Recruitment

Xu Jingwu’s smile vanished, his expression turning blank as he looked at Lin Zheyu. "The chief must be joking," Lin Zheyu said. "This is the inner city of Songyi City, where brawling and fighting are strictly forbidden." "Haha, well said." Xu Jingwu smiled once more. "The reason I asked you over, Mister Lin, was to invite you to my estate to tell stories. Yesterday, I sent Jia Yanyong to invite you, but not only did you refuse, you nearly blinded him in both eyes. That wasn't very friendly of you, was it? Today, I’ve come in person. Could you do me the honor?" Xu Jingwu pulled back his smile, watching Lin Zheyu placidly. "Does it pay?" Lin Zheyu asked, neither humble nor arrogant. "Fascinating." "Countless storytellers yearn to perform for me, Xu, but you're the first to open your mouth and ask me for money." With a faint smile, Xu Jingwu looked at Lin Zheyu. "I can give you money. But do you dare take it?" "Why wouldn't I?" "A scholar tells stories for coin, and if you enjoy the performance, you bestow a reward—it is only natural and right!" Lin Zheyu said with a straight face. "Haha, Mister Lin, you truly are a character." "Mister Lin, you fled here as a refugee from Jiunan City, correct? You have no backing in Songyi City and no clan to assist you. I wonder if you would be interested in working for me?" Xu Jingwu said with a laugh. Yesterday, he had ordered his subordinates to gather information on Lin Zheyu. After learning about his background over the past few days, he found himself quite impressed. Lin Zheyu had a clean history. Though a scholar, he possessed a fondness for martial affairs, and the stories he crafted were steeped in the gritty flavor of the martial world and grassroots outlaws. Xu Jingwu liked that very much. Furthermore, according to Jia Yanyong, Lin Zheyu was upright and knew how to repay kindness. Out of gratitude, he had repeatedly turned down recruitments from Jia Yanyong's older brother; in terms of character, he was of fine quality. Such a person, stranded without support in Songyi City yet mindful of debts of gratitude, was ideal to recruit as a subordinate. "Oh?" This time, Lin Zheyu was genuinely surprised. Guided by his preconceived notions, he had assumed Xu Jingwu was a villain. Yet upon meeting him, the man left an exceedingly favorable impression, appearing rather cultured and refined. "If I join the Feihong Gang, what are the benefits?" Lin Zheyu grew interested and asked, "Does it pay?" Right now, he was at his wit's end trying to broaden his sources of income. He only had so many stories committed to memory; telling one meant having one fewer remaining. Expanding his troupe of storytellers was no longer viable either. If he expanded further and sold a single story to too many performers, the silver each storyteller was willing to pay would keep dropping. In the end, the total earnings would be even less than before. Jia Yanyong: "???" Hearing that the gang chief wanted to recruit Lin Zheyu, Jia Yanyong's mind filled with question marks. His swollen eyes, previously narrowed into mere slits, abruptly popped wide with sheer bafflement. *What in the world is this?* *Didn't the chief come here to reclaim face for me?* *And who does this Lin Zheyu think he is? Being able to work for the chief is already an enormous blessing. He hasn't even joined the Feihong Gang yet, and all he thinks about is money. Has he lost his mind over coin?* "Haha, I, Xu Jingwu, never mistreat my men," Xu Jingwu said with a chuckle. "As long as your abilities are outstanding and your strength is sufficient, you will gain rewards here beyond your imagination." He found Lin Zheyu exceptionally intriguing and had grown to admire him even more. "Then what counts as sufficient strength and outstanding ability?" Lin Zheyu asked, looking at Xu Jingwu. "Given your scholarship and literary talent, Mister Lin, you could oversee the gang's logistics. In your leisure time, you could tell me stories. If you do it well, that counts as outstanding ability," Xu Jingwu said, taking a sip of tea. "And how do you judge whether one's strength is sufficient? Through a martial contest?" Lin Zheyu asked. He was far more interested in this path. Relying merely on storytelling and logistics wouldn't earn him much silver. Most of his current income came from selling stories to other performers. If he could join the Feihong Gang, he could leverage the gang's deterrence to establish a copyright model in Songyi City: anyone who told his stories would have to pay a fee. That way, he could maximize his earnings! "Mister Lin, does this mean you don't wish to handle logistical work and plan to rely on martial might to make a name for yourself in the gang?" Xu Jingwu found this immensely amusing. In his impression, Lin Zheyu was merely a scholar blessed with literary flair, capable of crafting thrilling tales, possessed of an entertaining personality, and mindful of debts of gratitude. Though he had heard the youth had practiced martial arts, he had been at it for less than two months. What sort of accomplishments could he possibly have? "Indeed." "Compared to those bookish affairs, I yearn far more for a life of devouring great chunks of meat, drinking big bowls of wine, roaming the martial world with sword in hand, and settling scores with untamed passion," Lin Zheyu said with a smile. "Haha! Mister Lin, you truly are a fascinating man. No wonder you could write such a gripping tale as The Legend of the Condor Heroes." Xu Jingwu burst into hearty laughter. The more they interacted, the more intriguing he found Lin Zheyu. There was no real grudge between him and Lin Zheyu; it was merely a minor clash between his subordinate, Jia Yanyong, and the young man. But that was of no consequence—the fellow hadn't gone blind, after all. For those in the gangs, collecting a few cuts and bruises was an everyday occurrence. "I hear you've practiced martial arts for a time, Mister Lin, so you must possess a modicum of skill," Xu Jingwu remarked tactfully, using the phrase "a modicum of skill." "When Jia Yanyong went to invite you previously, a conflict arose between you two. Although his eyes are uncomfortable right now, his strength is nonetheless quite respectable. If you can defeat Jia Yanyong fair and square, you will prove your strength. After this bout, whatever enmity exists between you two can be wiped completely clean. What do you say?" Xu Jingwu proposed. After all, Jia Yanyong had been caught off guard by a sneak attack to his eyes, so Xu Jingwu had to offer his subordinate a chance to reclaim his dignity. The opportunity was granted; whether he could redeem himself was entirely up to Jia Yanyong. Hearing this, Jia Yanyong was raring to go. If that bastard Lin Zheyu hadn't ambushed him with chili powder, he would have ground the brat into the dirt long ago.