A night of sweet dreams.
When Su Ning arrived, she happened to see the lively scene of firecrackers going off and gongs and drums beating loudly not far away. Not to mention, they were actually quite good at adapting to local customs, weren't they?
As the smoke cleared, it was obvious that in just a short time, the surrounding area had been packed tight. A confused passerby shouted, "What's going on? What are they selling?"
"They aren't selling anything, they're hiring!"
Boom—
As soon as the word "hiring" was spoken, everyone who heard it immediately thought of the continuous advertisements in the newspapers these past few days. Looking at the brown-haired foreigners sitting inside... what was there left to misunderstand?
"Who told you to say that, idiot?"
Hearing this, before the passerby could even react, a burst of curses erupted from the crowd. They were all scolding the person who had answered for being so stupid. That person was also incredibly annoyed.
Because the crowd was visibly growing even larger.
Even to the naked eye, many people were rushing over, making the crowd increasingly massive. Some spotted acquaintances and couldn't help but start chatting.
"Don't you already have a job? Why are you joining the fun?"
"Why wouldn't I? The wages and benefits these foreigners are offering are so good, only a fool wouldn't come. If I get picked, I'll be living the good life."
"Aren't you afraid the offer is fake?"
"What's there to be afraid of? It's written clearly in black and white in the newspapers. If they dare to make such a big scene, it means they have the confidence to back it up... Besides, I took the day off to come here."
"You sneaky brat."
The people behind him laughed and scolded.
In the crowd, there were quite a few people like him, looking for a better job while holding onto their current one. Who could blame them when the wages Charles and his group offered were so enticing? Everyone was here for it. Although a couple of clear-headed individuals tried to persuade them otherwise, feeling that the situation seemed unreliable, nobody paid them any mind.
After years of war, the public's morale had dropped, and they naturally viewed advanced foreign countries through rose-tinted glasses.
They held a mix of awe and longing.
They always felt that the status of a foreigner radiated a golden glow. They had heard that foreigners always had enough to eat and warm clothes to wear, and even beggars could eat meat and drink wine.
Offering them good wages was perfectly normal.
There was no need to make a fuss about it!
However, it was uncertain how many people would be hired. Looking at the scale of the event, it would be at least a thousand... or a few hundred at the very least. But since there were too many people wanting the job, everyone still had to fight for it.
With this thought in mind.
Everyone pushed forward even more eagerly. In the sweltering summer heat, they were soon drenched in sweat, but no one complained. Their eyes were filled with anticipation for a better life.
............
Over here, Charles realized something was wrong. Why had so many people shown up? Listening to the clamor of the crowd outside, his frown deepened.
The other foreigners were also starting to panic a little.
"Don't worry, everyone."
Young Master Kong quickly reassured them, "Chinese people just like to watch a spectacle, they lack manners." He paused, then added uncertainly, "Even if they are all here to try their luck, we are the ones choosing. We can simply reject them."
Thinking about it, they realized he was right and relaxed considerably, laughing:
"There's no need to find special reasons to reject them. Haven't we already promised the helpful Kong to hire the most pitiful refugees? While helping them, we can also teach that despicable Miss Su a lesson."
Yet the people squeezing to the front, although they looked like ordinary commoners.
Did not look like refugees at all!
"Right now, Su Ning is no longer important," Young Master Kong said with a smile. "For me, gaining your friendship during this process is the most important thing."
He added:
"And as for those refugees who are about to receive your grace, as the Chinese saying goes, you will be like their second parents, and they will be eternally grateful."
Seeing them beaming with joy from his flattery, Young Master Kong was about to praise them further when he was interrupted by a gruff, overbearing voice from the crowd:
"What are you blabbering about? Can't you see so many people waiting... Bah, I'm about to die from the heat, hurry up and start!"
The smile on his face froze.
Flustered and exasperated, he searched the crowd but couldn't find the speaker. The sea of people bobbed around, every face looking innocent, and no one pointed the culprit out—they all just wanted it to start quickly.
Young Master Kong cursed inwardly; the people of Beiping truly lacked manners.
