Era of Mist

Chapter 165: Chapter 164: Aftermath and Repercussions

The Small Township Examination was an annual event that captured the attention of countless candidates, parents, and spectators.

Although spectators weren’t allowed at the examination sites, the moment the results were announced, countless people would stop in their tracks to watch and chatter with excitement. After all, the special effects were truly a magnificent sight.

Across Tumu Castle’s nine major districts, nine pillars of gold-red light shot toward the heavens. Massive, gold-red scrolls unfurled in the sky, announcing their presence to their respective districts, the entire city, and each other.

Like the list for the main Township Examination, these scrolls would hang in the sky for three days, visible to all who looked up, regardless of wind or rain.

Countless people discussed the results of the Small Township Examination. The main topics were each district’s scores, their relative strengths, and the names at the top of the golden lists. The most talked-about, of course, were the champions—the top student from each of the nine districts. With nine districts and nine champions, the level of buzz surrounding each naturally varied.

Shen Xingye of the Upper City District, the only son of City Lord Shen, was a shoo-in for champion.

Gao Chongxiao of the North City District, a son of the Gao Family, was the cousin of this year’s main Township Examination champion, Gao Shaoling. With two champions in the family, they became the talk of the North City District. Rumor had it the Gao Family Patriarch was in an exceptionally good mood recently, grinning at everyone he saw.

Shi Yuwei from the South City District was another candidate generating a lot of buzz, as she wasn’t from a noble family but a commoner. According to snooping gossips, the Shi Family had three sisters, each one quite formidable. Shi Yuwei’s older sister, Shi Yu Lei, had actually placed second in the main Township Examination—she was the short girl who had lost to Gao Shaoling.

The older sister had lost to Gao Shaoling, while the younger sister now stood as a rival to Gao Chongxiao. The buzz around them was electric. People speculated that once Gao Chongxiao and Shi Yuwei entered the academy, they would be fierce competitors. The real battle between titans was yet to come.

But the most sensational champion of all was the one from Mu Yuan District.

Shi Tiexin.

The boy from the Orphanage.

Suddenly, the Mu Yuan District Orphanage was thrust into the spotlight, becoming the center of attention for the media and the public.

In the director’s office.

”Hello? Oh, President Liu, it’s Situ Zhennan. Oh, Tiexin? Right, that’s him. He’s the champion of the Small Township Examination. You want him to write a sign? You want ’Auspicious Opening’? Well... Tiexin has a lot of interviews lately, so his schedule is a bit... oh, oh, it’s about hiring our people? Of course, of course! We can definitely talk about that!”

”Mhm, mhm, no problem. Overtime’s fine. These little rascals are tough and can take a beating. You can work ’em to the bone! Just give them a try, and if they don’t work out, I’ll send you replacements—guaranteed. Great, great, no problem. Then it’s a deal!”

CLACK. He slammed the phone down and pumped his fist. ”Oh, yeah! That’s another fifty settled!” He looked up, searching around. ”Where’s that kid? Where’d he run off to? Get your butt back here and write!”

So where was Shi Tiexin?

He was still on duty at the gate of the Star Worker Meat Processing Plant’s Plant Two.

He believed in finishing what he started. He had promised Xiongan a one-month trial period, and he was determined to complete it properly. Aside from taking time off for the qualification test and the Small Township Examination, Shi Tiexin hadn’t missed a single day. Now, he was in his final few days.

”Hey, kid, the deal’s on!” Tao Zhongming rushed over, slapping Shi Tiexin on the shoulder—THWACK, THWACK—right on his sorest spot.

Shi Tiexin grimaced in pain but quickly suppressed it. ”What’s the rate?” he asked.

”Let’s be clear about the money, I won’t hide anything from you. I quoted the company 1.3 points per piece. I’ll give you one point, and I’ll take 0.3 as my commission. How does that sound?”

Little Dog’s booming voice cut in. ”Vice Director Tao, that’s not right! When Big Brother was praised by the Lord Sacrificial Officer himself, it was one point per piece. Now that he’s even more famous, how is it still just one point? The price should be higher!”

”For crying out loud, kid, keep it down!” Tao Zhongming wished he could clamp a hand over Little Dog’s mouth. He glanced around furtively, and only after making sure no one was listening did he lower his voice. ”Of course we could charge more if we just wanted to cash in on the hype, but that kind of thing doesn’t last. It’s like those internet celebrities who get a little famous, try to monetize everything, and end up burning out their potential and fading away. This is a high-volume business. This price point ensures a steady stream of work without tarnishing your big brother’s reputation. Nothing else to say, but I can guarantee this project won’t dry up for at least a year.”

Little Dog was still not satisfied. ”Only a year?”

”A year is a long time!” Tao Zhongming said, exasperated. ”Your big brother’s fame is still new; it doesn’t have deep roots. Lasting a year is already a feat! If it weren’t for reporters constantly showing up at the plant gate, asking to take pictures of him on duty and requesting interviews with President Liu, I wouldn’t have even gotten this deal approved for a year. Besides, as long as his skills don’t decline, making ten thousand-plus points a month will be a piece of cake, won’t it?”

Si Chongtian started to argue again, but Shi Tiexin stopped him.

He looked at Tao Zhongming and asked seriously, ”President Liu didn’t try to stop this?”

”Not at all. He asked a couple of questions and approved it.”

”I see...”

’It seems Liu Qigang isn’t that close with He Chong’s father. Or maybe Liu Qigang took my relationship with Little Dog into account and decided not to cause trouble.’

With this calligraphy gig, his financial situation would improve dramatically.

’Ten thousand-plus points a month... He’d never even dreamed that something this good could happen to him!’

’However, just because Liu Qigang hadn’t made a move didn’t mean He Chong’s father wouldn’t. The Star Engineering United Group was a massive corporation. If nothing else, Star Worker Industry was bound to cause problems this year.’

「Three days later.」

It was an annual event. The orphans who were about to turn sixteen made themselves as presentable as possible, awaiting the start of the hiring season.

Zhang Quan, the HR officer from Star Worker Industry, once again arrived at the Orphanage, impeccably dressed in a suit. If he had been arrogant last time, this time he was downright caustic. He was clearly here to find fault, and his voice echoed through the building as he nitpicked every detail, deeming some too fat, some too thin, some too tall, some too short. The representatives from the other Star Worker Group subsidiaries who came with him were all much the same.

Shi Tiexin and Situ Zhennan stood side by side, watching everything from a distance.

Shi Tiexin suddenly spoke. ”I’m sorry.”

The bald man didn’t turn his head. His voice was steady. ”What for?”

”This whole thing...” Shi Tiexin didn’t know how to start. ”It’s because of me that...”

”You don’t need to apologize for this,” the bald man said, his voice firm. ”You can only carry the weight you’re built for. You simply don’t have the ability to shoulder everyone’s burdens, so don’t even think about it. Besides, at the end of the day, it’s every man for himself with these little rascals in the Orphanage.”

”You think none of these rascals took He Chong’s dirty money to badmouth you behind your back? Some did. Quite a few, in fact. So in this matter, you don’t owe them a thing. Everyone has their own destiny. Success is earned through one’s own hard work, and everyone has to fight for their own opportunities. You have nothing to feel guilty about.”