Chapter 663: Absurd Work, Surging Passive Value

Xiao Wanfeng had traveled across mountains and rivers from various regions, all to follow in the footsteps of the eighth Jianxian.

Unfortunately, being a mere mortal, by the time he reached Bai Ku, the great battle had already concluded.

After wandering, he arrived at Dongtian Wangcheng, hoping to participate in the city's trials and test the skills of swordplay geniuses from all the various realms.

However, due to the Pi Xiu Shan incident, he found himself pursued by factions like Ye Mao and other hidden powers within the major Wangchengs.

With no other recourse, he heard that Tian Shang Di Yi Lou, which had just entered Dongtian Wangcheng like himself, was a Bansheng family currently holding a bustling recruitment drive with very generous compensation.

The idea of "finding shade under a big tree" took root and wouldn't let go.

So, early that morning, he joined the large crowd in line.

After waiting the entire morning, he finally moved up towards the front.

He was still worried about whether the positions were filled, but since Xu Shao from Tian Shang Di Yi Lou hadn't announced the end of the event, he still had a slim chance.

As he was lost in scattered thoughts, a white-robed Wangzuo suddenly patted his shoulder.

"Little brother, what's going on with this Tian Shang Di Yi Lou?"

Xiao Wanfeng was startled and turned his head.

This person had an extraordinary presence, clearly different from those attempting to cut in line.

Relying on his keen senses and experiences from being hunted, Xiao Wanfeng could tell at a glance that the man before him had a cultivation no less than that of a Wangzuo.

"Greetings, senior."

Xiao Wanfeng bowed respectfully and explained, "Tian Shang Di Yi Lou is currently recruiting, and the conditions are very attractive, so people from half of the central district have rushed here early to line up."

"Recruiting?"

Gu Cheng's interest was piqued, and he felt a sense of unease.

When had a new force in Dongtian Wangcheng ever caused such a commotion with recruitment?

It had attracted thousands, forming a long line like a dragon at Shengwang Square, with applicants of varying strengths.

Some were Houtian, some Xiantian, some Zongshi, and even some Wangzuo...

That was one thing.

But how could a boy with no cultivation at all be applying?

More importantly, there were many like him in the line—even elders and grandmothers. What was going on?

"What conditions are they offering?" Gu Cheng asked.

Xiao Wanfeng replied politely, "Anyone from Houtian to Bansheng can apply, and today they are only hiring one person for the job of serving tea and water at Tian Shang Di Yi Lou."

Gu Cheng: ???

He was thunderstruck by these words.

Bansheng?

Just to serve tea and water?

This...

Glancing back at Xu Shao, who was lounging casually in his wooden chair in front of the ancient building, Gu Cheng's worldview nearly shattered.

Xiao Wanfeng could completely empathize with the middle-aged man's utterly shocked expression.

He knew all too well that when he first heard the news, his own reaction had been just as stunned—perhaps even more exaggerated.

"They..."

Gu Cheng started to speak but stopped, and Xiao Wanfeng already knew what he was going to ask.

"It's exactly as incredible as you're thinking—no need to doubt it."

"Mainly, the conditions are simply too generous. For something as simple as serving tea and water, you get a monthly salary of one to ten thousand Lingjing, plus bonuses, subsidies, dividends...and so on."

"The exact amount depends on your performance, but it's guaranteed to be at least one thousand Lingjing—that's Tian Shang Di Yi Lou's promise."

Gu Cheng was hit as if by a lightning bolt, his lips forming an "O" shape as he stood there dumbfounded.

Seeing the man's incredulous look, Xiao Wanfeng hesitated before adding, "Yes, you're not dreaming. Please line up properly—they strictly forbid cutting in line. Anyone caught loses their application chance."

Gu Cheng's head began to ache.

He woodenly looked back at Xu Shao in the distance, then at the ever-lengthening line, and suddenly understood why the place was so buzzing with excitement.

Starting from Houtian, and if selected, just serving tea and water for a monthly income of over ten thousand?

How incredibly wealthy must they be!

This was basically throwing Lingjing at people!

Who wouldn't be tempted?

