The banquet is over.
On the way Lin Feng back to the Inner Hall, the communicator rang.
Duan Hongyuan.
"You kid, you made big news without saying a word."
Duan Hongyuan's tone is very complicated, containing both appreciation and headache.
"Beast Taming Alliance, I don't know how many people have been staring at it for so many years. No one has been able to bite it in thirty years. It would be better for you to go in and become Alliance Leader."
Lin Feng clamped the communicator between his neck and shoulder, freeing his hands to flip through the Alliance financial statements in front of him.
"Is anyone upset?"
"There are so many unhappy people." Duan Hongyuan's voice deepened. "Arbitration Council held an emergency meeting this afternoon, and several veterans of East Sea Military Region jointly proposed a motion."
"What motion?"
"It is said that you are both Second Lieutenant and Alliance Leader in the military. Your identities overlap and there is a conflict of interest. It is recommended that your military rank be revoked."
Lin Feng's hand turning over the report stopped for a moment.
"Withdraw my rank?"
"Yes. The reason is that national defense interests take precedence and active-duty officers are not allowed to serve as the supreme leaders of independent armed organizations at the same time."
"This is somewhat unreasonable."
Duan Hongyuan snorted. "It doesn't matter whether it's crooked or not, the key is that someone is pushing this matter. East Sea Military Region and the others can't bear Gu Qingfeng's hatred. It's useless to withdraw the impeachment case. They have changed their direction to attack you."
Lin Feng threw the financial report on the table and leaned back in his chair.
"Chief of Staff Duan, I just want to ask a question."
"Ask."
"If they really remove my rank, and I leave with the Beast Taming Alliance's four Martial Saint Exotic Beast, will it be a good thing or a bad thing for the military?"
The other end of the communicator was silent for six seconds.
Lin Feng continued.
"I only recognize you and General Zhou Che. Those other people who only sit in the office and point fingers are not satisfied? Let them come to Northern Territory to find me in person, and I will naturally use my method to reason with them."
Duan Hongyuan's breathing became heavier for two more beats.
The old man was obviously having a fierce ideological struggle on the phone.
Ten seconds later, he slapped the board.
"Okay. I'll take care of this for you. I'll deal with Arbitration Council's side, and I'll deal with the East Sea's people, but you have to make results for me."
"Sure."
"Also, the alliance between the Beast Taming Alliance and the military needs to go through a formal document process. I will ask Qin Haotian to draft a cooperation framework agreement. Alliance will maintain independent operating rights, but will obey the unified command of Headquarters in military operations."
"Yes. But there is one thing. I have the final say on the Alliance's resource allocation, Headquarters will not interfere."
Duan Hongyuan was silent for another three seconds.
"Deal."
Hang up.
Lin Feng put the communicator on the table and stared at the ceiling for five seconds.
Then got up and walked out Inner Hall.
Four Great Elders is waiting outside the hall.
Gongsun Yuan came closer and lowered his voice.
"Alliance Leader, what does the military say?"
"It's no big deal. Someone wanted to mess with my military rank, but Chief of Staff Duan took care of it."
Helian Shuang frowned.
"East Sea Military Region?"
"Hmm."
Helian Shuang sneered and was about to say something.
Lin Feng raised his hand to interrupt her.
"I will handle the external affairs. You four, handle the internal affairs for me."
He scanned a circle of four people.
"Within three days, report all Alliance's financial assets and bad debts to me accurately. Income, expenses, debts, Ore Vein's property rights, Rift's ownership, staffing, and material reserves, all should be reported to me. If there is any omission, please report it to me."
Four Great Elders all bowed their heads.
"Yes."
Lin Feng turned around and walked towards his residence.
After walking a few steps, he stopped again and looked back to add another sentence.
"Especially Logistics Department. I think your Logistics Director's expression is not right, please check carefully."
Three days later.
Iron Eagle walked into the hall holding a stack of account books, his steps were much slower than usual, and every step he took showed a guilty conscience.
Gongsun Yuan, Helian Shuang, and Duan Wuji stood on both sides, their expressions not very good.
Lin Feng sat in the main seat, took the account book, and started turning it from the first page.
Turning to the third page, his fingers stopped.
"Alliance Ore Vein, the three eastern ones, currently only one and a half actually have control over them? Who owns the other one and a half?"
Gongsun Yuan cleared his throat. "Chen Family and Sun Family signed a 'joint development agreement' fifteen years ago, agreeing that the profits would be divided into 50% and 50%, but in actual operation they took more than 70%."
Lin Feng Continue turning.
Page seven.
"C-Rank Rift's ore core transaction, the selling price per kilogram is 40% lower than the market price? Who was it sold to?"
Duan Wuji held Vine Staff and said in a very soft voice, "Provincial Martial Arts Association's middlemen. They know that we don't dare to fall out with the military, so they keep the price low."
Keep turning.
Page 12.
Lin Feng's page turning speed is getting slower and slower.
