Yu Ye had not expected Master Ji Qinglin to suppress the emotional Little Thunder Duke Lei Qiuyun with just a few righteous, stern words.
But what surprised her even more was that Lei Qiuyun actually called Master "Teacher."
Crazy Night: It's over. Your master has disciples outside.
Lei Qiuyun calmed down somewhat after Ji Qinglin's retort and understood her responsibilities as Acting President. Turning around, she arranged matters:
"Have experienced Qi Practitioners inspect the site before clearing the backyard ruins. Report any suspicious items immediately."
"Yes."
Only then did she say to Ji Qinglin, "Teacher, I'll make preparations. We'll return to the hospital together later. There are some matters I'd like to discuss."
This time, Ji Qinglin did not decline. "Mm. It's good that you've calmed down."
Only after Lei Qiuyun left did Yu Ye ask curiously, "Master, why does she call you Teacher?"
Seeing Yu Ye's little face with her willow-leaf brows drawn together, Ji Qinglin explained:
"Lei Qiuyun was fairly diligent in cultivation, but business management was another matter entirely. At the beginning, she was too blunt and reckless, causing plenty of conflicts. To make her more flexible and adaptable, Lei Qiong had her work as a clerk at the General Store for two months and suffer a little. She was rather humble too, and called anyone she learned from 'Teacher.' Maybe I hit the nail on the head just now, so she called me that again to show respect. What? Are you jealous?"
"Huh? How could I be? Your disciple was just curious."
Crazy Night: Tch. Look at her—she knows to take the initiative and call him Teacher. Some people don't even put their heart into calling him Master.
Yu Ye: Shut up!
By the time the three arrived at the car, the calmed Lei Qiuyun had regained her intellectual and gentle side.
"This must be Yu Ye, right? I'd long heard Father say that Teacher had taken in a fine disciple. You truly are as lovely as he said."
Yu Ye also behaved very obediently at that moment:
"Hello, Qiu Yun-jie!"
"Teacher, I'm sorry. My head got a little overheated just now. You were right—the balance of power in Bangkok changes in the blink of an eye. What I need to do most now is stabilize the internal forces of the Xin Dong Street Merchant Association and give other forces no opening to drive a wedge in."
Ji Qinglin considered it. "I'm afraid it won't be so easy. Every merchant association has planted spies in the others. By now, every faction must know that the president is gravely injured and unconscious. If they didn't seize this chance to expand their territory, this wouldn't be Bangkok. Still, you're no longer the Lei Hanhan you were before. Have you thought of a countermeasure?"
Lei Qiuyun nodded.
"The external threats are manageable. Under these circumstances, without a pretext, no one can immediately stir up conflict. The key is internal stability. Most elders and members are dutiful, but those coveting the president's position, the fence-sitters preparing to switch sides, and those already bought by other merchant associations—these types will probably all emerge. Rather than wait for them to make a move, I'd rather strike first. I plan to gather the elders currently in Xin Dong Street for a meeting in advance, using both favor and authority to steady people's hearts."
Ji Qinglin smiled. "You're much better than when you first became Acting President. But using both favor and authority isn't easy. Favor is one thing, but authority is another. With the president absent, relying only on those few elders who are utterly loyal to the association but lack much strength will probably not be enough to convince everyone. You need to produce some secret weapon, or an oppressive presence that takes them by surprise."
Hearing that Teacher had an idea, Lei Qiuyun hurriedly asked, "What does Teacher mean?"
"The sort of dirt where Zhang San slept with Li Si's wife, and Wang Wu once shortchanged Li Si's goods. Bring that out, and anyone with a handle held over them definitely won't dare rebel."
A trace of awkwardness crossed Lei Qiuyun's dignified, beautiful face. "Uh, Teacher still does things in such an unconventional way. But I really don't have that kind of dirt. Does Teacher have any other good strategy?"
Ji Qinglin sighed helplessly.
"Since we can't do this gracefully, there's no other way. When the time comes, you'll handle the favors. Leave the intimidation to me for now."
Lei Qiuyun only knew that Ji Qinglin was skilled at running businesses and handling affairs. Her father had sent her to the little shop back then precisely to temper her, and she did not know that Ji Qinglin had already cultivated to a certain realm. Thus, she assumed Ji Qinglin had dirt on the other elders.
Thinking about it, that did fit Teacher's style.
With no other good solution at hand, Lei Qiuyun could only nod. "Then I'll have to trouble Teacher when the time comes."
Yu Ye wore the expression of someone watching a show, thinking that Master was finally preparing to act this time. She wondered which blind elder would be lucky enough to receive it.