Honestly, if Gu Cheng weren't a Wangzuo and didn't have the backing of Sheng Shen Dian Tang, he might have tried his luck too.

Joining such a generous force—who would worry about just getting the base pay?

Thinking of that, Gu Cheng momentarily forgot his original purpose and pressed on, "Aren't you afraid of being scammed?"

"Not afraid."

As Xiao Wanfeng stepped forward with the line, he continued, "They said that serving tea and water means just that—only that work."

"Once you're in Tian Shang Di Yi Lou, you're one of their own, and they'll protect you if anything happens."

"If there are other tasks, they pay extra."

"In the worst case, if a big crisis hits, you're allowed to flee on the spot—of course, if you stay, you get more pay."

"They said they're short on everything except money!"

Pausing, Xiao Wanfeng added, "Almost everyone in this line hopes for extra tasks, like washing dishes or cleaning toilets...or even better, a few enemies showing up so they can show some loyalty and maybe earn two or three salaries at once."

Gu Cheng: ...

He was stunned again.

What kind of dream job was this?

He knew that the Beiyu Taixiang Xu family, who could rent the Shengwang Building, must be incredibly rich.

But he never imagined they could be this extravagant!

It was beyond words.

Gu Cheng was truly speechless—he couldn't describe these true heirs of wealth in any language from his own world.

They weren't even in the same league!

"Never mind."

Glancing at the growing line, Gu Cheng sighed inwardly.

He realized that any plan to "teach them a lesson" today was off the table.

And if Tian Shang Di Yi Lou pulled something like this tomorrow, anyone trying to attack them would probably be seen as a line-cutter and mobbed by all the Lingshi in the square.

"I'll come back tonight!"

With that thought, Gu Cheng cupped his fists at the young man in front of him.

"Then, I wish you good luck."

With that, he turned and left.

"Someone from Sheng Shen Dian Tang..."

Xiao Wanfeng watched him go, recognizing the affiliation from his attire.

He pondered briefly, adjusted the fake skin mask on his face, and gripped the wooden sword in his hand tighter.

"As long as I'm not exposed..."

He felt relieved and forced a stiff smile, tugging at the corners of his mouth.

As for what connection this person had with Tian Shang Di Yi Lou, there was no need to overthink it.

Looking at the long line, he didn't believe today's chosen one would be him.

After all, it was just a try, a gamble.

Whether Tian Shang Di Yi Lou would accept him as one of their own was still up in the air.

"Receiving waiting, passive value: 622."

"Receiving observation, passive value: 3125."

"Receiving urging, passive value: 1466."

In front of the ancient building, Xu Xiaoshou sat in his redwood chair, his eyes curved into crescents with a smile, his whole body radiating joy that seemed about to overflow.

Everyone in the line ahead, upon entering his aura field, couldn't help but grin and chuckle foolishly.

"This is too strong—damn, it's absolutely incredible!"

"I'm the smartest in the world! Just this one move, and today I'll be rolling in wealth!" Xu Xiaoshou glanced at his information panel, his eyes turning red with excitement.

From the morning's promotion, starting with just a few people in line,

To the middle stage, where word spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred, and eventually half of Dongcheng District was buzzing about the "tea server" position at Tian Shang Di Yi Lou,

The pop-up notifications on his panel had gone from adding a few or dozens at a time to hundreds, and now to over a thousand.

The peak was when a large crowd passed by and stopped to watch, pushing the passive value addition to its max limit: 9999.

—Utterly insane!

When Xu Xiaoshou came up with this idea, he hadn't expected the scene to explode like this.

Sure enough, in any world, with a quirky gimmick and the promise of big money, people's curiosity would be ignited.

And once curiosity was sparked, Xu Xiaoshou would be raking it in.

"Passive value: 461,189."

From over ten thousand to forty-six thousand in less than half an hour!

The morning had mostly been about drawing in the crowd.

During that time, with fewer people, the total passive value added was only a few thousand.

But once the sun was high and the flow succeeded,

In just moments, the passive value started adding by the thousands.

Before long, from over ten thousand, it surged to twenty thousand, thirty thousand, and now forty-six thousand!

If this kept up all day, wouldn't it reach millions?

Xu Xiaoshou's mind was overflowing with happiness.

