"Restraint" and assets

"You've really made a big scene this time. How are you going to clean this up?"

Seeing the director, who had dark circles under his eyes like a panda, peek out, his first words were half-joking and half-serious.

Li simply nodded, but his expression showed little emotion. He then asked a meaningful question in return.

"What, is this considered making a big fuss?"

Qian Yisheng paused for a moment upon hearing this, seemingly considering it carefully. "Perhaps it counts, perhaps it doesn't—but looking at it this way, it does make sense to understand the wariness and concerns those people have towards users."

Why think so much? What's meant to happen will happen. You and I are just insignificant figures on the sidelines.

"No way, it's true I'm a nobody, but you're not."

He spread his hands dramatically, then sighed, "Fourth Tier figures are probably few and far between worldwide, and even fewer in China. Let alone a self-made, grassroots figure like yourself."

"Many eyes are watching you, both openly and secretly. Be careful; you're already in the spotlight, so your words, actions, and attitude are very important. You can now easily influence countless people and countless things without even realizing it, like what happened today—oh well, don't take it personally, I'm just casually reminding you."

"----Yes, thank you for your help."

Li patted the shoulder of this acquaintance who was clearly waiting there, without saying anything more.

He only took the Fatty Yuan, who had discreetly kept a few steps away and hadn't interrupted their hushed conversation, and then left, acting as if nothing had happened.

Naturally, no one was foolish enough to stop him.

In contrast, Qian Yisheng, who remained standing and watched them leave, glanced at the still bustling and busy scene inside the private room, and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, yet still couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.

For a minor "conflict" that didn't result in any deaths, even friction between users that involved some bloodshed is not uncommon.

However, in comparison, a considerable amount of attention has indeed been quietly drawn to certain factors.

Less than half a day later, Director Qian appeared in an old-fashioned office, sitting respectfully on the guest sofa, waiting to be summoned for questioning.

In this rather old-fashioned room, the tea in front of him had cooled down and had been quietly replaced twice by the secretary inside. But the young administrative official remained sitting upright, his eyes fixed on the teacup, not touching it once from beginning to end. He was just like a patient statue, remaining silent.

Fortunately, the person at the desk didn't intend to keep him waiting too long.

After finally putting down the documents in his hand and staring at the screen, watching the repeatedly slowed-down surveillance video several times, the old man sitting at the table took off his reading glasses.

As his secretary replaced the documents and teacup and brought them closer, the old man rubbed his temples and, looking rather weary, asked the guest beside him, "Xiao Qian, what do you think of this person?"

Faced with the question from the gray-haired old man, Qian Yisheng naturally dared not be careless. After a moment's thought and a quick recitation of his thoughts, he responded swiftly.

"Sir, this Li Yun is a fairly steady person. He hasn't shown too many extreme problems, nor has he asked for any special treatment or extra requests. Overall, in terms of his actions and attitude, he's been quite cooperative with our work."

Upon hearing this measured and steady report, the dignified old man, whose features still exuded a military air, suddenly laughed.

"You, you—look at him, he's still trying to fool me."

He pointed to the guests on the sofa, but as soon as he said this, the middle-aged secretary who seemed to be listening gave an awkward smile and naturally didn't dare to respond.

Even Qian Yisheng himself could only manage an awkward smile.

"Sigh... never mind," the old man seemed to have given up on going around in circles. "Let's put it this way, Xiao Qian, what do you personally think of his personality and behavior?"

"In this respect, based on our previous interactions, he is a steady and calm person who acts with discretion and rarely does anything out of line—but he is not very easy to understand. He seems to see through many things, which makes him somewhat unpredictable."

This time, Director Qian's answer was clearly more cautious yet "fair".

"Yes—it's understandable that they're hard to fathom. To reach the Fourth Tier in there, without the support of a nation or power, and with almost no prior indication of their existence—such a person is indeed not someone who can be easily assessed."

With a sigh, the old man put his glasses back on. "To be honest, we looked at his resume carefully. He was raised by an elderly person in the countryside, was forced to apply for student loans, and his career was mediocre. Many of his former classmates and colleagues don't seem to have a very deep impression of him, except for his decent grades."

"What's interesting is that this child from a poor background, after appearing there, in just a few months, less than a year at most, quietly climbed to the Fourth Tier!"

"How many talents has the country gathered before and after this? How many resources have been invested in cultivating those carefully selected talents? But what has been the result? They've hit walls all the way, suffered setbacks and injuries, and stumbled along until today, finally managing to barely grasp the basics. But now, how many can be compared to Li Yun?"

"Hidden talents and hidden gems lurk in the wilderness!"

