Mastering the Sword Manual, sweeping across the globe

In fact, Zhang Qiliang even did a thorough selection process – he specifically chose two ID cards that were closest in age and appearance to himself, along with matching phone cards that might not have been completely discarded yet.

Using such a document to check into a hotel or take the high-speed rail is certainly impossible, but it already allows you to do so many things.

As darkness enveloped the unfamiliar provincial capital, Zhang Qiliang's figure disappeared into a corner untouched by the neon lights, his pace quickening as he walked deeper into the shadows.

7 How easy is it to find a job?

The most urgent task, of course, is to find a place to settle down.

Zhang Qiliang had already conceived of this idea when he smashed the phone and pulled out the hard drive.

After a long car ride and more than two hours of rest at the bathhouse, my idea was basically finalized.

What he needs is an environment where he can stay legally, has basic living security, and doesn't attract attention.

Recruitment websites? Those require real-name registration and will leave an electronic record.

The labor market? After what just happened, it's best to avoid it for the time being.

The most traditional, and least conspicuous, way is to walk along the street and look at the job postings on the doors or windows of each shop.

The next morning, Zhang Qiliang changed into a slightly neater set of clothes—still from those few old clothes—and carrying a worn-out backpack, walked into a not-so-prosperous old town on the outskirts of the provincial capital.

The streets here are narrow, lined with old buildings, and various small shops stand side by side, creating a strong sense of local life. Surveillance cameras are also relatively sparse.

He walked slowly, his eyes carefully scanning the entrance of each shop along the street.

The "XX Communications" mobile phone store has a sign on its glass door that reads "High-salary recruitment of sales elites, base salary + high commission".

Zhang Qiliang did not stop walking.

Selling mobile phones requires registering identity information and employee numbers, and may also require binding to a fixed number of phone cards, which involves access to a large amount of personal information and monitoring systems, making it too conspicuous.

"Liangliang Beauty & Hairdressing" has a notice posted next to the rotating light pole recruiting shampoo apprentices and hairstylists.

Zhang Qiliang glanced at it and continued walking forward.

This industry has a high turnover rate, but requires a certain period of professional skills training. Moreover, the close contact between colleagues and the frequent gossip make it difficult to keep a secret.

"Huimin Hardware and Building Materials Wholesale," a sign on the roller shutter door reads in red paper, recruiting warehouse movers.

It's physical labor, and there's a high chance of being paid in cash daily, but accommodation is usually not provided, and the working environment is noisy and mixed with other people, making it not an ideal place to hide.

"Speedy Internet Cafe," a sign on the dimly lit doorway advertised for a night shift internet cafe manager.

While accommodation is possible, the work involves working day and night, and internet cafes are key locations for ID verification, so using a "borrowed" ID carries a high risk.

"Kangtai Pharmacy" posted a job advertisement for sales clerks on its glass window, requiring relevant qualifications or experience.

Professional qualifications are excluded.

As he continued his search, Zhang Qiliang's criteria became clearer and clearer: ideally, he would work in traditional service industries such as catering and accommodation that provide "all-inclusive meals and lodging," with a certain number of employees but relatively loose relationships, fixed working hours, and plenty of free time for himself.

After walking for about forty minutes, he turned into a slightly wider street and his gaze stopped at the entrance of a restaurant.

The shop sign is brand new, with the three large characters "Shuxianglou" written in gold on a red background.

The storefront is quite large. Through the bright floor-to-ceiling windows, you can see that the first floor is a lobby for individual customers, with about twenty tables set up. The decor is a simple Chinese style.

There is a staircase on the side leading to the second floor, which is presumably the private room area.

A portable recruitment banner stands prominently at the entrance.

Zhang Qiliang walked closer to take a closer look.

Recruitment notice

Our store is newly opened and we are hiring for the following positions:

Several waitresses/waitresses needed (female only, 18-35 years old, presentable appearance, hardworking).

Two food runners needed (male or female, aged 18-40, in good health).

Two kitchen helpers needed (male, 18-45 years old, hardworking, those with relevant experience preferred).

One dishwasher needed (male or female, under 50 years old).

treatment:

Waiters/waitresses and food runners: 2800 yuan/month during the probation period, 3200 yuan/month after probation + full attendance bonus + bottle cap fee (commission).

Kitchen helper and dishwasher: 2600 yuan/month during the probation period, 3000 yuan + full attendance bonus after probation.

Meals and accommodation included

Two days off per month.

工作时间：早班：9:30-14:00；晚班：16:30-21:00（具体岗位略有调整）。

Contact Person: Manager Wang, Phone: 13XXXXXXXXX

Zhang Qiliang's heart skipped a beat; this was exactly what he wanted.

