Chapter 285

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

The Martial Arts Hall established another new department: the Foreign Trade Department.

Recently, the Martial Arts Hall has frequently established new departments; apart from the Port Affairs Department being a major department, the rest are minor placards, and the Foreign Trade Department is no exception — it hangs on the top floor of Building Three, sounding impressive, but inside there are actually only two people: one is Tian Ming, a Level 2 Student from the seventh cohort, the other is Wang Chun Chun, the younger sister of Wang Gen, a Level 5 Student from the first cohort.

Wang Chun Chun was recruited into the Martial Arts Hall directly as a staff member after passing the review, with a monthly salary of three thousand plus bonuses; this was both a trial and an experiment, as well as an encouragement and stimulus. At a time when the Martial Arts Hall's recruitment requirements are becoming increasingly strict, having a family member enter to draw a stable wage is something many have longed for.

The Martial Arts Hall's students and staff, though complex in composition over the last few cohorts, are still largely rooted in Jiangbei. Especially the dependents of workers from Jiangbei's old state-owned factories — their education levels are generally low, and family burdens are heavy after layoffs. Although Wang Chun Chun holds a junior college diploma in accounting, she could only find odd jobs in small companies; entering the Martial Arts Hall for work was clearly the best choice.

The current Martial Arts Hall is no longer as easy to enter; priority admission rights were used up long ago, and today's entrance assessment — the talent criterion alone can shut people out completely; if they say no, it's no. Wang Chun Chun's recruitment, however, showed the students and staff another path. These state-owned enterprise workers were originally accustomed to a lifestyle of treating the enterprise as home and fighting for benefits; placing dependents has always been one direction of enterprise welfare. Wang Chun Chun's entry into the Martial Arts Hall inevitably stirred people's thoughts.

After a day of quiet, veteran students from the second and third cohorts came to Liu Xinyu's office to ask: "Instructor Liu, what conditions are needed for a relative to become a staff member at the Martial Arts Hall?"

Some were more direct: "My brother really can't find a job; you tell me, can he be recruited the same way as Wang Chun Chun?"

Liu Xinyu, prepared, smiled and said: "Recruiting staff is the Martial Arts Hall's personnel freedom, but we will consider some student circumstances. Specifically, the following points: First, the student's loyalty index must be A+ and maintained for over three months; second, the recruit's initial ability evaluation must be A or above, initial loyalty evaluation A or above, and maintained for three months; third, contribution degree — this is a new evaluation table, to be published next week on the students' Yingbi. Fourth, our care for students is tiered; currently it is Level 5 and above, and will gradually rise further."

In their internal deliberations, beyond the first point's loyalty index, control rating also had to reach A+, and the tier for student care was not only Level 5 but also had to stay within the top 5% — meaning even if enterprise-style recruitment welfare were truly used as student welfare, only 5% could enjoy it.

The completely undisguised requirements disappointed most students. To them, loyalty and such were one thing, but Level 5 students were something very few could reach. Human talent is limited; in magical regions like the Saint Qiao Kingdom, they select Knights across the entire nation, and after thousands or even tens of thousands of years of cultivation and natural selection, their talent is obviously better.

Jiangning's population is not small, but compared to a whole kingdom it falls far short; a mere two state-owned factories, at their peak tens of thousands of workers' dependents — children with Body Technique Level 5 talent are truly few; many only reached it relying on Falling Tears Divine Oil, and to rank in the top 5% of the entire Martial Arts Hall is even harder.

The quick-witted immediately realized that the current Martial Arts Hall's competition is no less fierce than schools and enterprises, and will surely become even more so in the future.

So the schemers promptly asked: "Then can we join that training class?"

Noble Knights are formidable when serious; Yin Senyong's training class has already produced Level 4 Body Technique students — a shortcut for the students.

"You can queue up, sign and wait for selection." Liu Xinyu was not stingy on this point; she produced the register and added: "The Martial Arts Hall analyzes students based on various ratings; you all need to pay attention too."

"Certainly, certainly." The register already held quite a few names; the ones causing trouble over dependents now understood their reaction had been slow, and one by one they hurriedly wrote their names without hesitation.

The men hoping to solve family burdens left dejectedly; Liu Xinyu closed her office door and notified the Archive Room student: "I have some names here; lower their control ratings."

……

The storm over Wang Chun Chun's hiring had not subsided when two parallel pieces of news made everyone feel indignant.

First, a wave lasting two months: staff members with loyalty rating B were dismissed, meaning they lost a good job paying 3,000 monthly — which, at present, pays more than a Jiangning civil servant. Not only the dismissed staff and their friends discussed it heatedly, even those not yet implicated were uneasy, anxiously watching their own ratings. But due to the previous incident, no overly intense incidents occurred.

Originally, dismissed staff would take two months' severance and leave quietly, but the second piece of news made their emotions unstable.

The Martial Arts Hall decided to gift villas to five Body Technique Level 6 students. The project was named "Peaceful Living and Contented Work"!

