"I agree! When do we leave?"
After much deliberation, Wang Hao finally agreed.
Although this is risky, the rewards are equally huge. Most importantly, with the support of the Mohist School, completing those two main quests will be much easier.
To expedite the completion of the main quest, it would be worth it even if it meant completely clashing with Confucian School.
"What departure? Where are you going?"
Tan Buyong looked at Wang Hao with a puzzled expression, seemingly not understanding the meaning behind Wang Hao's words.
"Go to your Azure Dragon Society headquarters! Then complete our handover ceremony and let me become the head of the Azure Dragon Society..."
Wang Hao said matter-of-factly, but before he could finish speaking, he saw Tan Buyong looking at him as if he were an idiot.
"You brat, you don't think I'll hand over the Azure Dragon Society to you completely after just one meeting and a few words, do you?!"
Tan Buyong looked at Wang Hao with disdain, as if he were looking down on Wang Hao's arrogance.
He's not an idiot; how could he so hastily hand over the Azure Dragon Society to Wang Hao? He should at least put him through some tests.
What do you mean by that?
Wang Hao's expression froze, and he stared at the old man in front of him with dead fish eyes, while glancing from time to time at the Shameless Greatsword stuck not far away, seemingly considering whether to use the Shameless Greatsword to give the old guy a good whack.
He, Master Hao, is not someone who can be easily fooled.
Seemingly sensing Wang Hao's intention, Tan Buyong hurriedly explained, "You are, after all, a stranger to our Azure Dragon Society. No one knows you well. Even if I immediately put you in the position of Dragon Leader, it will be difficult to convince others, and trouble will inevitably arise."
"My intention is to first appoint you as a captain. Once you have accumulated sufficient merit and surpassed my granddaughter in the art of mechanics and mathematics, I will then gladly relinquish the position of leader."
That makes sense!
Stroking his chin, Wang Hao nodded to indicate he would act immediately, then changed the subject and asked, "As the leader, how much power can I mobilize?"
"Once you choose which region to become the leader of, you can mobilize Issei of the artisans in that province to work for you, and you can also receive material support, but you will need to pay enough money to purchase it."
Tan Buyong formalities or empty promises; he directly granted her real power.
" Issei of the craftsmen? That should be barely enough!"
Stroking his chin again, Wang Hao felt that the deal was acceptable, and the material support was also very helpful. After all, materials were not easy to collect these days. Perhaps small quantities were not a problem, but if it was a large quantity, the imperial government would be the first to target you.
If the Azure Dragon Society to lend a hand, things would be much easier and more discreet.
"Can we choose any branch location? If so, I'd like to choose Jianfu, or a branch in one of the two neighboring provinces would also be fine."
Wang Hao preferred to be the branch leader in Jianfu, since the next step was to develop the Treasure Island of Ryukyu, and Jianfu was the closest to the Treasure Island of Ryukyu, making it the most convenient location.
"Then Jianfu Branch, Liu Fu!"
Tan Buyong was indifferent to this; it didn't matter to him whichever Wang Hao chose.
"Dragon Head!"
A middle-aged man walked in from outside, bowed respectfully, and awaited Tan Buyong's orders.
"Young friend Wang will be taking over your position. Pack your things and come back to Wolong Valley with me tomorrow."
With a calm command, Tan Buyong made the appointment directly. The man known as Liu Fu, who had lost his position as branch leader, seemed quite pleased, as if it were a great joy.
"Thank you, Chief. I will complete the handover with Brother Wang soon."
Overjoyed, Liu Fu quickly bowed again, and then turned to give Wang Hao a grateful look, leaving Wang Hao completely bewildered.
"You two chat now, I'll go for a walk."
After giving Wang Hao a deep look, Tan Buyong got up and walked out shakily, clearly leaving the rest of the time for Wang Hao and Liu Fu to hand over the reins.
Liu Fu was a man of action, and he quickly and without reservation revealed everything that needed to be said. He even found a reliable deputy to help Wang Hao familiarize himself with the affairs of the branch in the early stages.
"Damn it! I got fooled by that old guy!"
It wasn't until he finished handing over the work to Liu Fu that Wang Hao realized he had been tricked by that old man Tan Buyong.
Although the Azure Dragon Society appears to have branches in every province, in reality, they are only a handful of people, with the strongest among them Liu Fu, being only at the peak of the Peak Super-First-Rate.
The rest were all second- or third-rate lackeys, and the relationships with the artisans under their command were quite loose; in fact, those artisans were unaware of the existence of the Azure Dragon Society.
It could be said that only Liu Fu knew the truth within the entire branch; everyone else was kept in the dark. This branch also disguised itself as a merchant guild, resembling an underground organization.
Wang Hao had some doubts about whether relying on these methods would actually be enough to mobilize the Issei craftsmen that Tan Buyong had previously mentioned.
"If we want to get rid of these craftsmen, we'll probably have to use some bribery."
Wang Hao, who understood the true nature of the branch headquarters, knew himself well. He knew he couldn't possibly lure those craftsmen to Treasure Island of Ryukyu for development with just empty White Fang; only by using sufficient money to pave the way and offering incentives would it be possible.
This funding gap is quite large!
" The Tan Buyong left early, was it because he was worried that I would fight him if I found out the truth?"
Wang Hao couldn't help but feel uneasy, sensing that Tan Buyong Yongbu had been trying to slip away earlier.
"Brother Liu, you seemed quite delighted to be back in Wolong Valley just now. Is there some reason behind it?"
Suppressing his frustration, Wang Hao changed his expression and asked curiously.
