Chapter 883: Let Me Give You an Idea
Since Si Ying didn't work out, Yang Haoran had to immediately change his target; he couldn't hang himself from a single tree.
However, finding a satisfactory store manager in such a short time truly gave Yang Haoran a headache.
He furrowed his brows in thought, then pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.
Yang Haoran didn't have many friends in the Underworld. Strictly speaking, Jiang Dashi was his only friend. The number he was calling now was Jiang Dashi's.
The task of finding a store manager was troubling him, so he contacted Jiang Dashi, hoping Jiang Dashi could offer some advice and see if he had any good suggestions.
Additionally, there were some other questions he wanted to ask Jiang Dashi.
The call quickly connected. After exchanging a few words with Jiang Dashi, Yang Haoran hung up and went directly to Jiang Dashi's residence.
Although there were places to drink and chat in the Underworld, some conversations weren't convenient to have out in the open. If someone with ulterior motives overheard them, it wouldn't just cause trouble for him; Jiang Dashi would also be implicated. So, he felt it was better to discuss certain matters behind closed doors.
When Jiang Dashi first arrived in the Underworld and became a Ghost Official, he was financially constrained, making such food and wine a luxury. Now that he had been a Ghost Official for several years and accumulated some savings, these items were no longer as extravagant as they once were.
Of course, these were just ordinary dishes. He still couldn't afford the high-grade food and wine that contained rich Pure Yin Qi.
Looking at the table full of dishes, Yang Haoran's face showed a hint of embarrassment.
"Heh heh, my visit here has cost you quite a bit, Jiang Dashi," Yang Haoran said with a smile.
"Given our relationship, saying such things is too formal. Besides, these aren't anything special. Just don't dislike them," Jiang Dashi replied with a smile.
"How could I dislike them? These are treasures in my eyes! I'm too excited for them, how could I possibly dislike them?"
Yang Haoran said with a chuckle, then took out two good bottles of wine from his personal dimension. He had bought them on his way over. They were also fine wines infused with Pure Yin Qi, of a considerable grade and quite expensive.
"I came in a bit of a hurry and didn't know what to get you, so I just bought these two bottles of wine."
Although Jiang Dashi had also prepared good wine, its quality was significantly lower compared to the two bottles Yang Haoran had bought.
"You, kid! Just coming to visit is enough, why buy things? And even if you did, why such expensive wine? This kind of wine isn't something a humble Ghost Official like me can afford," Jiang Dashi said with a laugh.
"Heh heh, it's just a small token of my regard. I can't very well come empty-handed, can I?"
Before they even picked up their chopsticks, the two opened the floodgates of conversation. Then, at Jiang Dashi's invitation, they poured their glasses full of fine wine, chatting happily, one speaking after another, clinking glasses and drinking.
After three rounds of drinks, Yang Haoran finally told Jiang Dashi about his recent troubles and hoped Jiang Dashi could offer him some advice. After all, Jiang Dashi, as a Ghost Official, was far more familiar with the Underworld than he, an Underworld Official from the human realm.
Upon learning of Yang Haoran's troubles, Jiang Dashi pondered for a moment, then spoke.
"Your pharmacy not only needs to sell medicine but also acquire various spiritual herbs. So, your store manager must be knowledgeable in this area. Selling medicine is one thing; you set the price, and they handle sales. The requirements for the manager and staff aren't high for that. But acquiring spiritual herbs is different. If they can't even discern the authenticity and value of spiritual herbs, how can they be competent for the job?"
Yang Haoran gave a bitter smile. He had, of course, already considered the problem Jiang Dashi mentioned. In truth, the best candidate for a store manager would be a ghost who was a Pharmacist in life. Such a person would not only know how to concoct medicine but also possess a greater understanding of various spiritual herbs than others. However, he had spent an entire day interviewing today and hadn't found a single ghost who was a Pharmacist in life.
