He Won't Do It? Plenty of Others Will!

"What is it, Master Jiang?"

In the main hall, everyone's expressions changed when they saw Jiang Yuan fly into a rage and slam the roster onto the table. They hurriedly lowered their heads.

They had no idea why Master Jiang was suddenly so angry.

"No. This system absolutely will not do. It is simply an outrage against heaven and man! Outer disciples are nothing more than hired muscle—how could they possibly take Black Market business to heart? Once the new rules are implemented, this system will be even more unacceptable. It will only cause White Tiger Hall's performance to plummet again and again!"

"Besides, if the outer disciples do everything, then what is the Black Market keeping you inner disciples for? To eat for free? Huh?"

Jiang Yuan's face was full of fury, his words stern and righteous.

"B-But, Master Jiang, it isn't just our White Tiger Hall. The other halls do the same!"

"I do not care about the other halls, but starting today, White Tiger Hall's system must be changed!"

The crowd looked at the enraged Jiang Yuan and fell silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to utter a word.

"From now on, everyone must follow the new rules. Work six days, rest one day. Your shifts will begin at the hour of the Snake in the morning and end at the hour of the Rooster in the evening. You will take half a shichen for lunch and rest at noon. Keep your spirits up and work during all other hours!"

"Anyone absent without cause will have their wages docked!"

"Also, if anyone does not wish to rest on the seventh day, you may continue working. It will count as overtime, and I will reward you separately."

"I have said my piece. Who agrees? Who objects?"

The moment those words fell, everyone was struck dumb with shock, scarcely believing their ears.

By Jiang Yuan's terms, did that not mean they had to work six shichen every day and could only rest after six days of work?

Was this fucking work a human being could do?

"I object!"

Wang Dai rose to his feet again, filled with righteous indignation, and angrily rebuked Jiang Yuan. "Master Jiang, this is exploitation!"

"Treating us like this, how are we any different from oxen and horses?"

"We are people, not livestock!"

Jiang Yuan looked at Wang Dai coldly and said indifferently, "Fine. If you refuse to accept it, you may go file a complaint with Hall Master Zhu. I guarantee that White Tiger Hall will have no place for you."

"Th-This..." Wang Dai was stunned.

He could not understand, even after thinking it over ten thousand times, how the Hall Master could have sent such an old bastard to oppress them.

And the man would not yield to soft or hard tactics, insisting on using Hall Master Zhu's name to suppress them.

But with the arrow already on the string, he had no choice but to fire. Wang Dai sprang up in anger, flicked his sleeve, and strode away with a cold snort.

"Hmph, then I'll go! I refuse to believe that if this place won't keep me, there won't be another place that will!"

"You old bastard, if you don't treat the brothers like people, why should they work for you?"

Sure enough, the instant those words left his mouth, the anger of every Black Tortoise Hall manager was ignited, their eyes brimming with resentment.

This was going too far. Jiang Yuan was simply going too far!

Could anyone actually endure a system like this?

Jiang Yuan swept his gaze over the people below and said flatly, "Whoever else objects may go with him."

"Hmph!"

"Hmph!"

A series of cold snorts rang out. Another three or five figures rose in the hall and headed outside.

"This..." Yuan Cong frowned slightly as he watched those few leave.

Jiang Yuan waved a hand. "No matter. When dogs grow hungry, they will naturally come running back. There is no need to mind them."

"If he won't do it, plenty of others will!"

At those words, the managers below grew even more furious. One by one, they lowered their heads and gritted their teeth, daring to rage but not daring to speak.

There was no helping it. The Black Market's hierarchy was strict. An official one rank higher could crush those below him to death, and superiors even had the power to decide their subordinates' lives and deaths. Jiang Yuan letting them go complain as they pleased was already boundless mercy.

That old Jiang bastard really isn't human!

Exploiting us like this, he'll sooner or later drop dead in his bed!

That dog bastard is simply inhuman!

I heard he used to drift from place to place with nowhere to settle down. Now that he has risen to power overnight, he truly has become twisted beyond measure!

How did he even come up with such a black-hearted system?

Hall Master Zhu isn't any better. Why did he send such a warped old bastard to manage the western district? Truly hateful!

The managers cursed Jiang Yuan in their hearts.

By extension, they also came to resent Zhu Hengfei. After all, Jiang Yuan was wielding a chicken feather as if it were an imperial edict.

Still, some managers remained optimistic, believing Jiang Yuan would not be arrogant for long.

"It's fine. Just one month. If he cannot produce results, let's see how that old bastard explains himself to the Hall Master!"

"A new official always sets three fires upon taking office. I refuse to believe he can keep this up for more than a few days!"

"You old bastard, you are so ruthless and unjust. Let's see how you clean this up when the time comes!"

What they did not understand was that Jiang Yuan was utterly confident at this moment, so pleased he could practically fly.

When he had proposed those ideas before, he had worried that the Black Market's ability to carry them out would be lacking, that the details would not line up.

After all, no matter how good the new rules were, they still needed oxen and horses to cooperate.

But Zhu Hu, in order to dig a huge pit for Jiang Yuan, had simply handed all authority over to him alone. That made things easy.

Only now did Jiang Yuan understand the mindset of those bosses from his previous life. They truly felt they were losing big whenever an employee took a day off.

Damn, this felt fucking good!

Still, the Black Market really had grown far too comfortable.

As long as one had no desire to climb upward, one could basically lie flat here for a lifetime.

It had resulted in a whole batch of useless freeloaders being raised.

No wonder such a powerful force was still looked down upon.

It was time to give them a proper cure.

"If there are no other objections, then dismiss yourselves."

Jiang Yuan's expression was dark as he lightly waved his hand.

The crowd left the steward hall with equally dark expressions and could not help breaking into curses.

"Damn old Jiang bastard, you really deserve to die!"

"Isn't that why they say an old man who refuses to die becomes a thief? Just look at what a lowly thief he has become!"

"Tell me, can those few who went to see the Hall Master bring down that old bastard?"

"I doubt it. Hall Master Zhu even gave him the Deputy Hall Master token. That shows just how much he indulges him."

"Damn him to a thousand cuts! I think Hall Master Zhu is the one directing that old bastard from behind the scenes. Otherwise, how would he dare be so outrageously defiant of heaven?"

"I think so too. That's why I didn't stand up to object."

"Shh, keep your voices down. Be careful that old bastard hears you and makes things difficult for you!"

At that, everyone quickly shut their mouths, cautiously glanced around, and hurried away.

Though they were unwilling in every possible way, they still had to earn a living in the Black Market. At the very least, it was better than starving to death outside.

The world outside was far harder to survive in than the Black Market.

"Ah, people like us who make our living in the underworld live days licking blood off the blade's edge. I wonder when we'll ever be able to step ashore. Even if we're exploited now, there's nowhere to seek justice."

"Step ashore? You still dream of stepping ashore? Let me ask you: when you used to sell sesame cakes, could you earn even one tael of silver a month?"

"That's right. At least the Black Market pays well. Stop complaining and get back to work. There are elders above and children below to feed at home."

"I often tell my son that he must become a proper official in the future, rather than live in this gray, shadowed place like me. Even if he cannot make it through studying, if he achieves something through martial arts, he should join one of those famous righteous sects. Anything is better than living in a place like this."

"Tch. You think being an official is easy, or that those famous righteous sects are all that upright and honorable?"

Amid everyone's helplessness, grievance, anger, confusion, and all manner of soul-searching emotions, White Tiger Hall gradually began implementing Jiang Yuan's new rules...