Chapter 867: Agreeing to the Conditions
Yang Haoran maintained a faint smile throughout Zhu Rong's questioning and dissatisfaction, showing no hint of anger.
"Heh heh, Deputy Administrative Chief Zhu, I think you've misunderstood. The benefit I'm offering you now, if it were in the past, truly wouldn't count for much. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I eat meat and you drink soup. But times have changed. Before, you had a choice, but now you have none at all. Under circumstances where you have no choice, shouldn't such a promise be considered a benefit?"
Yang Haoran's words left Zhu Rong speechless for a moment, unable to find a retort. Yang Haoran, striking while the iron was hot, continued speaking.
"How about this? Since you're not quite satisfied with this benefit, I'll show some sincerity and sweeten the pot. As long as you're willing to follow me, I'll take care of all the Pure Yin Qi you need for your cultivation from now on. You'll just need to focus on doing your part, without having to worry about Pure Yin Qi."
After a slight pause, Yang Haoran continued.
"Every month, I will give you a fixed amount of Pure Yin Qi for you to improve your strength. If you perform well, I'll have additional rewards. The amount of the reward will depend on how much you contribute. I'm someone who deeply respects the fruits of other people's labor. As long as you put in the effort, I will definitely ensure you receive corresponding gains."
By this point, Yang Haoran noticed Zhu Rong was moved again. Compared to before, this time she was significantly more so.
With his previous words, Yang Haoran first reminded Zhu Rong not to forget her current predicament. Then, he seized the opportunity to raise the stakes, achieving this very effect.
"You can understand my promise just now as me paying you salary and bonuses, because that's essentially what it is. However, there's one thing I must make clear in advance: if I'm tied up with something important and can't deliver the Pure Yin Qi to you in time, please don't think I've run off. I, Yang Haoran, pay my debts and never welch. What's yours, I will absolutely give you every single bit, and perhaps even more. Welching on debts and running away will never happen to me."
Yang Haoran injected a small joke, which caused a faint smile to involuntarily appear on Zhu Rong's face. However, it lasted only an instant before Zhu Rong composed herself, but it didn't escape Yang Haoran's notice.
Yang Haoran saw this scene, but he didn't use the opportunity to ask Zhu Rong about her decision, or whether she would agree to his terms. Instead, he pressed harder, offering Zhu Rong another benefit.
"Heh heh, you just said you want to go further and climb higher. Coincidentally, I, Yang Haoran, am also such a person. Since I've decided to bring you on board, I won't hide it from you: this small Lecheng is merely my starting point, not my destination. As long as you're willing to follow me, I, Yang Haoran, will surely take you to see higher, farther, and more beautiful scenery, making your life even more splendid than you can imagine!"
"You can consider these words my promise to you, or another benefit I'm offering. However, this is the last benefit I'm promising you."
After his words fell, Yang Haoran lit another cigarette for himself. He couldn't remember how many cigarettes he had smoked today, as his attention wasn't on it at all.
"Deputy Administrative Chief Zhu, I've said all I have to say. The choice is yours. You don't need to tell me you'll go back and think it over. I've pleaded so earnestly for so long, made so many promises to you, and wasted so much time on you. So, let me indulge myself a little: once I finish this cigarette, I want to hear your affirmative reply."
Yang Haoran didn't deliberately speed up his smoking. He still smoked at his usual, unhurried, rhythmic pace.
However, he had only taken a few puffs, and the cigarette hadn't even burned halfway through, when Zhu Rong stood up from her seat and gave him a definitive answer with a serious expression.
"All right, I agree to your terms. After all, I have no other choice, and I'm quite satisfied to receive so many benefits. Furthermore, I truly want to stand at a high place and look at the distant scenery, to experience that feeling of all mountains being small beneath me. However, I hope Master can keep your promise and not burn the bridge after crossing the river."
Zhu Rong spoke these words very seriously and earnestly, without a hint of jest. Even at the end, her form of address for Yang Haoran changed.
Upon hearing this, Yang Haoran's faint smile deepened significantly. Clearly, Zhu Rong's decision made him very happy as well.
"Heh heh, don't worry. The promises I've made to you won't change. Heaven, earth, and even Bai Xue can bear witness. Of course, if you betray me, that's another matter entirely. Not only will I destroy the promises I made to you, but I will also personally destroy you. However, I don't wish for that day to truly come, because I am sincere towards you. If I truly had to kill you, I would definitely feel quite terrible inside."
Yang Haoran's words, while reassuring Zhu Rong, also served as a final warning.
"Master, rest assured, I won't do anything to dig my own grave. " Zhu Rong understood the meaning behind Yang Haoran's words and quickly guaranteed him.
"Don't call me 'Master, Master. ' From now on, you are the new Administrative Chief of our Lecheng Administrative Courtyard. As a city lord, calling someone 'Master' sounds quite odd. When outsiders are present, you can call me Emissary Yang. When we're alone, you can just call me Boss. I was poor for too long before, so it's not bad to enjoy being a boss now that I have the chance."
Yang Haoran said with a smile, his tone calm and his expression natural. He didn't seem smug; rather, he gave off the impression of making a serious joke.
"Yes, Boss."
Zhu Rong responded. Her tone couldn't be called respectful, but she also didn't show any obvious resistance.
Yang Haoran didn't mind this. After all, he had threatened her life to force her to agree to his terms. It was already quite good that Zhu Rong could be neither servile nor overbearing towards him. To make her completely submit and sincerely respect him from the bottom of her heart would depend on his methods, but this wasn't something that could be achieved in a day or two; it would require a process.
Yang Haoran was not in a hurry. Given enough time, he was confident he could make Zhu Rong follow him wholeheartedly.
"What I promise to do for you today, I won't wait until tomorrow to complete, because I'm a man of my word."
Yang Haoran said with a smile, then snapped his fingers. A Death God Seal rapidly condensed into form before him.
The Death God Seal floated in mid-air, and dense Yin Qi rose up. With a gentle wave of his hand, Yang Haoran sent the Death God Seal towards Zhu Rong's glabella.
Zhu Rong didn't resist, but she closed her eyes. The reason she closed her eyes wasn't because she was worried the Death God Seal would harm her, or that she didn't want to see it approach her. Nor was it because she wanted to close her eyes and enjoy the process of the Death God Seal entering her body. It was because of the helplessness in her heart.
Although she had agreed to Yang Haoran's terms, it wasn't her true intention. If there were other options, she definitely wouldn't have agreed, so she still felt somewhat helpless.
As the Death God Seal entered her glabella, Zhu Rong's body trembled slightly. She then sensed a power appearing within her. Although this power wasn't particularly strong, it definitely existed.
The power she sensed was, naturally, the Spirit Power released by the Death God Seal.
Zhu Rong, who had originally felt a bit helpless, instantly experienced a change in mood upon sensing the presence of this Spirit Power within her. Having power for the first time, she inevitably felt some curiosity and excitement, constantly sensing the faint Spirit Power within her body, as fresh as a child with a new toy.
"Since you're willing to follow me, we are now on the same side. While I may not be exceedingly generous, I'm never stingy with my own people."
Yang Haoran's voice brought Zhu Rong, who was sensing the power within her body, back to her senses. She opened her eyes to look at Yang Haoran, just in time to see a Soul Pill floating in mid-air before her.
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