Chapter 356: A Grand Chess Game |
After the serpent demon departed, Yang Haoran instructed each member of the Night Watch to return to their respective posts. The entire villa was left with only him, Master Wu, and Xiaokang, who was reading in his own study.
"Old Wu, what's your relationship with Zhu Xiaoyu?" Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Master Wu's face revealed a bitter smile as he responded, "So Boss has noticed."
Yang Haoran just smiled and said nothing, waiting for Master Wu to continue.
"Xiaoyu is an acquaintance of mine. Her closest relatives are no longer in this world, so she has no attachments. That's why I allowed her to join the Night Watch. She's actually a good person, just a bit too lively at times, sometimes even unable to distinguish the occasion." Master Wu said with a helpless expression.
"So, that's the story. But being lively isn't necessarily a bad thing. Do you want to see her become like us?" Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
To this question, Master Wu only smiled and did not answer.
"Old Wu, have you ever thought about having your family members join the Night Watch?" Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
At this, Old Wu was stunned for a moment, then he shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Heh, Old Wu, you've thought it through. As for your eldest son and granddaughter Xiao Xiao, if they want to join the Night Watch, you can tell me anytime, and I'll handle it for you." Yang Haoran said with a smile.
"Thank you, Boss." Master Wu expressed his gratitude before hesitating for a moment, seeming to have something to say but finding it difficult to articulate.
"If you have something to say, Old Wu, just say it. There's no need for us to keep anything from each other." Yang Haoran noticed Master Wu's hesitation and said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Master Wu nodded, then waved his hand to set up a restriction barrier, surprising Yang Haoran.
"Heh, what requires Old Wu to be so cautious?" Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
"Caution is the parent of safety, Boss. With Miss Bai Xue absent, I have the opportunity to ask you: Is it worth it for you to help her like this?" Master Wu asked with great seriousness.
Yang Haoran hadn't expected Master Wu to bring up this matter, though somewhat surprised, his expression remained unchanged.
He took out another cigarette from the pack, lit it, took a deep drag, then asked Master Wu, "Old Wu, if you were in my position, how would you handle Bai Xue?"
"If it were me, I wouldn't meddle in her affairs. After all, she's a demon. No matter what she does in the future, even if she becomes a Spirit Police, there will still be plenty of people hostile to her. Getting involved with her is inviting trouble for oneself. In my opinion, your approach is highly unwise." Master Wu explained.
Yang Haoran chuckled and asked, "So, based on your understanding of me, do you think I would do something as seemingly unwise as this without reason?"
Master Wu shook his head and said, "Based on my understanding of Boss, you wouldn't make such a mistake, unless..."
"Unless what? Heh, you don't think I've taken a fancy to her too, do you?" Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
Master Wu didn't answer Yang Haoran's question. He just wore a wry smile and said nothing.
Although Master Wu didn't say anything, his expression had already revealed everything.
Yang Haoran took another drag from his cigarette, then smiled faintly and said, "I already have someone in my heart. Although I'm not sure if I can win her over, until I have a result, I won't invest my time and energy into other women."
Master Wu furrowed his brow slightly. He had thought that Yang Haoran was willingly standing up for the serpent demon because he was captivated by her beauty. However, Yang Haoran's response now either indicated that his assumption was wrong or that Yang Haoran was deceiving him.
Yet, Master Wu didn't see any reason for deception in this matter. After all, relationships between humans and demons were not uncommon, even depicted in television dramas. There were even gods who dared to consort with serpents.
Thinking along these lines, he denied the possibility that Yang Haoran was deliberately deceiving him, and instead, believed that he had misjudged the situation.
"So, Boss, what are you doing all this for?" After hesitating for a moment, Master Wu still asked.
He hadn't planned to ask this question because he felt it wasn't his place to do so. Since Yang Haoran had already spoken, it meant he must have his own plans. However, curiosity got the better of him, prompting him to ask.
Yang Haoran's smile remained unchanged. He had no intention of avoiding Master Wu's question. After a moment of thought, he smiled faintly and said, "Regardless of anything, if I don't intervene, then the eventual outcome doesn't matter to me. But if I do intervene, then I'll have to see it through to the end because I believe in seeing things through."
As his words trailed off, a hint of hesitation flashed in Yang Haoran's eyes. He pondered whether to say something, then decided to speak, "Besides, there's another reason. I'm playing the next move, a grand move."
Yang Haoran's answer was vague, so much so that Master Wu had no idea what Yang Haoran intended to do.
However, Master Wu was tactful enough not to press further. Yang Haoran's response was clear enough, and he didn't intend to elaborate on it at this moment.
"Boss, this is the talisman bag you entrusted to me earlier."
Master Wu took out the talisman bag left by Elder Zhang and handed it to Yang Haoran.
Yang Haoran glanced at it but didn't reach out to take the talisman bag. Instead, he smiled and said, "Find an opportunity to give this talisman bag to Wang Yiming."
Master Wu didn't show any surprise on his face. He simply nodded respectfully in response.
Master Wu probably understood why Yang Haoran wanted to return the talisman bag to Wang Yiming. It was a gesture to Elder Zhang, indicating that Yang Haoran didn't want to worsen their relationship with the Fu Sect. The Fu Sect held considerable power in Lecheng and even in the entire New Genesis World. Yang Haoran wouldn't benefit much from antagonizing them.
Returning the talisman bag to Wang Yiming was essentially returning it to Elder Zhang. It wasn't about making amends; it was about sending a message to Elder Zhang: "I, Yang Haoran, don't want to confront your Fu Sect."
As for why he had acted aggressively earlier, it was simply a tactic. If you didn't show your strength, people would think you were easy to bully.
In simpler terms, Yang Haoran's approach towards the Fu Sect today was like giving them a slap first, then giving them a piece of candy.
At this point, Yang Haoran's actions couldn't repair the relationship between the two sides, but they could at least ease the tension and bring about subtle changes in the deadlock.
Master Wu understood these details, but what he didn't know was that Yang Haoran had another layer of intention behind his actions.
Yang Haoran and Wang Yiming had a good relationship. During the battle at the ghost building, Wang Yiming had even used a talisman he had hidden inside himself. While the exact significance of this talisman in that battle might not be clear, at least this act of friendship had to be remembered.
Moreover, Elder Zhang was Wang Yiming's master. The talisman was explicitly given by Elder Zhang to protect Wang Yiming. Yang Haoran had indirectly benefited from Elder Zhang's favor, so he couldn't accept this talisman bag.
As for the conflicts with the Fu Sect today, Yang Haoran felt somewhat ashamed, but he had no choice. They had come aggressively, and if he didn't assert himself, how would he continue to operate in Lecheng? How would his Night Watch subordinates view him?
Besides, he had his own thoughts and plans. So, even if there were things he didn't want to do, he had to do them because of his position.
After instructing Master Wu, Yang Haoran took out his mobile phone and sent a text message to Wang Yiming.
[Heartfelt thankyou for the support! SlaySaga]