The South and the North are separated by the Central River, akin to two different worlds, with many pieces of news not circulating between them. However, the situation in the North is well known to the Northerners.

If the peace in the North were a person, then for the past few years, he has been walking a tightrope on a towering cliff, trembling with every step, one moment of carelessness and he would fall. However, the various forces have been restraining each other, so the peace has been relatively stable.

But now things are different. Various forces are stirring, and the tightrope of peace has turned into a thin string, already on the verge of breaking.

The three Peng brothers were very puzzled when they heard this; they knew the power structure in the North.

The major forces consisted of three factions: the coalition of city power led by the Mayor of the capital, the northern faction represented by Earl Eston and Earl Brook, and the coalition of minor earls and commoners led by Earl Adams.

But haven't these three major forces always been stable? Why has the situation suddenly become turbulent?

These matters couldn't be explained by the old man and woman. They only knew that a war was about to break out, so the grand duke's forces near Miletus were the first to take control of this place. After all, there would definitely be casualties in a war, and potions were indispensable.

The high entry fee was also to prevent all sorts of troublesome people from coming in and out of the city, and of course, there was also the purpose of collecting revenue.

As for the lottery system, it was to prevent city dwellers from being unable to buy food, so from time to time, they had to let a few farmers deliver grain and vegetables.

The three Peng brothers, having figured everything out, decided not to enter the city and instead discussed changing their direction.

The three of them had no time to rest and traveled through the night to reach the capital, Os City. The situation in Os City was somewhat better; although the inspection of people entering was strict, it wasn't as outrageous as charging a thousand gold coins for each entry.

Entering the city, Peng Yi took his younger brother straight to the pharmacy and the grain store. As expected, just as they had thought, both places were already under full control by the guards. At this point, the three Peng brothers confirmed their conclusion that the North was indeed going to war.

"So we came to the south to seek refuge with you, boss."

Peng Yi wore a fawning expression, hoping that Su Yao would take in the three brothers.

Su Yao had spent some time in the workplace, and she didn't believe such a simple reason. "Just to avoid the chaos of war? Given your personalities, the more chaotic it is, the happier you should be. Didn't you take the opportunity to amass wealth?"

Su Yao did not trust the character of these three people.

"Turn over a new leaf!"

Su Yao's eyes were filled with doubt. Could it really be that easy to turn over a new leaf?

Peng Er raised his hand: "Boss, it's true! We've really turned over a new leaf!"

"Our brothers were almost taken away to be conscripted in the North, we really didn't dare to stay there any longer. Before coming to the South, we swore to ourselves that if the boss was willing to keep us, we would never steal or do petty theft again!"

Peng San added, "We won't engage in major theft or robbery either!"

"What exactly is going on?"

Peng Yi sighed deeply, "I wasn't trying to hide it from the boss just now; it's really a bit embarrassing. We've been wanted all over the North."

It turned out that the three Peng brothers hadn't given up on the idea of making money through theft even after arriving in the capital. To speed up the process, each of the three brothers decided to steal from a different target.

As a result, the three of them were quite unlucky; the people they each happened to steal from were representatives of three different factions! And these representatives held significant positions.

They really hit a brick wall.

Peng Yi was quite capable, but not strong enough to contend with three factions. If he sought refuge now, they wouldn't trust him, and if he were captured, it would be a dead end.

Overnight, the entire North was plastered with their wanted posters. They were truly at their wit's end.

Peng Yi said, "We swore on our way here that if we could really rely on the boss's protection to get through this disaster, we would follow you for the rest of our lives! We swear to the God of Magic!"

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The Magic God's Oath is the highest form of oath on the Dragon Chant Continent. Su Yao didn't know the exact process, but as long as the oath was spoken, it was as if it had been made before the Magic God. It could never be broken in this lifetime, and breaking it would inevitably bring retribution.

Peng Yi's sincerity was finally seen by Su Yao, and the disbelief in her heart gradually dissipated.

Peng Yi did not see Su Yao nod, but he saw agreement in her demeanor, and he finally felt at ease.

To be honest, the three brothers had been free and unrestrained for twenty or thirty years and really didn't want to work for someone else. But the truth was, they couldn't make it on their own anymore.

The wanted posters would be up in the south in a few days. Those mercenaries were everywhere, infiltrating every corner. Even if they fled to the south, they would still be found.

After much contemplation, the best hiding place was none other than this misty forest.

Peng swore it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision; he had considered this situation on the way here.

Rashly coming to find Su Yao, Su Yao definitely wouldn't trust the three of them. If they truly wanted to stay here, they had to show some sincerity.

"This is our sincerity... one of them."

One of them?

