Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing-Chapter 24: Recruitment

Chapter 24: Recruitment
Manager Wu felt uneasy as he watched Lin Zheyu step onto the storytelling stage. Xu Jingwu sat below the stage throughout, silently listening with a constant smile on his face.
When the story reached its climax, he even clapped and praised, seemingly not here to cause trouble. It was Jia Yanyong instead who looked hostile, his swollen, bloodshot eyes narrowed to slits as he glared at Lin Zheyu.
***
Pa!
Time slipped by until the clapper struck. Lin Zheyu said, "To know what happens next, please listen to the following chapter."
The reluctant farewell echoed as always. Lin Zheyu cupped his hands and stepped down from the stage.
As soon as he came down, two burly men blocked his path, and one of them said, "Mr. Lin, our leader requests your presence."
From a short distance away, Manager Wu signaled for Lin Zheyu to be respectful and not anger Leader Xu. Endure for a moment, and the storm will pass; take a step back, and the sea broadens before you.
"Alright," replied Lin Zheyu. He gave a slight nod toward Manager Wu and followed the two strong men.
"
Haha
, Mr. Lin, you've come. Sit," said Xu Jingwu, laughing heartily, gesturing generously for Lin Zheyu to sit.
"I wonder what important matter Leader Xu has invited me for?" asked Lin Zheyu with a smile as he sat openly across from Xu Jingwu.
"No wonder you could write The Legend of the Condor Heroes. You truly have guts," said Xu Jingwu with a laugh, seeing that Lin Zheyu showed no fear.
"Does Leader Xu mean I should act afraid?" Lin Zheyu countered and said, "Or is the leader planning to resort to violence here?"
"And if I really were to resort to violence?" said Xu Jingwu. His smile vanished as he looked at Lin Zheyu with a blank expression.
"You jest, Leader Xu. This is the inner city of Songyi City, where fighting is strictly forbidden," replied Lin Zheyu.
"
Haha
, well said." Xu Jingwu smiled again and said, "The reason I invited you here, Mr. Lin, is to ask you to come to my residence and perform your storytelling. Yesterday, I sent Jia Yanyong to invite you, but not only did you refuse, you nearly blinded him. That was rather unfriendly. Today I've come personally. Can you give me this honor, Mr. Lin?"
Xu Jingwu withdrew his smile and looked calmly at Lin Zheyu.
"Will you pay?" asked Lin Zheyu, neither humble nor overbearing.
"Interesting. There are plenty of men eager to tell stories for me, but you're the first who dares to ask for money." Xu Jingwu smiled faintly at him and said, "I can give you money, but do you dare take it?"
"And why wouldn't I dare? A storyteller earns money through his tales. If the listeners are pleased, they reward him. That is only natural," said Lin Zheyu with a firm tone.
"
Haha
, Mr. Lin, you truly are a remarkable man. You came here as a refugee from Jiunan City, with no support or family connections in Songyi City. Would you perhaps be interested in working for me?" proposed Xu Jingwu with a smile.
These past few days, he had his men investigate Lin Zheyu, and he had come to admire Lin Zheyu after learning about him. Lin Zheyu's background was clean. Though a scholar, he had a fondness for the Martial World, and the tales he wrote brimmed with a raw, unpolished martial flavor. Xu Jingwu greatly enjoyed that.
Moreover, from Jia Yanyong, he learned that Lin Zheyu was upright and knew how to repay kindness. Out of gratitude, he had repeatedly refused invitations from Jia Yanyong's brother, showing his fine character. A man like this, rootless in Songyi City yet grateful and loyal, was the perfect candidate to recruit as a subordinate.
"Oh?" This time Lin Zheyu was genuinely surprised. Previously, his preconceived impression was that Xu Jingwu was not a good man. However, after meeting him, Xu Jingwu left an excellent impression, even seeming rather refined.