With a sigh, the old man picked up a document beside him, then abruptly changed the subject, "Such a person is truly a pity—Xiao Qian, based on your observations and judgment, do you think it's possible for us to try and win him over?"

"On this point, I'm afraid—it's very difficult."

In contrast, Qian Yisheng's answer remained extremely cautious, even carrying a hint of resigned helplessness.

"We've known him for so long, but we still find it very difficult to figure out what he's really thinking. He seems to have a nonchalant attitude towards most things, and naturally—"

The young director gave a wry smile, not finishing his sentence, but his meaning was crystal clear.

"Yes, I understand. Let's focus on maintaining stable contact for now." The old man nodded, seemingly having anticipated this outcome, and didn't appear particularly disappointed.

"It's good that these young people are calm and collected, but they can't help but act impulsively sometimes. Be careful not to let them set traps or use you as a tool."

"This time, there were even foreign 'security personnel' involved, haha----"

Some things can't be rushed. After years of cultivating his inner strength, the old man clearly had no desire to achieve quick results.

However, after flipping through the documents and looking at the information, a subtle change appeared on the old man's face.

"Also, regarding the target's relatives, aside from the elderly who have passed away, this young man's parents and most of his relatives are still alive—regardless of the specifics of the relationship, raise the corresponding security level one level to prevent any trouble."

"Understood, sir. We have already made corresponding resettlement plans regarding this matter. However, some of his relatives also have 'user' status, which may pose a certain risk."

At this point, it was the middle-aged secretary standing next to him who answered.

"On this point—we really can't force it." The old man nodded in understanding. "We can't reach that far; the things that happen there are beyond our control. Others should understand."

"This whole mess, at its root, was caused by them—ha, after all that investigation, they even found some local rich kid among them. No wonder they wouldn't budge."

The old man sneered.

The middle-aged secretary beside him added, "Indeed. But this young man had some sense of propriety. Apart from the two or three who were seriously injured after taking the initiative, he didn't recklessly escalate to the point of causing death. It was just the result of the platform's so-called 'real body repair.' Otherwise, it really wouldn't have been easy to handle."

"Yes, there aren't many people who still know how to behave appropriately these days."

Leaning back in his chair, the old man sighed. "Some of these people are getting too big for their britches, they're not even as good as a young person who just started out in their career. It's really laughable."

Li Yun didn't care too much about what others said about her behind her back.

After the driver took the two back to the old factory area, Ruan Chenggang and his group, who had been waiting for them, immediately rushed to greet them.

"How did it go? You didn't suffer any losses, did you?"

"Hmph, we can't reach an agreement!" After getting out of the car, Fatty Yuan spat on the ground, but his fat face showed a hint of gleeful ruthlessness.

"Those bastards were up to no good. Boss Li just slapped them across the face right there and then. That's like giving us a taste of our own medicine. We'll settle the score later. Tell the brothers to be more careful from now on."

He offered only a few words of explanation.

When he turned around, he saw a group of twenty people behind him, all staring at him expectantly; they had all come in a very orderly fashion.

Perhaps finding it appropriate, the portly boss took the opportunity to clear his throat and announce another piece of news to the group of about twenty users, "Also, listen up! From now on, we'll be working for Boss Li, and I'm his subordinate too. You all better show him some respect! Do you all understand?!"

To be honest, many of these people came from the previous Preparatory Camp and had seen Li Yun more or less before.

Especially since the two leaders, Yuan and Ruan, had already discussed it, it made sense that Fatty Yuan spoke so sincerely, even at the cost of lowering himself.

After a brief silence, no one dared to disagree, and everyone quickly realized the situation and accepted the facts.

Many people, even with a quick glance, grasped some of the implications, yet remained uncertain. Excited, they could only stammer as they met their "new boss."

Li remained noncommittal about this; he didn't care much about such things, nor did he have the leisure to deal with these trivial matters.

He's nothing more than a nominal shareholder; the real tedious tasks are still left to Fatty Yuan to handle.

Putting all that aside, as a seasoned veteran of the underworld, Fatty Yuan's judgment was undeniably sharp. Most of the people he selected to use the invitation slots were of decent character and quality, and their fighting spirit was particularly commendable.

After giving a few encouraging words and highlighting their status as "shareholders," Li Yun and Fatty Yuan, surrounded by the crowd, stepped into the factory area, which was undergoing extensive construction.

By this time, this once dilapidated and overgrown abandoned factory area, which was originally quite large, had gradually changed its appearance. During the recent renovation, many of the original factory buildings and rusted warehouses were demolished and repurposed.

