Today, they too are going to their deaths.

Watching Cui Xun approach step by step is a very stressful thing.

The feeling was no better than being approached by a strong, adult male lion with outstretched claws and bared teeth. Even though Cui Xun was an unarmed human, the feeling of facing a predator at the top of the food chain did not lessen in the slightest; on the contrary, it became stronger on a social level.

So tall and strong, reminiscent of a weathered oak and a rock braving the waves, such a man must possess extraordinary power and status, just as a hero in a story would be treated with the respect due to a king.

The down-on-his-luck man facing Cui Xun felt his legs go weak, and he couldn't help but want to kneel down, but before he could, Cui Xun grabbed his wrist.

"Hello." To the man, Cui Xun's voice sounded like the most authentic Albion accent; he was definitely a true-blue Albion native.

However, this impeccably dressed and exceptionally distinguished person inquired in the most sincere tone: "Excuse me, what big news has been happening lately? Where is this place? Where can I find temporary work and solve my food and lodging problems?"

The man wanted to answer Cui Xun's question, so he opened his mouth, but could only let out a short, sharp squeal, like a chicken being choked.

He couldn't give an answer.

The moment he realized this, he was filled with shame and began to shrink back, trying to pull his hand away from Cui Xun's, lest his dirty hands defile such a respectable gentleman.

But his power was insignificant in front of Cui Xun, who didn't even notice his retreat and simply calmly downgraded his question.

"If you can't find any easy temporary jobs, you can tell me where you live and what kind of work you do."

To successfully begin his life in this other world, money is absolutely essential, but if others are truly unable to provide assistance, Cui Xun is not prepared to force them.

But he still wanted to gather more intelligence, since the work and lodging of ordinary people were the easiest indicators of the surrounding social environment.

The down-on-his-luck man's expression changed, turning into a bitter smile that Cui Xun had only ever seen in the most miserable slums, a smile unique to those who had nothing left to lose.

That's an expression that can only be shown when life has repeatedly crushed you, when all your fear, shame, and dignity have been compressed into a thin layer, leaving no room for any further reaction.

All humility and shame vanished at that moment, leaving only a sense of serene peace.

The man replied, "I'm out of work. The robots kicked us out of the factory, and I'm almost out of money. Even the cheapest rope hotels, the kind where you pay a penny a night and a rope can hold four or five people, are becoming unaffordable for me. I can only try my luck here."

"Try your luck?" Cui Xun didn't quite understand what that meant.

As they were talking, a man walked over from the shadows and explained to the down-on-his-luck man, "He wanted to take jobs from someone like me that aren't really suitable for ordinary people, but he's clearly overestimating himself."

The newcomers were dressed much more neatly.

He wore a long, black overcoat made of expensive but obviously worn material; underneath, he wore a dark gray vest, a shirt with a yellowed collar but no visible damage, and a black tie. His leather shoes were polished to a shine, but the toes and heels were badly worn, indicating that he had walked a long way.

His face was mostly obscured by a black soft-brimmed hat, revealing only the lower half—his chin was clean-shaven, his lips were thin and tightly pressed together, and there was a faint scar across the corner of his mouth, as if it had been left by something sharp.

Gang member? A black glove working for the nobility? Or perhaps a notorious thief or an illegal user of supernatural powers?

This is another world, and Cui Xun cannot judge the other party's identity based on his experience, but he guesses that the other party should have some status and strength.

He came to another world, perhaps because he triggered some special ability after seizing the monster's power, or perhaps his core originally intended to come here to replenish its energy, but all of this means that there may be extraordinary powers in this world similar to those of the monster.

Whether he wants to go back to continue his revenge or become stronger, he needs to stand at a high enough position.

Oh, right, he can now communicate smoothly with others, which seems to be a monster's ability, right? It really makes one curious how much power he actually obtained from the monster.

Perhaps only by joining a powerful supernatural force can he figure this out.

The recruiter walked to the edge of the lamppost's beam of light, stopped, but didn't come in. Even as the other poor people stared intently at him, he remained unmoved, simply saying calmly:

"I only offer jobs to people who are agile, skilled, bold and meticulous. I really hate some unprofessional people who always like to withhold money and then use a few dollars to hire a few idiots who want to try their luck, and then mess everything up."