On the fifteenth page, he closed the account book.
Didn't smash the table.
But the indoor temperature dropped by two to three degrees.
"The book capital is less than 80 million."
"Yes."
"Foreign debt, three hundred million."
"Yes."
"The annual support fee for four Martial Saint Exotic Beast is 1.2 billion."
"... Yes."
"Ore Vein is taken up by a second-rate family like Chen Family for 30%? Rift's output is purchased by Provincial Capital's middlemen at a reduced price? Forge's production capacity is only one-third used? Elixir Workshop One of the two Third-Grade Alchemist is semi-retired?"
Gongsun Yuan's head is getting lower and lower.
Lin Feng dropped the account book on the table.
Not a slam.
But the moment Qi and blood poured into the palm of his hand, the entire wooden desk was shattered into pieces.
"You have four dignified elders Martial Saint Exotic Beast..."
He stood up.
"What have you been doing in the mountains for the past thirty years? Besides resting on your laurels, or being taken advantage of? Are your Martial Saint-level combat capabilities being manipulated by a few Martial King-level businessmen outside?"
Helian Shuang's right hand held the cuff of his sleeve and he didn't dare to say a word.
Gongsun Yuan finally couldn't hold it any longer and knelt down on one knee with a plop.
"Alliance Leader calm down. After Old Alliance Leader disappeared, Alliance is leaderless. We are afraid that the inheritance will be targeted by other forces and cause disaster, so we have been swallowing our anger all these years..."
"Endure?" Lin Feng looked down at him. "Endure until you are in deep debt? Endure until you are eaten dry? You have four Martial Saint Exotic Beast, who dares to offend them? You don't even dare to show off?"
Gongsun Yuan's back is bent even lower.
Duan Wuji moved his lips twice, but finally made no sound.
Iron Eagle stood at the back, with sweat on his forehead.
The hall was quiet for more than ten seconds.
Lin Feng took a breath and suppressed the anger.
No matter how scolded, things have to be done.
"From today on, Alliance will undergo comprehensive reform."
He counted on his fingers.
"First, the maintenance fee for the four Martial Saint Exotic Beast cannot be reduced. This is the face of our Alliance. In the future, I will use Eye of Ten Thousand Beasts to control the four holy beasts, and the expenses will be much less."
Gongsun Yuan looked up suddenly.
"Second, all unequal resource agreements between Ore Vein and Rift are abolished. If Chen Family and Sun Family don't agree, just talk to them. If we can't reach an agreement, I'll go there in person."
"Third, the logistics system is being cleaned up. I just checked Logistics Department's account, and there are many amounts that don't match up."
The words are not finished yet.
There was a rush of footsteps and a tearing sound outside the door.
Two young animal trainers rushed in holding down a man in his fifties.
The man was wearing Alliance's gray robe, but the skirt was torn askew and there was a fresh scratch on his face.
Logistics Director.
Martial King Eighth Stage.
Helian Shuang's distant cousin.
"Alliance Leader!" Young Beast Tamer gasped. "We went to Logistics Warehouse to count the supplies as you asked, and found that three secret compartments had been pried open, and the contents were all empty! We hit this man when he slipped out of the back door!"
Logistics Director struggled twice but couldn't get away, so he raised his head and shouted at Helian Shuang.
"Sister Shuang! Say something! I am your uncle!"
Helian Shuang's face twitched.
Lin Feng turned his attention to her.
Helian Shuang gritted his teeth and turned his head to the side.
Didn't speak.
Lin Feng walked down the steps and walked to Logistics Director.
Logistics Director looked at the 18-year-old young man walking towards him, and finally realized something, and his tone rose by three points.
"Are you the new Alliance Leader? I have been at the Alliance for more than thirty years! All the elders must call me Old Zhao! You are just a brat."
The sword is unsheathed.
Logistics Director's words were stuck in his throat.
He lowered his head and saw a knife with a faint golden light lying across his neck.
Dragon Scale Spirit Pattern was beating, and the smell it gave off made his skin raise goosebumps.
"What's missing from the warehouse?"
The sound of Lin Feng is very flat.
Logistics Director's mouth trembled twice.
At the door, another Beast Tamer ran in holding a list.
"Report Alliance Leader! After preliminary inventory, Logistics Warehouse has lost thirty-seven copies of A-Rank spiritual materials, one hundred and twenty C-Rank Magic Core, and several Elixir raw materials, equivalent to a market value of approximately 24 million!"
Twenty-four million.
Alliance's total book capital is less than 80 million.
This man moved nearly a third of it all by himself.
Lin Feng Sheathed the knife, turned around and walked back to the steps.
"Take it to the square. We will have a general meeting tomorrow and deal with it in person."
Logistics Director was dragged out.
After the door closed, Lin Feng looked back at Helian Shuang.
Helian Shuang's face was ashen, but she didn't plead.
She knows better than anyone that opening her mouth at this time is digging her own grave.