After entering Area D, it was evident that the density of buildings had decreased, and streets began to appear, lined with very narrow shops selling a variety of items.
What Qianlong needed to do was to go from shop to shop, inquiring if they needed any help.
"Hello." Qianlong walked into a very small eatery.
"Would you like something to eat?" The middle-aged female shop owner approached him enthusiastically.
"I'm not here to eat; I wanted to ask if you need any help?" Qianlong inquired.
"Sorry, we're just a small business and don't need any help. You might want to check elsewhere."
Although he was rejected, Qianlong remained polite.
"Okay, thank you."
As Qianlong left the shop, the female shop owner couldn't help but sigh as she watched the young man's departing figure.
A greasy middle-aged man walked out behind her, "What's wrong? Didn't you have a customer?"
"He came looking for a job; he's a very polite young man."
"Hmm, I heard they accepted another batch of refugees a few days ago. This is the fifth time this month; it seems the competition is quite fierce." The greasy man shook his head.
Qianlong patiently inquired at shop after shop, but the responses were consistently straightforward: no help needed.
At that moment, he finally understood the meaning of Kromi's words; finding a job was indeed very difficult.
He looked at the sky, which was beginning to darken, and realized that today didn't hold much hope.
Qianlong maintained a positive mindset as he stood up and walked back towards Area F.
The pedestrians on the street hurriedly returned to their homes.
There's a well-known principle: it's best to avoid wandering outside and return home early to minimize expenses.
After passing through the checkpoint, Qianlong returned to his room.
He lay on the bed, staring at the cold metal ceiling, feeling quite lost.
I don't even know where I will wander to. If what Kromi said is true and the rear has been destroyed, then did Father go to the front lines?
With that thought, Qianlong curled up, deciding not to think about those things anymore. He quickly cleared his mind and soon fell into a deep sleep.
He seemed to dream of a few years ago, of ordinary yet happy days.
When Qianlong opened his eyes, sunlight streamed through the narrow window.
A new day had begun once again.
Qianlong got up, washed up briefly, grabbed three Nutrition Bars, and left the room to head back to Area D.
Whether he wanted to or not, life had to go on. Qianlong didn't reject life; he just felt a bit lonely. He hoped Phantom would wake up, at least to have some company.
Half a month later, Qianlong sat on a bench on the street in Area D. Unfortunately, he still hadn't found a job; the competition here was even more brutal than he had imagined.
During this half month, he encountered other job seekers like himself, humbly begging for work.
At that moment, Qianlong suddenly realized that his previous understanding of Kromi's words was somewhat of a joke; he hadn't grasped it deeply enough. He also understood the intention behind Kromi's extra Nutrition Bars; he had never expected the newly arrived refugees to find jobs within seven days because the job slots had long been saturated.
During this time, Kromi had visited him twice, each time offering encouragement.
The wind picked up, and Qianlong closed his eyes. The Nature Simulation System was indeed very realistic.
Suddenly, a flyer landed on his face.
Qianlong opened his eyes, instinctively removing the paper from his face, puzzled by the flyer. Who still uses such primitive advertising methods?
He glanced at the flyer and immediately understood what was going on.
It was a recruitment notice for healthy adult males aged 16 to 100 (Note: In the Interstellar Navigation Era, the average lifespan has generally reached 300 years, and with technology, it can be extended even further, though at a very high cost. It's not uncommon to see people over a thousand years old). The requirements included a certain mechanical aptitude and strong psychological resilience. Of course, if the third requirement was met, the second could be ignored, and training would be provided. The basic guaranteed salary was 1000 Points per month, with commissions, C-Level Medical Insurance benefits, temporary C-Level Reserve Qualification Authority, and Special Death Insurance.
To explain the meaning of C-Level authority: A-Level is for special combat personnel, B-Level is for regular combat personnel, and C-Level is for non-combat logistics personnel. C-Level Reserve Qualification Authority is part of C-Level. It's also important to note that this corresponds to the classification of residential areas.
This job seemed quite prestigious; simply put, it was for a Resource Harvester.
As mentioned before, Hyberian needs to continuously supplement resources from the outside during its long journey, and this work requires specialized Resource Harvesters. These collectors need to operate specially modified Resource Marauder Ships and Specially Modified Mech Excavators for resource recovery.
On the surface, this job looked very appealing, but the reality was that it was extremely dangerous. Statistics show that the annual death rate for Hyberian's collectors can reach 30%. Basically, taking this job means being close to death, which has led to fewer and fewer people willing to take on this work each year. Moreover, this job isn't something just anyone can do; don't be fooled by the simple advertising on the poster. That's just to attract people; whether they are suitable is another matter.
As for why they used such an outdated method, it's because they targeted people from Areas D and F, as only these two areas had a better chance of recruiting some individuals. The people in these two areas don't have many electronic products, so using high-end advertising methods wouldn't be very effective.
Qianlong hesitated for a moment, then finally took the flyer and stood up, heading towards the address listed on it.
The address written was not far, at D1-6-11-12.
Soon, Qianlong arrived at the designated place.
Upon arrival, Qianlong found that there were quite a few people there, already forming a small line.
He stood at the back of the line, waiting.
He watched as one dejected person after another walked out, having been eliminated without surprise.
The screening process was quick, and before long, Qianlong walked inside.
As soon as he entered, he heard a young woman's voice sighing.
He saw a long-haired woman with black eyes, wearing a red jacket, rubbing her head as if she were about to break down.
"How many disqualified candidates is this now? Can't we let some through?"
A man sitting next to her picked up a report and said, "This is the best data from the two hundred participants in today's physical examination. They endured 1.6 times the gravity overturn, with a Fenlos Index of 300 (body abnormal endurance value), and…"
"Wait, don't say anymore. Let me have a moment of peace." The woman said, her head pounding.
Qianlong quietly stood in place, waiting without urging the woman in front of him.
The woman took a deep breath and slammed her hand on the table, startling the surrounding staff and applicants.
"Let's take the best one."
The man sitting next to her rubbed his forehead and said, "Our requirement is to reach 2 times the gravity overturn, and the Fenlos Index must reach 500. This seems a bit out of line."
"Out of line or not, we need to take someone. We have a shortage of at least a thousand people. Look at how few we've taken in so far." The woman turned her head aside.
"You have a point, but even if we take someone, it's still not enough." The man said helplessly.
Hearing this, the woman slumped down, directly sitting weakly in her chair.
"Next."
"Qianlong." Qianlong introduced
himself.
The woman looked up at Qianlong, frowning.
"How old are you?"
"18."
"So young, go take the preliminary test."