Chapter 1312: An Employee's Request (Part 1)
Regarding Ulan's disappearance, the vast majority of the Guardians present engaged in discussion, each offering their opinions and suggestions. Luo Yao listened, refraining from interruption, quietly sipping his tea.
It wasn't until these Guardians had largely finished their discussion that Luo Yao turned his gaze to Boss Huo, who had remained silent throughout.
"What's your view on this matter?"
Luo Yao asked Boss Huo, his voice calm, devoid of joy or sorrow.
Currently, Boss Huo still held a certain standing in Luo Yao's heart. One reason was that Boss Huo was the first Guardian Luo Yao had promoted. Another reason was Boss Huo's genuine capabilities. These significant capabilities, intentionally displayed by Boss Huo, were constantly revealed before Luo Yao, which was precisely why Boss Huo had managed to attain no small status in Luo Yao's eyes. This could be seen from the way Luo Yao now looked at Boss Huo and sought his opinion.
"Heh heh, during this period, the overt and covert struggles between our Jingling Continent Yin Division and the Tong Continent Yin Division have never ceased. As a prominent figure of the Tong Continent Yin Division, Ulan is extremely important to the Tong Continent Great Emperor and the entire Tong Continent Yin Division. Under such circumstances, logically, Ulan shouldn't be unreachable. Since this has happened, your subordinate believes Ulan must have met with an accident, perhaps having already vanished from this world."
Boss Huo chuckled faintly, stating his view. His words were not merely a reply to Luo Yao, but also intended for the other Guardians present.
Luo Yao merely nodded, neither affirming nor denying Boss Huo's assertion. He then turned his gaze to Yang Haoran.
Sensing Luo Yao's gaze, Yang Haoran turned his head towards him, and the latter then opened his mouth to ask.
"Yang Haoran, what's your opinion?"
Speaking of his standing in Luo Yao's heart, Yang Haoran certainly surpassed Boss Huo. Although Boss Huo had become a Guardian earlier than Yang Haoran, and had also been promoted by Luo Yao, Luo Yao's regard for Yang Haoran far exceeded that for Boss Huo. There were many factors contributing to this outcome, not just a single one.
Precisely because of this, Luo Yao addressed his inquiry to Yang Haoran after consulting Boss Huo.
Facing Luo Yao's inquiry, Yang Haoran dared not delay, promptly opening his mouth to respond. He stated his opinion.
"Being unable to contact Ulan indicates that something has definitely happened to her. However, before acquiring more information, we temporarily cannot confirm that Ulan is dead. It's not out of the question that she's trapped in a special place, or within a restrictive barrier that severs external communication."
Whether Ulan was dead or alive, no one present was clearer on this point than Yang Haoran. Yet, Yang Haoran showed no hint of it, instead feigning analysis.
Upon hearing this, Luo Yao nodded slightly, then spoke.
"From the intelligence currently gathered, the Tong Continent Great Emperor has had no success contacting Ulan through various means. This indicates that something has indeed happened to Ulan. As for whether Ulan is dead or alive, I agree with Haoran's statement: being unreachable doesn't necessarily mean she's dead. If Ulan left behind objects that can determine life or death with the Tong Continent Great Emperor—for example, a Life Bead or similar special item—then the Great Emperor's current actions suggest Ulan is not yet dead, otherwise, he wouldn't need to rack his brains searching for her. Conversely, if Ulan did not leave behind such a special item to determine her life or death, then it's hard to say whether she's currently alive or dead."
Luo Yao's explanation made perfect sense, but Yang Haoran didn't entirely agree. Even if Ulan had left behind a special item to determine her life or death, the Tong Continent Great Emperor still had reason to search the world for her. Doing so could at least mislead their enemies, making them hesitant to easily conclude that Ulan was actually dead.
Of course, Yang Haoran did not voice this speculation in such a setting. Because once spoken, it would be a slap in Luo Yao's face, and he certainly wouldn't do such a foolish thing. Not only did he not do that, he even spoke in agreement.
"The Great Emperor is correct. To determine whether Ulan is dead or alive, we still need to gather more intelligence before we can draw a conclusion."
