At this moment, Chen Yu understood the pain of dealing with people.
Recruitment was incredibly troublesome.
When short of people, one had to rack their brains to find them. Although Chen Yu didn't have to worry about recruiting talent, having too many applicants was also a bother.
There were simply too many messages.
Even though Chen Yu had clearly stated that the current recruitment was for urban construction or engineering positions, he saw few people for these roles, but a considerable number wanting to be laborers.
Ultimately, Chen Yu had underestimated their desire for stability.
Wrong profession?
At least they could contribute physical labor.
Chen Yu scanned for a long time. He didn't find any genuine urban construction experts or engineers, but he did recruit many laborers. Of course, he didn't accept everyone; when selecting laborers, he specifically clicked on their avatars.
He accepted those who looked robust.
He did not accept those who, at first glance, were clearly pampered office workers from high-rise buildings. While they might indeed work out, in Chen Yu's eyes, those who occasionally lifted weights at the gym were vastly different from laborers who endured the elements year-round.
Their physical stamina differed too greatly.
Since he was choosing laborers, Chen Yu naturally prioritized those who could endure hardship and work diligently.
Furthermore—
These farming brothers who worked outdoors, or migrant workers, generally possessed a more honest, simple, and hardworking character.
Inviting them here meant significantly lower risk for Chen Yu.
Otherwise, if he brought in a bunch of survivors who lacked true wisdom but possessed a lot of petty cleverness, not only might the city's construction not benefit, but Chen Yu might even encounter minor troubles.
For instance, making them work and them playing mind games.
Controlling them.
Or, if the work was too strenuous, they might just quit.
People with such petty cleverness generally had decent minds; they knew quite a bit. It was precisely because they knew more that their thinking became more active.
But—
The common trait of such individuals was that most of what they knew was superficial.
When their interests were threatened, they would find various ways to resolve their predicament. If pushed too far, they would directly twist facts in the channels. Even though the regional channels currently seemed to show everyone obeying Chen Yu's every word, there were undoubtedly many untrustworthy individuals among them who could turn on him at any moment.
Such things were absolutely unavoidable.
Therefore, Chen Yu decided to be as safe as possible, seeking out those who appeared kind, honest, and practical, and inviting them to do labor work.
Engineers, unfortunately, he did not encounter.
There were a few bricklayers, though.
And some people with a slight grasp of construction. Chen Yu found them to be quite honest in their speech and, without excessive suspicion, provided them with targeted scrolls.
"Hiss!"
"This doesn't seem right."
Chen Yu clicked his tongue.
He had already given out a large portion of the targeted scrolls but had yet to find anyone with urban construction capabilities. His current city was facing reconstruction, and he needed someone who could plan the city's districts, analyze and resolve the building layout from a macro perspective, and prioritize areas and divisions.
This was the most crucial aspect for Chen Yu.
Yet, there was no one!
Clicking through the messages one by one, Chen Yu scratched his head. He wasn't entirely surprised. With billions of people scattered across the underground, and urban construction specialists being relatively scarce, it was statistically reasonable for his region not to have such talent.
Moreover—
One had to remember that the first wave of underground deaths had claimed billions.
Of these billions, Chen Yu was quite certain that the majority of the deceased were scholars, women, and the elderly and young. If specific data could be provided, these three groups would undoubtedly constitute a significant proportion of the deceased.
Those with a higher survival rate were likely the laborers who used to work outside the underground.
It was highly probable that a large number of urban construction specialists and engineers had unfortunately perished, making this profession even rarer. To encounter them...
"Hm?!"
Just as Chen Yu was frowning, silently tapping a private message, his brow slightly lifted.
A resume.
Chen Yu opened it. It detailed his entire educational journey from kindergarten to postgraduate studies, along with his internship experiences and work history during his studies.
Most importantly, the position this person was applying for was Urban Planner.
"Wow, could I be this lucky?" Chen Yu was stunned. He had been agonizing just a short while ago about where to find such rare talent.
If he truly couldn't find anyone, he had been prepared to take on the task himself.
Even though he wasn't a professional, he had played many city-building simulation games, and he had clocked over 2000 hours in Cities: Skylines alone.
He wasn't completely without capability.
Armchair strategizing, after all.
If he were to build the city, it would likely delay its development, but there would be no other option.
Who would have thought that wishing for it would bring it to him?
"You're applying for the Urban Planner position?" Chen Yu quickly sent a message. "Fellow compatriot, I believe what you say, but..."
Chen Yu hesitated.
He believed this applicant would understand his unspoken words.
"I have absolute confidence in my professional abilities. Furthermore, I have participated in the old city renovation of Luocheng and the planning of villages in several county-level cities. Handling a city-state should be more than enough."
Tsk~
So confident.
His appearance was as if tailored for Chen Yu, which in turn made Chen Yu feel a bit hesitant.
"I'm applying here simply to realize my own life's value. Throughout my academic career, I've always dreamed of building a city that I would lead."
"Although I've been involved in the urban planning of villages and county towns."
"I've never had the final say."
"Due to my degree, I've only been responsible for minor tasks. But I believe my capabilities are no less than anyone else's."
Chen Yu looked at the message expressionlessly.
Nonsense.
That was his assessment.
Emotional outpouring.
It held no meaning for Chen Yu. Whether he wanted to realize his life's value or was simply overconfident in his youth,
Chen Yu was a pragmatist.
He looked at results.
"I don't need any compensation."
Just as Chen Yu was pondering how to reply, a message appeared, causing Chen Yu to delete all the text he had typed.
"You, you don't need compensation?"
Chen Yu re-edited a message and sent it.
"Yes."
"I don't need any compensation. As long as the City Lord can provide me with food and lodging, I pose no threat to you all."
"If, I say if, I am lying, you can deal with me in any way you see fit."
He lightly tapped his finger.
Gift.
Are you sure you want to gift Fang Xiu a targeted scroll?
Note: Gifting is irreversible.
"Ah, the underground prompt has changed," Chen Yu raised an eyebrow slightly, but he didn't dwell on it, not even for half a second.
Confirm.
Targeted scroll gifted successfully. Chen Yu returned to his private messages and lightly tapped his wristband projection.
"It's you!"