And besides the anvil and hammer were some carpentry tools.

Lin Xuan Qi had gotten the servants to bring these along for some preliminary test of the potential candidates.

"A job... Are you sure?" The man's face brightened up when he heard Lin Xuan Qi.

Lin Xuan Qi nodded and confirmed what the man said.

"Huh...this is like...like a dream." The man quickly went over and picked up the hammer.

"What do you need me to do?" He asked eagerly.

Lin Xuan Qi pointed at the sheet of metal, not too far away from him, which was bent and said, "Flatten the sheet of metal over there. Don't worry about your energy, you'll get more porridge after this test."

The man who had just gotten some porridge coupled with the prospect of getting a new job, had a surge of energy from within and he raised his hands up high.

Dang!

When the hammer landed onto the sheet of metal, it made a loud noise.

The others in the queue looked over and they weren't sure what was happening.

Why was Liu hammering a sheet of metal?

They looked on with curiosity while they waited for their turn.

"Our master is looking for new workers, he would be offering new jobs for those who have skills in carpentry or smithing." The servants manning the porridge stalls explained.

It made those in the queue excited, and they tried to jostle to get to the front of the queue.

"Stay in line, wait for your turn and do not cause trouble for everyone." The guards drew out their swords and shouted at those who were trying to skip the queue.

When those who were causing trouble glanced at the blades of the swords, they stopped and quietly stood in line.

Meanwhile, Lin Xuan Qi was impressed with Liu's handiwork flattening the sheet of metal.

"Well done. I will offer a job that pays sixty copper coins with food and lodging provided. Would you be willing to join?" He glanced at Liu, the man who had showcased his smithing skills and said.

Liu nodded his head immediately without any hesitation.

Even though sixty copper coins were a little less than what he was getting at one tael of silver per year, he had no other choice.

The food and lodging were what he desperately needed right now.

"Welcome to the Lin Clan." Lin Xuan Qi said and glanced over at Yue Jie beside him.

"Let me take care of the rest, Master Lin." Yue Jie nodded and asked Liu to follow her to complete the contract.

After Liu had signed the contract, other servants then led Liu to wait in the workers' quarters of the new factory.

"Liu, what's happening?" One of those in the queue asked when Liu walked past the queue.

Liu, who was all smiles, glanced at them and said, "I got a job now, with lodging and food provided."

His smile contrasted with the anxious looks on those who were waiting in the queue.

After they'd heard Liu, they were now more impatient for their turn.

"Next!"

Slowly, one by one, they came up to get their porridge and had their turn to showcase their skills to Lin Xuan Qi.

There were some who had tried to fake their way through, but it was pretty obvious when they couldn't even hold the hammers or carpentry tools correctly.

And taking up a very long time to accomplish a very simple task.

Lin Xuan Qi rejected them immediately and they were told to leave.

Those who got rejected were welcome to have more porridge tomorrow, but getting a job was out of the question for them.

He wanted workers but, in this market, it was preferable for him to have someone skilled.

For the carpenters he had employed earlier, it had cost him a tael of silver for a year.

But these new hires at sixty copper coins a year came up to be seven hundred and twenty copper coins, which was a steal compared to the tael of silver.

The charity porridge stall dispensing the porridge went smoothly and soon most of those needy in the northern part of the city were taken care of.

All in all, he had recruited fifty of those carpenters and iron smiths.

They would then be separated into two groups, one would work here in the northern part of the city here, while the other group would be working in the southern part of the city.

Then, he would have enough workers for the new factories and more rice supplies to deliver to Hun Xiong Kun.

"Is there any porridge left?" When it was noon, Lin Xuan Qi came over to the stalls and asked.

He was starving since he only had the meat buns from Xue Cong in the morning.

Xue Cong shook her head and said, "There's not much left."

"Then, it's time to pack up and get back to the mansion.

"I'll be going to the new factory with Lee He Song and some of the guards, to brief the new workers." He said and Xue Cong nodded her head.

"Everyone, pack up and return to the mansion." Xue Cong turned around and shouted.

Yue Jie came over and handed him the contracts.

The servants got to work immediately, packing up the porridge stalls.

Yue Jie and Yue Xin also helped to organize the servants while Liu Shi Shi stood by the side on alert.

Those needy by the side of the road could only look on with eagerness for more, now that they'd had their fill of porridge.

Fortunately, there weren't many troublemakers other than some scuffles in the queue earlier.

After being fed, no one was in the mood for anything risky.

Lin Xuan Qi knew that the real risk wouldn't be from those needy.

He suspected that the rice merchants wouldn't stand around and let him do what he was doing.

They must already be up to something.

If it was the time when he had just started out, he would be anxious about how to take care of the rice merchants, but now, times were different.

He had no fear since he was at Qi Concentration Level.

When he saw the convoy leave, he turned around and headed for the factory where the new workers were.

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