At the same time, for some unknown reason, a faint sense of unease began to rise in his heart...
By this time, Su Ning had seen enough and confirmed that things were developing pretty much as she had expected.
"Drive. Let's not keep Uncle and the others waiting anxiously."
The wheels ruthlessly crushed the red firecracker debris. The tightly packed crowd scrambled out of the way, dodging left and right, forcibly making a path as they cursed incessantly:
"Who is this?"
"Are you rushing to reincarnate or are you blind? Can't you see this place is full of people? You just had to squeeze through here, bah, what an animal."
"It's Su Ning."
The crowd fell silent for a moment, and the voices that followed were much quieter.
"Why is she here?"
"Stop pretending, it was printed in the newspapers. I don't believe you didn't know. Miss Su is also hiring. Just one intersection away is where she is recruiting, and there are very few people there. How about you stop fighting with us and go try your luck over there?"
"I'm not going. Those conditions... bah, any man who can afford a bite to eat wouldn't even look at it. I mean, she's a famous tycoon after all, but she's so stingy."
"Exactly. If she wants to salvage her reputation, she should be a bit more generous. She can't even compare to the foreigners, how embarrassing."
"..."
The crowd murmured in discussion.
Suddenly, someone cried out in surprise:
"It's starting!"
There was no time for idle chatter anymore. Mustering all their strength and blushing with exertion, they charged forward. In this pure contest of physical strength, the weak and frail refugees were the first to be squeezed out.
............
Su Ning felt very relaxed.
If the system could display group affection levels, she believed hers would definitely be plummeting straight down. So, the Su family truly were geniuses in the villain industry!
The genius Su family, however, was currently feeling quite uncomfortable, not because there wasn't a single person here.
On the contrary.
Although it wasn't as packed with people as the place next door, a fairly long line had formed here too. But just look at the people standing in line—
Women who were nothing but skin and bones, children with large heads and tiny bodies, sickly men who could barely stand. Every one of them was pale and reeked of death, looking like they were only one breath away from being rolled up in a straw mat.
"Do you all know the conditions?"
Half-Immortal Su crossed his arms over his chest, looking fierce and vicious. The crowd nodded weakly, making him even more dissatisfied as he tried to persuade them to leave.
"There will be no wages for the first three months, and a portion of your subsequent wages will be deducted to pay for the job, as well as for clothes, medical bills, and risk fees... This amount adds up to quite a lot."
"Why don't you go try next door?"
At the front of the line, an unkempt woman holding a child shook her head: "We can't squeeze our way in."
"Even if we squeeze in, we can't compete with the others," her voice was hoarse but stubborn: "It doesn't matter how much money we owe. As long as room and board are truly provided, it's worth it."
No one else spoke.
But silence was already the best agreement.
"But you are all too skinny. For the sake of costs, let me think, there should be no wages for at least the first five months." Half-Immortal Su retreated in defeat, and Su Zhenzhu stepped up as a substitute. She glanced at the child in the woman's arms:
"Without wages, you can get room and board, but what about your child?"
"She's dead."
The woman turned her child's head. The little one's lips were a sickly pale blue, eyes tightly shut. Surprisingly, a faint smile appeared on the woman's face: "She will never need to eat again, and she will never have to suffer from hunger anymore... As for the children of others, that is none of my business."
The children who had managed to survive the flight to Peiping mostly had their parents with them.
"I don't eat much."
It was a malnourished child with a disproportionately large head, his face smeared with dirt, not good-looking in the slightest. "I can help with the work, too. I can do anything."
"Yes, the child eats very little. We can keep him alive just by saving a mouthful from our own meals." An adult offered a pleading, ingratiating smile. "Please, sir, my ladies, have a little pity."
With a heavy thud, the adult dropped to their knees.
Then went a second, and a third. Even the woman cradling her dead child knelt down in silence.
Su Zhenzhu was completely at a loss for what to do.
Just as she was about to shoot a glance at her brother, she noticed Su Chen smiling toward a particular direction. Her heart stirred, and she quickly turned around to follow his gaze.
"Cousin, you are here!"
