what he said, but Old Wu had absolutely no intention of getting Jiang Fan to repay the money.
Soon, Jiang Fan received the transfer from Old Wu. He returned to the receptionist and scanned the QR code on the counter.
What should I do now?
After glancing at the payment notification, the receptionist pointed to the people in the lounge area and said, "Go wait over there. I'll call you for interviews once the registration deadline is over."
Jiang Fan turned and went to the rest area. Because he couldn't pay the 30,000 yuan before, many people cast strange glances at him.
One of the bald men walked over. "Hey kid, was that 30,000 yuan a loan? Why bother? For a penniless guy like you, wouldn't it be better to keep that 30,000 yuan for yourself? Why give it away to others?"
Jiang Fan remained silent, waiting quietly.
The bald man continued, "And don't you know this studio is only hiring one archer? We've had seventy or eighty people sign up. Do you think you have the ability to stand out and be selected by the studio?"
Jiang Fan looked up at him and asked in return, "Then do you think you have the ability to defeat everyone here and become the one who stands out?"
"Of course!" The bald man finished speaking, and the next second he was met with dozens of unfriendly stares.
In just a moment, the bald man became the target of everyone's anger.
Feeling intense pressure, the bald man immediately shrank back, and the next second he looked at Jiang Fan with a fierce expression.
"You little brat, were you deliberately trying to trick me?"
Jiang Fan smiled.
This really irritated the bald man.
"You brat! You're asking for it!"
The bald man swung his fist and punched Jiang Fan.
Jiang Fan's pupils gleamed coldly, clearly indicating that he was about to make a move.
He may be hiding his strength, but he won't tolerate being bullied so easily.
In that split second, the receptionist's soft voice rang out.
Anyone who takes action will be disqualified from the interview.
One sentence froze the bald man's movement.
A few seconds later, the bald man angrily withdrew his fist, sat back in his original position, and then stared fiercely at Jiang Fan with his big, round eyes.
The receptionist checked the time and came over.
"Everyone, follow me to the firing range. The first round of interviews is about to begin."