After Peng Yi finished speaking, he slapped Peng San with his left hand. Peng San hurriedly took out all the storage bags on his body and handed them to Su Yao.

There were a total of five level-three storage bags and one level-four storage bag.

Su Yao opened it, and inside it was filled to the brim with energy stones.

"We've already made up our minds. If you're willing to take us in, these things are part of our sincerity."

Peng Yi: ..

Su Yao was truly shocked. So many energy stones—had the three of them emptied out an entire energy stone mine?

Su Yao didn't ask, but if she had, the answer would indeed be that they had completely hollowed out that mine.

At first, the three of them saw that Su Yao needed this thing and thought it would be very useful. After leaving Woshui Town, their first stop was to go mining in the Central Plains Forest. Thinking they could sell it elsewhere, they dug with great enthusiasm, without any intention of sustainable development, and ended up depleting the mine completely.

However, the result was clear: not only did the three brothers have bad luck, but their investment acumen was also terrible. They carried these items all the way from the north to the south, without encountering a single person willing to take them. Some even thought they were being mocked with lumps of dirt, leading to a fight on the spot.

This is also why Peng Yi could so readily bring out all the energy stones without feeling the slightest bit of heartache.

"What if I don't want to?" Had they never considered that they might no longer receive this thing?

"We made three assumptions. The first is that you are willing to take us in, and then all the information and items will be yours, which is the best scenario. The second is that you don't take people in but only do business, then the things we provide will count as our rent. The third is that the things we give have no value, and you are neither willing to take us in nor do business, then we will continue to run south."

When Peng Yi mentioned the last hypothesis, he was very vague. Su Yao felt that he might have other plans. However, since they were unwilling to say more, she didn't feel it was appropriate to continue asking.

In the end, Su Yao still accepted the two of them. Just in case, she also brought out a contract. An oath to the God of Magic wasn't as reliable; the contract in Su Yao's hand was what truly made her believe.

"Since you really want to work for me, then come and sign the contract."

"Contract? What is this?" Peng San picked it up to examine it, but after a long time, he still couldn't understand it. He turned to ask Peng Yi and Peng Er, but they didn't know either. After all, they had never worked for anyone in their lives and had never seen such a thing.

Su Yao had no choice but to first explain to them the purpose of the contract.

Peng's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he immediately prepared to sign.

This is a good thing!

Peng Yiduo was clever. In his view, they had long been bound by their oaths, so he wasn't afraid of being bound once more. But Su Yao, as the boss, had nothing to restrain her. The appearance of this contract gave the brothers a chance to restrain Su Yao.

The two parties discussed it and signed the contract with a mutually satisfactory conclusion. From then on, one side would follow orders, while the other would provide food, lodging, and wages.

[The number of employees is increasing. To better manage the staff, employee cards and attendance machines should be prepared as soon as possible.]

Employee card? Time clock?

Su Yao was just about to ask the system how to obtain it, but unexpectedly, the system didn't charge anything this time and directly gave it away.

[Number of employees greater than five, congratulations to the host for obtaining 7 employee cards and 1 attendance machine.]

Su Yao immediately took out her employee card to check, and her name was already written on it.

"How do you use this?"

[Activate employee meal card service: 10 gold coins per card, work benefits service (specific content set by the host): 10 gold coins per card, employee salary management service: 10 gold coins per card, other services to be developed, development of one service: 300 gold coins. Time clock machine operation requires 10 ores + 100 gold coins per year.]

Sure enough, I was happy too soon. The system was free only during the novice period; all subsequent services required spending money.

However, Su Yao still had to spend, "Go ahead, activate all these services."

[Payment successful.]

"I've set up an employee card for you. Carry it with you at all times. Your salary will be deposited into this card from now on. You can withdraw from it or leave the money in there."

Eating also requires using it; at mealtime, you go directly to the restaurant window to swipe the card. No matter what or how much you eat, it's free. Every week, you can also take the card to the store and vending machines to choose snacks and drinks once.

This time clock will be used once you officially start working; I'll introduce it to you then.

Oh, right! There's also the accommodation issue. Currently, there are no extra rooms available, so you'll have to share a double room for now. We'll arrange separate dorms later.

"That's all for now. Any other questions?"

The three Peng brothers were completely dumbfounded; they had never experienced such good treatment before.

"If working for someone else is this great, why didn't we come earlier?" Peng Er and Peng San stared at the employee cards, their eyes wide. They no longer had any desire to steal, only regret remained.

Working is so great, why didn't I start earlier!

Su Yao shook her head silently; they wouldn't understand without having read "Das Kapital."

"And those people." Seeing no one around, Peng Yi wanted to take this opportunity to explain everything.