The newly opened restaurant—apart from the owner and a few core members (such as the head chef), the vast majority of employees are newly recruited, strangers to each other, without complicated historical relationships or established cliques, so he faces the fewest obstacles to integration as an outsider.

Medium-sized – judging from the job openings, it would probably need around twenty people to fill all the positions. With so many people, he wouldn't stand out. A large workforce also means that management can't be very precise, creating opportunities for loopholes.

Free meals and accommodation—solving the most fundamental issues of survival and concealment. Living in the staff dormitory is much safer and less troublesome than renting a house or staying in a hotel using fake documents.

He only works lunch and dinner—meaning he has a lot of free time before 9:30 a.m. and between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. After finishing get off work at 9 p.m., his time is completely free. This is crucial for him to be able to "cultivate" the Tongda Sword Sutra independently.

As for salary and benefits, and only two days off per month... those are completely irrelevant...

Zhang Qiliang pushed open the door and entered the restaurant.

There were only a few tables of customers in the hall, and several waiters in uniform were preparing for lunch.

A man in his thirties, wearing a shirt and trousers and looking a bit overweight, was checking something near the front desk with a notebook in his hand. He seemed to be a manager.

Zhang Qiliang walked straight over: "Hello, are you Manager Wang? I saw the job posting outside and I'd like to apply for a kitchen helper position."

Manager Wang looked up and glanced at him. The young man in front of him wore black-rimmed glasses (a pair of non-prescription glasses that Zhang Qiliang had bought on the way, as one of the fixed images of his new identity), his clothes were simple but clean, his figure was well-proportioned, and his eyes were calm, unlike the usual migrant workers who came to find this kind of work who were nervous or anxious.

"Kitchen helper?" Manager Wang closed his notebook. "Have you done this before?"

"I helped out at a small restaurant in my hometown; I could do everything from cutting and preparing ingredients to moving things and cleaning." This statement was half true and half false. During his university years, Zhang Qiliang did work part-time at a restaurant in the surrounding area.

“Our job is not easy. We have to move things, clean the kitchen, and take out the trash. When we get busy, we’re constantly on the go.”

“I can endure hardship,” Zhang Qiliang replied simply.

Manager Wang glanced at him a few more times, seemingly pleased with his straightforward and concise attitude: "Did you bring your ID card?"

Zhang Qiliang pulled out one of the "borrowed" ID cards from his pocket.

The photo on the ID card shows a young man with a round face and a buzz cut, who only bears a slight resemblance to Zhang Qiliang, but the key difference is that they are about the same age.

Manager Wang took it, glanced at it, compared it with Zhang Qiliang in person, and frowned slightly.

"Is this photo...it's you? It doesn't look like you," Manager Wang asked.

"This photo was taken a few years ago. I was a bit chubby then, but I got sick and lost a lot of weight," Zhang Qiliang replied calmly.

Manager Wang glanced at it again, seemingly deciding it wasn't a big problem, and handed the ID back to him: "Okay. We provide meals and accommodation. The dormitory is in the complex behind the building, six-person rooms with bunk beds and air conditioning. Work hours follow the kitchen schedule; you need to come early in the morning to prepare ingredients, and the head chef will arrange the specifics. The salary was just posted outside: 2600 during the probation period, and 3000 after one month depending on performance. Salary is paid on the 15th of each month, based on the previous month's salary. There are two fixed days off each month; you can choose the time yourself, just let us know in advance. Any questions?"

Zhang Qiliang only asked three questions: "Can I stay in the dormitory today? What time do we start work? After the kitchen finishes lunch and dinner, is there anything else to do?"

"You can move into the dormitory today, I'll show you around in a bit. If you can work today, just report to Chef Li in the kitchen before 4 PM. After you finish preparing the meals and clean up the kitchen, you can leave, but you can't leave early, you have to wait for the head chef to give the order," Manager Wang replied.

“No problem.” Zhang Qi nodded. “Then I’ll come before four o’clock this afternoon.”

"Don't you want to ask anything else? Like the specifics of the job, whether there's overtime pay, and how vacations are scheduled?" Manager Wang was a little surprised; this young man asked far too few questions, and was too straightforward.

"No need, as long as I can work and have a place to stay, that's fine."

Manager Wang paused for a moment, then waved his hand: "Alright, you're quite straightforward. It's settled then, four o'clock this afternoon, head straight to the back kitchen. By the way, what's your name again?"

"Liu Wei," Zhang Qiliang said, quoting the name on the driver's license.

"Okay, Liu Wei, see you this afternoon."

8 dispatched

After leaving Shuxianglou, Zhang Qiliang turned into a commercial street that was part of a nearby residential area.

