Chapter 147 What Da Heck is He Doing Here!? - Part 2 (2/2)

'This brat is also a fudging fox! I freaking knew it!'

'That's it! I'm bailing out of this city! I don't want to be enslaved by this brat!'

Jia Xu stepped back and bowed to Tong.

”Please forgive me for my impudence. I'm new, so I'm still inexperience about the way of this city.”

”I don't mind. I can see that you are standing in the back, so you might not be able to hear what we're announcing.”

”Ah, yes. That's right. I'm getting older and my ears are getting worse. Please forgive me.”

”It's fine. How about this, there is a position in the city that no one has taken it yet. If you take it, I'll let you stand on the front rows the next time you attend the assembly. We're actually looking for a military strategist or a city lord adviser. The monthly wage is 1,000 gold, an exclusive mansion in the official areas, and the noble status. Would you be interested?”

Tong winked at Jia Xu who was staring at him in shock. There was never a government job that could earn 1,000 gold a month from his knowledge, records, or the past memories of Jia Xu.

Zhang Jiao, Sima Fang, and all officials were shocked as well. Why would Tong suddenly promote a new minor official into the important position within the city?

Sima Fang could not tolerate it. He stepped forward to object.

”My lord, this minor official has just been instated for just a few months. He has not contributed or proven his abilities yet. I'm afraid that this promotion is a bit too fast for him.”

Everyone in the hall nodded and voiced out their objection. It was too impropriate for a newbie to suddenly leap from the lowest rank in the city to one of the top ranks.

”Ah!?”

A line of vein showed up under the skin of Jia Xu, he was indirectly insulted as an incompetence official. Jia Xu wanted to refute, yet he swallowed his pride and kept quiet.

'Humph! Having someone helping me declining this position is good. I can have a reason to bail out of this city…'

'But a thousand gold a month and the luxurious life…'

'But I have to board this pirate rebel ship…'

'But I can have all the food for myself…'

'But this brat will enslave me…'

'But this slavery will net me a thousand gold a month…'

Jia Xu stared at empty air in a daze as he was contemplating if he should accept this position or not.

Seeing that Jia Xu could not decide while his own officials objected his idea, Tong gave them another proposal.

”It's my bad for suddenly ask a new worker to take such an important position from the start. How about this? I will hold a try-out for anyone who is interested to take the position. Each of the participants will work in the military as a trainee strategist for three months. After the three months trial period ends, we will decide again if the persons are worthy of this position or not. Of course, everyone in this hall can join the trail run.”

The entire hall was thrown into an uproar as all of them was interested in this trainee position. However, Tong clapped to make them quiet.

”I'm not finished. There will be a prize as well as a punishment for the greedy ones.”

The crowd gulped as they knew how vicious Tong was when he wanted to punish a noble or an official.

”Those who are suited for the position will be promoted into the rank for real, and the 1,000 gold a month wage is your prize.”

The crowd smiled and cheered.

”BUT… There will be a standard which I will evaluate you myself. If anyone can't meet my standard, you will be penalized for being greedy without knowing your own limit! The penalty is a 2-rank demotion! All failed participants' rank will drop 2 ranks from the original position before they take the trainee test. If you happen to be at the bottom two ranks, then you're fired!”

The crowd stopped cheering.

Like being poured by cold water, their face lost color when they heard that Tong could fire them if they were to fail. Majority of the officials in the hall were public servants at the bottom two ranks.

Also, the senior officials were not feeling confident after hearing that they could get the 2-ranks demotion. It took them decades to climb up from the bottom feeders to their current positions, so they did not want to risk it.

If they failed, their career in this city would be over.

On the other hand, Jia Xu tilted his head to the side and pondered.

'I have nothing to lose, am I?'

'I want that 1,000 gold a month and my luxury life!'

'But if I fail, it's fine too. I can just excuse myself from this city.'

With such thought, Jia Xu looked at Tong and smiled.

”I wish to take part of that trainee thing you mentioned.”