Chapter 575: The Person in Charge
In response to Shi Kai's question, Yang Haoran shook his head with a wry smile, indicating that he currently had no good solution.
<r>Seeing Yang Haoran shake his head, Shi Kai turned his gaze to Huo Laoban. Yang Haoran also directed his attention towards Huo Laoban.
<r>Noticing both of them looking at him, Huo Laoban's smile deepened. It exuded a sense of confidence, as if victory was already within his grasp.
<r>“I do have a few ideas, though I'm not sure if they're feasible. We'll need to discuss them with the three of you before reaching a conclusion. ”
<r>Huo Laoban said with a smile. The three individuals he mentioned, besides Yang Haoran and Shi Kai, included the second-in-command Old Crone.
<r>If it had been Shi Kai, he likely would have forgotten about the Old Crone, or even if he hadn't, he would have excluded her from the discussion.
<r>However, Huo Laoban did no such thing. From his words, it seemed he placed the Old Crone on equal footing with himself.
<r>Upon hearing Huo Laoban's words, Yang Haoran's expression remained unchanged. He looked at Huo Laoban, seemingly awaiting his next statement.
<r>
The Old Crone, naturally, understood the underlying meaning of Huo Laoban's words, and thus promptly interjected: “This matter can be decided by the three Emissaries of Death. This old woman absolutely cannot participate. Once the three Emissaries of Death have reached a decision, you merely need to instruct this old woman. ”
<r>“Heh heh, you mustn't say that. With your Emissary of Death's whereabouts unknown, and you being the acting Emissary of Death for Cloud River City, how could we hold a discussion without you? After all, you represent the Cloud River City Underworld Office, and this is your territory. ” Huo Laoban chuckled.
<r>The Old Crone was actually well aware that even with Huo Laoban's words, she had no real standing to negotiate when facing the three of them. If she didn't even understand this basic principle, how could she possibly have attained the position of second-in-command of the Cloud River City Underworld Office?
<r>Nevertheless, even understanding this, hearing Huo Laoban's words still made her quite happy, and she felt a surge of gratitude towards him, for at least he hadn't ignored her existence.
<r>The Old Crone was the second-in-command of the Cloud River City Underworld Office; respecting her meant respecting the entire Cloud River City Underworld Office. Therefore, Huo Laoban's words at this moment not only filled the Old Crone with gratitude but also evoked gratitude from the other Night Watchers present, strengthening their favorable impression of him.
<r>In truth, Yang Haoran was also very courteous towards them, and thoughtful of their feelings in his words and actions. So why didn't they feel the same gratitude or have such a strong favorable impression of Yang Haoran?
<r>The reason was simple: in their eyes, Huo Laoban was stronger than Yang Haoran!
<r>The impact of the same action, when performed by someone with power versus someone without, is completely different.
<r>Although Yang Haoran was not a person without power, in the eyes of others at this moment, including Shi Kai, he was the one perceived as lacking power compared to Huo Laoban.
<r>Yang Haoran observed the reactions of the Old Crone and the Night Watchers present, his expression unwavering, his smile still in place.
<r>“Huo Laoban is right,” Yang Haoran said with a smile. “The three of us are certainly not as familiar with Cloud River City as you are. Having you participate in the discussion would be very helpful to us. ”
<r>Seeing Yang Haoran concur, Shi Kai found it hard to say much more. He lifted the brim of his hat, glanced at Huo Laoban, then turned his gaze back to Yang Haoran.
<r>“For this operation, I think we should let Emissary of Death Huo be in charge. What do you think, Emissary of Death Yang? ” Shi Kai asked.
<r>“I was just thinking the same thing. With Emissary of Death Huo in charge of this operation, it will undoubtedly be foolproof, heh heh. ” Yang Haoran said with a smile.
<r>Shi Kai smiled and looked at Huo Laoban, saying, “Since Emissary of Death Yang also has no objections, we'll have to trouble Huo Laoban a great deal with this operation. ”
<r>Yang Haoran had expected Huo Laoban to decline, because while things would be fine if the matter went well, failure would entail significant responsibility. If Luo Yao were to hold them accountable, the person in charge would certainly be the first to face his wrath.
