Hearing the new announcement, the players in the hall were all a little surprised.
"Huh? A new player?"
"We can add more people? Does that mean the community's population can always be maintained at 12?"
A community of 12 becoming only 11, although it was just one person less, always made the hall feel empty, no longer as lively as before.
This feeling made many people a bit down.
But if it could be filled back up to 12 people, it would surely become lively again.
This also made many people full of anticipation for the new member.
Su Xiucen subconsciously shook her head, "But, after the new person arrives, where will they live? We only have 12 rooms."
Li Renshu thought for a moment, "The announcement said they will become the new Player 10. That means they will still live in Uncle Ding's original room.
"I think the Gallery will most likely 'reset' the room's state, meaning it will return to its initial, unoccupied state."
Su Xiucen subconsciously resisted, "That won't do! In that case, wouldn't all traces of Brother Ding's existence here be completely gone?"
Everyone was silent for a moment.
Obviously, most people didn't care about this, but they were too embarrassed to say it to her face.
The hall fell into an awkward, cold silence.
In the end, it was Li Renshu who persuaded her, "Auntie Su, personal belongings in the room couldn't be brought out anyway, and we can't get into Uncle Ding's room.
"Uncle Ding's wristband is still here, that's the proof he once existed. He was a good person, and we will all remember him in our hearts.
"But the community must recruit new members, because there will likely be group games in the future. If we're short one person, we'll be at a natural disadvantage.
"I think Uncle Ding's spirit in heaven would also want us to move on as soon as possible."
Su Xiucen's expression was a bit desolate. She seemed to want to say something more, but after looking at Li Renshu's expression, she finally sighed.
"Alright. You all can discuss it then. I have no opinion on what kind of new member to find."
After speaking, she went upstairs, looking a bit weary.
Wang Yongxin was drinking coffee by the window, pouting his lips with a sense of helplessness.
He touched the bruises on his neck, which still hurt. He didn't know how long it would take for them to fade.
Fu Chen called out, "If everyone is free, shall we have a meeting to discuss it? What kind of person should we choose for the new Player 10."
Everyone took their seats at the long table, and some went to find those who were not present.
Not long after, all 10 people, except for Su Xiucen, had gathered.
Although somewhat concealed, expressions of anticipation appeared on most people's faces.
Fu Chen briefly introduced the rules for recruiting new members, then said, "We can now make requests to the community. What kind of new member do you all think we need the most?
"Xu Tong, aren't you a human resources manager? Why don't you start."
Xu Tong was a bit surprised to be suddenly called upon, as she had rarely spoken up on similar occasions before.
Obviously, this was also Fu Chen's deliberate attempt to get community members who previously had a weaker presence more involved in discussing community issues.
Xu Tong thought for a moment, "A chef. If it were up to me, I would really want a chef."
Everyone was a bit surprised, "A chef?"
Xu Tong nodded, "That's right! Don't you think a chef is the most cost-effective choice right now?
"To earn more visa time, it's mainly about increasing income and reducing expenses.
"No one can guarantee exactly how much visa time can be obtained in the Gallery. But by spending less on a daily basis, a little adds up to a lot, and we can save up a considerable amount of visa time.
"In the community, although the pre-made meals taste very good, they are far too expensive compared to the price of the raw ingredients. A simple egg fried rice costs 30, and a rice bowl can even cost 45.
"But the raw ingredients for these things might only cost 10.
"Even with the 80-minute daily meal allowance, we're still eating on a tight budget."
Fu Chen thought for a moment, "But... isn't this a job Auntie Su can also do?"
Xu Tong said a bit awkwardly, "Can I whisper that Auntie Su's cooking isn't very good... It's not that it's terrible, but it's really just enough to get by.
"I'm probably not the only one who thinks so, right?"
The silence of the crowd said it all.
Fortunately, Su Xiucen wasn't present, otherwise the scene might have been even more awkward.
Xu Tong continued, "So, if a skilled chef joins, it will save a huge expense on food.
"Then we can choose to lower the necessary daily food expenses, or spend the same amount of visa time but eat very sumptuously for every meal."
Fu Chen nodded slightly while taking notes.
"Hmm, you know, this proposal does make some sense. I'll note it down for now. Are there any other proposals?"
Cai Zhiyuan said with a very firm attitude, "I believe there is only one choice for the community's new recruitment at the moment: a young, male doctor."
Fu Chen was a bit surprised, "That specific?"
Wang Yongxin coughed a couple of times and said in a still somewhat hoarse voice, "I agree, we must have a doctor.
"I don't mean to say Officer Cao's bandaging skills are bad, but what Officer Cao has mastered is only basic first aid knowledge, not systematic medical knowledge.
"This time, the two of us only suffered minor injuries, not too serious. But what if a worse situation occurs next time?
"We must have a more professional doctor."
Jiang He thought of a new problem, "A doctor is indeed very necessary, but you can't make bricks without straw, right?
"Among the medical supplies currently sold in the community, there are only medical kits and some relatively basic medical instruments. There are no more advanced medical instruments like operating tables.
"Even if we have a doctor, if they can only use these instruments for treatment, would it be that much different from Officer Cao's first aid techniques?"
Cai Zhiyuan shook his head, "You can't think of it that way.
"Haven't you noticed? The rules of the Gallery are not set in stone; they are constantly changing dynamically.
"For example, if we propose a motion, we can amend the underlying rules to a certain extent; if the community loses a member, a new player will be added to fill the spot.
"Who can be sure that the list of goods in the vending machine won't change in the future?
"Moreover, this is, after all, a strange world full of supernatural powers. With the divine power of the Gallery, it's not impossible for some supernatural phenomena to occur in the future.
"In this situation, we must definitely prepare for a rainy day.
"What if advanced medical equipment like operating tables are added to the vending machine in the future, but we don't have a corresponding doctor?
"Are we going to kill a member on the spot to make room for a new recruit?"
This statement had a strange touch of dark humor. Everyone looked at each other, indeed unable to refute it.
Cai Zhiyuan continued, "As for the chef, I admit it's a way to increase income and reduce expenses, but its urgency is completely incomparable to that of a doctor.
"Cooking itself is not something particularly difficult to master. There are cookbooks in the library area. If you really want to learn to cook, you can just buy some raw ingredients and learn on your own."
No one spoke further. Obviously, when choosing between a chef and a doctor, the importance of a doctor was indeed much higher.
Xu Tong also nodded in agreement, "Hmm, that's true. Then let's prioritize a doctor."
Fu Chen pondered for a moment, slightly puzzled, "Why must it be a young doctor?
"I would think a middle-aged doctor, or an experienced doctor, would be better, right?"