A moment later, everyone arrived, and over a hundred figures stood neatly on the drill ground.
Tob said "Please wait a moment, everyone" to the eight extraordinary adults, then came to the front of the crowd. A rare smile appeared on his stern face. "First of all, congratulations. You have finally stood out from the rest and become qualified warriors! However, the real test starts from this moment. From now on, you will leave this warm cradle and face true life and death!"
Everyone was slightly taken aback, not quite understanding the meaning of Tob's words.
Dudian's eyes flickered slightly. He knew that Tob was about to reveal the identity of the scavengers.
As he expected, looking at the confused expressions of everyone, Tob said loudly, "From this moment of graduation, you will obtain a new identity. However, it's not the 'guard' as you might think, but a 'Scavenger'!"
"Scavenger?" Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
"I know that many of you are hearing about this position for the first time," Tob said slowly. "To put it bluntly, in terms of position rank, scavengers are higher than guards and at the same level as knights. However, knights are loyal to the legion and the nobles. In my opinion, they are just a bunch of pretty boys. Scavengers, on the other hand, are the real warriors who create wealth for humanity and protect it!"
Everyone's eyes widened.
At the same level as knights?
What a prestigious identity!
Suddenly, everyone felt as if they were in a dream. They never expected that three years of hard work and perseverance would bring such a generous reward!
Looking at the excitement and joy on everyone's faces, Tob said calmly, "However, the difference between scavengers and knights lies in one being in the dark and the other in the light. Simply put, scavengers are the unsung heroes! From today on, you must not reveal your identity as scavengers, even to your parents or lovers. This is a military secret!"
"Outside, we will give you the identity of guards as a cover."
"When you have accumulated enough military merits, you can obtain the permanent residence qualification in the commercial district."
Hearing Tob's words, everyone's eyes lit up with eagerness. Living in the commercial district was almost the dream of every commoner in the residential area!
"Sir, what is the job of a scavenger?" At this time, a dark-skinned teenager in the crowd raised his hand and asked.
Tob said indifferently, "Your job is to go to the safe areas outside the Great Wall, collect all the information and resources outside the Great Wall, and bring them back here!"
All the children were in an uproar. They then realized that there was no such thing as a free lunch. Although no one had ever seen the world outside the Great Wall, the idea deeply ingrained in them since childhood had already filled them with awe of the Great Wall. This was a deeply rooted fear.
And now, they were being asked to step out of the Great Wall and enter that forbidden area.
"Sir, can we quit?" Someone weakly raised their hand and asked.
Tob said indifferently, "Yes, you can. However, I will send compensation to your family in the name of 'died in the line of duty'."
Everyone felt a chill in their hearts. This was a position with no choice!
"Don't worry. Although it's very dangerous outside the Great Wall, we won't waste three years of resources training some cannon fodder. The places where you work are all cleared safe areas. As long as you're careful, there won't be any danger. The mortality rate of scavengers isn't high," Tob looked around at everyone and said. "Moreover, when you go outside the Great Wall, you will receive the blessing of the gods."
"The blessing of the gods?" Everyone was stunned.
Dudian couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
Tob pointed at the eight figures beside him with his palm and said, "These eight are representatives of the seven major financial groups in the commercial district and the military. You can choose to join any of them. From now on, you will serve the financial group or the military that you choose. The resources you collect from outside the Great Wall can be exchanged for a huge amount of wealth. I remember that once, a scavenger picked up a strange item outside the Great Wall and received 100,000 gold coins, becoming a wealthy man overnight!"
Everyone's hearts were greatly shocked. 100,000 gold coins? This was simply a fortune they couldn't even imagine!
Dudian's eyes flickered slightly. He didn't expect that scavengers could get a commission from the things they picked up. In this regard, it seemed to be a good profession for getting rich. However, the easier it was to get rich, the higher the risks.
At this time, the eight men and women came to the front of the crowd. A young man in black leather armor on the left smiled and said, "I represent the military. This is the contract reward we offer. Everyone who joins our military will obtain the qualification to live in the commercial district after ten years."
"We are the Sterling Consortium. We can provide the qualification to live in the commercial district and a house in a prosperous area. Moreover, our commission is 10%..." Another woman dressed in an elegant manner smiled and said.
The others also spoke one after another, introducing the benefits of their respective financial groups.
Dudian understood something in his heart. Tob's place was just a special training institute. All the children selected from the residential areas would be sent here for collective training. And the forces behind this training institute were these seven financial groups and the military department!
Alone, the military department couldn't forcefully recruit students from various colleges in the residential areas. After all, some colleges were founded by nobles or belonged to a certain financial group.
What puzzled him was that the Holy See of Light didn't seem to be involved in this.
At this time, the other children had already come to the representatives of the financial groups and the military, choosing their future paths. The conditions offered by these financial groups were more or less the same. Since they were competing with each other, the benefits they provided didn't differ much.
"Dian, let's choose the same financial group," Mekin said.
Dudian nodded slightly.
Shamu asked, "Should we choose the military or a financial group?"
"You go and take a look at the conditions they offer first," Dudian said. He then came to Tob and said, "Sir, is it possible to choose neither any of the financial groups nor the military?"
Tob looked down at him. He had a deep impression of this child. Whether it was the tenacious endurance training when he first came, the rapid progress later, or his performance in every major exam over the past three years, this child had always impressed him. At this moment, he smiled and said, "Choosing neither is equivalent to quitting. You have good aptitude. I believe you can make a name for yourself among the scavengers. Seize the opportunity." Having said this, he paused for a moment and then said, "I can give you a personal suggestion. The Mellon Consortium has great potential."
Dudian was a bit surprised. He didn't expect that Tob would recommend a financial group instead of the military department.
Seeing Tob turn and leave, he didn't chase after him to ask further. At this time, Shamu, Mekin, and Zach came back. Shamu said, "I've checked. The conditions are almost the same. Among them, the military offers the best overall treatment, but the commission for the materials picked up is not high. Moreover, the conditions offered by these financial groups vary from person to person. I just saw that Rollian joined the Sterling Consortium, and they actually offered him a 15% commission. They also said that he would receive the blessing of the gods once a month!"
"Ah!!"
Just then, a low growl suddenly sounded.
Everyone couldn't help but look over. They saw a teenager standing in front of the elegant woman representing the Sterling Consortium earlier. He was in great pain, holding his head and growling. The veins on his face and shoulders were bulging, looking extremely ferocious.