Chapter 676 - 452: The Tiger Contract and an Unexpected Spoils?

Fang Zhou submitted his resume and returned to his hotel to wait for news.

Soon, he received an interview invitation from the team’s contact person. Checking the location, he saw it wasn’t far.

Fang Zhou packed his things and headed to the Fierce Tiger Team’s headquarters for the interview.

A man who was at least two meters tall greeted Fang Zhou at the door.

"Someone, bring tea! The good stuff!"

The two sat in the Fierce Tiger Team’s reception hall. The room was plainly decorated; the walls had been scraped clean but were otherwise bare.

"Junior Fang Zhou, let me introduce myself. I’m Qiu Xingyao, the captain of the Fierce Tiger Team. I’ve reviewed your profile. It’s very impressive and a great fit for our Fierce Tiger Team." Qiu Xingyao extended a large hand toward Fang Zhou, his voice full of warmth.

"Captain Qiu, there’s no need for such formalities. I’m also very interested in the Fierce Tiger Team," Fang Zhou replied with a smile.

"Then I’ll be direct," Qiu Xingyao said after a brief pause. "Fang Zhou, I’ve seen your file. You’re an Upper Black Iron Tier Undead Mage. Let me tell you about our Fierce Tiger Team."

"I’m all ears," Fang Zhou said, listening attentively.

"Our Fierce Tiger Team currently has nine members. I’m the strongest—an Upper Black Iron Tier Warrior. The other eight are either Upper or Middle Black Iron Tier. We have seven Combat Professionals and one Support Professional.

"We primarily operate in the Fierce Beast Mountain Range outside Beast Fighting City, hunting Black Iron Tier Fierce Beasts. Hunting there creates a high demand for Forest Wanderers and Thieves. As a result, they make up most of our roster, and we have few Close Combat Professionals.

"The team atmosphere is great. It’s composed of six men and three women, and we’re all young. The team was formed a little over a year ago. We did lose one teammate, but we made sure their family was well-compensated."

Fang Zhou nodded from time to time as he listened to Qiu Xingyao’s introduction.

"Our Fierce Tiger Team has never recruited a Mage before, but we’ve always hoped to have one on the roster. So, Junior Fang Zhou, what do you think? Are you interested in joining us?"

After he finished, Qiu Xingyao watched Fang Zhou, a nervous look on his face.

Fang Zhou considered this for a moment before asking, "What was the cause of your teammate’s death?"

Hearing Fang Zhou’s question, Qiu Xingyao’s expression grew sorrowful.

"It happened when our team was only six months old. Our early successes had made us overconfident, so we targeted a Lower Bronze Tier Fierce Beast. We completely underestimated the creature’s strength. Although we managed to kill it in the end, one of our teammates died in the process."

"My condolences. As for the distribution of contribution points, can I exchange my share of the loot for contribution points from teammates?"

Fang Zhou followed up with another crucial question.

"That’s not a problem at all. Several of our teammates don’t have a pressing need for contribution points right now, so their shares can be prioritized for you."

Qiu Xingyao replied, patting his chest in assurance.

That’s good.

Fang Zhou gave a slight nod, mentally adding the Fierce Tiger Team to his shortlist.

"And the compensation?"

"No problem on that front. The monthly salary is three hundred Magic Stones, plus a thirty-percent share of the team’s loot. If you kill a beast by yourself, you get fifty percent. If you don’t want the spoils, you can exchange them with other teammates for contribution points of equal value."

Qiu Xingyao was offering compensation befitting a top-tier Professional for this level. He was, without a doubt, a generous boss.

Of course, Fang Zhou was already quite wealthy, so he wasn’t particularly concerned about the salary. He was more interested in leveraging the team’s familiarity with the Fierce Beast Mountain Range to conduct a field survey for his own future hunting grounds.

"So, what do you think, junior? Please consider it," Qiu Xingyao said, his eyes full of expectation.

"Captain Qiu, the Fierce Tiger Team’s offer is excellent. I’ll consider it and get back to you within three days."

Fang Zhou mulled it over but didn’t make a decision on the spot.

"Great! You should definitely take your time to consider it. I’ll be waiting for your good news!"

Qiu Xingyao wasn’t the least bit displeased by Fang Zhou’s response.

That’s just how it was with Mages these days. So many teams were eager to recruit one that they could afford to be picky.

After bidding Qiu Xingyao farewell, Fang Zhou headed back to the Adventurer Association to look for other suitable teams.

...

Over the next few days, Fang Zhou interviewed with several other suitable teams he had picked out.

After comparing the strengths and weaknesses of each team, the Fierce Tiger Team still stood out as the best option.

Although the team had a few minor flaws—such as having been established for only a short time and already suffering a fatality—the positives far outweighed them.

Having made his decision, Fang Zhou saw no reason to delay. He used his Adventurer ID to find the Fierce Tiger Team’s contact information and made the call.

"Hello, this is the Fierce Tiger Team."

"Hello, my name is Fang Zhou. I’ve decided to join the Fierce Tiger Team. Could you please inform Captain Qiu Xingyao? I’ll report for duty tomorrow."

"Fang... Fang... O-Okay!" The young female team member on the other end was so stunned by the wonderful surprise that she couldn’t form a complete sentence, listening blankly as Fang Zhou finished.

After hanging up, it finally sank in. "Ah! He’s coming!"

The young woman’s shriek of joy echoed throughout the Fierce Tiger Team’s hall.

...

The next day, Fang Zhou arrived at the Fierce Tiger Team headquarters with his equipment.

Before he even reached the entrance, he saw Qiu Xingyao already waiting outside, craning his neck in anticipation.