Chapter 96: Xiyang House Headquarters

The second day.

Li Luo, who had risen early, was once again served a hearty, nourishing breakfast by Niu Niu Biaobiao, which made him feel a warm tingling at the bridge of his nose, half-expecting a nosebleed to come gushing out.

After breakfast, Li Luo headed straight to the Xiyang House headquarters with Jiang Jiang Qinge, and as members of Xiyang House, Yan Yan Lingqing and Cai Wei, the Grand Steward of House Luolan Mansion, naturally could not be absent either.

The spacious carriage was not at all cramped even with four people riding together. A faint, subtle fragrance lingered in the cabin, the natural scent emanating from the three women, each subtly distinct upon careful appreciation.

"Jiang Qinge, in the past, with Han Zhi holding down the fort at Xiyang House headquarters, even though that fellow never handled affairs, with him around, Pang Pang Qianchi would at least rein himself in a little. Now that Han Zhi has left, I'm afraid no one at Xiyang House headquarters can keep him in check." Yan Yan Lingqing adjusted her silver-framed spectacles, speaking with some worry.

"And given the current chaotic state of Xiyang House headquarters, we really must quickly select a president to stabilize the situation and get production back on track as soon as possible, otherwise the losses will only keep mounting." Cai Wei added, her crimson lips parting slightly.

"This is probably exactly what Pang Pang Qianchi wants to see."

Jiang Jiang Qinge nodded slightly and said, "With Pang Pang Qianchi's reputation and his strength as a Material Refiner within Xiyang House headquarters, no one can compare to him. Now that Han Zhi has left, if a president is to be chosen, Pang Pang Qianchi will inevitably garner the most support—even those of the Zhongli Sect will choose him."

"But if we really let Pang Pang Qianchi become the president of Xiyang House, that would likely cause even more trouble. At that point, Manager Pei Hao would be able to keep encroaching bit by bit, eventually swallowing the headquarters whole." Cai Wei said.

"What a hassle." Yan Yan Lingqing sighed. Her strength was enough to compete for the position of president at the Tianshu Prefecture branch, but here at Xiyang House headquarters, it was somewhat lacking. If they really propped her up, it would inevitably draw a great deal of dissatisfaction. Those stubborn old fogeys at Xiyang House would be the first to oppose it.

"Actually, it's not as if there's no candidate at all." Jiang Jiang Qinge suddenly let out a light laugh.

Yan Yan Lingqing and Cai Wei both looked over in surprise.

Jiang Jiang Qinge tilted her fair chin slightly toward the person sitting across from her, and Yan Yan Lingqing's and Cai Wei's gazes settled on Li Luo.

"Me?" Li Luo was startled too; he hadn't expected that the candidate Jiang Jiang Qinge mentioned would actually be him.

"Although I am a Material Refiner, I'm only a second-rank right now. With this level of ability, I'm afraid I can't be the president of Xiyang House, can I?"

Jiang Jiang Qinge smiled and said, "In terms of ability, you may indeed not be qualified to be the president of Xiyang House, but you have another advantage—your status."

"You are the Young Mansion Master of House Luolan Mansion. If we let you take charge of Xiyang House headquarters, even those stubborn old fogeys at Xiyang House would have no reason to refuse. Besides, you haven't accomplished nothing—under your and Yan Lingqing's leadership, the Tianshu Prefecture branch of Xiyang House has performed excellently. That is also your advantage."

"So, in fact, even you yourself haven't noticed, but you are the best candidate for the position of president."

Yan Yan Lingqing and Cai Wei at the side also had a faint light kindle in their eyes. Put that way, Li Luo really did seem quite suitable.

Seeing this, Li Luo pondered briefly and said, "It's not that I can't temporarily take over as president, but you've all seen the current state of Xiyang House headquarters. Material Refiners are leaving in droves, and internal squabbles never cease. If Xiyang House truly wants to grow strong in the future—strong enough to compete with top-ten Spiritual Water Wonder Houses like the 'Great Marsh House' of Duze Mansion—then it inevitably needs to make some changes of its own."

"I discussed this with Sister Jiang Qinge last night as well."

Jiang Jiang Qinge fell silent in thought for a moment upon hearing this, then finally nodded gently.

"You are the rightful Young Mansion Master of House Luolan Mansion. If you feel it's feasible, then I will support you."

"Then thank you in advance for your support, Sister Jiang Qinge." Li Luo said with a smile.

Yan Yan Lingqing and Cai Wei at the side looked at the two with some puzzlement, unsure what riddle they were playing at.

Xiyang House headquarters lay to the south of Wang Cheng, in the same district as House Luolan Mansion's headquarters. But when the carriage passed through the labyrinthine streets and reached its destination, nearly an hour and more had passed. Judging by the distance, this Wang Cheng was incomparably vaster than Southwind City.

