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Chen Zhang set down his wine flask, suddenly remembering something, and began "complaining" to Chen Wu and Chen Hua, half in jest and half in earnest. "Speaking of which, Fourth, Sixth, you two really did me dirty!"
"I put down my responsibilities at Sword Rain Academy and hurried back to take over the External Relations Department, only to find you'd already picked everyone clean and left me a few empty shells."
"All I could do was stare helplessly. There wasn't a thing I could do about it."
Chen Wu immediately "protested his innocence." "Take that up with Sixth. Don't pin it on me."
"Sixth was the one who started it. I only followed up and picked a few because I was afraid all the promising youngsters would be gone."
Chen Hua gave a disdainful snort and retorted, "As if you wouldn't have reached for them yourselves if I'd left them there. The clan's development comes first. Who doesn't have to think about his own Hall?"
"I don't care which of you started it!" Chen Zhang knitted his brows. "The point is, by the time it reached me, all that was left were people who... well, weren't particularly good at navigating social situations."
Hearing his dissatisfaction with the quality of his staff, Chen Hua immediately shook his head and began "reasoning" with him in all seriousness. "Fifth Brother, now you're being a little prejudiced and passing the buck."
"How could any of the disciples trained under our Chen Clan be crooked melons and split dates? Every one of them is a handpicked elite. Of course..."
He deliberately drew out the words, glancing at Chen Zhang's darkening face. "The External Relations Department does mostly need people with silver tongues who can charm everyone on all