Chapter 366: Year-End Bonus
When Yang Haoran first became Lecheng's Emissary of Death, in addition to acquiring three Soul Pills, he also received two Iron Books.
One Iron Book was quite thick, detailing the laws of the Underworld Office and the duties of its agents.
The other was very thin, containing only a single page. When opened, it resembled a tablet computer, recording all major events of the Underworld Office from ancient times to the present day.
Yang Haoran's original appointment letter was conveyed through this Iron Book to every Underworld Office agent, including himself.
The so-called Iron Book Edicts are commands issued by the Underworld Office via the Iron Books, collectively known as Iron Book Edicts.
After Yang Haoran became a Night Watcher, he had received several Iron Book Edicts over time. However, these past edicts were merely appointment orders for other Underworld Office agents, which Yang Haoran had only glanced at indifferently.
This time, however, the Iron Book Edict Yang Haoran received was different from previous ones; it was no longer an appointment order for an Underworld Office agent, but a summons for all Underworld Office agents to report to the Underworld.
Such a command was issued because the year-end was fast approaching. According to established custom, Underworld Office agents were required to bring the souls they had collected to the Underworld and submit them all. The Underworld would then award corresponding Soul Pills based on the quantity of souls surrendered by each agent.
Upon receiving the Iron Book Edict, Yang Haoran immediately notified Old Master Wu, instructing him to gather all Night Watchers at the South Lake Death God Temple for a meeting, and to ensure they brought all the souls they held.
Unaware of what had transpired, the Night Watchers present felt both bewildered and anxious. Aside from the regular monthly-end meetings, Yang Haoran rarely summoned all Night Watchers so abruptly. Such an occurrence invariably signified a major incident.
Yang Haoran sat at the head of the table, with Old Master Wu taking the first seat below him. The conference room was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
"Everyone, the reason I've called you here today is because this will be your final soul submission for the year. After today, if any of you wish to submit more souls, it will have to wait until next year. Without further ado, let's begin."
Yang Haoran's voice broke the silence in the conference room, instantly relieving the Night Watchers present, their tension dissipating.
Over the next period, each Night Watcher submitted their Soul-Gathering Beads. As usual, apart from Liao Xiaoyu and another full-time Night Watcher, the other temple keeper Night Watchers hadn't gathered many souls.
The process for submitting souls remained the same as before. However, once all the Night Watchers had handed over their souls, the subsequent procedure deviated from previous times.
Previously, after all Night Watchers had submitted their souls, Yang Haoran would distribute Soul Qi based on the quantity each had collected. Temple keepers, of course, also received an additional duty allowance.
Today, however, Yang Haoran did not immediately follow this routine. After all the Night Watchers had submitted their souls, he unexpectedly turned his gaze towards Old Master Wu below him.
"Old Wu, have you finished calculating? " Yang Haoran asked.
Hearing this, Old Master Wu lifted his gaze from the notebook in front of him, looked at Yang Haoran, and nodded.
"Yes, Boss."
Receiving Old Master Wu's affirmative reply, Yang Haoran smiled and said, "Then, Old Wu, please announce everyone's achievements for the year."
Following Yang Haoran's command, Old Master Wu began announcing the year's achievements for all the Night Watchers present.
These achievements not only encompassed the number of souls submitted this year but also included their individual performance throughout the year, their obedience to orders, the effectiveness of their execution, and all other contributions made.
Since Old Master Wu became the second-in-command of Lecheng's Underworld Office, he had meticulously recorded every soul submitted by the Night Watchers. Furthermore, he also kept track of every contribution made or loss incurred due to mistakes, no matter how minor.
The reason Old Master Wu kept such detailed records was precisely for today.
"Qin Ming, Temple Master of South Lake Death God Temple: guided 1080 spirits, executed 8 special missions, participated in 1 joint mission with the Spirit Police, submitted 70 million New Beginning Coins, and managed the South Lake Death God Temple commendably."
"Jin An, Temple Master of West City Death God Temple: guided 963 spirits, executed 8 special missions, participated in 1 joint mission with the Spirit Police, submitted 50 million New Beginning Coins, and managed the West City Death God Temple commendably."
"Liao Xiaoyu, full-time Night Watcher: guided 3532 spirits, executed 29 special missions, participated in 43 joint missions with the Spirit Police. Her achievements are outstanding, but she often speaks carelessly and acts impulsively, which needs correction."
"Zou Chun, full-time Night Watcher: guided spirits—"
It took approximately ten minutes for Old Master Wu to announce the full achievements of all Night Watchers. For some, he not only stated their successes but also pointed out existing issues, especially for Liao Xiaoyu.
