Chapter 126: Promoting to a Level Three Employee and Taking Out a Loan

"Oh, right, I have some good news to share with you! After the sale of these supplies, your merit points have reached three hundred thousand, meeting the requirements for promotion to a Three-Star employee! You may now proceed to complete the promotion formalities and be promoted to a Level Three employee."

Just as Zhang Ran was about to leave, Supervisor Jacques called him back, a hint of envy in his eyes, before speaking these words.

"Oh, I see. Thank you for letting me know!"

Upon hearing Supervisor Jacques, a flicker of joy appeared in Zhang Ran's eyes, and he thanked him accordingly.

Within the Black Hawk Company, compared to a Two-Star employee, a Three-Star employee enjoys significantly more benefits. The first is a complimentary apartment in Black Hawk City, and the second is a ten percent discount on all purchases within the city—an additional five percent savings over the benefits afforded to Two-Star Evolvers—not to mention various other perks.

For Zhang Ran, the most immediate benefit of this promotion was that it would save him another 150,000 Black Hawk coins when forging the "Po Jun," which was truly a substantial saving.

After exchanging a few polite words and bidding farewell to Supervisor Jacques, Zhang Ran headed to the Guild Hall’s administrative office to apply for his star-level promotion.

Promotion in rank is a relatively formal affair and is not handled by ordinary staff. Therefore, after explaining his purpose, it was not long before a Level Five Evolver appeared.

This Evolver was a secretary under one of the Executives and a high-ranking member of the Guild Hall. After verifying Zhang Ran’s identity and merit points, the Level Five Evolver spoke with him quite cordially and subsequently awarded him the Three-Star employee badge, updating his information accordingly.

With the simple promotion formalities complete, Zhang Ran officially became a Three-Star employee of the Black Hawk Company. As for the apartment gifted by the company, Zhang Ran chose to remain in the one he had originally been renting.

A Three-Star employee typically possesses the strength of a Level Four or even a Level Five Evolver and is considered middle management within the Black Hawk Company. Even within the company, there are only a few hundred Three-Star employees; they are quite rare and command a certain level of respect.

Donning his new employee badge, Zhang Ran left the Guild Hall and made his way toward the Black Hawk Bank.

The Black Hawk Bank is the only bank within the Black Hawk Company's territory. It is one of the company's official institutions, reporting directly to the five Executives, and provides withdrawal, loan, and other financial services to the vast number of Evolvers.

After walking through the streets of Black Hawk City for several minutes, Zhang Ran arrived in front of the bank. Like the Guild Hall, the Black Hawk Bank is located near the Black Hawk headquarters and is heavily guarded. It is protected by a squad of Evolvers equipped with high-powered rifles and combat armor, led by a captain who is himself a Level Three Evolver.

Level Three Evolvers often choose to stay in Black Hawk City to take on security roles once they have paid off their debts, especially if their second awakened ability is not powerful enough to warrant further advancement in the wilderness. This squad leader had made exactly that choice.

After surrendering his weapons and undergoing a rigorous search, Zhang Ran was permitted to enter the Black Hawk Bank. The building was a square structure, roughly fifty meters in length and width, standing five meters high. Constructed of reinforced concrete and coated in gold paint, it appeared quite imposing.

Stepping through the main entrance, Zhang Ran found the interior just as grand as the exterior. The floors were paved with smooth, level stone tiles, the walls were painted white, and the space was illuminated by electric lamps.

Standing at the entrance were several young female attendants. They were all ranked as Quasi-Evolvers, possessed appearances well above the average seen in the wilderness, and wore crisp uniforms. Upon spotting the Three-Star employee insignia on Zhang Ran, one of the attendants immediately approached, bowed respectfully, and said in a soft voice, "Welcome to Black Hawk Bank, sir! Is there anything I can help you with today?"

"Yes, I would like to apply for a loan of 250,000 Black Hawk coins."

Listening to the attendant, Zhang Ran nodded slightly. As he spoke, he took out a 10-point Black Hawk coin and handed it to her.

"Thank you, sir. Please, follow me!"

Accepting the coin, the attendant offered a sweet smile and led Zhang Ran toward an office deep within the bank, fronted by an imposing, luxurious-looking door.

"Please, sir, go right in."

Stepping forward to open the door for him, the attendant extended her right hand and said respectfully.

"Understood."

Zhang Ran nodded and stepped inside. The attendant then gently closed the door behind him, making almost no sound at all.

The office was as luxuriously decorated as the rest of the bank. Behind the desk sat a man who appeared to be roughly fifty years old by Earth standards, though his skin was somewhat wrinkled and he did not seem particularly energetic.

"Please, sit down, sir. You may call me Delai. What kind of business would you like to conduct today?"

Watching Zhang Ran enter, the man named Delai gestured toward a large beast-hide chair and spoke courteously.

"I would like to apply for a short-term loan of 250,000 Black Hawk coins."

As he sat down in the chair, Zhang Ran stated his purpose calmly.

"No problem at all. I will handle the paperwork for you right now; please wait a moment."

Hearing this, Delai smiled politely, bent down to rummage through a drawer, and produced a special check.

While Delai prepared the check, Zhang Ran sat patiently in the chair. It was fashioned from the hide of a mutated beast, incredibly smooth to the touch and stuffed with soft cotton, making it quite comfortable and allowing Zhang Ran to feel completely relaxed.

"All right, sir. Here you are!"

After about three minutes, Delai had finished the check and handed it over.

"Thank you!"

Zhang Ran took the check and inspected it carefully before offering his thanks.

"It is my pleasure! According to the regulations, your minimum monthly repayment is 5,000 Black Hawk coins. If your cumulative repayments do not meet the target within three months, the Black Hawk Bank will be forced to take mandatory measures. Please keep this in mind!"

Listening to Zhang Ran's confirmation, Delai warned him solemnly. Shortly thereafter, Zhang Ran bade farewell to Delai, left the bank, and headed to the nearby service center to obtain the necessary vouchers, which he then carried to the Black Hawk Company's arsenal.