Let alone a ghost who was a Pharmacist in life, he hadn't even found one who had a slight understanding of spiritual herbs. So, in desperation, he had finally decided to try poaching from Huo Laoban.
Because Si Ying was skilled at appraising various items, and the Yin-Yang Emporium dealt in a wide range of goods, including spiritual herbs. Since they dared to conduct such business, it indicated that Si Ying possessed some ability in this area.
But unfortunately, Si Ying had politely refused him. Unable to think of a better solution for a while, he had come to Jiang Dashi to ask for advice.
"I understand what you mean, Jiang Dashi, but finding a ghost who understands spiritual herbs isn't simple. At least, I didn't find any today," Yang Haoran said with a bitter smile.
Hearing this, Jiang Dashi's face showed hesitation, as if he had something to say but was afraid to say it.
"Jiang Dashi, just say what's on your mind. Don't hide anything between us,"
Yang Haoran saw Jiang Dashi's expression and reaction, so he spoke with a smile.
Jiang Dashi didn't immediately respond. Instead, he waved his hand, setting up a restriction barrier. Seeing Jiang Dashi act so cautiously, Yang Haoran knew that what Jiang Dashi was about to say likely involved some secrets.
"Jiang Dashi, if it's difficult, it's really okay not to say it."
Yang Haoran wasn't being polite with Jiang Dashi. He genuinely didn't want to make things difficult for him. Just now, seeing Jiang Dashi's hesitant expression, he had initially thought Jiang Dashi might be about to say something discouraging, which was why he had urged Jiang Dashi to speak freely.
But judging by Jiang Dashi's current reaction, the truth seemed to be different from what he had imagined.
"It's nothing too difficult. These matters aren't really secrets to many people, but due to the rules, no one dares to bring them up casually. I gather you probably don't know about this, so I'll tell you, so you have an idea and avoid taking unnecessary detours," Jiang Dashi said.
Hearing this, Yang Haoran felt a little more at ease, but at the same time, a strong curiosity arose within him.
"No rush, let's have a drink first."
Yang Haoran said with a smile. The two raised their glasses, clinked them, and drained them in one gulp. After putting down their glasses, Jiang Dashi continued to speak.
"Let's talk about why you didn't find any ghosts who were Pharmacists in life at the talent market today. To be honest, not only did you not find any today, but you won't find any in the future either. Even if you spend all day at the talent market, at most, you'll only find ghosts with superficial knowledge or some recognition of spiritual herbs. You'll almost certainly never encounter a true Pharmacist."
Jiang Dashi's words made a hint of doubt appear in Yang Haoran's eyes.
"Oh? Is it because Pharmacists are too rare, and even after death, their souls might be imprisoned by those with intentions, making it difficult to see ghosts who were Pharmacists in life in the Underworld?"
Yang Haoran said with a faint smile, voicing his guess.
"You're only partly right. There are too few Pharmacists in this world. Most of them are protected by major forces and powerful individuals. Furthermore, they themselves possess methods to prolong life, so relatively speaking, their mortality rate is the lowest compared to others."
"The mortality rate of Pharmacists is already low. Once they die, their souls are often collected by those with intentions. Some Underworld Officials, upon discovering a Pharmacist's soul, will even secretly detain it instead of handing it over to the Underworld, their purpose being self-evident. It is precisely because of this that very few Pharmacist souls actually make it to the Underworld."
At this point, Jiang Dashi paused slightly, then continued to speak.
"People in the mortal realm value Pharmacists so highly, not even wanting to let go of their souls. The Underworld is naturally no exception. I believe you understand what I mean by that."
The smile on Yang Haoran's face faded slightly. Of course, he understood what Jiang Dashi meant.
"Jiang Dashi, do you mean that the Underworld detains all these Pharmacist souls and won't assign them to the lowest ranks of the Underworld to perform duties, so no matter how long I stay at the talent market, it's impossible for me to recruit a ghost who was a Pharmacist in life?"
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