Chapter 555: Testing Capabilities
The arrival of Feng Xiao added a touch of life to the quiet and deserted villa.
On her second day at the villa, Bai Xue spent the entire day playing with her, and she was incredibly happy, gradually beginning to embrace this new life in her heart.
On the third day, she began to busy herself with her own affairs. She placed the Pharmacist Feng's mementos in her bedroom, where she could look at them whenever she wished, recalling the days spent living with her master.
After that, she moved all the necessary alchemy equipment and tools into the Medicine Research Lab, organizing and classifying them according to her needs.
Yang Haoran didn't concern himself with Feng Xiao's affairs; he believed that as a Pharmacist, she should be perfectly capable of handling such matters herself. Thus, while Feng Xiao was busy, he quietly slipped away from the villa without greeting anyone.
Behind Yang Haoran's villa lay a large mountain. Two hours after he left the villa, on the other side of this mountain, in a highly secluded spot, a ripple suddenly disturbed the space.
The space tore open, and two figures emerged one after another from the rift in the air.
One of them was tall and imposing, his face obscured by a mask, making his appearance impossible to discern.
Yet, the longer one gazed at that smile, the less it felt kind or warm; instead, it exuded an indescribable sinister falsity.
Standing before the burly man was a young man, and the burly man followed behind him, his upper body slightly bowed. Though his expression was hidden by the mask, his body language clearly indicated his extreme deference towards the young man in front of him.
This young man was none other than Yang Haoran, who had left the villa, and the burly man wearing the smiling mask was Tang Shi.
According to Yang Haoran's orders, Tang Shi was still on a mission elsewhere. His current presence here, accompanying Yang Haoran, was not due to him returning to Lecheng without authorization, but because Yang Haoran had personally brought him back.
At this moment, Tang Shi felt a knot of apprehension in his heart. He had no idea what had happened, or why Yang Haoran would personally escort him back to Lecheng.
“Had he committed some offense? ”
Tang Shi couldn't help but entertain such thoughts, yet upon careful reflection, he realized he hadn't done anything to betray Yang Haoran, nor had he brought any trouble upon him.
“Could it be because he had made no progress during this period? ”
From his perspective, this was certainly a possibility. What puzzled him, however, was why the other two hadn't appeared, and only he had been brought back. Could it be that the other two had achieved something during this time?
If that were indeed the case, Tang Shi felt he must find an opportunity as soon as possible to properly explain himself to Yang Haoran, hoping Yang Haoran would grant him another chance.
Just as Tang Shi's mind raced with wild conjectures, Yang Haoran, who was ahead, spoke.
“Tang Shi, what do you think of this place? ”
Caught off guard by Yang Haoran's sudden question, Tang Shi's heart trembled. He couldn't help but wonder if Yang Haoran would next ask him, “How is this place as a burial ground? ”
Though deeply uneasy, Tang Shi showed no outward sign of it. Instead, he respectfully replied, “It’s very secluded, and very quiet. ”
Unsure what kind of answer Yang Haoran desired, he opted for plain honesty, refraining from clever, embellished words.
“Indeed, I quite like this place. ”
As his voice faded, a bank card appeared in Yang Haoran's hand. Under Tang Shi's bewildered gaze, Yang Haoran extended the card to him.
Though he didn't know what Yang Haoran intended, Tang Shi didn't hesitate for a moment. He quickly and respectfully accepted the bank card with both hands.
“I wish to construct a secret base here. At the same time, I also want to assess your capabilities. ”
Upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, Tang Shi was overjoyed, and the anxious knot in his heart finally loosened. He had initially believed Yang Haoran had personally brought him back to Lecheng to mete out some punishment, but judging by the current situation, things were not as he had feared.
“May I inquire about your requirements for this secret base, Master? ” Tang Shi asked respectfully, suppressing his inner excitement.
“My requirements are few: it must have ample living quarters, secondly, areas for training and study, and most importantly, it must be absolutely concealed and absolutely confidential. As for how it's done, that will depend on your skill. I will only look at the result,” Yang Haoran said with a smile.
“Tang Shi understands. May I ask how much time you can give me, Master? ” Tang Shi continued to ask respectfully.
“As for time, there's no fixed deadline. From now until I lose my patience,” Yang Haoran said, smiling.
His answer was quite tricky, even somewhat demanding for Tang Shi, but he had his reasons for choosing such a response.
However, to his slight surprise, Tang Shi didn't hesitate for an instant, immediately giving a firm affirmative.
“Your subordinate understands. I will complete the mission in the shortest possible time. ”
Seeing Tang Shi's confidence, Yang Haoran nodded with great satisfaction, then spoke with a smile, “Then I shall await the results. Do not disappoint me. ”
“Please rest assured, Master! ”
With Tang Shi's respectful send-off, Yang Haoran tore through space and departed. Only when the spatial rift completely vanished did Tang Shi straighten his back.
Though Tang Shi still wore his mask, preventing his facial expression from being seen, his visible eyes revealed that he was deeply agitated at this moment.
Yang Haoran had personally brought him back to Lecheng from afar and entrusted him with a mission. He was fully aware of what this implied.
Yang Haoran had taken an interest in him, and this task was a test of his capabilities. He was certain that as long as he successfully completed this mission to Yang Haoran's satisfaction, his identity and status under Yang Haoran would undergo earth-shattering changes; he would definitely gain Yang Haoran's heavy reliance!
It was precisely because he understood this principle that he was so exceptionally agitated at this moment!
For him, this meant an opportunity had arrived. As long as he seized this chance, he would soar to great heights.
Conversely, if he failed, it would likely be difficult for him to ever make a name for himself under Yang Haoran again!
“No matter what, I cannot miss this opportunity! ”
Tang Shi clenched his fists in excitement, brimming with vigor. However, he didn't immediately set to work, knowing that blind action would neither improve efficiency nor guarantee quality.
He stood his ground, his gaze slowly sweeping over his surroundings. He needed to devise a perfect plan, integrating it with the local terrain, to meet Yang Haoran's standards of satisfaction!
Yang Haoran had indeed specifically brought Tang Shi back from afar and assigned him a task because he wished to assess Tang Shi's capabilities—a point Tang Shi had correctly discerned.
If Tang Shi's capabilities proved satisfactory, he would immediately promote him. If not, he would simply have to select someone else.
It was precisely because he wanted to see Tang Shi's true abilities that he hadn't given Tang Shi a fixed deadline, instead offering a rather tricky reply.
If Tang Shi could complete the mission within his ideal timeframe, then all the better.
If he failed to complete the mission within that ideal timeframe, then Yang Haoran's assessment of Tang Shi would undoubtedly diminish considerably.
Should he lose patience before Tang Shi completed the task, he naturally wouldn't punish Tang Shi; he would merely conclude that he had misjudged him. However, Tang Shi's prospects under him would then likely be bleak.
Yang Haoran currently kept a total of eight spiritual entities: three Evil Spirits (evil Spirits) and five Evil Spirits (evil Spirits). Why did he specifically choose Tang Shi? Because he believed Tang Shi possessed great intelligence. During his interactions with Tang Shi, he had observed all of Tang Shi's words and actions and felt Tang Shi had cultivation potential. That was why he entrusted this mission to Tang Shi.
Yang Haoran believed he hadn't misjudged, but everything relies on tangible results. Merely observing wasn't enough; he needed to see what Tang Shi was truly capable of. Since he happened to need a secret base constructed, he decided to use this task to test Tang Shi's abilities.
As for why he chose to build the secret base here, it was because the other side of the mountain was where his villa was located. Whether the villa came under sudden attack or something unforeseen occurred here, they could provide mutual support within a short time.
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