Chapter 359: Exclusion |
The Night Watch entered Yang Haoran's villa with his permission. However, these Night Watch members were well-behaved and sat patiently, waiting for Yang Haoran to appear.
Since becoming members of the Night Watch, their perspectives had changed compared to ordinary people. Luxury mansions no longer held the same impact for them.
Nevertheless, they were still curious about Yang Haoran's residence. They looked around, not so much admiring the mansion itself, but rather the items inside.
Unfortunately, they did not sense any distinctive power fluctuations from the decorations in Yang Haoran's mansion. This left them somewhat disappointed, as they were eager to broaden their horizons.
Before long, Yang Haoran emerged, followed by Master Wu. The serpent demon was accompanied by Xiaokang, not far behind.
The serpent demon did not wear her flashy police uniform because they were going out for a party and it wouldn't be appropriate. Instead, she wore sportswear and put on her ugly mask, leaving only her nose and below exposed.
When Yang Haoran appeared, all the Night Watch members quickly stood up and saluted with respect.
"You've all worked hard during this period. Tonight, we're going out to relax and have fun. Feel free to enjoy yourselves and don't hold back."
Yang Haoran finished speaking with a smile before leading the Night Watch members out of the villa.
Yang Haoran's side had no objections to the serpent demon, but it was different for the Spirit Police. Not all of them were fond of the serpent demon.
Before the gathering, Captain Luo held a meeting that lasted the entire afternoon. The meeting revolved around the topic of the serpent demon.
The majority of the Spirit Police were unable to accept the serpent demon joining their ranks because they despised associating with a man-eating demon. Two Spirit Police officers even declared on the spot that they were leaving the Spirit Police.
Therefore, Captain Luo and Deputy Captain Zhou spent the entire afternoon persuading and clarifying the advantages and disadvantages to all the Spirit Police officers.
Deputy Captain Zhou, although he also disliked the serpent demon, found himself in a different position, so he could only do the same as Captain Luo and work on the other Spirit Police officers' mindset.
Despite the efforts of the two, while the majority of the Spirit Police still harbored strong aversion towards the serpent demon, no one said anything further and silently accepted that the serpent demon was now one of them.
Their choice to compromise was partly due to Captain Luo's persuasive arguments, which forced them to consider the bigger picture.
Another reason was that it wasn't solely Captain Luo's decision; it was the directive of the Director of Administration.
Apart from these two factors, there was another crucial reason—the Spirit Police were about to receive a substantial amount of resources in the near future. Among these resources were various secret manuals, mystical artifacts, and rumored power-enhancing medicines.
For any Spirit Police officer, these resources were treasures. Acquiring them would undoubtedly elevate their own strength to a higher level.
In the face of absolute benefits, not everyone would bow down, but many would, especially when it only meant having one more demon within their own ranks. Moreover, this demon had no feud with them. They wouldn't give up these resources for the sake of a demon.
Furthermore, Captain Luo mentioned that they aimed to strengthen their team, not just by recruiting a serpent demon, but also by recruiting more demons and monsters in the future. As long as they could be of use to the Spirit Police, they would be accepted.
With various reasons and the temptation of benefits, Captain Luo and Deputy Captain Zhou managed to stabilize the Spirit Police officers who were reluctant to accept the serpent demon.
However, stabilizing them did not mean that their aversion towards the serpent demon would easily disappear. As a result, the atmosphere at the gathering that night became tense.
Not everyone was like Yang Haoran, who had a smiling face but hidden intentions. The majority of people were still accustomed to expressing their inner emotions on their faces. Their aversion towards the serpent demon naturally manifested in their expressions and actions.
The serpent demon noticed all of this and naturally felt uncomfortable. Although Captain Luo had mentioned this issue to her when she joined the Spirit Police, hoping she wouldn't take it to heart, at that time she didn't think much of it, and she understood.
However, when she faced the cold mockery from some Spirit Police officers, she found it difficult to suppress her inner anger. If it weren't for Yang Haoran secretly signaling her to endure, she would have erupted long ago.
Captain Luo was also helpless in this situation. He could only try his best to explain to the serpent demon, hoping that she would understand and be more considerate.
According to Captain Luo, once the serpent demon participated in several missions alongside the other Spirit Police officers, their impression of her would undoubtedly change. But until then, she would have to endure the hardship.
Yang Haoran observed everything with keen eyes. Captain Luo's eloquence impressed him greatly. Initially, when he first met Captain Luo, he appeared reserved. However, as their interactions increased, Yang Haoran realized that Captain Luo wasn't always reserved; he spoke when necessary and remained silent when appropriate.
The gathering with the Spirit Police this time wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it was certainly the most subdued gathering they'd ever had.
After parting ways with the Spirit Police, Yang Haoran didn't intend to return immediately. He had told his Night Watch subordinates beforehand that tonight was for unwinding, for keeping their eyes open. A stifled gathering was never fulfilling. Not only did he feel this way himself, but he knew his Night Watch felt it too. Therefore, he decided to lead his group to another venue.
"Boss, I won't be going. These old bones of mine can't handle too much excitement. I'll take Xiaokang home. Staying out too late won't do him any good." Master Wu found a moment to quietly express his thoughts to Yang Haoran.
Yang Haoran nodded in understanding, replying with a smile, "You're thoughtful, Old Wu. I'll leave it to you then."
If Old Wu didn't possess his current strength, Yang Haoran might believe his words about his frailty. But knowing Old Wu's capabilities now, despite his age, he wasn't as fragile as he appeared.
Yang Haoran understood that Old Wu's real intention in declining was to take Xiaokang home. Though not explicitly stated, Yang Haoran comprehended.
Once Old Wu left, Yang Haoran decided to visit a bar in Guanhai. It had been a while since he last saw that lad, and they hadn't spoken on the phone for quite some time.
He wasn't sure what Guanhai had been up to lately, but he had been busy for certain. They hadn't found time to meet up, and tonight presented an opportunity.
"Let's go. Tonight, I'll take you to my friend's place."
With a beckon, Yang Haoran led his Night Watch subordinates and the masked serpent demon towards the location of Guanhai's bar.
The gathering place for tonight wasn't far from Guanhai's bar, so they opted to walk instead of driving.
Despite their number, each one of Yang Haoran's group seemed a bit tipsy, not much different from regular revelers. Passersby unconsciously avoided them, not noticing anything unusual about this group.
As they reached the entrance of the bar, Yang Haoran's expression subtly changed. He seemed to sense something, his brows furrowing slightly.
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