Although the situation at the Jianfu Branch wasn't great, it wasn't a burden either. Liu Fu didn't need to be as overjoyed as before; there were clearly things he didn't know about.
"To be honest, I came out of Wolong Valley to train ten years ago. Unfortunately, I am really not good at management, which is why Jianfu Branch is still in such a half-dead state. If Wolong Valley hadn't been so short of people, I would have gone back long ago. This time, with the help of my elders, I am more than 50% confident that I can break through to the Grandmaster Realm."
Liu Fu sighed, looking ashamed, but his face lit up with joy as he finished speaking.
After all, he had been stuck at the Peak Super-First-Rate for almost ten years, and he was about to turn forty. If he didn't break through now, he would never have another chance.
Fortunately, Wang Hao suddenly appeared and took over his branch. It's truly a stroke of luck!
"I see. Then I wish Brother Liu a successful breakthrough!"
Wang Hao suddenly realized what was happening, poured a glass of wine and toasted Liu Fu, then drank it all in one gulp.
"Thank you for your kind words, Brother Wang!"
Liu Fu also slowly drank a cup, then his expression turned serious. After looking around to make sure no one was there, he whispered, "There are some things I need to tell you, Brother Wang. Although the influence of Confucian School is mainly in the north, it should not be underestimated in the south."
The Emperor Yongle of the Da Ming was forced to leave Yingtian Prefecture and establish a new capital in Yanjing in the north. So be careful what you do here in the future, and don't let those forces target you."
Although he hadn't achieved anything significant in Jianfu, he had been in the business for over a decade and was very familiar with the various forces in the area. He also understood how terrifying these forces were and how they shouldn't be easily provoked.
"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Liu. I will be careful."
Wang Hao nodded gratefully, truly taking this to heart.
He had also learned from Li Jishi about the Confucian School establishment in the Jiangnan region. Although the main body of the Confucian School school was not located here, it was still operating remotely. It could be said that the shadow of the Confucian School was behind all the major powers in the south.
Otherwise, the Confucian School wouldn't have been able to find Lin Zhennan so quickly and then lay an ambush on him.
After chatting with Liu Fu for a while, Wang Hao personally escorted him out of the Fuwei Escort Agency gate before turning to Lin Zhennan, who was following behind him.
"Mr. Lin, head escort, are you interested in changing your career?"
He's currently short-staffed, especially in terms of trustworthy and capable individuals.
Lin Zhennan has been able to manage the Fuwei Escort Agency for so many years without making any major mistakes, which shows that he does have some ability. Although he cannot fully trust the agency now, he has to make do with the existing staff due to a shortage of manpower.
"I know my own limitations; I'm destined to be a fugitive smuggler for life. But I can recommend someone to you, Brother Wang, someone you can absolutely trust."
Lin Zhennan wasn't stupid, so he naturally guessed Wang Hao's idea. He was initially somewhat tempted, but he was also very self-aware. After thinking about it for a while, he shook his head and declined, but he did intend to put forward a candidate.
You mean Yushu?
A thought struck Wang Hao, and he naturally thought of Yushu.
That girl has considerable management skills, and she seems to come from a merchant family, possessing strong business acumen. She should be able to help him develop the Jianfu Branch.
"It is indeed Yushu. I, Lin, can assure you, Brother Wang, that she will not disappoint you."
Lin Zhennan patted his chest and gave his assurance, clearly showing that he had great confidence in Yushu.
"Alright, have her come over later."
Nodding, Wang Hao acknowledged Lin Zhennan's suggestion.
"I'll talk to her. By the way, Brother Wang, I've already contacted Old Zhu and the others. They said they'll arrive at Fuzhou port at noon tomorrow. Should we let them into the city?"
"No need. Just get ready; we'll leave Fuzhou City at noon tomorrow."
Seeing the first light of dawn in the east, Wang Hao decided not to stay any longer.
After all, he had recently broken through a carefully planned ambush by the Confucian School and even killed a core member like Li Jishi. Who knew if he might anger the Confucian School and provoke an old monster at the Innate Realm? That would be bad.
So it's best to make your escape as soon as possible.
Without saying anything more, Wang Hao gave some instructions to Yushu, who had followed him over, and handed over the branch deputy left behind by Liu Fu to Yushu, entrusting her with full authority over the branch's affairs.
Wang Hao and Lin Zhennan were both self-aware in this regard, understanding that they were not good at large-scale management, especially in the business of a commercial enterprise, so they did not bother with it, nor did they have the energy or time for it.
After all, his main task was to cultivate diligently and improve his cultivation level; everything else was secondary, and he naturally wouldn't bother with those trivial matters.
After explaining the general direction of the future to Yushu, Wang Hao disguised himself again, using the alias Zhu Yanzu, and approached Wu Tai, who was waiting at Grace and Righteousness Trading Company, instructing him to move together to Treasure Island of Ryukyu.
There was no other way; the Confucian School school was simply too powerful. Staying here might lead to them tracking them down, and if Wu Tai's situation was exposed, the consequences would be dire. So, it was best to make a run for it as soon as possible.
Soon it was noon, and Wang Hao had Lin Zhennan Wu Tai, and the others board a ship and leave the Fuzhou dock.
He then went to the place where the ship had been moored, pushed the ship hidden in the dense forest into the sea, and dragged the unwilling Wangcai onto the ship. Afterwards, he set sail and joined Wu Tai and the others' fleet.
Having traveled dozens of miles from the coast, they finally met Zhou Xueyi and Zhu Yuanwai others.
However, Wang Hao was quite shocked when he saw the thing below the women.