Chapter 852: Change and Acceptance
Old Master Wu hadn't expected Yang Haoran to suddenly ask him such a puzzling question.
However, with a brief thought, he understood what Yang Haoran meant by "regret."
Old Master Wu gently shook his head, giving Yang Haoran an affirmative answer.
“I don't regret it, it's just. . . it's just that I have some regrets. ”
Yang Haoran's expression remained unchanged. He didn't immediately respond, instead retrieving a pack of cigarettes from his independent space, pulling one out to offer Old Master Wu, then lighting one for himself.
Old Master Wu, who rarely smoked and almost never did so in Yang Haoran's presence, took the cigarette offered to him this time. He actually lit it for himself and, imitating Yang Haoran, took a deep drag.
“Why don't you regret it? ”
Only after taking a drag from his cigarette did Yang Haoran ask Old Master Wu.
“Because if I hadn't embarked on this path, my family, myself included, would certainly have died long ago. It is precisely because I stepped onto this path, successfully gained powers that ordinary people do not possess, and furthermore, under your heavy reliance, Boss, became the second-in-command of the Lecheng Underworld Office, that my family has been able to live safely and comfortably until now, though only four of us remain. ”
Yang Haoran's question about whether Old Master Wu regretted it referred to embarking on the path of the non-ordinary. Although Yang Haoran had clearly explained the pros and cons to Old Master Wu when he first followed him, Old Master Wu still decided to become one of the non-ordinary, and had stated he wouldn't regret it.
But now that such a major incident had occurred, Old Master Wu had experienced the agony of a ruined family, and his mindset or thoughts might have subtly shifted. Hence, Yang Haoran asked the very same question he had posed before.
He didn't show any surprise at Old Master Wu's answer, but he still inquired why Old Master Wu felt no regret.
Old Master Wu's explanation made Yang Haoran nod gently.
He nodded not because Old Master Wu's explanation cleared any doubts in his mind, but because he agreed with Old Master Wu's reasoning.
“You're right,” Yang Haoran said. “If you hadn't embarked on this path, let alone your family, even you would probably be dead by now. If not by the hands of the Wu family's rivals, then very likely during the period when this world changed. Though only four of your Wu family remain now, at least there are still four. ”
The Wu family had been rolling in the business world for so many years; while they had certainly made a fortune, they had also offended many people. Among them, not a few wished to bring down the Wu family.
Although the Wu family could hire some eccentric experts, "an open spear is easy to dodge, but a hidden arrow is hard to guard against. " Who could guarantee that the Wu family would never stumble?
Even if they truly evaded their enemies' assassinations, when the world descended into chaos, the entire New Beginning Realm transformed. Demons and monsters ran rampant. In such a situation, countless high-ranking officials and nobles throughout the New Beginning Realm died unnatural deaths. Who could guarantee the Wu family would survive?
The Wu family was indeed wealthy, but from the moment the world fell into chaos, New Beginning Coins became worthless. What good was all the Wu family's money then? It was just a pile of waste paper, a string of numbers with little practical use.
Besides New Beginning Coins, the Wu family also possessed numerous valuable collections. However, this so-called 'value' was only relative to ordinary people. To the non-ordinary, especially truly capable experts, these collections were utterly useless. Could they truly be used as leverage to invite genuine masters to continuously protect the Wu family?
The probability of that was almost zero. After all, with the world in turmoil, everyone was "sweeping the snow from their own doorstep. " Who would protect ordinary people for a pile of what they considered useless junk, especially when it wasn't just one person who needed protection, but an entire family?
Even if the Wu family got incredibly lucky and their collections contained treasures useful to other powerful individuals, obtaining protection would still be difficult. Unless they encountered truly principled people, but that possibility was equally low. Instead, the likelihood of being killed for their treasures was far greater.