<r>To Yang Haoran's surprise, Huo Laoban actually nodded with a smiling face, showing no intention of declining at all.
<r>“Since the two Emissaries of Death think so highly of me, Huo, then I shall respectfully obey. I will take charge of this operation, and if any problems arise, all responsibility will be borne by me, Huo, alone. ” Huo Laoban said with a smile.
<r>“Emissary of Death Huo, there's no need to be so formal,” Shi Kai said with a smile. “Since we are jointly carrying out this mission, if any problems arise, we should naturally bear the responsibility together. How could we possibly let Emissary of Death Huo shoulder it alone? ”
<r>Though they spoke this way, all three of them understood perfectly well that if any mishap truly occurred, the person in charge would inevitably bear the vast majority of the responsibility, while the other two would have significantly less to answer for.
<r>Yang Haoran had initially been somewhat puzzled as to why Huo Laoban would choose to be the one to stick his neck out, but after a moment's thought, his confusion was dispelled.
<r>If an accident occurred, the person in charge would bear great responsibility, but once the operation concluded successfully, their merit would also be the greatest.
<r>In Yang Haoran's view, the reason Huo Laoban was willing to be the one to stick his neck out was likely because he coveted the merits gained after the operation's completion.
<r>This operation was personally arranged by Guardian Luo Yao. If Huo Laoban were to take charge of this operation and bring it to a successful conclusion, he might very well gain Luo Yao's appreciation. To be appreciated by a Guardian was an unparalleled honor for any Emissary of Death, and it came with numerous benefits.
<r>Yang Haoran sighed inwardly. Having understood this point, his doubts about Huo Laoban's actions vanished. As the saying goes, 'no profit, no early rise'; Huo Laoban was no fool. Without absolute benefits, how could he possibly be willing to stick his neck out like this?
<r>However, not just anyone could be the one to stick their neck out. Without absolute qualifications and strength, one wouldn't even be eligible to try. Among the three of them, only Huo Laoban possessed that qualification.
<r>“I'll now share my thoughts with everyone; see if you think they're feasible. ”
<r>Huo Laoban spoke with a smile, then laid out his thoughts. Rather than merely "thoughts," it would be more accurate to call them a concrete plan and deployment.
<r>Although Yang Haoran didn't particularly like Huo Laoban, he had to admit that Huo Laoban was indeed talented. Based solely on the information he'd received from the Old Crone, he had devised a sound plan in such a short amount of time—something truly beyond the capabilities of an ordinary person. His mind was incredibly sharp.
<r>According to Huo Laoban's arrangements, they would proceed with this mission by splitting into two groups. One person would lead the other Night Watchers to guard the Death God Temple, luring the enemies into revealing themselves, while the other two would deal with the ghosts appearing within the city.
<r>Dealing with the ghosts outside the temple was a task assigned to Yang Haoran and Shi Kai. This was quite a desirable assignment, as it allowed them to acquire ghosts.
<r>Huo Laoban, on the other hand, would remain at the Death God Temple to confront the incoming enemies. While this task might seem less appealing than subduing ghosts, it was actually a similarly excellent opportunity, as the attackers were almost all Spirit Mediums. The souls of Spirit Mediums could be exchanged for substantial Soul Pill rewards in the Underworld. As long as they killed the Spirit Mediums and collected their souls, benefits would follow.
<r>If one were to compare, the benefits gained from dealing with Spirit Mediums were slightly greater than those from dealing with ghosts; however, the risks were also considerably higher.
<r>Neither Yang Haoran nor Shi Kai objected to Huo Laoban's arrangements. Yang Haoran didn't know what Shi Kai was thinking, but for his part, he was indifferent; whether it was dealing with Spirit Mediums or ghosts, he could do either. He would simply follow Huo Laoban's instructions.
<r>The Night Watchers led by the Old Crone, along with the supporting Spirit Police, Talisman Masters, and Exorcists, only needed to cooperate with Yang Haoran and the other two. Although there were still inherent dangers, with Yang Haoran and the two others leading the charge as the main force, their overall risk would be significantly reduced.
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