Layout and the Auction

Ma Xiaotao's figure vanished completely around the stairwell. Huo Yuhao shut the activity center's doors behind her and let out a long breath.

He turned into the innermost room, the president's office, and dropped into a soft leather chair.

The broad backrest took his weight. Files were piled half as tall as a person on the desk, and the sight made his temples throb.

Huo Yuhao sprawled in the chair, fingers tapping absently on the armrest. At last, he understood.

No wonder so many transmigrators built a faction the moment they arrived, then handed off all the work. This was fucking exhausting!

From Club approvals, venue applications, and recruitment to setting up the Spirit Gathering Array and planning members' training, every last thing needed his sign-off. After just one month, he felt more tired than he had while risking his life hunting Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Fifteen minutes later.

"Come in, everyone," Huo Yuhao called toward the door. He picked up the chilled fruit juice on his desk and took a sip. Its cool sweetness slid down his throat, easing his fatigue a little.

The office door opened, and the Lionheart Club's core members filed in, taking their seats around the conference table.

Ning Tian sat to his left, and Gu Yue to his right.

Farther down, Cao Jinxuan and Xie Huanyue of the Disciplinary Department sat side by side. Wu Feng of the Logistics Department sat beside Ning Tian with her arms folded and her face set in a scowl. When her gaze passed over Huo Yuhao, she still couldn't help looking annoyed.

This was the brat who'd stolen the heart of Ning Tian, the girl she'd grown up with.

The twin sisters Lan Luoluo and Lan Susu sat together, with Zhou Sichen and Long Xiangyue beside them.

Wu Meng sat on the other side of the table in a plain white school uniform. Even among the children of noble families, she showed not a trace of nerves. Nanmen Yun'er sat quietly beside her.

Looking at everyone seated in neat rows, Huo Yuhao straightened and cleared his throat. He went straight to the point. "I called you here for two things. Once we've settled them, each department can get to work."

"First, let everyone know that starting this week, all members will gather at Lionheart Plaza in the activity center every weekend for group training." He tapped the Spirit Gathering Array plans on the desk. "The array I've been setting up in the first-floor hall is finished. Every member can use it for free."

Everyone's eyes lit up.

What had Huo Yuhao been doing these past few weeks? Setting up that Spirit Gathering Array. They had felt the Heaven and Earth Essence it drew in for themselves.

Just then, Lan Luoluo timidly raised her hand. Her soft voice carried a hint of concern. "President, that might be difficult..."

"How so?" Huo Yuhao asked gently.

"Over seventy percent of our registered members come from commoner families." Lan Luoluo opened her records and said earnestly, "They have classes and training during the week, and most have to work in Shrek City on weekends to earn their tuition. They can't spare an entire day for group training. What should we do?"

The meeting room fell silent.

Everyone knew Lan Luoluo was right. Shrek had no shortage of geniuses, but even geniuses came in ranks.

Noble children were born into comfort and never had to worry about resources. Commoner students, though, had to give everything they had just to survive and remain at Shrek.

Huo Yuhao wasn't disappointed. Instead, he nodded, understanding flashing in his eyes.

He had expected this problem. After all, he knew all too well what it was like to have no choice.

"That brings me to the second thing."

Huo Yuhao took three gilt property-transfer documents from his Storage Soul Tool and placed them in the center of the table, sliding them toward the others. "I got these in a trade with the Martial Soul Department. Three street-front shops by Shrek City's east gate, with permanent ownership. They belong to the Lionheart Club."

The meeting room erupted.

Everyone leaned forward at once, staring at the academy's bright red official seal on the documents, shock written across their faces.

What kind of place was Shrek City?

It was sacred ground to Soul Masters across the continent, one of the busiest cities anywhere. The east gate stood close to Shrek Academy, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold. A single street-front shop cost enough to ruin an ordinary small sect, let alone three adjoining shops in a prime location!

"President... isn't this a bit much?" Zhou Sichen blurted out.

"Money doesn't do anything by itself. People do." Huo Yuhao smiled and tapped the documents. "These shops will be the Lionheart Club's first assets, and the key to helping our commoner members. I've thought of two directions for the business."

"First, entertainment. Douluo Continent has far too little of it—just the Soul Fighting Arena and taverns. There's plenty of room for profit, but we don't have the experience or connections yet. The risk is too high, so we'll set it aside for now."

"Second, food and drink." Huo Yuhao's voice grew certain. "We'll use these three shops to build a food business for the Lionheart Club."

Throughout it all, he said "we" and "the Lionheart Club," never once "mine." He had brought the shops himself, yet from the start he treated them as Club property. His generosity warmed everyone's hearts.

Still, they were puzzled. Food and drink?

Douluo Continent had taverns and restaurants everywhere. What would make theirs stand out?

Wu Meng reacted first. She raised her hand and asked a practical question. "President, what kind of food could we make to attract Soul Masters? Commoner Soul Masters especially are reluctant to spend money on meals. And high-level Soul Masters eat so much that ordinary restaurants can't satisfy them."

"Good question." Huo Yuhao snapped his fingers, a sly smile in his eyes. "Simple: convenient food packed with calories and sugar, something that restores energy fast. I've even named them: hamburgers and milk tea."

Seeing their blank faces, Huo Yuhao patiently explained. "The first shop will specialize in milk tea drinks. We'll call it the House of the Hearth. Sweet drinks that gently replenish Soul Power. Low costs, high profits, and affordable to noble and commoner students alike."