"What benefits would there be if I joined the Feihong Gang?" Lin Zheyu asked with genuine interest. "Would there be money?"
At the moment, he was troubled over how to broaden his sources of income. The stories Lin Zheyu had memorized were only a handful, and with each one told, his stock dwindled. He also couldn't expand his troupe of storytellers any further.
If more storytellers bought the same story, the amount each would be willing to pay would only keep dropping. In the end, the total sum wouldn't even match what he had earned before.
Hearing that the leader wanted to recruit Lin Zheyu, Jia Yanyong's mind was filled with question marks. His swollen eyes, narrowed to slits, suddenly widened in disbelief.
What nonsense is this? Isn't the leader here to reclaim my reputation? And who is Lin Zheyu anyway? For him to be allowed to work for the leader is already a fortune beyond measure. He hasn't even joined the Feihong Gang yet, and he is already asking about money? Is he blinded by silver?
thought Jia Yanyong.
"Haha, I, Xu Jingwu, have never shortchanged my men. As long as your ability is outstanding and your strength sufficient, with me, you'll gain rewards beyond imagination," said Xu Jingwu with a smile. He found Lin Zheyu quite amusing and even began to admire him a little.
"Then how does one qualify as strong enough, or capable enough?" asked Lin Zheyu, looking at Xu Jingwu.
"With your knowledge and talent, Mr. Lin, you could oversee the gang's logistics. In your spare time, you could tell stories for me. If you tell them well, that alone shows you are capable," replied Xu Jingwu, sipping his tea.
"And how do you determine strength? Through combat?" asked Lin Zheyu.
This was what truly interested him. Logistics and storytelling alone didn’t bring in much money—most of his earnings came from selling stories for others to tell. But if he joined the Feihong Gang and relied on their influence, he could enforce a kind of copyright in Songyi City, making anyone who told his stories pay him. That way, he could secure the greatest profit!
"So, what you mean, Mr. Lin, is that you don't want to do logistics. You want to rely on martial strength to make a name for yourself in the gang?" asked Xu Jingwu, who found this extremely amusing.
In his opinion, Lin Zheyu was simply a talented scholar who wrote good stories, had an interesting character, and knew how to repay kindness. Though he had heard Lin Zheyu had practiced martial arts, it had been less than two months, so what achievements could he possibly have?
"Mm. Compared to all that scholarly fuss, I long for a life of feasting on meat, drinking from big bowls, roaming the Martial World with sword in hand, and settling grudges with freedom," said Lin Zheyu with a smile.
"Haha, Mr. Lin, you truly are a fascinating man. No wonder you could write such an entertaining tale like The Legend of the Condor Heroes," said Xu Jingwu, bursting out laughing.
The more he interacted with him, the more Xu Jingwu felt Lin Zheyu was an intriguing person. There was no real grudge between him and Lin Zheyu. There was only some conflict between Lin Zheyu and his subordinate, Jia Yanyong. But that didn't really matter as his eyes weren't blinded after all. In the world of gangs, carrying a few injuries was nothing unusual.
"I've heard you've trained in martial techniques for some time, Mr. Lin. Surely you've gained some strength," said Xu Jingwu. He remarked tactfully, phrasing it as 'some strength.'
"When Jia Yanyong previously invited you, conflict broke out. Though his eyes were injured, his martial strength remains formidable. If you can defeat Jia Yanyong openly and honorably, then your strength will be proven. After this duel, the grudge between you two can be written off. What do you say?" said Xu Jingwu, proposing a solution for them both.
Since Jia Yanyong's eyes had been injured by Lin Zheyu's sneak attack, Xu Jingwu felt he had to give his man a chance to regain his dignity; whether Jia Yanyong could reclaim his face or not would depend on him.
Hearing this, Jia Yanyong was eager to begin. If not for Lin Zheyu's sneak attack with chili powder, Jia Yanyong would have long since pinned him to the ground and rubbed him into the dirt.