The planning area centered on the "Jade Tower" has retained some of its original features, but it has also undergone extensive construction, with simple houses and protective nets built far away, further separating the key areas within it.

As I passed by, I saw the construction machinery and manpower moving around. Judging from the construction site, which already showed some of the planned outlines, Fatty Yuan's plan was to abandon most of the area and prioritize the development of this place into a residential park surrounded by a large number of people, with each layer being upgraded as more people moved in.

Ultimately, it all comes down to this crucial piece of "Jade".

Today, the longer one immerses oneself in this Spiritual Energy environment, the more instinctively one becomes inseparable from it.

Including the Jade fragment in the building, as time passed, even with the suppression of the base and Talisman, its "concentration" had subtly weakened slightly.

It is foreseeable that, even if it is still a long way off, it will most likely eventually weaken to the point where it no longer offers much benefit to people.

But at least for now, Fatty Yuan is still focused on planning and investing in it.

Humans are merely short-lived beings, living only a few decades; how could they possibly see so far into the future?

After passing through the isolation passage, with a thick, canopy-like barrier overhead that blocked out most of the sunlight and bird noise, the crowd that had been accompanying them gradually dispersed, leaving only the three of them as they leisurely stepped into the old building in the center.

With just a slight mental contact, he sensed a familiar "source" of activity upstairs, but the other party, like a startled rabbit, instantly suppressed its mental fluctuations.

Knowing that Fang Yishu was upstairs, and for some reason, this usually poised and elegant young girl had been reacting this way for the past two days, Li Yun wisely refrained from going over to disturb her.

Pushing open the inner door on the first floor, a rich, astringent smell, mixed with the exuberant vitality of grass, and an increasingly pronounced sense Numinous Spark inspiration, greeted me.

Ning Yu, dressed in work clothes, was busy working alone here until she heard the door open, at which point she turned around somewhat blankly.

They hadn't noticed when their backs were turned, but seeing her current appearance, all three of them couldn't help but burst into laughter.

In this area where life was clearly too abundant, perhaps because she had been there for a while, the girl from the Druid direction was now covered in grass, and even her head was sprouting large patches of green shoots, interspersed among her hair, which looked quite comical.

It wouldn't have been a problem if she hadn't smiled, but once she did, following their gaze, the girl quickly realized something was amiss.

Perhaps out of embarrassment or "shame and anger," her face visibly flushed red, and even the black cat that was pretending to sleep on a high table next to her suddenly opened its eyes and meowed a few times in dissatisfaction.

Once it noticed that the people by the door were all familiar faces and confirmed that there was no threat, the cat, which had seemed a bit agitated, immediately closed its eyes and began to purr again.

If even cats behave this way, how much more so should humans?

They all tactfully pretended not to notice the acquaintance's awkwardness, and the newcomers simply whistled and glanced around.

Looking at the "camp fields" that were almost clearly divided into two or three special plants, apart from the original "Vermilion Herb", some seeds that were probably exchanged later were planted in this floor space that actually occupied the best position.

In particular, over time, the "crystallization" centered on the Jade base has spread further and further across the ground. Even the strange plants that emerge from the Crystal Sand look exceptionally robust, surpassing their counterparts in the more distant Spirit Plant.

Putting aside everything else, even the ordinary moss and lichen that used to climb freely in the soil now have a faint halo as their color gradually deepens.

Just like these glowing mosses, changes in the environment can affect many things.

Sharp-eyed people like Li Yun noticed, among the few unusual plants that looked like new seedlings near the Jade, a dozen or so plump, white, milky-white soft bodies with colorful stripes, about the size of a finger, occasionally wriggling and sometimes even biting at the leaves next to them.

These were the insect eggs dug out from the Sinkhole of that fierce tiger. Because they were stimulated by the close-range flow of the Numinous Spark from the Jade, even with Ning Yu, a Second Tier Druid, using his abilities to care for them, only a dozen or so strange striped "silkworms" eventually hatched from the large handful of eggs.

Putting everything else aside, just looking at their arrogant behavior of directly biting into immature Spirit Plant right now shows how high their treatment is.

As for their "uses", there's no need to elaborate.

Many creatures fall within the Druid's arsenal, and insects are no exception, not to mention creatures that are familiarized and tamed with supernatural abilities from the moment they hatch.

In addition, on the base, there is the crucial Jade and a suspended Talisman—

It's no exaggeration to say that the valuable "assets" accumulated by Li Yun's acquaintances are mainly concentrated in this one building.

It may seem unremarkable, but if it were to be released, it would be enough to make many people envious and go crazy.