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Chapter 1: Job Hunting Is Not Easy
"You're here for an interview, right? What's your name?"
"Li... Leon Lion."
Lion? Hearing this somewhat familiar surname, the female interviewer, who had been bored behind her desk, raised an eyebrow. She looked up at the slender, somewhat malnourished young man standing in front of the desk and asked, slightly surprised: "Lion... as in the Duke of Lionheart's Lion?"
"No, it's not..." The job-seeking young man seemed to have grown accustomed to this question. After a slight shake of his head, he quickly explained in a practiced manner: "Although the pronunciation is the same, that Duke of Lionheart’s surname comes from the golden lion in his family crest, 'Lion.' My surname comes from the 'Lion' of Lion County. It seems that my ancestors were common folk from there."
"Oh... I see." The red-haired woman nodded and couldn't help but be amused by her own sensitivity.
That annoying family, which prided itself on its golden blonde hair, had hardly any members with other colored hair. How could they have a descendant with black hair and black eyes? And to top it off, this descendant was here applying for a job?
She glanced over Leon's attire, noting the worn-out old coat that, though freshly laundered, had frayed edges exposing the lining. The red-haired woman seemed to lose interest in him and lowered her head again, picking up a quill to mark something on the paper while speaking absentmindedly:
"Then, put down 'commoner' for your family status. Next, tell me about your education level, any religious beliefs, whether you've undergone body modifications, if you have any subdermal implants like a micro-differential machine, and what crimes you've specifically committed. Go ahead and answer each one."
Hmm? Wait a minute! Did she just say 'what crimes you've committed'? Leon froze for a moment, then asked with some confusion: "Excuse me, did you mean 'whether I have a criminal record'?"
"?" The red-haired woman frowned when she heard his question. She then rapped her knuckles on the desk, glaring at him coldly.
"I suggest you be honest! This is the Cleansing Bureau, not a courtroom! If you hadn’t committed some heinous crime that needs hanging, why would you be here applying? Just tell me what you've done, don’t try to play tricks on me!"
What... I'm just looking for a job, why does it feel like I'm being sentenced to the gallows? Leon thought, utterly bewildered.
Tsk, trying to cover up something, it’s obvious this guy is hiding something! The red-haired woman became even more suspicious.
Seeing Leon's hesitation, the red-haired woman snorted derisively. She slammed the desk again and, with a stern expression, said: "I’ll say this one last time: This is the Cleansing Bureau, not a courtroom! I have no interest in judging you. The reason I’m asking what crime you committed is to report your name, get your bounty removed, and free you from the kingdom’s wanted list. So you better confess, or you’ll get yourself into trouble. Got it?"
Wanted list? After thinking for a moment about the woman’s words, Leon's pupils shrank slightly, and he cautiously asked: "Excuse me... is this the First Cleaning Bureau of the royal capital?"
"..." Cleansing Bureau? This time, the red-haired woman seemed taken aback. She thought for a moment and then seemed to understand something. After glancing at Leon's frail, malnourished body, she paused for a second, then straightened up and pointed out the window.
She lowered her voice, furrowing her brows as she reminded him: "You’re in the wrong place. This is the Sixth Anomaly Cleansing Bureau, part of the Police Department, but an extrajudicial agency. The Cleaning Bureau you’re looking for is under the Department of Public Works. It’s across the street, the building with the long line outside."
"Oh... I see!" Hearing that he had come to the wrong place, Leon let out a long sigh.
Damn, that scared me! I was wondering why to become a street sweeper, I’d first have to be wanted. Turns out, this isn’t the Cleaning Bureau I’m looking for.
And also... Didn’t they say only ten positions were open? Why is the line outside so long? Is there really such a huge demand for street sweepers?
"Sorry to trouble you." After politely apologizing, Leon peered through the window again and looked at the long line across the street. Then, for some strange reason, he looked back at the red-haired woman, a hopeful look in his eyes as he quietly asked: "Um... If you’re also hiring..."
"You’re not suitable."
"..."
Seeing the young man, around sixteen, suddenly deflate in disappointment, the red-haired woman hesitated for a moment, then explained: "The Cleansing Bureau pays well, better than regular municipal employees, but the mortality rate is about 0.8% per month. So unless you’re really desperate, you’d be better off not applying here."
0.8%?
Hearing the word "mortality rate" so coldly, Leon didn't feel discouraged. In fact, his eyes sparkled with a hint of excitement.
Are you kidding? That's less than 1%!
If this were the previous world, that might have been concerning, but in this strange world where steam carriages were everywhere, workers who dealt with furnace burning, mining, magic energy infusion, or purifying potions faced a basic mortality rate of nearly 2% each year due to machinery accidents and poison exposure, with far more suffering from permanent injury or poisoning.
Given their average "work life" of about 30 years, it was almost unheard of for workers to make it through without some health issues. A mere 0.8% monthly mortality rate was practically nothing...
"I may not have been clear enough," the red-haired woman said, shaking her head when she saw Leon's eager expression. "The Cleansing Bureau’s mortality rate is not annual—it’s monthly."
"..."
Monthly rate... 0.8% per month? That means nearly 10% per year? This 'Anomaly Cleansing Bureau' loses one in every ten employees annually?!!
Looking at Leon's shocked expression, the red-haired woman shook her head slightly and waved him away. "Now that you understand, you can leave. We only accept those who've committed capital crimes or those with controllable 'Anomalies.' People like you, just an ordinary person, can't handle the work here. This place is not for you."
"Then... sorry for the trouble..."
With the red-haired woman’s gentle yet firm rejection, Leon felt a sharp pain in his head, followed by an unbearably loud buzzing in his ears.
[Due to your 20th unsuccessful job application, you have activated the Black Iron Badge 'Unemployed Youth.'
[Unemployed Youth: Young people temporarily unable to find employment due to insufficient education, lack of experience, or economic recession.
[Equipping Effect: When your parents converse with peers, they will automatically trigger a special status, "Hesitation," and avoid topics related to you.
[Upgrade Path: If this badge is worn for more than two months without successful employment, and if the condition of living with your parents is met, this badge will automatically upgrade to the Bronze Badge 'Parasite.'
[Hidden Attribute (No need to equip): When the 'Unemployed Youth' badge is activated, and your family’s total assets are below 200 Gold Coins, your chances of finding a romantic partner through matchmaking will decrease by 80%.]
"..."
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