Chapter 11: The Quest for Reliable Employment

Upon hearing the salaryman’s words, the young woman’s memory stirred.

Su Qingyao, according to the backstory Luzhichuan had meticulously crafted for her, was merely an unsophisticated country girl who had just ventured into the city.

Perhaps Dawn City was home to a considerable number of individuals with similar humble origins?

So much so, in fact, that a dedicated department had been established solely to facilitate their employment.

Su Qingyao’s lips curved into a subtle half-smile, her expression one of profound interest, as she spoke in a gentle tone: “Mr. Chen, you are too kind.

If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, might you elaborate on the specific recommendations you have in mind?”

“Ah, when it comes to recommendations, there’s certainly no shortage.”

Only after witnessing Su Qingyao’s cooperative disposition did Chen Jingye visibly relax, subtly sweeping the test reports from beneath the desk out of sight.

In this nascent world, a significant discourse had once emerged concerning the integration of ‘supernaturals’ into a peaceful society.

One of the ‘leaders’ had meticulously outlined several key tenets, the foremost being the ‘socialization’ of supernaturals; their lives were unequivocally not to diverge from those of ordinary citizens.

The paramount objective was for the life trajectories of supernaturals and common folk to seamlessly intertwine.

Within the intricate framework of these policies, securing ’employment’ opportunities for supernaturals constituted a crucial component.

Consequently, even a seemingly minor figure like Chen Jingye wielded considerable authority within this sprawling bureaucracy.

“Cough, cough.

Given your remarkable healing capabilities, Miss Su, you would find substantial prospects for growth whether you chose to join a clinic, a hospital, or even a security firm…”

“As for my role, I primarily function as an intermediary.”

Once Chen Jingye began discussing these matters, his words flowed like a torrent, ceaseless and uninhibited.

As he spoke, Chen Jingye would deftly extract the most pertinent document from the chaotic stacks on his desk, each one perfectly suited to illustrate his points.

These ranged from statistical data borrowed from other departments to promotional flyers adorned with meticulous annotations, and occasionally, even a simple business card.

The vast majority, however, represented roles that perfectly aligned with the identity of a [Magical Girl] and her ‘healing’ capabilities.

From bodyguards and team physicians to, surprisingly, even Magical Girl idols.

Confronted by such a dazzling array of documents, Su Qingyao, a high school dropout, found herself momentarily overwhelmed.

‘He truly lives up to his reputation as a ‘minor figure’ who merits his own office,’ she mused.

‘Even before the apocalypse, he likely would have secured a respectable position.’

The young woman’s heart swelled with genuine admiration.

During a brief lull in his explanation, Chen Jingye observed Su Qingyao’s gaze transition from sharp focus to a distant, wandering drift, recognizing that his professional habit had, once again, inadvertently taken hold.

Clearing his throat, he lifted a plastic cup, taking a slow, deliberate sip of the cheap instant coffee, all the while gathering his thoughts.

“Oh, by the way.”

Chen Jingye casually interjected, “Miss Su Qingyao, I assume you have a family.

Should you wish to relocate to the more affluent East or Central districts, you would likely require documentation such as ‘proof of assets’ or ‘proof of employment.'”

‘Proof of employment?’

Su Qingyao swiftly connected this to the second of the three crucial documents, and a subtle gleam ignited in her eyes.

‘I was just struggling to find a viable approach.’

While it wasn’t entirely unfeasible to demand half of Luzhichuan’s assets under the guise of acquiring such proof, the notion felt profoundly unsettling, akin to commodifying Su Muxue herself.

Absolutely not!

Hence, information gleaned from alternative avenues held immense importance for Su Qingyao.

The young woman could not suppress her burgeoning excitement: “Pardon me, but is ‘proof of assets’ formally known as ‘Citizen Property Appraisal’?”

Su Qingyao’s sudden burst of enthusiasm, so uncharacteristic of her usual composure, momentarily startled Chen Jingye, who had merely been making idle conversation.

After a fleeting moment of consideration, his brows swiftly unfurrowed.

With a touch of playful mockery, he remarked: “Oh-ho-ho, it appears Miss Su Qingyao possesses a truly profound attachment to her home and family.”

Su Qingyao’s eager expression faltered, momentarily caught off guard.

Mercifully, Chen Jingye’s previous remark had been a mere casual aside, and he promptly steered the conversation towards the topics that genuinely piqued Su Qingyao’s interest:

“To be precise, ‘Citizen Property Appraisal’ is merely a convenient shorthand.

Its full designation is ‘Citizen Resident Financial Flow Stability Appraisal.’

While distinctions in total assets are acknowledged, the primary intent is not to stratify urban residents by wealth, and its weighting is comparatively low.”

He continued, “Far more crucial, in fact, is the ‘financial flow’ component.

For an individual such as yourself, the benchmark for assessment hinges upon securing stable and demonstrably ‘reliable’ employment.”

Chen Jingye paused in his explanation, his gaze falling upon the documents spread between them, and he deliberated for a moment:

“If our objective is to satisfy the appraisal criteria, then the majority of roles involving direct interaction with private citizens would, regrettably, prove unsuitable.”

With swift, decisive movements, he extracted a dozen or so flyers and several statistical reports from the stack.

The remaining documents and business cards were then unceremoniously swept to the floor, where an auxiliary robot, having patiently awaited its cue, promptly gathered them into a chaotic heap.

The sheer decisiveness of his actions caused Su Qingyao’s eyebrow to arch in surprise.

To her astonishment, however, the seemingly improbable role of a Magical Girl idol remained conspicuously on the table.

“This, I believe, is all that remains.”

