Chapter 51: Applying for a Job

Yang Fan was walking along a bustling avenue in River City. This time, he had returned with the sole purpose of seeking out spirit stones within the prestigious high school.

During his last visit to River City, he had discovered that the elite high school was recruiting security guards, and he immediately recognized an opportunity. Working as a security guard at the prestigious school would provide room and board, perfectly fitting his needs.

As he passed a street stall, Yang Fan paused. "Take a look, sir! I'm sure you'll find something you like here," the vendor greeted him enthusiastically. The stall displayed an assortment of odd and peculiar stones, each quite distinctive in appearance.

Yang Fan's gaze fell upon a thumb-sized silver stone, and he was a little surprised. The silver stone was known as a Ring Stone—a rare substance used in the forging of storage rings. Strictly speaking, it was not actually stone, but a kind of metal.

"How much for this stone?" Yang Fan picked up the Ring Stone, examining it before asking.

The vendor grinned, "You have a good eye, sir. This stone is very hard and extremely rare—it's difficult to find anything like it in the world. How about this, since you like it, just one hundred yuan."

Yang Fan didn't haggle; he simply handed over a hundred yuan and walked away.

The vendor stared blankly at the money, surprised. In his eyes, the stone was nothing special—just a common rock worth ten or so yuan at most. He had anticipated some bargaining, but hadn't expected Yang Fan to be so decisive.

Yet to Yang Fan, the Ring Stone was worth far more than a hundred yuan. Among cultivators, it was a rare and costly treasure, the essential material for crafting storage rings. Once Yang Fan refined this stone into a storage ring, he would be able to store things inside it, making it much easier to carry belongings in the future.

With the Ring Stone in his possession, Yang Fan was in high spirits. He made his way to the entrance of the prestigious high school and approached one of the gatekeepers.

"Excuse me, sir, are you still hiring security guards?" Yang Fan inquired.

Seeing that Yang Fan was here to apply for the security position, the gatekeeper glanced at him and then replied, "Go over to the security office and register."

"Thank you," Yang Fan said courteously, heading toward the security office.

Inside, three security guards were gathered around a table, playing cards, oblivious to Yang Fan’s arrival.

"Hello, I’m here to apply for the security guard position. May I ask who is in charge?" Yang Fan asked politely.

The three guards turned at the mention of a job applicant. One young guard, cigarette dangling from his lips, gave Yang Fan a once-over and asked, "You sure you’re here to apply for the security job?"

Yang Fan nodded.

"Wait here, then. I’ll call the Academic Affairs Office," the guard said as he got up and went to make a call. After explaining the situation, he told Yang Fan, "The director of academic affairs will be here shortly. Please wait a moment."

"Thank you," Yang Fan replied, taking up a spot at the door.

The three security guards put away their cards and went out to resume their posts.

About five minutes later, a portly middle-aged man entered the security office. His name was Zhao Yi, the director of academic affairs at the prestigious high school.

Zhao Yi pulled up a chair, crossed his legs, and looked Yang Fan over. "You’re the one applying for the security job?"

Yang Fan smiled and nodded. "Yes, sir. Are you still hiring?"

Zhao Yi did not answer immediately, instead scrutinizing Yang Fan. To him, Yang Fan looked too young to be applying for such a job. Security work paid poorly and wasn’t attractive to most young people.

"Young man, are you sure you can handle hardship?" Zhao Yi said. "Security work here means standing guard every day. It’s physically demanding."

"Don’t worry, I’ve been used to hard work since childhood. Physical labor is nothing to me," Yang Fan replied confidently. "I’ve just arrived in River City and need a stable job."

Today, Yang Fan was dressed plainly, looking very much like a country youth newly arrived in the city. In Zhao Yi’s eyes, he was just a simple farm boy.

"Being a security guard here requires responsibility. When trouble arises, you need to face it boldly, not shrink away," Zhao Yi said, lighting a cigarette. "No matter who causes trouble, as a security guard, it’s your duty to safeguard the school’s interests."

"Rest assured, I’ll work hard and won’t let you down," Yang Fan promised earnestly.

Zhao Yi was pleased by Yang Fan's honest demeanor.

"And one more thing: you must protect the students’ safety. Never let outsiders in to cause trouble," Zhao Yi added.

Yang Fan nodded and agreed to everything, looking every bit the earnest, naive youth. Zhao Yi favored men like this—they were easier to manage.

"Lastly, I need to test your skills. If you meet our requirements, you can stay," Zhao Yi said, flicking away his cigarette. "So, how capable are you?"

Yang Fan had no qualms about being tested. "I can handle two or three people at once," he replied.

"Oh? That’s quite a claim," Zhao Yi was caught off guard by Yang Fan’s confidence, then smiled.

Since Yang Fan was so sure of himself, Zhao Yi was curious to see what he could do. He led Yang Fan outside and called to the three security guards, "Chen Dong, all of you come over here."

The three guards walked over, puzzled.

"Director Zhao, what can we do for you?" Chen Dong asked.

"I called you over for a reason," Zhao Yi said. "I want you three to test this young man’s skills."

The three guards were taken aback by the order. Chen Dong hesitated. "Director Zhao, the three of us against him—what if something happens?"

He sized up Yang Fan—a young man, not particularly robust—and doubted he could withstand the combined assault of all three.

"It’s fine, you can go all out," Yang Fan said confidently. "I learned some martial arts in the countryside—handling a few people won’t be a problem."

Irritated by Yang Fan’s confidence, Chen Dong retorted, "If you get hurt, don’t blame us for being rough."

"You won’t be able to hurt me," Yang Fan replied with a smile.

Zhao Yi grew more curious—could this young man really take on three at once? After all, Chen Dong was a former soldier and quite skilled. Even after leaving the army, his abilities were not to be underestimated.

"All right, let’s find a more open place," Chen Dong said after scanning the area and pointing to a spacious patch of grass. He simply didn’t believe Yang Fan could take on all three of them. As a former soldier, he’d been quite formidable in the army, and time hadn’t dulled his edge.

"This kid is cocky. Let’s teach him a lesson," one of the other guards muttered.

"He thinks he can take on three of us—he’s overconfident. I could take him down myself," another chuckled, cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

Being security guards at a prestigious high school, they had some skills of their own.

The four men moved to the grassy field and assumed their stances, ready for the contest.