The multicolored sword pulsed with cold light.
Feeling the chilling edge of the blade, Fang Xiu couldn't help but swallow. He stared at the sword's edge, half a meter away, remained silent for a long moment, and then let out a deep breath.
"I asked Zhao Zhi to help me find my family."
In an instant, Chen Yu's expression changed involuntarily.
Family.
After arriving in the underground world, he had also been thinking about this matter, but countless attempts to search for his relatives' names yielded no news.
His desperate desire to establish himself in the underground world.
To build a reputation.
It was also in the hope that his family would see it and contact him proactively.
In this underground world, Chen Yu finding them was like searching for a needle in a haystack. But if he could gain some renown, it would be much easier for his family to find him.
He had even entertained dark thoughts.
That is—
He didn't dare to think too much about it.
Fang Xiu's explanation touched Chen Yu. He slowly put down the sword in his hand and looked at Fang Xiu for a long time.
"You think Zhao Zhi can help you find them?"
"Zhao Zhi was the most successful in my area, so I can only choose to trust him," Fang Xiu said softly. "Actually, Zhao Zhi has many people under him who believe Zhao Zhi's promise to help them find their families, and only then do they willingly join Zhao Zhi's banner."
"So, you want to switch allegiances to me now?" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow.
"I believe you are more capable than him," Fang Xiu replied. "If it were you, the possibility of helping me find them would be greater than him."
"Tch~"
Suddenly, Hei Dou, squatting on Chen Yu's shoulder, let out a scoff.
"You're really interesting. You pledge loyalty to whoever is capable. So, if you meet someone more capable than my boss in the future, will you defect to that person as well?"
"Yes!"
To the surprise of both Chen Yu and Hei Dou, Fang Xiu answered without the slightest hesitation.
"Holy cow, you actually dare to say that!" Hei Dou on his shoulder was stunned. He pointed at Fang Xiu with his small claws for a long time, his lips wriggling, but he couldn't say anything.
Who would have thought?
He actually dared to admit it.
Logically, at this point, Fang Xiu should have righteously declared that he would be loyal to Chen Yu forever and would never have second thoughts.
His answer was: Yes!
"Sorry, I'm not good at lying," Fang Xiu said with an apologetic look in his eyes, but it was clear he was being very rational at the moment. "I just want to reunite with my family. I'll pledge loyalty to whoever is more capable. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. What I can guarantee is that during this period, I will be absolutely loyal. If you can help me find my family during this time, I will also be absolutely loyal to you in the future."
During this time, Chen Yu said nothing, merely watching him quietly.
Hei Dou was becoming enraged.
He had never encountered someone so shameless, someone who dared to openly declare their future defection, which was clearly a provocation.
"Boss, make him a slave!"
Hei Dou, infuriated, whispered into Chen Yu's ear. Chen Yu raised an eyebrow and glanced at Fang Xiu.
"Alright~"
Huh?!
Hei Dou, who was grinding his teeth in anger, was completely stunned. He looked at Chen Yu in disbelief for a long time, and Chen Yu, at this moment, quietly whispered.
"I accept your allegiance. Who do you want to find?"
"My sister," Fang Xiu said, pursing his lips. "Her name is Wang Yu. She was a biology professor in Jincheng, outside the underground world. We were together the night before we came to the underground world, but I didn't see her after entering. If you can help me find her, I am willing to serve you."
"Only your sister?"
"Mm~"
"Anyone else…"
"My sister and I were abandoned."
With that simple sentence, Chen Yu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
No wonder Fang Xiu's sister was named Wang. Chen Yu had initially thought their parents had divorced, leading to the siblings having different surnames.
"Okay, I will do my best."
"I have a few more requests," Fang Xiu said, pursing his lips again. Hei Dou, who was already thoroughly angered, couldn't help but blurt out, "Hey, you're pushing your luck a bit! My boss is already being generous enough and not holding it against you, and you still have requests?"
Even Chen Yu slightly frowned.
It was indeed a bit much.
He had been magnanimous enough not to dwell on Fang Xiu's previous remarks. Yet, Fang Xiu showed no restraint and wanted to continue making demands.
That's right.
He was indeed the only person Chen Yu had recruited with urban planning capabilities.
However—
This job was not something only he could do.
Even without an urban planner, his city could still be built.
"Speak," Chen Yu said.
Despite his reservations, Chen Yu did not outright refuse.
"I need a private dormitory," Fang Xiu said solemnly. "You can also consider it a private residence. I'm not used to living with others, and if I continue to work for you in the future, I hope to have my own place to live. I don't want to be a tenant, and it would be best if the residence is equipped with a bathroom."
"A bathroom might be difficult," Chen Yu said softly. "Currently, my camp only has one bathtub, and blueprints for such things are quite scarce. If I can find them in the future, I can provide you with one. As for the residence, that's no problem, I can provide you with one."
A residence was not a big deal for Chen Yu.
In fact, even if Fang Xiu hadn't mentioned it, he was already planning to allocate housing to the first batch of employees with official ranks in the city.
Giving him one was harmless.
"I wish to have the highest authority in city construction," Fang Xiu said softly. "I don't want my work to be obstructed, nor do I want others to point fingers at me. I hope to gain your trust, and I certainly won't disappoint you."
"Tch~"
Hei Dou couldn't help but scoff. Chen Yu looked at him for a long time.
"Highest authority, you want to be the chief engineer of the city? Fang Xiu, the city is currently under construction, and the position of chief engineer is much more important than other positions. You haven't shown me anything particularly outstanding yet, and you're asking for such a high position right off the bat, isn't that..."
Clang.
Before Chen Yu could finish speaking, a pile of materials, stacked like a small mountain, suddenly appeared before him.
Chen Yu frowned slightly upon seeing it.
"What do you mean by this, investing with these materials?" Chen Yu couldn't help but laugh. "Fang Xiu, I must admit these resources look tempting. Others might accept them, but you should know that these materials don't mean much to me."
"I'm not trying to invest," Fang Xiu said, taking a deep breath and speaking softly. "These resources were obtained from the city's dismantling yesterday."
"Huh?!" Chen Yu's eyes widened instantly. With a whoosh, he drew his sword again. "You, you, you, you still dare to embezzle! If you steal, you still dare to tell me? Fang Xiu, although I have a big heart and a good temper, I'm not without temper. You're provoking me again and again, do you think I, Chen Yu, am easy to bully?"