Chapter 176: Security

Twelve minutes later, Li Mochen was already seated in a high-level executive reception room on the fourth floor, flipping through the résumés provided by the Red Sparrow Human Resources Agency.

Gavin Allen—Level 10 Warrior, 45 years old, Close Combat Shooting Rating 10B, Close Combat Rating 10A, Potential B, Security Skills Comprehensive Rating A, Annual Salary 100,000 Gold Shields.

Cleo Gate—Level 10 Magic Hunter, 25 years old, Sniper Rating 10A, Close Combat Shooting Rating 10A, Close Combat Rating 10A, Potential B, Security Skills Comprehensive Rating A, Annual Salary 130,000 Gold Shields.

Jasper Vicari—Level 10 Magic Sorcerer, 27 years old, Spell Rating 10A, Close Combat Shooting Rating 10B, Potential A, Security Skills Comprehensive Rating A, Annual Salary 150,000 Gold Shields.

Chao Hua—Level 10 Magic Swordsman, 36 years old, Spell Rating 10B, Close Combat Shooting Rating 10A, Close Combat Rating 10A, Potential A, Security Skills Comprehensive Rating A, Annual Salary 150,000 Gold Shields.

Cleo Corey—Level 10 Magic Mage, 42 years old, Level 10 Magic Sorcerer, Magic Rating 10A, Close Combat Shooting Rating 10A, Magic Array Technology Rating 10A, Potential S, Security Skills Comprehensive Rating A, Annual Salary 230,000 Gold Shields.

Li Mochen flipped through page by page, discovering that among these magic professionals, those with ranged shooting skills commanded higher salaries than melee professionals, while spellcasters like mages and sorcerers ranked even higher.

Moreover, those with specialized skills, such as Cleo Corey with a Magic Array Technology Rating of 10A, could earn twice as much as others.

While flipping through, Li Mochen thoughtfully asked Carl, “Are these skill ratings reliable? You must have experience with this?”

“Very reliable. The Red Sparrow Club has an impeccable reputation; they have the strictest evaluation procedures, no less than our Nathan Group.”

Carl’s tone carried a note of advice: “I suggest you choose those with potential A or above and under 28 years old. You see, older people usually have families; they won’t risk their lives for you. But mid-level professionals under 28 are not only full of drive, they also have the potential to advance further on the magic path and become outlaws. After all, professionals who grow with you will be more loyal and reliable than those hired later. Then try to find those from special forces or security departments; they usually have strong combat skills and practical experience. But such people are often in high demand, so you’ll have to spend more money.”

However, the résumés Li Mochen ultimately pulled out were mostly magic professionals with potential B, all around level 10, with one 10A skill.

If he weren’t facing a battle in a day, Li Mochen would have done as Carl suggested. But now, he only intended to use his limited salary budget to hire as much combat power as possible, rather than paying more for their future talent.

Still, he set the age limit for these people under 28, believing Carl was right—older folks wouldn’t go all out when facing danger.

But such individuals were few. After over an hour, Li Mochen found only 38 among more than 1,300 people, so he lowered the standards and barely scraped together 80 from the vast pile of résumés.

Veterans with only B potential who became level 10 magic professionals before 28 and mastered a specialty were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. This meant they had worked extremely hard and overcome countless obstacles; their future could still be promising.

Then Li Mochen pulled out twenty-five résumés with potential S ratings and extremely high combat proficiency.

As for potential, Li Mochen’s attitude was either not to have it, or to have the best.

Li Mochen’s plan was to establish a security department with 24 security teams in the Rising Sun Company, then hire 14 combat teams. Each team would have one level 10 or level 9 member, plus two to three level 7 members, rotating shifts to guard the company’s eleven stores and two dormitories.

Then there would be three outlaw teams, each led by two outlaws, with four to five level 10 magic professionals as supporting members.

These three teams would serve as his mobile force for contingencies and reinforcements.

However, the Red Sparrow Club did not provide level 7 magic professionals, so Li Mochen couldn’t hire them here. He only selected some level 9 to level 10 professionals; those below level 9 would have to be found at other labor markets.

Thus, the hundred-plus people far exceeded his needs, but not all would necessarily accept his offer. Li Mochen’s approach was to cast a wide net, catch more fish, and choose the best.

“These résumés only mention the desired salary—”

Li Mochen frowned. “I suppose it’s not just that?”

“Of course, you also need to provide their daily cultivation potions and equipment, as well as various insurance costs.”

Carl rattled off the details: “Potions generally cost about 50,000 Gold Shields per year; that’s the market rate in Atlanta City. As for combat equipment, the most important are magic guns and armor—the two big items magic professionals value most. To attract sufficiently talented people, you need equipment with a comprehensive rating of 10A or above, preferably military grade. A full set of new equipment like that costs around 150,000 Gold Shields. Of course, if they think it’s not good enough, they can buy their own.”

“Besides that, you have to pay their insurance, totaling about 54% of the annual salary. Mainly personal accident insurance and unemployment insurance. For the former, you know, the casualty rate in this line of work is high, so insurance companies charge high premiums. Unemployment insurance is paid to the Red Sparrow Club; it ensures that if the employer dies unexpectedly or is killed, the employees can still get their hard-earned money instead of ending up with nothing.”

“But the Red Sparrow Club will assess the employer’s situation and charge accordingly. Given your current situation, you might not even get away with 20% of the annual salary. Hmm, there’s also loyalty insurance, also paid to the Red Sparrow Club. If someone betrays you or violates the employment contract, the Red Sparrow Club will step in to punish them. This depends on your choice, and their fees are high.”

Li Mochen couldn’t help but smile bitterly. The ten million he had borrowed from Cardilan Jebsen was clearly far from enough.

He had just calculated that to set up the security department as he envisioned, he would need at least fifty level 10 or level 9 magic professionals, with an annual salary totaling over 6.7 million Gold Shields. Of course, he didn’t have to pay all of it upfront, but just the insurance would cost over 3 million, and the monthly salaries would be five to six hundred thousand.

Then the equipment for 54 people would cost 8.1 million Gold Shields.

In addition, there were ninety level 7 to level 8 professionals, whose annual salaries would likely be no less than 7 million, and their equipment, though a grade lower, would still cost no less than 80,000 Gold Shields each.

If he followed Carl’s advice, he would have to spend over 10 million upfront just to hire these people.

Then there were six powerful level 13 outlaws.

Their annual salaries would start at 1.4 million Gold Shields each, with total insurance adding up to 4.4 million Gold Shields, and equipment costs of 500,000 per person—another nearly 8 million expense.

This meant that for such a security team, he would have to spend at least 30 million Gold Shields—

Li Mochen vaguely regretted it. If he had known earlier, he wouldn’t have rushed the Rising Sun Company into the superstore plan, creating so many vulnerabilities. But now, suspending the plan was absolutely impossible. The company’s stores were like arrows already on the string, and he could at most delay the opening by a few days.

At this thought, Li Mochen shook his head, suppressed these distractions, and handed the selected résumés to a man across the desk: “Help me ask these people for quotes. Offer them 20% less than their ideal salary and ask if they are willing to work for me. Also, if they are willing to provide some private services, I can offer an additional 20% on top of the salary.”