Man on the ark, forced to become king

After leaving Kazimierz, she was all alone. With the little money she had left, it was obviously impossible to get a set of suitable equipment. Even if the Golden Tree had some internal preferential policies, it would not be enough.

As for the currency 'contribution' that circulates within the Golden Tree, she, having just joined, has none at all. Under such circumstances, how can she go to the engineering department to make equipment?

"Oh right, the field operations department does issue standard equipment, but they don't have armor."

When Lin Guang mentioned this, Huang suddenly remembered this and felt somewhat embarrassed.

She had recently ordered new weapons, which left her with no savings to offer; otherwise, she could have lent them to Nearl.

However... it's not entirely without a solution...

A small advertisement he had seen casually flashed into his memory, and Huang clapped his hands, an idea forming in his mind.

"It seems that Sister Kroos is running an installment payment program. You only need to pay a small down payment to get the equipment you want, and the remaining balance can be paid off in several months. It just requires paying some interest, which should be a good option for you."

"Installment payment?"

Upon hearing this word, Lin Guang shuddered, and the ears on his head twitched.

She had heard a lot about the tricks of overspending and mortgage purchases when she was in Kazimierz. The Business Federation liked to use such methods to squeeze money out of people's pockets. How come there are such things in Golden Tree?

"No need, I'll just use the standard equipment. It won't make a big difference. I'll save up some money later and get better equipment."

Lin Guang instinctively resisted the so-called installment payment plan; she didn't want to fall into the abyss of debt.

Who owes the company a large sum of money on their first day of work?

The standard equipment issued by the field operations department isn't unusable... It's just external stuff, even if she didn't have it, it wouldn't affect her ability to do her mission.

-------------------------------------

"Good morning, Manager Cloosir."

"Ah...so sleepy...ah, good morning."

Kroos casually brushed off a passing engineering department clerk and listlessly walked outside.

At present, the engineering department of Golden Tree has the most responsibilities and is the most short-staffed.

The Golden Tree needs a headquarters, just like the royal city of Rodel in the border region. Therefore, it is imperative to build a new city around the Great Golden Tree, and this has been ongoing.

During this period, the internal system of the Golden Tree was improved time and time again. Those things were not under the jurisdiction of the Engineering Department, but the construction of the entire city was under the jurisdiction of the Engineering Department.

A complete and massive city is not simply a matter of building some houses and stuffing people in. The lives of the people, a complete logistical support system, defense, and military training must all be taken into account. There are simply too many things to worry about.

In addition to this, the engineering department is also responsible for the equipment and supplies that the Golden Tree members need, as well as various items for export.

Not to mention that other cities and regions under the Golden Tree's influence also need to be transformed simultaneously. The number of operators left over from the Tower of Babel is just a drop in the ocean, and no matter how they are allocated, it will not be enough.

Even with the influx of personnel from outside, the subsequent training of these staff members still takes time, and the growth in the number of engineering department staff is still too slow compared to the complexity of the tasks.

As the head and supervisor of the engineering department, Kroos felt like her brain was about to explode lately. There were just too many things to do, and it seemed like she would never finish, making her feel like she couldn't breathe.

Overtime work has become the norm, with many people working for several days and nights in a row.

Fortunately, after Rhine Life collapsed some time ago, many employees joined Golden Tree, which replenished the workforce and allowed Lucille to finally feel a little relieved.

Now, she plans to go to the cafeteria to get some desserts and snacks, then return to her place to have a good night's sleep and relax.

"Sister Kroos!"

A spirited shout came from ahead, startling Kroos. The blood demon girl, who was working overtime to the point of exhaustion, looked up and saw a large cat, more than a head taller than her, running over excitedly.

"It's Huang..."

Kroos scratched her messy hair, surrounded by a dejected atmosphere. She greeted everyone listlessly, then pointed behind her as if she remembered something.

"Your weapon is already ready. Go get it yourself, I'll—"

"Let's put the weapons aside for now. Sister Kroos, this is my new friend, Nearl. She just joined the Golden Tree. She's from Kazimierz and is a knight. She wants to have a suit of armor custom-made in the engineering department. What do you think..."

Huang pulled Nearl over and carefully grabbed Kroos's sleeve, afraid that if he used too much force, the weak Blood Demon would fall to the ground unconscious.

"If you don't want to pay in installments, that's fine too. Can't we at least look into it first? What if we can get a discount?"

With this in mind, she looked at Kroos with even more eagerness.

If Linguang doesn't want to pay in installments, that's fine. They can find out what kind of finished product they can get first. Maybe armor isn't as expensive as they think?