He stopped at a rather old-fashioned grocery store and bought the most basic items: two towels, a plastic basin, toothpaste and a toothbrush, a bar of soap, and a roll of paper towels.

They were all the most ordinary and inconspicuous brands, and I paid in cash.

Then, he went into a hardware and local products store next door.

The store was small, with shelves piled high and a smell of rust and plastic permeating the air.

Zhang Qiliang slowly walked around the store twice, his eyes scanning the dazzling array of items.

Finally, he chose a few items:

A medium-sized, old-fashioned pair of wire cutters with a wooden handle, which looks sturdy and durable.

Two rolls of transparent nylon rope of different thicknesses, each roll approximately twenty meters long.

A comprehensive tool kit containing steel needles of different sizes and a small whetstone.

Several thick work gloves.

A foldable multi-functional knife (non-regulated model).

There are also several batteries of different models.

While calculating the bill, the proprietress casually asked, "Young man, are you doing renovations or fixing something in your own home?"

Zhang Qiliang gave a vague "hmm" and paid in cash again without saying anything more.

He stuffed everything into his worn-out backpack and a newly bought large non-woven tote bag, looking like an ordinary migrant worker who had just settled down and was buying daily necessities.

At 8:25 a.m., not to mention the agreed afternoon, there was still nearly half an hour before the morning start time stated on the job posting, Zhang Qiliang had already returned to Shuxianglou carrying large and small bags.

Manager Wang was checking something on the computer at the front desk when he heard footsteps. He looked up and saw Zhang Qiliang. He was a little surprised: "Oh, Liu Wei? You're back so early? Have you bought everything?"

"Okay, all done." Zhang Qiliang nodded and put down the things in his hands a little.

"So you can start work soon?" Manager Wang said half-jokingly. New employees usually try to delay, get familiar with the environment, or simply take a day off.

Zhang Qiliang nodded seriously: "Yes, no problem. Is there anything I can do now?"

A genuine look of surprise crossed Manager Wang's face, then he laughed: "Great! That's efficient! I like it when things don't drag on."

His impression of Zhang Qiliang immediately improved.

These days, it's rare to find young people who are willing to work hard, don't pick and choose, and are proactive, even if they're just doing odd jobs.

He called out to a young man wiping a table in the lobby, "Xiao Chen! Come here for a second!"

The waiter named Xiao Chen quickly put down his rag and ran over: "Manager, what's the matter?"

"This is the new kitchen helper, Liu Wei. Take him to the dormitory in the back, the one across from yours. There's an empty top bunk there, right? Let him stay there. Once he's settled, take him to the kitchen to report to Chef Li before 9 o'clock... um, just tell him it's me, and ask Chef Li to take care of him..."

"Alright!" Xiao Chen was a young man in his early twenties with a naive and innocent look on his face. He looked at Zhang Qiliang with curiosity and said, "Brother, come with me."

The dormitory is indeed very close to the hotel. It is located in an old residential area behind the hotel, separated by a small green belt. It is a six-story brick-concrete structure building that looks quite old, but the exterior walls are relatively clean, and the corridors look like they have just been cleaned.

"This is the building, on the third floor." Xiao Chen led Zhang Qiliang upstairs, saying as they walked, "The boss rents several apartments in this building, and all the men in our shop live on the third floor. The conditions are definitely not as good as home, but there is air conditioning and a water heater."

As soon as I opened the door to room 302, a faint scent of air freshener wafted out.

This is an old-style two-bedroom, one-living room apartment of about 70 square meters, which has been converted into staff dormitory.

The living room contained a few old tables and chairs and a small refrigerator. The floor was old-fashioned tile, but it was quite clean.

Both bedroom doors were open, revealing bunk beds.

"It's over here." Xiao Chen led them into one of the bedrooms.

The room was about twelve or thirteen square meters, with two bunk beds, one by the window and the other against the wall.

Sure enough, one of the upper bunks was empty, covered with a clean straw mat, and on the bed frame was a set of blue and white checkered bedding and pillows that looked like they were purchased uniformly.

Although the room was compact, it was fairly tidy, with no clutter on the floor and several suitcases and packages stuffed under the bed or placed against the wall.

The windows were open for ventilation, and the light was good.

"This is the empty spot. Why don't you stay here?" Xiao Chen pointed to the empty upper bunk and said, "The blankets and pillows were bought together and are clean. The manager arranged for them to be washed and dried. If you're not used to it, you can buy your own."

Zhang Qiliang nodded indifferently: "Okay, this will do."

He just needed a place to lie down; he didn't care about these things.

At this time, the other three people in the room were also present.