Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

Chapter 127: Chapter 106: Rapid Development, Recruiting Talent

After taking control of Night City, Li Chang’an immersed himself in his laboratory and began producing a steady stream of innovations.

At first, the entire Yunxiao Group was utterly perplexed by his behavior.

As the chairman of Yunxiao Group, Li Chang’an only needed to guide the company’s overall development. Technological research and innovation were jobs for the scientists.

’It’s one thing for the chairman to be dabbling in research, but to also throw all administrative authority over Night City to his subordinate, Girina? What is he thinking?’

’Is he missing the forest for the trees?’

Fortunately, Li Chang’an’s swift and violent actions had already swept the group of old-timers within Yunxiao Group who opposed him into the dustbin.

Otherwise, the criticism from the board of directors alone would have been enough to give him a massive headache.

However, Li Chang’an didn’t keep them waiting. Soon, he presented everyone within Yunxiao Group with one jaw-dropping research breakthrough after another.

In just a few short years, the fields his research covered included: Genetic Potions, medical potions, military-grade weapons, the latest iterations of various high-end cybernetics, unmanned aerial spacecraft, and more…

Whenever these products, manufactured using Li Chang’an’s new technologies, were launched, they consistently caused a sensation on the global market.

Whether it was Genetic or medical potions, powerful military armaments, or high-end cybernetics, their level of technology was leaps and bounds ahead of the other major global corporations.

Yet their prices were comparatively lower, making them incredibly cost-effective.

Naturally, they became highly sought-after in the international market.

Night City already had a large population, and after cleaning up the street gangs and the scourge of various illegal trades, order had long been completely stabilized.

Now, thanks to the high-tech weaponry Li Chang’an developed, the competitiveness of everything produced in Night City—from industrial equipment and Genetic Potions to military armaments—skyrocketed. The city’s global influence began to soar, and money poured into the legendary, sleepless metropolis once known as the city of sin.

Factories shot up one after another across Night City.

With them came more and more jobs and ever-improving levels of production and manufacturing. In just a few short years, everyone in Night City, from the corporate conglomerates down to the common citizens, had made a fortune.

As a result, everyone in Night City, from corporate employees to the general public, regarded Li Chang’an, their young Night City Emperor, with utter adoration.

Within a few years, several statues, spontaneously funded by citizens and companies, were even erected in various newly constructed shopping malls to praise the contributions Li Chang’an alone had made to Night City.

…

Even as Night City raked in money, Li Chang’an wasn’t just hoarding it.

He mobilized eighty percent of the capital on Yunxiao Group’s books and began aggressively recruiting talent from the international market with fistfuls of cash.

For any talented individual willing to join Yunxiao Group, Li Chang’an immediately offered to poach them at triple their current salary.

What? Triple wasn’t enough?

Then five times, how about that?!

Five times isn’t enough? How about eight, or ten?

In order to attract more talent to Night City, Li Chang’an was willing to pay almost any price, even proactively building an employee tower in the city’s central district.

The most basic suite in the employee tower was comparable to a five-star hotel.

It not only offered First-class accommodations and meals but was also fully equipped with all necessary infrastructure, including an elite school for the employees’ children.

In short, for anyone willing to join Yunxiao Group, housing, cars, and money were no object.

If there was a need, he would even have people on Night City’s local network help set them up with women…

With such a massive amount of money being thrown around, eventually even Regina’s eyelids began to twitch. The board of directors gathered all its members and went to Li Chang’an’s laboratory, begging him not to squander money like this.

’After all, with so much money, wouldn’t it be better spent on their own enjoyment?’

’Even when recruiting talent, there was absolutely no need to offer such lavish terms!’

Li Chang’an’s explanation was simple: recruiting talent was his strategic plan for the future of Night City. The board members could either shut up or get out.

Upon hearing Li Chang’an’s response, the board members broke out in a cold sweat.

They had made a lot of money thanks to Li Chang’an these past few years.

They had also come to a much deeper understanding of how terrifying he was.

He was a tyrant, ten, even a hundred times more terrifying than any previous leader of Yunxiao Group—someone they could not afford to cross.

Thus, after being berated by Li Chang’an, not one of the board members dared to utter a peep. They just turned and scurried away.

…

Yunxiao Group’s ridiculously generous recruitment offer naturally attracted the world’s attention.

When had the world’s top talent ever seen anything like it?

’In this day and age, a company is willing to practically assault us with benefits and perks?’

’Who do they think they’re looking down on?’

’…Actually, you have an excellent eye for talent!’

Upon hearing the terms offered by Night City, top talents across high-end industries worldwide were left utterly stunned.

After all, to cut costs in recent years, all the major corporations had been frantically competing in a race to the bottom.

Brutal “996” or even “007” work schedules were commonplace. To squeeze more out of their employees, some companies even required them to be ready for a shot of neuro-stimulants at any moment, twenty-four hours a day.

In such a festering work environment, the sudden emergence of Yunxiao Group—a company that actually treated its employees like human beings—was like a sun rising from a cesspit.