If it's close to her expectations, she can always borrow some money from ACE and his friends.

"Oh, custom-made armor... custom-made armor?!"

Swish!

Kroos suddenly straightened up, and a bright light flashed in her otherwise dull eyes, almost making Huang think that her eyes were glowing!

If you're going to talk about that, then I'm not sleepy anymore!

Currently, the engineering department is understaffed, so Golden Tree operators who want to obtain the most suitable weapons and equipment can only choose to find suitable craftsmen for private customization—in other words, this falls under the category of side jobs, and the income belongs entirely to the individual, with the amount earned depending entirely on their skills.

However, such opportunities were basically not available to her as the head of the engineering department; they were all taken by other staff members. This was because many people naturally assumed that the head of the department must be very busy, and it was not appropriate to bother him without establishing a good relationship with him.

That's certainly a valid thought, but she, Kroos, also wanted to make a little extra money!

In just a few months, she only managed to get one sale from Huang!

She's going to die because she can't make any money!

"This... is it Nearl? You look like a powerful knight. You've come to the right place to have your armor custom-made. I'll definitely give you a discount!"

Kroos swept away her previous tired look, put on a friendly smile, grabbed Nearl's arm, and walked into the engineering department.

A complete set of armor must be paired with a weapon, right?

This is a rare big spender; we absolutely cannot let him slip away!

Rest? What kind of rest?

She, Kroos, wasn't tired at all!

"I, I, I just..."

With her arm grabbed, Lin Guang was a little flustered. She wanted to explain that she had only come to visit and had no money at all.

And this Miss Kroos... with her messy long hair, white T-shirt, and oversized black coat, she looks unkempt and has a strange sense of decadence. Is she really reliable?

"I see."

But before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by the excited Kroos, who then bombarded her with a long promotional message.

"Let me tell you, I know knights' armor inside and out. I've done specialized research on it. Ever heard of composite materials? They're stronger and more flexible than steel plates, yet only one-fifth the weight of steel. I can even embed enchantments to suit your needs, making the armor breathable, amplifying spell effects, and providing superior spell resistance..."

"What? Not enough money? No problem, I support installment payments. With just a little interest, you can take home a brand new suit of armor, guaranteed to be better than any armor you've ever seen!"

……

"Tell me, did I fall for a scam?"

A moment later, Lin Guang walked out of the engineering department with several contracts in his hand, looking bewildered.

It has to be admitted that Kroos is really good at speaking, and the armor she described was very appealing to her. She signed the installment payment contract in a daze.

But... she really was just browsing casually at first...

"no?"

Huang gave an awkward smile, not entirely confident. Kroos's cramming-style introduction had even made her somewhat tempted, making her feel like she might need such a suit of armor too. But before she could even come to her senses, Nearl had already signed the contract. What could she do?

"Sister Kroos's skills are absolutely trustworthy, and the quality will definitely be excellent. Even if the price is a bit high... I'll just help you pay it back!"

Now that things have come to this, all she can do is offer some comforting words to Linguang.

"Ugh."

Lin Guang sighed softly, feeling as if he had shrunk considerably.

I just started working at Golden Tree, but I'm already heavily in debt. What should I do?

Chapter 211 The Bird in the Cage

"Dr. Shining, this is your ID card. Please keep it safe."

"Thank you."

Shining politely thanked the palm-sized white metal card and left the personnel department.

The Golden Tree identifies each operator through its blessing power, but for convenience, ordinary identification cards have also become more common recently, allowing access to authorized areas using these cards.

The change of her card means that from now on, she has officially transferred from the field operations department to the medical department and become a doctor.

"I hope my light can soothe the suffering of more people."

Beneath the golden tree, soft sunlight streamed down from the canopy that blotted out the sky, falling upon us with just the right amount of warmth.

At this moment, Shining truly felt that she was standing in the sunlight, no longer a pardoner walking in the shadows, but a physician who relied on her medical skills to heal the sick and save lives. This change in identity also brought about a slight change in her state of mind.

"Perhaps I should smile more?"

The medical department was not far from the personnel department. Walking slowly along the road, Shining raised her hand to touch her cheek and muttered to herself.

She felt that she should make some more noticeable changes. She would no longer need to wear the field gear that facilitates movement, and as a doctor, she could no longer have a cold face all the time, as that would put pressure on patients and have a negative impact on treatment.

When a soldier kills, the more ruthless the better; the pressure he puts on the enemy is his advantage.

But doctors can't do that. Most of the doctors in the medical department are smiling and eloquent, and they can quickly put patients at ease. Shining thought she should learn to do that too.