This situation arose because the South Lake Death God Temple and the West City Death God Temple are Lecheng's two largest Death God Temples. Managing them requires considerable mental effort and involves numerous trivial matters. Yet, both temple masters not only managed their respective temples exceptionally well but also guided a significant number of souls.
As for Liao Xiaoyu, being a full-time Night Watcher, her high number of guided spirits and executed missions were simply part of her duties and did not earn her additional points. Coupled with her personal shortcomings, her overall score was further reduced by several points.
This ranking was based on a comprehensive assessment of individual performance, not merely the quantity of guided spirits or missions completed. This is why Liao Xiaoyu's ranking fell short of the two temple masters.
Liao Xiaoyu, however, had an excellent mindset. Not only did she harbor no dissatisfaction regarding her ranking, but she even snickered subtly below when Old Master Wu highlighted her issues, clearly not taking his words to heart.
"I have announced everyone's achievements for this year. If you have any objections or if there are any omissions, please speak up now," Old Master Wu inquired.
Seeing that no one had any objections, Old Master Wu then turned his gaze to Yang Haoran.
"Boss, all achievements have been announced."
Yang Haoran nodded and then looked at the Night Watchers seated before him.
"Everyone, the reason I had Old Wu compile your merits and demerits for the year was to present you all with a generous year-end bonus."
Upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, the Night Watchers present all beamed with joy.
When Old Master Wu had announced their individual merits and demerits, they had already surmised that Yang Haoran might be planning to reward them according to their contributions. Although it was just a guess, it had already stirred some excitement within them.
Now, having heard Yang Haoran's words firsthand, their suspicions were confirmed, and their excitement naturally intensified.
Under the eager gaze of all the Night Watchers, Yang Haoran produced a box. Inside it was precisely the Soul Pill used to distribute wages to the Night Watchers.
Based on their individual achievements, and taking into account the souls they had previously submitted, Yang Haoran then performed a Soul Qi infusion for all the Night Watchers present. However, Old Master Wu, as the second-in-command, was not included in this.
This Soul Qi infusion was the most exciting one for the Night Watchers present all year, as they had all received an immense amount of Pure Yin Qi as an extra bonus. The higher their ranking, the more Pure Yin Qi they gained.
After the Soul Qi infusion concluded, Yang Haoran had Old Master Wu hand out a stack of brand-new bank cards to everyone, one card per person.
"Each of your bank cards contains two million New Beginning Coins. While I know money might not hold much appeal for you all at this point, we genuinely need it in many situations. So, please accept this small sum; it should prove useful."
At this point, Yang Haoran paused, then chuckled before continuing, "The New Year is almost upon us. I'd like to wish you all a Happy New Year in advance, and I hope each of you achieves even greater success next year."
As Yang Haoran's words fell, a burst of cheers erupted throughout the room.
Until now, the Night Watchers present had always maintained a serious demeanor during meetings, but today was an exception.
However, Yang Haoran merely smiled in response, and even Old Master Wu, who was typically very strict about management, said nothing more.
After the meeting adjourned, the Night Watchers left the conference room, leaving only Yang Haoran and Old Master Wu behind.
"Old Wu, you've worked hard this year. Without you, I'd likely struggle to find time for my own affairs, nor would I be able to manage Lecheng's Underworld Office so effectively," Yang Haoran said, smiling.
"Haha, Boss, you're too humble. This old man knows your capabilities," Old Master Wu replied with a chuckle.
Yang Haoran chuckled, then waved his hand, opening the floating box before him to reveal the Soul Pill inside. However, this particular Soul Pill had already shrunk by more than half.
"This Soul Pill is for you. Swallow it, and I will help you refine it quickly."
Yang Haoran's words instantly stirred Old Master Wu's emotions, making him very excited.
Although the Soul Pill before him had already diminished by more than half, the Pure Yin Qi it contained was still remarkably potent. If he could refine all of this Pure Yin Qi, his strength would undoubtedly increase significantly; that much was certain.
Old Master Wu understood this, and thus, he was very excited.
"Thank you, Boss! " Old Master Wu quickly expressed his gratitude.
"There's no need for such formality between us. Besides, this Soul Pill is rightfully yours."
As his words fell, Yang Haoran waved his hand once more. The box, along with the Soul Pill, floated towards Old Master Wu, eventually settling before him.
After Old Master Wu thanked Yang Haoran again, he took the Soul Pill from the box and swallowed it in one gulp.
As the Soul Pill entered his body, it immediately began to release a continuous torrent of immense Pure Yin Qi. Old Master Wu utilized his fastest speed to absorb this Pure Yin Qi, but his absorption rate still couldn't keep pace with the Soul Pill's release.
Although his speed was insufficient, this Pure Yin Qi would not harm his body; it would merely prolong the time required for absorption and refinement.
However, with Yang Haoran assisting him, the situation would naturally become entirely different.
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