He didn't even want to hire anyone anymore.

Due to the hunger marketing strategy, he'd set the limit to just one hire today.

To avoid losing potential applicants, he had to wait until sunset to bring in that chosen one.

For now, everyone ahead in line was out.

"You're not suitable. Next."

With a wave, he dismissed a disappointed Xiantian applicant, while on the surface, he tried to look somewhat expectant, as if he were truly seeking someone fit for the "tea serving" job.

But in reality, with the blissful smile already on his face, no one could miss how thrilled he was.

An old lady carrying a vegetable basket stepped up and plopped down on the chair in front of the wooden table.

"What's your cultivation?" Xu Xiaoshou asked as usual.

"Houtian—I broke through to the first realm of Lingshi thirty years ago. Over these thirty years, I've handled tea serving and all sorts of chores flawlessly. I can definitely do this job." The old lady set her basket on the table, full of expectation.

Xu Xiaoshou studied her carefully.

She was plump, with many wrinkles on her face—clearly an elderly person, not fitting for the vibrant atmosphere of Tian Shang Di Yi Lou.

He didn't show disappointment but smiled and asked, "Are you lying?"

"No."

"Then, besides serving tea, what other work have you done?"

"I can do everything—absolutely everything. As long as it's household chores, I'll keep this building spotless for you, Young Master Xu, and I won't ask for extra pay—just the one salary."

"Can you do everything? Are you lying?"

"No, no, not at all. I can do anything, hehe, hehe..."

"Receiving deception, passive value: 1."

Xu Xiaoshou nodded with a smile. "You're not suitable. Next."

"Uh."

The old lady's smile froze instantly.

But before she could react, the person behind shoved her aside and quickly took her place.

That was the rule.

For this special job, it was a special hiring process.

Almost everyone at the front of the line knew how Xu Xiaoshou asked his questions.

Behind every factual question, there was always a follow-up of "Are you lying?" and applicants could only answer "yes" or "no."

It was as if he had a lie detector, using these questions to judge if someone was right for the "tea serving" job.

It was ridiculous!

Absurd, even!

But without exception, every time it was the next person's turn, even knowing what Xu Xiaoshou would ask and how they'd answer, they always felt, "I can make it."

Smart people...

No, even the densest ones could see that through this "tea serving" role, Xu Xiaoshou was probing for other abilities that couldn't be asked outright.

They were all waiting!

Waiting for the right moment, hoping that if they accidentally matched up, both sides would click, and the job would be theirs.

"Hello."

The next to sit was a plainly dressed middle-aged man in gray robes.

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes lit up—this was the sixth Wangzuo applicant today.

"What's your cultivation?" he asked kindly.

"Wangzuo Daojing—entered the Daojing three years ago, fire attribute, currently at the peak of Daojing, just seeking a breakthrough opportunity."

"Are you lying?"

"No."

"If you're not lying, why would a Wangzuo like you apply for a tea serving job? Do you need money?"

"No, I mainly see potential in your establishment's develop—"

"Are you a spy from another force?"

"...No."

"Receiving deception, passive value: 1."

Xu Xiaoshou sighed inwardly.

That made seven.

Just like the previous six, all the Wangzuos were spies from other forces.

Why couldn't there be a down-on-his-luck Wangzuo who actually needed money, didn't mind serving tea, and just wanted to work sincerely?

He kept his professional smile and nodded amiably. "You're not suitable. Next."

"Sigh."

The Wangzuo sighed and stood up.

He'd figured it out for his boss—either Tian Shang Di Yi Lou had some incredible power to read minds,

Or they already had intel on all the Wangcheng's top experts and were sifting through them.

They were probably trying to recruit clean-background people to build their own force.

But how easy was that?

Glancing back at the line, now twice as long as when he arrived, with even more unfamiliar Wangzuos mixed in, the gray-robed Wangzuo was slightly stunned.

It was true—sifting through this wave wasn't easy.

But under Tian Shang Di Yi Lou's seemingly absurd method, those who truly understood Xu Xiaoshou's intent were gradually arriving with the wind.

"Who knows, with all this chaos and heavy spending, they might just assemble a top force?"