522: Chapter 522 I Will Change My Fate!

Zhao Xuan's words were like a sharp, cold-gleaming blade, ruthlessly stabbing straight into everyone's hearts.

In an instant, the crowd fell into a deathly silence. Every face seemed etched with lines of helplessness and bitterness by the passage of time—marks left by long-term suffering.

Yet, beneath this deep helplessness, their eyes clearly hid an indignation burning like fire.

A gaunt young man bit his lower lip hard, as if trying to vent all the humiliation and resentment in his heart through this single bite.

His eyes flickered with a light of intertwined anger and desire, like two burning flames in the darkness.

His thoughts involuntarily drifted back to that day on the street. He had humbly made way for a wealthy young master, thinking it would buy him a moment of peace, but the young master, with a face full of malice, had deliberately raised his whip and lashed him hard.

Accompanied by sharp pain, the young master had laughed and cursed him as a "Stinking Beggar."

Now, he clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white and the veins on the back of his hands bulged like slithering little snakes, while his heart roared like a trapped beast.

"By what right? By what right can they trample on my dignity so wantonly? I also long to live a life of wealth and honor! I also want to become a respected person of status!"

Not far away, a middle-aged man's eyes were filled with sorrow and determination. He thought of his young child who, due to poverty, went hungry every day and had to beg on the streets with him.

The repeated shouts of "Little Beggar" were like sharp blades piercing his heart.

Looking at his child's thin and terrified frame, he swore a silent oath, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists as if concentrating all his strength into that grip: "I must not let my child be looked down upon for his whole life. I will definitely make him a wealthy man so he'll never be bullied like this again!"

Another middle-aged man was also immersed in painful memories. From his clouded eyes, two rows of old tears slowly fell, streaming down his wrinkled cheeks.

All his life, he had struggled to survive in this dilapidated Slum, enduring the cold glares and heartless ridicule of others.

His lips trembled as he whispered, "My life is completely over, but I'm truly unwilling to accept it! On countless nights, I’ve dreamed of one day walking down the street with pride, showing everyone who looked down on me that I too can become a person of status to be looked up to!"

Seeing that he had successfully stirred up the long-suppressed indignation in the crowd, Zhao Xuan nodded with satisfaction.

Taking a deep breath, he raised his voice and spoke with a passionate and seductive tone, "Every one of us has healthy limbs, and even more so, we have the firm determination to change our fates. Why can't we live a good life?"

"Why must we be stepped on for our whole lives, living so humbly?"

"As long as we summon the courage to become mercenaries and fight hard on the battlefield, wealth and glory will definitely not be an unreachable dream!"

"When that time comes, we can live in spacious and bright houses, wear fine clothes, and let our families live a prosperous and peaceful life from then on!"

As Zhao Xuan spoke, he glanced imperceptibly at someone in the crowd.

This person was exactly the shill he had pre-arranged in the crowd.

Ever since witnessing the Consul General skillfully use shills to drive up auction prices, he had taken note and learned this trick.

The shill in the crowd understood perfectly. Upon receiving Zhao Xuan's signal, he immediately stepped forward without hesitation, waving his arms and shouting loudly, "Right! We absolutely cannot continue to be so pathetic!"

"I'll go! I want to change my fate!"

"I want to become a rich man and make those snobs regret what they've done!"

"For my family, for the sake of a good life, I'm giving it my all!"

This series of impassioned shouts was like a spark, instantly igniting the emotions of the crowd.

"I'm going too!"

"I also want to change my fate!"

The crowd's shouts rose and fell, echoing all around like a surging tide.

They no longer wanted to endure this bitter life of being despised and treated like ants.

Looking at the impassioned crowd, Zhao Xuan's heart was filled with relief and resolve.

He knew that this time he had succeeded; he would certainly be able to recruit a large number of mercenaries and finally live up to the trust the Consul General had placed in him.