It shone so brightly people couldn’t open their eyes.

However, despite these conditions, in the six months following Yunxiao Group’s recruitment announcement…

…Night City only managed to welcome a few dozen top global scientists, nearly a hundred Transcendents, and several thousand front-line manufacturing personnel.

This number might sound like a lot.

But it completely failed to meet Li Chang’an’s expectations.

After all, the terms he offered were mind-blowing by any global standard.

Using eighty percent of the company’s capital to recruit talent… in the entire world, only Li Chang’an had the ability and the guts to make such a move.

But despite this enormous cost, the final result was less than a tenth of what was expected. Even the newly built talent tower only had a few floors occupied.

This was obviously not right.

After all, no one in this world would turn their nose up at money, right?

Noticing the recruitment anomaly, Li Chang’an temporarily put his research on hold.

He walked out of the lab, found Regina—the de facto manager of Yunxiao Group and Night City these past few years—and asked directly, “Why have we only recruited so few people in the last six months? Are our terms not good enough?”

Regina knew this matter would definitely attract Li Chang’an’s attention.

Therefore, she had already investigated the reason beforehand.

At his question, Regina immediately replied, “Sir, it’s not that our terms aren’t good enough. On the contrary, our terms are too good!”

Li Chang’an raised an eyebrow, already getting an idea of the problem.

Regina’s next words confirmed his suspicion. She paused for a moment before continuing, “Because the recruitment terms we offered are so incredibly good, the entire international talent market has been thrown into violent turmoil!”

“With the exception of the Advanced Technology Group and its two subsidiaries, the other six major corporations have all seen mass resignations from top-tier talent like scientists and Transcendents. Many companies’ advanced research projects have ground to a halt because of this.”

“This has made companies of all sizes worldwide feel threatened. Not only are they refusing to let these resigning talents leave, but they are also doing everything they can to detain them…”

“And I’ve also heard that they’ve secretly formed a ’talent retention center’ specifically to prevent talent drain, especially towards us in Night City!”

“The fact that we’ve managed to recruit this many people despite their collective boycott is actually quite incredible!”

As she spoke, Regina’s voice was clearly tinged with frustration as she muttered, ’We’re probably the only ones in the world who have the money but can’t recruit anyone. These big corporations don’t dare compete with our benefits, so all they can do is resort to these sickening tactics!’

“They might be able to suppress this wave with force in the short term, but if they don’t improve their own benefits, most of the talent will eventually gravitate towards us in the long run!”

Hearing this, Li Chang’an fell into a brief silence.

Regina’s analysis was correct.

With that much money on the table, time was definitely on Night City’s side.

However, he didn’t have that much time or patience to wait.

After all, his target was the Extraordinary Potion formula held by the Advanced Group. If he didn’t aggressively recruit people and build up his strength now, and the Advanced Group had time to react, Night City’s current power would be no match for that behemoth.

With that, Li Chang’an made his decision. “They’re using violence to hold people back, is that it? Fine. We can use violence to pick people up!”

“Wherever the most talent is being detained, that’s where we’ll send the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team. I’d like to see who’s foolish enough to cross us!”

With the power Yunxiao Group now wielded, among the world’s top ten corporations, aside from the Advanced Technology Group—which was too formidable to provoke, having built its foundation on Extraordinary Potions—none of the other major companies could possibly be a match for Yunxiao Group.

In fact, as long as he could successfully recruit more Transcendents this time and expand the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team by three to five times, Li Chang’an was confident he could even go head-to-head with Advanced Technology!

After all, the Advanced Technology Group’s advantage lay in its vast number of Transcendents and its unknown stockpile of Extraordinary Potions. At any moment, they could rapidly churn out an entire army of them.

Meanwhile, Li Chang’an’s advantage was the Extraordinary Breathing Technique he had developed through his Heaven-defying Comprehension, which could steadily increase a Transcendent’s strength.

As long as he had enough Transcendents under his command…

The combat power and growth potential of a Transcendent enhanced by the Extraordinary Breathing Technique and Martial Arts Combat Skills were several, or even nearly ten times, greater than that of a Transcendent from Advanced Technology.

…

Seeing him give the order, Regina’s heart surged with excitement. She nodded and said, “In that case, I’ll go make the arrangements immediately!”

Regina was not Li Chang’an, after all.

Without Li Chang’an’s permission, there were some lines she could not cross.

Even if Li Chang’an trusted her almost one hundred percent.

And for that very reason, she had been holding back her frustration.

Now that she finally had Li Chang’an’s directive, she couldn’t wait to make those blind fools open their eyes and see the consequences of offending Night City!

Soon, something very strange happened in the international talent market.

Yunxiao Group sent a message to the world.

The message was simple: any Transcendents, scientists, top engineers, technicians, or hackers who wanted to work in Night City but were being detained could call a secure number set up by Yunxiao Group to arrange for a special pickup service.

Once this message was sent, it immediately created ripples like a stone tossed into a calm lake.

…