"The second will sell Hamburger fast food. We'll call it KFC. Soul Beast meat patties between buns: high-calorie, filling, and quick to serve. One will keep someone going for most of the day, and it'll be much better value than roast meat at a hotel. Perfect for students rushing between training and work."

"As for the third shop..." Huo Yuhao paused, smiling. "It'll be a Buffet called the Ten Thousand Households Spring Terrace. Unlike the first two, it won't need high-energy ingredients, just plenty of filling food. Everyone pays a fixed price and eats as much as they can. It's for commoner Soul Masters with big appetites who can't afford high-energy food. They'll be able to fill their stomachs for as little as possible."

Not a sound came from the meeting room.

Everyone sat stunned, struggling to absorb the new ideas Huo Yuhao had laid out.

Hamburgers, milk tea, buffets—none of them had ever appeared on Douluo Continent.

But the more they thought about it, the more seamless the plan seemed.

It met every need a Soul Master might have and served everyone, from wealthy nobles to cash-strapped commoners.

What moved them even more was the care Huo Yuhao had put into it.

The first two shops would earn money for the Club. But the third, the Ten Thousand Households Spring Terrace, was plainly meant for commoner members and commoner Soul Masters.

Huo Yuhao truly wanted students who couldn't afford enough food to eat their fill cheaply, so they could train without worrying about their next meal.

Someone who had stood in the rain would want to hold an umbrella over others.

At that moment, everyone understood the weight of those words.

"All right, stop staring. Let's assign the work and get it done." Huo Yuhao clapped, drawing everyone back. "For weekend group training, Jinxuan and Huanyue, the Disciplinary Department will manage the venue and check discipline. Sichen and Xiangyue, the Intelligence Department will notify every member and tally who can attend. Gu Yue will coordinate everything."

"For the shops, Ning Tian will take the lead. She knows how to run a business. Wu Feng, Wu Meng, Nanmen Yun'er, Luoluo, and Susu will give her your full support."

Everyone answered at once, their eyes bright with enthusiasm.

After the meeting, the others filed out. Huo Yuhao looked at the files in his hands and slumped back into his chair. As Gu Yue and Ning Tian reached the door, he added, "Remember, once everything's up and running, all Club members take turns managing it. From then on, don't come to me for every little thing."

The two paused, then smiled helplessly and left, closing the door behind them.

The glow of dusk filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, gently spilling into the office and gilding the cold desks and chairs with warm gold.

Huo Yuhao stretched until his joints cracked in a crisp series of pops. He picked up the Pearl Milk Tea on his desk and took a long drink.

Springy pearls and sweet milk tea slid into his mouth. He narrowed his eyes in bliss.

He had dictated the recipe, and Ning Tian had personally refined it. Its sweetness went straight to his heart.

"No. Fuck, if this keeps up, I'll lose my mind sooner or later." Huo Yuhao set down the cup, looking utterly defeated. "Time to find a full-time secretary. Come forth, Ning Tian!"

He had already thought it through. Vice President Gu Yue?

Please.

She was the sovereign of countless Soul Beasts, the Silver Dragon King herself. Making her handle this mountain of trivial paperwork would be like using a treasured blade to chop firewood.

Besides, she was used to keeping her distance and had no talent for navigating people and their expectations.

Ning Tian was different. As the young master of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, she had been groomed by her sect since childhood. She was tactful, meticulous, and capable of managing a little club like Lionheart Club with her eyes closed.

One could coordinate everything inside the club, while the other set its direction out in the world. It was a perfect fit.

And Huo Yuhao himself?

I just want to be a quiet mascot. Train now and then, help Ma Xiaotao purify her Evil Fire, and lie back while the Lionheart Club grows. What could be better?

Just as he was frantically figuring out how to talk Ning Tian into becoming his full-time secretary and taking all that irritating paperwork off his hands—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Someone knocked on the heavy wooden door, each rap sharp and brisk.

"Come in." Huo Yuhao immediately sat up straight, shedding his boneless sprawl and resuming his usual gentle, steady manner.

The door opened, and three figures stepped inside.

Ning Tian led the way, weariness from an afternoon of paperwork still on her face, but her eyes shone with anticipation. Beside her, Wu Feng still wore a scowl and looked at him with the same annoyance as ever. Gu Yue came last, black hair falling around her shoulders and a faint smile in her violet eyes. She clearly knew where they were going.

"What brings you here?" Huo Yuhao asked, taken aback.

"We came to invite you to an auction in Shrek City." Ning Tian stepped forward and placed a gilt invitation on his desk. "It's the quarterly major auction tonight. There'll be plenty of good things, even a hundred-year Soul Bone suited to a spiritual-type Soul Master. We thought you'd be interested."

Huo Yuhao looked at the invitation and slapped his forehead. "How did I forget about that..."

He suddenly remembered the red card Qian Duoduo had given him when he took Huo Yuhao as his personal disciple. It was a VIP card for Shrek City's largest underground auction house. With it, he could take one auction item worth up to a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins for free—a welcome gift from his teacher.

"What?" Wu Feng hadn't caught his mutter. Frowning, she demanded, "Stop dragging your feet. Are you coming or not? If you're not, Ning Tian and I will go without you."

The thought that Ning Tian had made preparations two hours early just to invite this brat only made her more annoyed.

"Of course I'm coming." Huo Yuhao laughed, stood, and drained the remaining half-cup of Pearl Milk Tea. He wiped his mouth. "Can't pass up something free. Let's see if there's a treasure tonight that can add to the Lionheart Club's coffers."

The last ray of sunset fell across the young man's straight back as the four walked out of the office together and headed for the auction.