“Because the others lack ‘reliability,’ is that correct?”

Su Qingyao grasped the crux of the matter almost instantaneously, and Chen Jingye, with an appreciative glint in his eyes, nodded in affirmation.

“Precisely.

For those in authority, stability and reliability are paramount—they are everything.”

He then added, “And what, pray tell, could possibly offer greater reliability than having the ‘official’ establishment as one’s fundamental backing and support?”

Perhaps carried away by the pleasantries of their conversation, Chen Jingye seemed to have inadvertently divulged some rather weighty insights.

Out of a sense of goodwill towards Chen Jingye, Su Qingyao charitably pretended not to have registered his last remarks.

“Cough, cough.

I seem to have veered slightly off-topic.”

He cleared his throat.

“Miss Su Qingyao, please examine these flyers.

I’ve categorized the opportunities they represent into two distinct groups.

The first comprises the ‘stable and reliable’ positions that, I believe, you are precisely seeking.”

Upon his conclusion, the young woman, though an attentive listener, found herself momentarily unable to formulate an immediate response.

Su Qingyao vaguely recalled the distinct stacking pattern of the flyers.

At the very top lay opportunities within official hospitals, alongside roles providing essential services to the council—scenarios that undeniably demanded her ‘healing’ capabilities.

Slightly beneath these were more generalized options, such as ‘Senior Peace Officer.’

Incidentally, the ‘Magical Girl Idol’ position also fell within this tier.

Beneath them all lay roles such as teachers and council clerks—positions with minimal connection to supernatural abilities, yet demanding significantly higher qualifications.

Su Qingyao felt a flicker of potential in each option, yet for a newcomer such as herself, applying for any of them seemed to reveal a crucial deficiency.

“It is, Miss Su Qingyao, a lack of professional experience.”

Chen Jingye confidently pierced Su Qingyao’s silence, raising a single finger and gently wagging it before her.

“You are, at this moment, deficient in substantial professional experience.”

He paused, then continued, “—That presents a rather thorny predicament, doesn’t it?

For without prior experience, one cannot secure employment, yet without employment, one is unable to accrue the very experience required.”

Chen Jingye paused, a deliberate silence hanging in the air.

He then ceremoniously presented the flyers and statistical documents he had designated as ‘Category Two.’

“Of course, a solution exists, and it lies within these ‘Category Two’ positions.”

Compared to their predecessors, these flyers appeared considerably newer and formed a noticeably thicker stack.

Su Qingyao quickly scanned the general content of the flyers.

The second category of flyers exclusively featured jobs with clearly delineated ‘end times,’ such as temporary plainclothes security details established to protect a particular Magical Girl idol, or municipal construction projects requiring the aid of supernaturals possessing specific construction capabilities.

As Su Qingyao perused them, three words, above all others, seemed to leap from the pages:

“‘Temporary positions?'”

The young woman had accurately distilled the common characteristic shared by all jobs in this second category.

“Precisely,” Chen Jingye affirmed with conviction: “This represents the most straightforward pathway to accumulating ‘professional experience.'”

Indeed.

The strategy was to commence with the most basic roles, gradually ascend through the ranks, and ultimately integrate into the intricate ‘official gears’ of the entire city.

The logic, it had to be admitted, was flawlessly rigorous.

Within her heart, Su Qingyao silently acknowledged her agreement with Chen Jingye.

She gathered the stacked flyers and began to meticulously examine them, one by one.

Temporary construction worker for urgent projects, temporary nurse at the suburban relief office, temporary bodyguard for a Magical Girl idol, temporary assistant leader for Magical Girl training—

“‘Temporary assistant leader for Magical Girl training?'”

Upon seeing these keywords, the vague memories in Su Qingyao’s mind swiftly decompressed into concrete details.

[While not requiring active combat participation, it does necessitate regular involvement in Magical Girl training, as well as collective hunts for weaker magical beasts under the guidance of a team leader…]

“Excuse me,” Su Qingyao carefully extracted the flyer, slowly handing it over as she inquired, “Could you elaborate on this particular position?”

“Ah, that one…”

Chen Jingye accepted the slightly crumpled flyer from Su Qingyao’s grip.

After approximately half a second of thought, he began to explain:

“This week’s Magical Girl training was originally planned to involve two leaders conducting field instruction for monster hunting.

However, the assistant leader reportedly went missing during their vacation, and while the main leader has been searching everywhere these past two days, the chances of finding them before the training are slim.

Therefore, they are looking to temporarily recruit an assistant leader.”

He continued, his eyes widening as he spoke, “No combat required… the focus is on… protection or assistance.”

“Such a perfectly suitable job,” he murmured to himself, his voice unconsciously rising slightly.

“It’s called training, but an assistant leader typically only provides support, protection, and assistance… and Miss Su Qingyao, you are also a Magical Girl, so you wouldn’t need much adjustment to work with the main leader!

Most importantly, this job finishes quickly; participating for just half a day will leave you with a record for your resume.”

In stark contrast to Chen Jingye’s escalating excitement, Su Qingyao grew progressively calmer as he spoke.

In the end, the young woman remarked, her tone placid, as if merely an afterthought:

“And so, Mr. Chen, how many intern Magical Girls from the Eastern District will be participating in this training?”

“The total number of intern Magical Girls from Dawn City’s entire Eastern District is roughly—”

Before Chen Jingye could provide a precise figure, Su Qingyao nodded subtly, pinching the corner of a spiritual garment that materialized in the air, and performed a standard curtsy towards the ‘powerless’ salaryman, in a gesture of gratitude.

“Very well, I shall take this position.”

The young woman expressionlessly accepted her first ‘temporary’ part-time job.