Chapter 885: Jingran Pharmacy
For the period that followed, Yang Haoran remained incredibly busy in the Underworld.
To achieve his goals, he tried every possible means to curry favor with the Hall of Judgment. However, with no one to introduce him, progress was incredibly difficult.
Moreover, with his current limited financial resources and lack of special status, as merely a lowly Emissary of Death, hardly anyone was willing to pay him any heed.
In the eyes of ordinary ghosts, he was an Underworld Official from the mortal realm, and anyone who saw him would respectfully address him as "Sir. " But in the eyes of Ghost Officials of the same rank, his status carried no weight. After all, there were tens of thousands of Underworld Officials throughout the mortal realm, and with Yang Haoran being so unassuming, who would bother to give him face?
Of course, if he were rich enough, even if he usually kept a low profile, he could still pave his way with money and build connections. But the crucial point was that he dared not do so.
He could spend some money to establish connections, but not too much, because his current identity did not support such actions. If he did, he might burn himself, failing to achieve his objective and instead becoming the subject of an investigation, which would only lead to more trouble.
After multiple unsuccessful attempts, he had no choice but to abandon that path and focus all his energy on the Underworld Talent Market.
After he revised the job requirements, the number of ghosts applying became extremely sparse, as the stringent demands disqualified the vast majority.
There were also a few who knew absolutely nothing about spiritual medicinal ingredients yet still dared to apply. They were entirely relying on luck, hoping to impress Yang Haoran with other strengths, in the chance that they might secure a job. If they didn't succeed, they wouldn't lose anything.
These few individuals did possess some abilities, but they were of little use to Yang Haoran, so he likewise rejected them.
As for demon souls, Yang Haoran did encounter a few outside the Underworld Talent Market during this time, but these demon souls already had masters. Within the market itself, he didn't see a single demon soul looking for work.
Although he had revised his plan, progress was much more difficult than he had imagined. Not only was the problem unsolved, but he was also on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion, which left him feeling quite helpless.
Inside the shop, Yang Haoran lay sprawled on a chair, smoking a cigarette, lost in thought, his mind occupied with unknown worries.
Ban Kui and Gu Yi stood respectfully behind Yang Haoran, serving him tea and water. Both knew their boss was currently deep in thought, so neither spoke a word.
At present, both Ban Kui and Gu Yi were not only wearing custom-made Skins, but also uniform attire.
Both were clad in long black robes with gold trim, emblazoned with two gracefully flowing characters on their chests: Jingran.
The two characters, Jingran, were the name of this pharmacy. A grand signboard now hung outside the shop, with the four characters "Jingran Pharmacy" carved upon it.
Inside the shop, Ban Kui and Gu Yi had already cleaned everything thoroughly and, according to Yang Haoran's instructions, had made some alterations to all the shelves based on future needs.
To make the pharmacy more aesthetically pleasing, Yang Haoran also instructed the two to purchase some decorations appropriate for a pharmacy, thereby enhancing the shop's appearance.
The first floor of the pharmacy was for buying and selling various medicines, while the second floor was for buying and selling various spiritual medicinal ingredients. However, since the shop had not yet opened for business, the shelves on both the first and second floors remained empty.
During this time, although Yang Haoran hadn't found a satisfactory manager as he wished, other matters had been implemented very well and met his standards, which was perhaps a blessing in disguise.
While he was busy trying to find a satisfactory manager, he didn't let Gu Yi and Ban Kui idle. From having signs made by merchants, designing the shop's uniforms, to reorganizing the shop according to his specifications, all of these tasks were completed by Ban Kui and Gu Yi. As the boss, he didn't have to worry about a thing.
Now, everything was ready except for the crucial factor; all preparations had been made. All that was missing was a manager, and their Jingran Pharmacy could open for business.
Ban Kui and Gu Yi had witnessed Yang Haoran's busyness during this period and understood what was troubling their boss. After an unknown period of silence among the master and two servants, Yang Haoran finally broke the quiet.
"Sigh, it's been a long time since I've had to rack my brains like this. This feeling is truly unpleasant."
Yang Haoran sighed, tossed aside the cigarette butt that had burned down at some point, took a sip of tea, and then lit another cigarette.
Ban Kui remained silent, standing motionless behind Yang Haoran like a wooden post. Given his nature, asking him to fight with all his might wouldn't be a problem, but asking him to use his brain for planning was truly a challenge for him.
Therefore, even though he knew Yang Haoran was troubled, he didn't speak. On one hand, he felt that if Yang Haoran couldn't handle something, he certainly couldn't either.
Furthermore, he genuinely didn't know how to comfort people. He was afraid that if he said the wrong thing, he wouldn't only fail to comfort Yang Haoran but might also displease him, so he simply said nothing at all.
Gu Yi's reaction, however, was different. Seeing Yang Haoran so troubled, hesitation appeared on her face, and then she gritted her teeth, as if making a decision.
"Boss, I know what's troubling you. Since a satisfactory manager is so hard to find, would you consider me again? Although I don't understand spiritual medicinal ingredients or the medicines refined by Pharmacists, I'm a quick learner and have an excellent memory. As long as you're willing to give me some time, I definitely won't disappoint you."
Gu Yi had brought this up to Yang Haoran more than once recently, but Yang Haoran had always refused, feeling that it was too frivolous to appoint a young girl who knew nothing about the field as manager. It just didn't seem appropriate.
However, Gu Yi didn't give up because of Yang Haoran's refusal; instead, her desire to become a manager grew even stronger. Now, seeing Yang Haoran so worried about the matter, she brought it up again.
Yang Haoran didn't get angry despite Gu Yi repeatedly bringing this up, because he could sense that Gu Yi genuinely wanted to help him alleviate his worries and stop his distress.
Of course, there was also an element of Gu Yi wanting to prove her capabilities to him, but regardless, her intentions were good, so he naturally wouldn't get angry.
If he were to get angry about this, it would surely be a significant blow to Gu Yi, and might even make this straightforward young girl feel disheartened or even leave her with psychological trauma.
To manage people, one must first manage their hearts. To retain someone, one must capture their heart, so one's words and actions should not discourage them.
Seeing that Yang Haoran didn't immediately give a reply but was instead considering something, Gu Yi quickly spoke again.
"Boss, you have to believe me, I truly can do it. Please give me a chance, let me have a platform to prove my abilities. Moreover, once I take on the role of manager, you'll have ample time to scout for a manager you're satisfied with. If, in the future, I genuinely can't handle the position, you can replace me anytime, and I absolutely won't have any complaints."
When Gu Yi said these words to Yang Haoran, although she was full of confidence in herself, her tone was weak, even pleading, appearing utterly pitiful.
Gu Yi's words, however, did give Yang Haoran a reminder: since he couldn't find a satisfactory manager in the short term, why not appoint a temporary manager to oversee the shop for now?
As Gu Yi said, this way he would have ample time to search for a manager he was satisfied with, instead of being anxious like he was now.
Although a temporary manager's abilities would certainly be inferior to a permanent one, in the initial stages he could focus primarily on selling medicines and secondarily on purchasing. The temporary manager could purchase items they could identify the value of, and temporarily refrain from purchasing those they couldn't. This way, even if the temporary manager's abilities were not as good as a permanent one, the pharmacy could still operate.
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