The reason the Wu family didn't encounter such predicaments, but instead lived quite comfortably, without worries about food or clothing, and even continued to thrive splendidly, was naturally because they had Old Master Wu, and behind Old Master Wu stood Yang Haoran. Thus, ordinary demons, monsters, or members of other factions dared not provoke the Wu family.
Yang Haoran understood the reasoning behind this, and Old Master Wu naturally did too. Although neither of them had ever explicitly stated it, both understood it implicitly.
“Boss is right,” Old Master Wu said. “If I hadn't embarked on this path, my Wu family might well have ended up like the Xie family, with the entire clan wiped out. ”
The Xie family, which Old Master Wu mentioned, was a name Yang Haoran had heard countless times even before joining the Underworld Office. They were a family second only to the Wu family in Lecheng, but on the very day the Supreme Administrative Council collapsed, the Xie family suffered a fatal blow, with countless clan members dying tragically at the hands of demons and monsters.
Perhaps it was retribution for the Xie family's countless misdeeds, or perhaps vengeance for the numerous enemies they had made. Within just a few days, the entire Xie family was utterly annihilated. Even those fortunate Xie clan members who managed to escape didn't meet a good end; they were either scared to death by vengeful spirits, killed by ordinary people, or directly devoured by monsters. Their fates were all tragic.
In Old Master Wu's view, if his Wu family hadn't had him, and he hadn't had Yang Haoran backing him, then their fate would likely have been no better than the Xie family's.
“It's best if you think that way. However, what is the regret in your heart? ” Yang Haoran asked.
“I failed to protect them,” Old Master Wu replied.
Although Old Master Wu's answer was only a few short words, each word, as it left his lips, felt as heavy as a thousand catties, seemingly suffocating him.
Yang Haoran knew that Old Master Wu was in great pain at that moment, but he was forcefully suppressing his inner sorrow, preventing it from erupting. So Yang Haoran continued to offer words of comfort.
“That a part of them survived, no matter how you look at it, is a good thing. After all, merely surviving in this chaotic world is a luxury. To live well, eat well, sleep well, and thrive splendidly in these turbulent times, is even harder, something not just anyone can achieve. But you did it. Because of your existence, your Wu family members have lived far more wonderfully than most people in this world, so you needn't blame yourself too much. ”
After a slight pause, Yang Haoran continued his persuasion.
“Change what you can change, and accept what you cannot. You've already done your best in this matter. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. If something truly happens to you, what will Wu Senior and Wu Junior do? What about Wu Xiaoxiao? Instead of tormenting yourself, you might as well use this time to think about what to do in the future. It's impossible to completely avoid such tragedies, but at least you can do your utmost to prevent them from happening again, as much as possible. ”
“Although what I'm saying right now might sound like I'm 'talking without feeling the pain,' the truth of the matter is as I've stated. After all, I've also experienced the pain of separation by death in the past, so I understand how you feel right now. ”
Old Master Wu was not someone who couldn't tell good from bad or distinguish right from wrong. He knew that Yang Haoran's main purpose in saying these words was not to "rub salt in his wounds," but to enlighten him and help him emerge from his sorrow as quickly as possible, to regain his spirits.
“Thank you for your concern, Boss. Your subordinate will not be disheartened because of this matter. However, fully emerging from this sorrow will require some time. ” Old Master Wu said.
“That's only natural,” Yang Haoran nodded in understanding. “If you were truly a person with a heart of stone, I, Yang Haoran, wouldn't dare employ you. ”
Yang Haoran nodded gently, indicating his understanding. Old Master Wu, however, now wore a hesitant expression, looking as if he wanted to speak but couldn't find the words.
Yang Haoran saw the expression on Old Master Wu's face, and so he spoke.
“Old Wu, you can speak your mind directly. There's no need to feel embarrassed. ”
With Yang Haoran's words, Old Master Wu seemed to gather the courage to make up his mind, speaking to Yang Haoran.
“Boss, may I ask a favor of you? ”
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