President Lei Qiong, who had passed the critical stage, still had not awakened. His entire body was gravely injured, and even if he woke and recovered, he would likely struggle to return to his peak. Panic filled the merchant association, and soothing people's hearts was urgently needed.
At noon the next day, the conference hall at the Xin Dong Street Merchant Association headquarters.
More than a dozen grand chairs were arranged on either side of the square conference hall. The words "Xin Dong," written by Lei Qiong, hung at the front, while a plaque reading "Harmony Brings Wealth" hung at the rear.
The scale of the meeting Lei Qiuyun organized was not large. She had only called the elders who were relatively familiar with Xin Dong Street.
On one hand, the matter had arisen suddenly, and the important elders stationed elsewhere could not return in time. Besides, this sort of matter was not convenient to discuss through video calls.
On the other hand, Lei Qiuyun was not entirely confident. Though she intended to use both favor and authority, keeping the scale small left room to maneuver. If things went wrong and they turned hostile on the spot, she would not be facing everyone in the merchant association, so there would still be room to turn things around afterward.
People were already seated in the grand chairs on both sides, with no intention of waiting for Lei Qiuyun, who held the main seat, to arrive. It was clear that these merchant association elders did not hold much respect for Lei Qiuyun.
For an internal merchant association meeting, all communication devices had been switched off. An elder sat in each grand chair, with an attendant disciple standing behind each one.
Ji Qinglin still wore that gray hoodie, though Yu Ye had tidied it up quite neatly for him. Behind him, Yu Ye wore her hair in a bun and dressed in a Plain Daoist Robe. She had originally wanted to wear something more eye-catching, but felt it would not match Master, so she changed back. Yet in such extreme simplicity, she instead carried even more of an air of a mysterious maiden.
The master and disciple had specifically discussed it that morning before leaving.
"Master, don't wear that one. Today is a momentous day worth remembering for you—you need to dress more formally."
"The president has already passed the critical stage. It's not a funeral. Why dress so formally?"
"Your disciple estimates that you'll have to fight someone today to help Lei Qiuyun establish her authority. If you dress too ordinarily, you won't be able to blind their dog eyes when the time comes."
"Pfft. You call fighting people a 'momentous day worth remembering'?"
In the end, she could not persuade Master, so he still went out dressed like this. However, he did agree to let Yu Ye prepare his clothes next time.
Ji Qinglin led Yu Ye to sit at the end of the conference table with practiced ease. The other elders merely glanced at them. Apart from a few who nodded in greeting, almost no one paid them any attention.
The closest person seated to Acting President Lei Qiuyun was Yu Ji Zi of Purple Dragon Peak. He looked to be in his forties or fifties, wearing a purple Daoist robe covered in binary 01s. His gray-white mechanical left arm was exposed, and Ji Congliang stood behind him.
When Ji Congliang saw that Ji Qinglin and his disciple had come as well, his brows knitted into one.
Over the past few days, he had told quite a few people that Ji Qinglin might be the guardian of the Xin Dong Street Merchant Association. Yet no one believed him. Even his own master, Yu Ji Zi, said he had developed a delusion. After all, Yu Ji Zi had known Ji Qinglin far longer than he had.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Lei Qiuyun said in a clear voice:
"You all know what has happened to the Lei Family these past few days. My father remains gravely injured, unconscious, and has yet to awaken. I believe the other forces in Bangkok are currently eyeing us like tigers eyeing their prey. I invited everyone here today in hopes that we can stand united, offer plans and strategies, and help the merchant association weather this crisis together."
At those words, the elders present wore varying expressions—some confused, some regretful, and some sneering.
Before coming, several elders who had long harbored thoughts of leaving had already spoken privately. They planned to challenge Lei Qiuyun directly at the meeting, praise the advantages of other merchant associations and the difficulties of the current situation, and lay the groundwork for leaving the association later, so they would not be cursed afterward for departing.
The few exchanged looks. Elder Hong Sanshui of Hongyun Aquatic Products was just about to rise.
Bang—
A sound came from the end of the conference table. Ji Qinglin slapped the table and rose to his feet. "President, that's far too formal! We have received President Lei Qiong's great kindness, and have no way to repay it. Now that the merchant association has encountered such a calamity, does the president truly think we would praise other forces and commit such a betrayal—an act worse than pigs and dogs, unheard of even among beasts?"
Elder Hong Sanshui, who had just been about to stand, turned to look at Ji Qinglin. His face flushed crimson, and after gritting his teeth, he ultimately sat back down.
He might not necessarily win a fight, but he would definitely win an argument~
Updates at 6:30 in the morning. The second update is at 12:00 or 16:00. It used to always be four in the afternoon, but some readers suggested moving it earlier these past two days, so it has been moved to noon. We'll still go by everyone's reading habits. Thank you all for your support, hearts!
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