Yang Haoran chuckled faintly. From his understanding of Luo Yao, once Luo Yao truly confirmed Ulan's death, he would definitely make a significant move against the Tong Continent Yin Division. After all, without Ulan, the Tong Continent Yin Division's strength would be greatly diminished. Dealing with them would be much easier than before, and Luo Yao naturally wouldn't want to miss this opportunity to suppress the Tong Continent Yin Division.
Next, Luo Yao made a series of arrangements and deployments for his nine Guardians. One point among them was to use every possible means to ascertain whether Ulan was dead or alive. If any of the nine could thoroughly investigate this matter, they would receive a generous reward.
Since Luo Yao had said it, it would certainly be implemented. However, Yang Haoran had no interest in it whatsoever. On one hand, he didn't want to court trouble for himself. On the other hand, with his current financial resources, he simply couldn't care less about Luo Yao's promised reward.
After the meeting concluded, Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing did not immediately return to the mortal realm. Instead, they headed to the Stillness Apothecary.
Under Gu Yi's meticulous management, coupled with abundant financial resources and the backing of two Guardians, the Stillness Apothecary had now become one of the rare large apothecaries in the Underworld. While it wasn't yet the absolute top pharmacy in the Underworld, it could definitely rank among the top five.
Such a status was already very high for the Stillness Apothecary. One must remember that the Stillness Apothecary had only been established for a very short time. Compared to other apothecaries of similar standing, the Stillness Apothecary's operating history wasn't even a fraction of theirs. For the Stillness Apothecary to ascend to such heights in such a short period was truly remarkable, even considered a miracle in some people's eyes.
Upon Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing's arrival, Gu Yi immediately put aside her important tasks. She accompanied her two bosses as they strolled through the Stillness Apothecary, providing a detailed report on the recent situation within the shop.
Regarding Gu Yi as the manager, not only was Yang Haoran very satisfied now, even Xu Meijing, who was quite particular, was extremely pleased with Gu Yi. Precisely because of this, Xu Meijing had given Gu Yi many benefits, being very generous.
Of course, Yang Haoran also gave Gu Yi many benefits. Whether it was Gu Yi or Ban Kui, he had bestowed considerable advantages upon them. Even the ordinary shop assistants in the Stillness Apothecary, Yang Haoran was never stingy with them. Thus, from top to bottom, everyone at the Stillness Apothecary held a great deal of reverence for him as their boss.
After gaining a rough understanding of the Stillness Apothecary's recent situation, Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing prepared to leave. They entrusted the leading apothecary to Gu Yi with complete confidence, naturally not lingering there for long. However, just as the two were about to depart, Gu Yi suddenly called out to them.
"Boss, Madam Boss, there's something. . ."
Gu Yi hesitated, her words trailing off. Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing saw this, and doubt couldn't help but arise in their hearts.
"Just say whatever it is, don't be so coy."
Xu Meijing frowned slightly, speaking slowly with a haughty expression.
Gu Yi had not been dealing with Xu Meijing for just a day or two. She had long grown accustomed to Xu Meijing's demeanor. She knew this was simply Xu Meijing's personality, and it wasn't a sign of looking down on her or being dissatisfied. Thus, she didn't take it to heart.
"Heh heh, Little Jing is right. If there's any difficulty you can't resolve, just say it; there's no need to hide anything."
Yang Haoran chuckled faintly. The "Little Jing" he referred to was naturally Xu Meijing. Initially, Xu Meijing had rejected this appellation of "Little Jing," and was quite repulsed by it. She felt the title didn't quite suit her status. However, Yang Haoran insisted repeatedly, and since she couldn't think of a better alternative, she tacitly accepted Yang Haoran's way of addressing her. Over time, she grew accustomed to it. Although she still harbored a slight dislike for the name, she no longer rejected it.
Seeing that both Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing had said this, Gu Yi continued, a wry smile on her face.
"We have an employee who has saved enough Underworld Currency. She wishes to reincarnate, and hopes that Boss and Madam Boss can grant her this wish."
As soon as Gu Yi uttered these words, both Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing were slightly taken aback.
Comments