Online Interview

Cheng Shuili shook her head, but as she prepared to put the Taotie Furnace away, a sudden flash of inspiration struck her. She decided to experiment and see how many materials it would take to convert a Special Equipment Evolution Card.

It was just a special card, after all!

Even if the energy requirement was slightly higher, surely converting it using other cards wouldn't require too many, right?

After Cheng Shuili selected the Designated Player Duel Card, the required quantity appeared.

Ninety-three cards.

To anyone else, this figure would be an astronomical number, but to Cheng Shuili...

Was there really any reason to hesitate?

She needed to hurry up and get a few more so she could evolve all her special equipment!

Cheng Shuili counted on her fingers. She only had a few pieces of special equipment, and there was no need to consider the one-time-use items or those with limited charges.

Cheng Shuili had tested it before; none of those items could use the Evolution Card.

Using an Evolution Card not only required materials, but there were also many restrictions. Aside from the fact that one-time-use items couldn't be used, certain unique special equipment—what the system called "sacred items"—could not be evolved either.

Cheng Shuili had exactly three of these "sacred items."

They were the Gift of the Great God of Prophecy, the Fang of Austin, and the Vial of Eternal Life at Both Ends.

Excluding the items that couldn't be upgraded and the one Evolution Card she already possessed, Cheng Shuili still needed three more.

That brought the total number of Designated Player Duel Cards required for conversion to exactly two hundred and seventy-nine.

Cheng Shuili didn't even blink as she tossed the Designated Player Duel Cards into the furnace.

Even if she used up every single one she had on hand, it didn't matter; Xinxue still had more, so it was definitely enough.

As long as she had enough, that was all that mattered.

Cheng Shuili stared at the Taotie Furnace, waiting for it to spit out the three cards before she tucked it away with a satisfied smile.

Now that she had the cards, the acquisition path for the required materials was clear.

All that was left was to pick an auspicious day to make a trip to the dungeon.

Cheng Shuili stood up and stretched. As for an auspicious day, there was really no such thing; for her, it all depended on how busy she was that day.

For instance, today was definitely out of the question.

Once Zhou Zhuxing and the others finished their screening, she would have to conduct the final review.

It might sound a bit strict, but these people would form the absolute core foundation of her faction; she couldn't afford to be lax.

In the future, when battles broke out between factions, everything would rely on this group.

And there were also the servants in the territory.

At this thought, Cheng Shuili remembered the leather armor sets processed by Broken Iron.

Now that the territory was considered open, it was time to get those items arranged for the people inside.

Counting Zhou Zhuxing and the others, plus the beastman guide, she needed fifty-four sets in total.

According to Broken Iron's processing fee, that would come to exactly 5,346 game coins.

It wasn't much for Cheng Shuili, but since she was placing such a large order, the other party was a businessman, so he would surely offer a discount.

Cheng Shuili thought about it and opened her private chat, preparing to arrange for someone to make the purchase.

Her finger hovered over the list a few times before she clicked her tongue and decided to message Broken Iron directly.

【Crow Takes Flight】: "I need another 100 sets of that leather armor we processed last time. Shall we discuss the price?"

Cheng Shuili didn't just pick the number one hundred at random; if she couldn't use them now, she could just store them in the warehouse.

There was no open rift between their two factions yet, but a hint of friction had already emerged regarding the recruitment of new members.

Cheng Shuili could foresee how difficult such trades would be to negotiate once the factions were in direct competition.

Leather armor always wore down, so requesting more now would make things convenient later.

When Broken Iron received the message, he initially thought the Crow was coming to cause trouble for him.

He knew his own actions hadn't been entirely above board.

His previous custom processing had been one game coin cheaper per piece than the Crow's, and today, he had followed that up by poaching members, which was another strike against him.

But the Crow was ranked number one, and a top-ranked player wouldn't be so petty; it was unlikely she would come looking for trouble over such a trivial matter.

That was what he told himself, but Broken Iron still couldn't help but feel nervous.

He was acting like a guilty thief, suspicious of every movement. She was the top player, after all, and he still couldn't afford to offend her. If he could...

Broken Iron held his breath as he opened the private message, and he was relieved to see that it was just a request for custom processing.

【Broken Iron】: "One hundred sets is absolutely no problem! But this volume... you know, the processing fee..."

Cheng Shuili looked at the reply, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

This guy—the first thing he thought of was the price.

【Crow Takes Flight】: "Large volume naturally means a better price. I’m providing all the materials, so give me a fair quote."

This time, the silence from the other side lasted even longer, clearly indicating a fierce internal struggle.

He wanted to make money, but he didn't dare to offend this top-ranked boss too much right now.

【Broken Iron】: "Boss, one hundred sets... this really is a massive order. Alright, I won't play games with you. The standard price is 99, I'll give it to you for... 95 a set! Nine thousand five hundred! What do you think? That's really the cost price!"

Cheng Shuili let out a soft huff.

Cost price? What was he talking about?

She was providing all the raw materials; the guy was just doing the processing! He must have gotten used to swindling others and forgotten that Cheng Shuili was someone who frequently handled custom processing herself.

Cheng Shuili wasn't going to indulge him, so she went straight for the bottom line.

【Crow Takes Flight】: "Eighty. One hundred sets for eight thousand. If that works, I'll trade the materials immediately; if not, forget it. For me, this is just an extra convenience—it's fine if I have it, and it's no big deal if I don't. Think about it."

Broken Iron's expression turned grim. He stared at the number for a long time before placing his hand back on the virtual keyboard.

【Broken Iron】: "Alright, that works. Send me the materials, and I'll arrange to start immediately!"

Cheng Shuili didn't want to waste any more breath on him and immediately sent the prepared materials and game coins through the trade function.

With the trade contract in place, this guy couldn't pull any tricks.

Processing these items would take time, so she could focus on other things.

Other things...

Cheng Shuili sighed and decided to check on how Zhou Zhuxing and Ailin were doing.

The entrance to the territory was the interview site.

Of course, that was only from the interviewer's perspective.

The scene was set up such that there was only one path: an online interview.

Zhou Zhuxing sat behind a desk, while Ailin stood beside her, operating the chat panel and discussing things with her.

Zhou Zhuxing clearly wasn't accustomed to work that required so much communication and judgment; her brows were locked in a tight frown, her expression stern as she sent out critical questions: "What type of monster are you best at dealing with? If your teammate was suddenly controlled by a monster and attacked you, what measures would you take? In the Black Feather, what attitude do you think members should hold toward the leader's orders?"

Her questions often left applicants who were ill-prepared or distracted speechless or stuttering through their answers.

Although the efficiency wasn't particularly high, those who passed her stage were at least reliable in terms of psychological fortitude and tactical thinking.