Li Mo looked at Lin Yourong with a frown. He wanted Lin Qingrou by his side so he could put her in her place. It was fine if all she did was a mere joke, but he truly believed Lin Qingrou was trying to kill him back then.
Li Mo had no compassion to his enemies.
“I didn’t do that on purpose. Don’t misunderstand.” Lin Qingrou spoke softly to Li Mo.
Li Mo didn’t comment.
On the Experts Alliance headquarters’ top floor, Lan Yue waited at the door with Dragon Herb and Farmer God Cauldron.
Soon, the woman guard came back to say, “Leave the items and you may go.”
Lan Yue asked, “Did the chief say that?”
“Of course.”
“Please ask chief again if I can see him.”
“I already presented your request to chief, but he refused.” She was getting impatient.
“No, I have to see chief this time. I won’t leave until I do!”
Lan Yue stood his ground.
“Wait then. I’ll go ask one last time.”
“Thank you.” Lan Yue cupped his hands.
Ten minutes later, the guard returned.
“Chief agreed to see you.”
“Thank you very much!”
Lan Yue passed through the lobby.
His firm stance was so he could see chief after five long years of absence. He wanted to witness with his own eyes if the chief was still alive.
The lobby was devoid of light, damp and gloomy. When he reached the end, he heard chief’s rough breathing coming from beyond the door.
That rough and hoarse rhythm gave one the impression the man was on his last stretch to the underworld.
“Enter…” An aged voice spoke.
It was the chief!
Lan Yue braced himself as he did just that.
In the dusky room, a white-haired and gaunt elderly graced his eyes. He was so skinny you could barely find any meat on him. He lay weak on the bed as four teenage girls at his side in servant clothes tended his aching body.
“Sit.”
The chief didn’t even look at Lan Yue, relishing in the girls’ ministrations.
Lan Yue presented the Farmer God Cauldron, “Chief, I have brought the Farmer God Cauldron as you requested.”
The stooped elderly didn’t open his eyes. It was a girl who brought the item to him. He clutched it with a shivering hand and placed it in his mouth.
Ka~
For twenty second, the Farmer God Cauldron crunched like gravel in his mouth.
The sound shocked Lan Yue silly.
“Chief, with your tool refining expertise, taking out the herbal essence from it should be a done deal…”
“I can only extract two thirds, while eating it will let me enjoy it completely. With life extending items, not one drop must go to waste.”
Chief gnawed Farmer God Cauldron and looked more lively after. He even had enough strength to speak.
“I’m alright. I just didn’t want to waste time moving. With the Farmer God Cauldron, I can now last a few more years. Ha-ha-ha, Lan Yue, you’ve done great this time.”
Chief wobbled upright, his murky eyes swallowing the curves of the girls at his bedside, reaching for one.
Not long after, he pushed her away, “A pity, that I now have an extended lifespan, but my body hasn’t recover. Such cruelty, to watch but can’t enjoy.”
“Chief, you must take care of yourself. You are the pillar of Experts Alliance. Your health is paramount.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t die even if you do.”
Chief lay back on the bed.
“I already know of the matters regarding God Realm, it is no longer important. You are to oversee the alliance in everyday matters as before and come to me only when the alliance’s very survival depends on it.” Chief closed his eyes.
“Understood!”
“The Dragon Herb is yours to deal with. I can’t use it.”
“Understood!”
“Leave, I need rest.” Chief’s voice had once again turned hoarse after speaking for so long.
Lan Yue left, hearing chief’s rugged breathing as he walked out the door.
…
Li Mo didn’t stay for long in the headquarters once he handed the items over. And since Lan Yue had no mission for him, he was free to do whatever.
Li Mo went to Jade Lake Club to peruse Ah Cai’s intelligence regarding Lin Corporation.
Lin Yourong, a prideful genius of Lin clan, entered the Experts Alliance ten years ago. She only needed three years to become an elder and had been holding her office ever since.
Lin Qingrou, the current prideful genius of the Lin clan, was considered a once in a millennia talent. Her strength and master, unknown.
Lin Sichong, Lin Qingrou’s elder brother, was a pauper with no skill.
Lin Xiao, Lin Corporation’s director, Lin Yourong’s brother and father of Lin Qingrou, was of unknown strength. He had a sharp instinct in running a business, making the Lin Corporation famous throughout the nation.
Li Mo riffled through Lin Corporation’s intelligence report, realizing the limits of Ah Cai’s reach. She couldn’t even find Silver Heroine’s identity, not to mention her skills coming from a Void Walker.
“Silver Heroine is Lin Qingrou?” The news sure shocked Ah Cai.
“Your intelligence network is too focused on Jade Lake Club. You should spread the net wider.”
“I wish I could, but the eight of us can’t leave the range of the Void Beast bone’s influence or we’d return to our primary form.” Ah Cai expressed her worry.
“That’s easy.”
Li Mo had Ah Cai call her chicks over and used the Staff of Origin’s altering ability.
This implied planting a spiritual root in them to connect them to the God Realm, making sure their demonic qi would keep on growing and freeing them from the limit of the Void Beast bone.
“Hurry and thank the lord!”
“Thank you, lord.”
The seven chicks bowed.
Li Mo was in such a good mood that he gave each chick a protective amulet and ten different talismans.
“Thank you, lord, for you kindness!” The chicks bowed again.
At sunup, Li Mo went back to the headquarters to fetch his reward from Lan Yue, five low grade spiritual roots.
This came from Experts Alliance and Thunderstruck Enterprise’s cooperation. Thunderstruck Enterprise even gave them 50 spiritual roots as down payment.
Lan Yue gave five to Li Mo, hinting at Li Mo to form his own team, regardless of whom.
Li Mo took them with open arms, giving Lan Yue five names, Frozone Sun Wei, Shi Zhenqiang, Hu Xiangxiang, Yang Hongying, and Overreaching Sage Zhang Ji.
Two days later, four new people came to the headquarters, except Zhang Ji.
On the day after, Lan Yue called for all who held a Starscape login device to go for Mobei Province and complete an in-house testing for Thunderstruck Enterprise by launching a joint campaign on a large instance.
In this period, Li Mo got a call from Du Fei saying he got orders from above to head for a large instance in Mobei Province.
In a lucky turn of events, the two were sent to the same instance!