Cui Xun turned around politely, facing the recruiter.

The recruiter couldn't help but take a half step back, but immediately stood back, slightly raised his head, and stared directly at Cui Xun with his gray-blue eyes.

Those eyes were very interesting, reminding Cui Xun of the water beneath a frozen lake in winter—seemingly calm, but with something cold and flowing hidden beneath.

It looks like a main character, it's incredibly hard to die, it's incredibly troublesome, and it can generate tons of gold coins.

The recruiter was also very satisfied with Cui Xun: "You are the strongest person I have ever met, and you perfectly meet my needs. So as long as you nod your head, I will provide you with a warm room and a sumptuous meal, and let us discuss a well-paid mission over the dinner table."

"I'm supporting my work with a big shot whose name I can't reveal. It's a name you'd never believe if you heard it, so I can give you a price you'd never believe."

It sounds mysterious. If this were in the original world, Cui Xun guessed that after he finished his work, the other party would mysteriously disappear into the crowd. As for now?

Cui Xun stared intently at the recruiter, his willpower responding to his needs, leaving sensor-like things on the other person's body, while his enhanced body memorized all of the other person's biological information.

Then, Cui Xun gave his characteristic reply: "No problem, let's talk. But before that, there's one more question: why did you come here so late at night to see people you don't think are suitable?"

The recruiter lowered the brim of his hat, as if trying to hide his embarrassment, and struggled to find the right words.

This one action alone made Cui Xun understand.

You talk a big game, but actually you were hiding in the shadows, constantly debating whether to pick the best from the worst and bring in some unsuitable cannon fodder to make up the numbers, right?

In that sense, his unexpected arrival also robbed the others present of a chance they might have had.

Opportunity is reserved for the strong, but even when Cui Xun was down on his luck, he tasted the bitterness of having someone stand before him. Yet, even then, he was still doing much better than those around him.

Cui Xun was a person who valued spiritual fulfillment, and after experiencing the process of dying and being resurrected, he became even more so.

Money is not important to him; as long as his needs are met, that's enough. What's more important is happiness, and what makes him happy now is giving his past self, as well as those around him, more opportunities.

Before the recruiter could come up with an excuse, Cui Xun's gaze swept over everyone present, and he finally said, "Never mind, there's no need to answer that question."

"Friend, I'd like to receive an advance on my mission payment. It's an unimaginable sum, enough for six people to survive for another two weeks and find new jobs. That shouldn't be a big deal, right? If you can't even afford this small amount, I won't work for you."

The recruiter breathed a sigh of relief. He took out his wallet and reluctantly pulled out six gleaming silver coins, one side printed with a woman's portrait and the other with a knight trampling a winged sea monster. He handed them to Cui Xun: "The official mission reward is much more than this, but it's a bit troublesome to get an advance. Consider this my payment for you."

"If you don't complete this task, you'll have to do other things to pay back the money!"

"But there are clearly eight people here, why do you only want enough for six? Are you perhaps trying to show mercy while also thinking you should keep more money for yourself?"

Cui Xun took the coin, then turned and went to the down-on-his-luck man. Amidst the man's surprise and fear, he offered him a coin, explaining, "First of all, this isn't charity, it's a loan. They've staked their dignity on me, in exchange for money."

"They are all so poor they're practically going crazy, and they're willing to make any kind of money. But some are truly forced into it, and once they get the chance, they'll find another job. Others choose this path on their own, and once they get involved in quick money, they probably can't quit."

"Take murder as an example. If you ask the six people I selected to kill, they will accept it with difficulty, but they will feel remorse and fear afterward. They will never touch such a job again until they are forced to do it again. But the other two will have the idea that 'murder can make money' engraved into their bones."

Cui Xun walked up to the person he had chosen, solemnly wiped the money with his sleeve, and waited until the person receiving the alms raised their head solemnly, deeply imprinting his image in their mind, before slowly placing the money into their laboriously outstretched hands.

