"Cough..."
Seeing the civilians fall silent upon hearing Yabo's words, Chen Yu, standing behind them, cleared his throat.
"Lord City Lord."
The civilians who came to participate in the recruitment cheered and called out. Yabo, who was standing before them with his hands behind his back, also turned his head. Upon seeing Chen Yu, he quickly walked over.
"City Lord, when did you arrive?"
"Just arrived," Chen Yu replied with a slight smile. He gestured to Yabo before stepping forward. "Everyone, don't feel too burdened. Our Fengqi City's recruitment is not mandatory. Whether you want to become a member of the legion is your own decision. Of course, to be honest, you may not all pass the assessment."
Instantly, many civilians began to whisper, their eyes showing a hint of indignation.
Chen Yu paid no mind, continuing to speak.
"I know some of you must feel unconvinced, but what I've said is the truth. Fengqi City's recruitment is very strict. I need elite soldiers, an army that can achieve victory in every battle."
"You will feel the difficulty of the assessment shortly."
"As for what Commander Yabo just said, it is also the truth. This city is a border city, and its geographical location dictates that it will not be peaceful."
"You dislike war, that's fine."
"As the City Lord, I will do my utmost to ensure your safety."
"But—"
"My ability alone is ultimately limited."
"Whether you choose to pick up a weapon to protect the children and relatives behind you, and to protect this city, is your own decision."
"I will not interfere."
With a smiling turn, Chen Yu directly took out several barbecue grills and placed them on the ground. He then took out pre-portioned 300g units of meat slices, placed them on the grills, and sprinkled them with seasoning.
Even with Chen Yu's support, the civilians of Fengqi City were much better off.
At least there were no problems with filling their stomachs.
However, exquisite delicacies like those Chen Yu was cooking still held an infinite allure for them, not to mention that Chen Yu had added seasoning to this exquisite grilled meat.
The rich aroma drifted to the civilians' noses with the breeze.
Many civilians couldn't help but swallow their saliva, their eyes fixed on the golden-brown meat slices on the grill. Even Yabo and his brothers stared intently, their mouths uncontrollably salivating.
However—
This was merely the beginning.
As Chen Yu was cooking, he suddenly waved his hand and brought out several straw dummies, all of them clad in exquisite armor.
No man could resist the temptation of armor and weapons.
The moment these armors appeared, many even forgot the aroma of the grilled meat, their eyes fixated on the straw dummies with infatuation.
Gazing at the lines of the equipment.
"Participants in the assessment will each receive a portion of grilled meat from me. Upon passing the assessment, you will be able to eat this grilled meat every day. City Lord Kelai should have already informed you of these recruitment benefits, so I will not repeat them."
"This armor..."
Chen Yu pointed to the straw dummies behind him.
"Those who pass the most basic selection will receive a perfect-grade Black Iron set, along with a rare Black Iron weapon."
"Those who pass the secondary selection will receive a Bronze set."
"The advanced selection, a Silver set."
"The ultimate selection, a Gold set."
"Once you pass the assessment and are willing to join the elite legion, these sets will be issued to you, and the highest welfare benefits in the city will also be extended to you."
The civilians listened, their hearts surging with excitement. They looked down at their straw sandals, their tattered clothes, and many were even barefoot.
Then they looked at the armor on the straw dummies.
"Lord City Lord, please start the trial quickly."
"Hurry up and start!"
More and more people couldn't suppress their impatience and urged him on. Chen Yu smiled and nodded, giving Yabo a meaningful glance.
"One hundred people per row," Yabo called out to the civilians participating in the recruitment. "Raise your hands if you are ready, and I will take you to the assessment location."
Not a single person refused. All the civilians obediently lined up in columns.
Batch after batch, they followed Yabo into the trial area.
Chen Yu continued to grill meat with a smile, placing the cooked meat on plates, waiting for those who passed the assessment to come and collect their well-deserved delicacies.
"City Lord."
Suddenly, a voice reached Chen Yu's ears.
He looked up slightly and saw Yabo's brother, the fox-man, standing beside him, rubbing his hands. Accompanying him was the man with the pockmarked face.
"Is there something?"
"Do we have a share of this equipment?" the fox-man asked, nodding towards the straw dummies and looking at Chen Yu with hopeful eyes. Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. "You are already at the Black Obsidian realm, do you still need these?"
"Lord City Lord, although we are at the Black Obsidian realm, the equipment..."
The pockmarked-faced man hesitated to speak. Chen Yu immediately understood their predicament. Equipment in the underground world was very scarce, let alone perfect-grade sets like the ones Chen Yu provided.
"I will give the equipment to Yabo then. You can collect it from him."
"Thank you, City Lord!"
The fox-man and the pockmarked-faced man expressed their profuse gratitude, and before leaving, their eyes still lingered enviously on the sets on the straw dummies, showing how deeply they desired them.
Chen Yu had done all he could.
The welfare benefits.
The allure of grilled meat and equipment was at its peak.
Although the civilians had some reservations about the recruitment, they would not be as strong as before. It remained to be seen how many would qualify under such a high-intensity assessment.
Chen Yu estimated that perhaps not even half would pass.
Although the civilians in the underground world were strong, their daily lives mostly involved using the qi and strength provided by their cultivation realm for labor.
Suddenly sealing that away and relying on their most basic abilities.
They should be very unaccustomed to it.
Chen Yu was not particularly concerned about the final result of how many people would successfully pass the assessment. Even if no one passed in the end, he would not lower his standards.
Silently making grilled meat, Chen Yu felt a sense of returning to when he first entered the underground world.
Back then, he was also sitting in front of a grill, roasting meat.
Little Black Bean, who hadn't yet taken human form, was lying beside him. Lion Jack, Rosie, and Kuka were all gathered around, while the black donkey was holding a fruit platter. Perhaps those were the happiest times. Looking around now, no one was by his side; they all had their own endeavors.
*Ding—*
Just as Chen Yu was reminiscing about the past, a notification sound came from the chat window. Chen Yu, while grilling meat, opened the chat window, calculating the cooking time.
The message was from Yu Pu.
Chen Yu almost instinctively checked the time. It was already nearing noon, and Yu Pu's sleep seemed to have run a bit long.
"Benefactor."
"I am truly sorry. Last night... I drank a bit too much last night, and I'm still not sober. My reply is late, please... please don't mind."
Looking at the intermittent messages on the screen, Chen Yu nodded slightly.
Well, he still hadn't sobered up!