Xiang Fan, dragging his suitcase, stood outside Ran Xing's Xingshu Port, gazing up at this futuristic city. Under the night sky, psychic towers soared into the clouds, and hovercars of all shapes and sizes shuttled between the floating buildings. The entire city, illuminated by psychic lights, was a dreamlike spectacle. Faint psychic fluctuations lingered in the air, like an invisible barrier, isolating those who didn't belong here.
Xiang Fan licked his chapped lips, glanced down at his washed-out clothes, then looked at the neatly dressed monks around him and the high-spirited mecha warriors in the advertisements on the holographic screen. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Sure enough, I'm here to experience the gap between the rich and the poor."
The suitcase's wheels were badly worn, making a harsh clattering sound on the smooth metal floor. Bystanders cast a few strange glances at him, some with confusion, some with disdain. Xiang Fan pretended not to hear, lowering his head and continuing forward, carefully avoiding the hurried pedestrians, fearing to disturb this city that looked unwelcoming.
Just as he was wondering where to find a job, the psychic billboard in the air suddenly flickered, and a powerful voice resounded throughout the entire block—
"Qixing Mecha - blending cultivation with technology to create your own unique combat partner!"
A huge holographic image emerged. In the picture, a black and gold mecha chopped a ferocious monster into pieces with a sword, then landed steadily. The cockpit slowly opened, and a monk wearing the exclusive armor of the Qixing Group walked out, and the audience cheered.
Xiang Fan stood in the crowd, looking up at the scene, and couldn't help but sigh: "Alas, it really is still a world of the strong..."
His gaze lingered on the mecha for a while, and a sense of longing arose in his heart.
However, he soon felt the few remaining spirit stones in his pocket, and reality slapped him hard in the face - what was the point of yearning? He couldn't even afford his next meal!
He took a deep breath, temporarily put aside the unrealistic idea, and dragged his suitcase towards a job search center not far away.
The job center's hall was bright and spacious, with psychic screens floating everywhere, broadcasting the latest job postings. It was packed with a variety of job seekers, from cultivators in refining gear to tech workers with robotic arms. Even a few demonic beast shapeshifters were submitting resumes in a corner.
Xiang Fan waited in line for a long time before it was finally his turn. He took a deep breath, walked to the counter, and carefully handed over his resume.
There was a fat staff member sitting behind the counter. He glanced at Xiang Fan, then looked down at his resume, and his expression immediately became subtle.
"Ninth level of Qi training?" the fat man asked in a skeptical tone.
"Yes, yes!" Xiang Fan tried to straighten his back, trying to make himself look more reliable.
The fat man quietly put his resume aside and smiled professionally. "Young man, competition for maintenance positions at Qixing Group is fierce. Do you know what our minimum requirements are?"
Xiang Fan blinked and asked tentatively, "Foundation building?"
"Hmm," the fat man nodded, smiling a bit gloatingly. "Not only does one have to establish a foundation, but one also has to be a rune circuit expert with at least two years of relevant experience. It would be best if one also has a weapon refiner certificate. Look at you, your cultivation isn't up to par, you have no experience, and you don't even have a certificate. That's all? How can you compete?"
The corner of Xiang Fan's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but want to curse.
Isn't this too much?! How come finding a job in the world of immortal cultivation is harder than passing an exam?!
He tried to defend himself: "But, although I haven't established my foundation, I have cultivated rune circuits and operated mechas on the battlefield of the spiritual realm..."
"Spirit Realm Battlefield?" The fat man sneered and glanced at Xiang Fan. "Okay, then what's your rank?"
Xiang Fan paused for a moment and whispered, "Bronze... King."
The fat man's mouth twitched, and he almost laughed out loud, as if he couldn't help laughing. "Bronze? Bronze King? Hahahaha... young man, you're really humorous. Isn't the Bronze level in the Spirit Realm battlefield just a graduation certificate from the Novice Village?"
Xiang Fan: “…”
The fat man finally managed to hold back his laughter, sighed, and said earnestly, "Take my advice, why don't you try to find a different direction? A place like Qixing Group isn't one you can get into with your level of skill."
After saying that, he casually threw Xiang Fan's resume into the recycling bin beside him and pressed the number of the next job seeker.
Xiang Fan stood in front of the counter, opened his mouth, but in the end, no words came out.
At this moment, he felt the malice of the entire world of immortal cultivation.
He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, silently picked up his resume, walked to the corner of the hall and sat down.
Time slipped slowly in the noisy job search hall. Xiang Fan sat in a corner, staring at the job postings scrolling across the psychic screen. Each one bore requirements like "Foundation Establishment Stage or above," "Three years of experience required," and "Rune Circuit Senior Technician Qualification," completely pushing him down to the bottom of society.
He sighed, wondering whether he should give up his respectable job and turn to the psychic black market, when a less conspicuous recruitment notice suddenly sounded over the radio.
"Qixing Group's maintenance department is hiring low-level repairmen, primarily responsible for basic mecha maintenance. No foundation-building skills required. Salary: 300 spirit stones per month."
There was silence in the hall, and then a burst of laughter broke out.
"Only 300 spirit stones per month? Isn't that too stingy?"
"This crappy job isn't even enough to pay for food. I might as well go gamble on the black market."
"Never mind the food money. I heard this position specializes in handling defective mechas. The chances of psychic energy going haywire are terrifyingly high. You could end up dead while you're repairing them. It's a job that costs you money but could also cost you your life!"
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