They clasped their hands together, held the coins, and whispered to Cui Xun in trembling voices, as if in prayer, "Thank you."

Cui Xun liked this expression.

Only after he had given alms to six people did the two who hadn't received any finally realize they were the ones excluded. The one with the worse temper angrily retorted, "What makes you think we'll turn bad! You're talking nonsense! You're just making excuses for your greed and reluctance to give!"

Cui Xun said in a tone as if reading aloud, "Look how interesting they are! They don't feel that the money is a gift from others, but that it rightfully belongs to them."

The next instant, his expression changed abruptly, and he warned in a voice that seemed to be suppressing murderous intent: "I don't like killing people prematurely, so I will enjoy the pleasure of killing you after I have confirmed that you have made a mistake."

"Remember, never make the same mistake again, if you don't want to be strangled with your own guts."

The intimidation was handled fairly well; neither of them died suddenly or lost control of their bladders. They simply froze in place, momentarily forgetting to breathe.

After giving the warning, Cui Xun changed back to his usual self, calmly giving the two one last chance: "You are the rotten people I consider to be, while the other six are the good people I consider to be. Because of my words, they won't lend you money easily, but think about it another way: you can sell your labor to others without worrying about being ripped off."

Cui Xun noticed that the two men were in much better physical condition. Besides the usual stench, they also smelled of decaying corpses, like some kind of corpse thieves. Before he arrived, these two might have been telling others about the benefits of being a corpse thief, inviting them to do some dirty work if they couldn't find good jobs.

These kinds of people are more quick-witted than other down-on-their-luck individuals. Cui Xun wondered if this suggestion could help the others, and perhaps also get them to keep an eye on these two undesirable people.

After all, he was just giving it a try.

In reality, of the six people, only one truly impressed him, the one whose eyes shone with admiration. The other five were indecisive. Such people value how others define them. If he, as a "noble person," says they are good, they are very likely to genuinely believe they should be good, and become morally superior because of this evaluation.

If Wang Yu were still alive, he would be the one doing this kind of thing. He could handle things perfectly and make another profit from the labor intermediary.

The recruiter became increasingly satisfied with Cui Xun, his eyes filled with admiration. If he weren't unaware of Cui Xun's true identity, he would have written a letter of recommendation to introduce Cui Xun as his colleague.

Putting everything else aside, he was also pleased to have found such a powerful and ethical helper.

Of course, all of this was predicated on the fact that he was unaware of Cui Xun's other considerations.

Cui Xun knew very well that even if he gave away this money, it could only be said to offer hope, far from solving his job problem; at most, it could be said to have satisfied his spiritual needs.

Solving work-related problems is not a temporary solution, let alone a fundamental one.

The real key is to adjust the social structure and promote the development of productivity. This requires not only simple technological progress, but also the overthrow and reconstruction of the current political system.

In his original world, without awakening his willpower or acquiring the power of monsters, he had no chance of confronting modern superpowers, but Victorian-era nations were much easier to deal with.

Although the down-on-his-luck man mentioned "robots" that seemed to have misjudged the technology tree, based on the infrastructure he had seen so far, Cui Xun deduced that the technological level of this era was far inferior to that of the original world. It was unlikely that there would be a situation where super strong individuals would not interfere with the kingdoms on the ground, but would immediately become angry upon seeing outsiders.

Under normal circumstances, a large number of laid-off workers with professional knowledge, who have the scientific level to make full use of human resources but not to completely eliminate conventional workers, coupled with an opponent who has never seen this kind of situation before, are enough to do one of the most romantic things in the world.

To accomplish great things, a large number of people are required.

Although these down-on-their-luck individuals may not be considered highly skilled professionals, they are still a workforce and can now relay messages, run errands, spread propaganda, and gather intelligence for him.

They may not be good at other things, but this level is enough.

Perhaps, he will need their help soon.

With these thoughts in mind, Cui Xun bid a final farewell to the down-on-their-luck people: "My friends, until we meet again. When my name is known throughout this country, I hope you can also stand tall and proudly repay the money you mortgaged your dignity for."

After saying that, Cui Xun looked at the job posting and reminded them, "Let's go."