When the first batch of students was originally recruited, Chen Yi promised to gift housing; but back then, forget Level 6 students, even those who became Level 3 students were only a handful. Those who met the requirement, like She Lei, all received housing of over a hundred square meters, solving the Martial Arts Hall families' troubles with the beast demolition at the time. As students' general levels rose, later preferential treatments increased but requirements grew ever higher; in reality, it has always been the highest-level group of students receiving the benefits — Chen Yi has absolutely no egalitarian thinking. In his eyes, the value of 5% of people exceeds that of 95%; therefore, 5% of people occupying 95% of resources is the Martial Arts Hall's best development model. Keeping 95% of people in the Martial Arts Hall now is due to strategic needs, not because of their value.

However, by now, four of Chen Yi's disciples — Cao Zheng, Xie Wuyang, Li Feng, and Lu Xiong — have all reached Body Technique Level 6; additionally, fifth-cohort student Hou Wei, relying on large amounts of Falling Tears Divine Oil, came from behind and also reached Level 6, earning a villa.

In the eyes of Chinese people who value "eating from the same big pot," such a thing is not only envy-inducing but extremely unfair. A villa in Jiangning is worth hundreds of thousands, even millions.

"We don't even have our own houses, yet someone gets a villa — corruption."

"Embezzlement."

"Firing us is 'no money,' but buying houses for the Hall Master's disciples doesn't cost money?" The over a hundred dismissed staff linked up, wanting to stir up trouble.

They know the process inside out: surround and shout, target equally clear — not demanding confiscation of the villas, only "benefit the people." That is, give them a little something.

This routine is worn out in state-owned enterprises; even some students' parents taught them, saying: "Idle anyway, let's go make a scene together then."

Unfortunately, they forgot the Martial Arts Hall's hardline style. This time, not even Chen Yi needed to step forward. The five Level 6 students under verbal attack — Xie Wuyang and Li Feng were somewhat steadier in temperament; Cao Zheng and Lu Xiong were simply afraid the world wouldn't be chaotic enough — the two of them dragged Hou Wei along, and when students gathered in front of Building One, they grabbed wooden sticks and charged out.

Whether Level 1 student or Level 3 student, whether staff or employee, that beating was solid and thorough.

Level 6 students are high-level talents surpassing Holy See training; even on the West Continent they could find good Heavy Cavalry work. The troublemaking students' levels weren't high; who could beat the three of them? By the time they wanted to run, they discovered their whole group had been surrounded on three sides by Cao Zheng, Lu Xiong, and Hou Wei.

A fine battle of annihilation.

Level 6 students beating people — if they want you dead you die, if they want you hurt you hurt, if they want you injured you're injured; like a john beating a prostitute, no one helps, no one saves.

By the time they finished beating to their heart's content, the crowd looked at each other — indeed, no one was injured yet no one was without pain.

No injury means no one intervenes; seeing Cao Zheng eager for more, Lu Xiong imposing without anger, Hou Wei looking like he'd do it again… a few people took out mobile phones to call the police.

No news for a long time.

The heart-aching crowd could only leave silently. Upstairs, Jin Douna sighed lightly and said: "Everyone really isn't united. And wasting such a good opportunity."

"They'll never be united." Chen Yi said understandingly: "Internal friction always exists; a good leader should achieve goals while internal friction exists."

Since Jin Douna is Korean, he added: "My Party's rectification and anti-counterrevolutionary campaigns killed from start to finish, yet still won the country — no need to worry."

Liu Xinyu's eyes brightened as she listened, and she asked: "Where is this country now?"

"It's Jiangning." Chen Yi said without concealment.

"You wouldn't be thinking of using force…" She recalled those purchased heavy weapons.

Chen Yi chuckled twice and said: "Of course not like that."

But what he actually thinks, no one knows.

Taking advantage of abundant time, Jin Douna pointed the organized documents at Chen Yi and brought a thick stack of printed photocopy paper, saying: "These are recent class notes; final exams are coming up, and you haven't attended quite a few classes."

Chen Yi flipped through casually, looking too lazy to read.

Jin Douna handed him a letter, saying: "This was mailed to you."

"From abroad?" Chen Yi looked at the English on it and tore it open.

Since it was an ordinary postal letter, Liu Xinyu also leaned over to read: "Cornell University? Inviting you to an academic exchange? Why?"

Three consecutive questions made Chen Yi laugh; he thought a moment, then picked up the phone and dialed the school dormitory, saying: "Trouble you to find a second-year graduate student in the Management Department, Han He."

The graduate school has many phones; the other end agreed, then shouted at the top of their lungs: "Han He, phone!"

After a while, Han He answered in a somewhat wooden voice: "This is Han He, who is this?"

He sounded like a robot just assembled.

Chen Yi gave a dark laugh and said, "I am Chen Yi. Have you received Cornell University's academic exchange invitation?"

"Cornell University in the United States?" Speaking of academic matters, Han He was immediately excited.

... (Unfinished. If you want to know what happens next, please log in to www. qidian. com, more chapters, support author, support genuine reading!)