And Xiyang House's headquarters, compared to the Southwind City branch, was likewise far more imposing.

Stone lions flanked the street-facing main gate, with several dozen steps leading up to it—grand and magnificent. Looking through the gate, one could see towering buildings rising within.

Outside Xiyang House headquarters at this moment, a steady stream of people came and went, pointing and gesturing toward the building, with faint sounds of onlookers' laughter drifting over.

Clearly, the news that the president had taken a great many Material Refiners out of Xiyang House and into Great Marsh House had already spread throughout Wang Cheng.

When the carriage arrived, Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge stepped out of the cabin and were immediately spotted by people.

"That silver-haired youth should be the Young Mansion Master of House Luolan Mansion, Li Luo, right?"

"He's quite handsome, takes after his father. Back in the day, that Li Taixuan was the most coveted man among all the noble ladies of Wang Cheng—simply envied by all."

"This Li Luo is even more outstanding than his father."

"Heh, the reason Li Taixuan was so favored was only partly due to his looks. He himself was an absolute top-tier prodigy, the youngest Marquis in all of Great Xia—that halo was what truly shone brightest. As for this Li Luo, he may have the looks, but in terms of talent and achievement, he's far inferior to his father."

"I heard it was precisely because of this Young Mansion Master's arrival that President Han Zhi left Xiyang House directly."

"That reasoning doesn't hold up, does it?"

"Haha, who knows, but there must be some connection between the two, right? Otherwise it's too much of a coincidence."

"."

Listening to the whispered murmurs drifting from the crowd on the street, Li Luo's expression didn't change in the slightest. He went up the steps with Jiang Jiang Qinge, Cai Wei, and Yan Yan Lingqing and entered the Xiyang House headquarters.

Inside the headquarters, the environment was actually quite tranquil and elegant, but at this moment it was permeated with a chaotic atmosphere. Moreover, no high-ranking members came to greet them—only a few attendants hurried over to receive them.

"Where are the elders and Vice President Pang?" Jiang Jiang Qinge asked calmly.

The attendants exchanged timid glances, then pointed toward a certain place in the rear and said in low voices, "Elder Zheng Ping and the others are currently arguing with President Pang."

Jiang Jiang Qinge said nothing more, but simply strode off with her long legs toward the direction the attendants had indicated.

Li Luo and the others followed.

The group passed along a tree-shaded path, and a fountain plaza appeared ahead. The plaza was now packed with people, many of them wearing the uniforms of Xiyang House Material Refiners, gathered here.

"Everyone, that Han Zhi is utterly mad—not only did he betray Xiyang House, he even burned down the research lab. In my opinion, we should never have let him be president of Xiyang House in the first place; we should have chosen Vice President Pang!" someone in the crowd shouted loudly.

And at this moment, Xiyang House's Material Refiners were seething with rage and hatred toward Han Zhi, so upon hearing these words, they all chimed in agreement.

"Exactly! That Han Zhi is a beast; it'd be far better to let Vice President Pang take over!"

"Now that the president's seat is vacant, Vice President Pang should naturally take charge of the overall situation—only then can we stabilize the chaos at Xiyang House!"

In the crowd, Elder Zheng Ping's face was livid as he snapped, "Who becomes president is for the Young Mansion Master and the Young Lady to decide—do they need you people to make that call?!"

"Nothing happened before this Young Mansion Master came to Wang Cheng, and now the moment he arrives, this kind of thing happens…" someone muttered.

"Who's running their mouth?!"

Elder Zheng Ping glared at the crowd and cursed, "Have these dogs eaten bear gall and leopard courage? The Young Mansion Master coming to Wang Cheng to stabilize the situation only benefits House Luolan Mansion—do we need you short-sighted fools questioning him here?!"

His cursing was harsh, yet no one dared talk back. After all, Elder Zheng Ping was notoriously short-tempered at Xiyang House—foul-mouthed and unyielding.

"Hehe, Elder Zheng Ping, there's no need to get angry. Actually, no one here means to criticize the Young Mansion Master; it's just that in such chaos, people inevitably say things out of turn." At this moment, a laugh rang out, and a figure stepped out from the crowd.

It was a middle-aged man with a mild expression and narrowed eyes. The moment he appeared, cheers rose: "Vice President Pang is here."

Elder Zheng Ping cast a cold glance at the middle-aged man and said, "Pang Pang Qianchi, I can't be bothered to waste words with you. The Young Mansion Master and the Young Lady will be here any moment. There's no need for you to stir up the crowd and play these games. As for who should sit in the president's seat, the Young Mansion Master and the Young Lady already have their candidate. Just wait."

Vice President Pang Pang Qianchi, with his narrowed eyes, let out a soft laugh upon hearing this.

Though he said nothing, someone in the crowd stirred things up: "This time we only recognize Vice President Pang. Within Xiyang House, only he is qualified to be president. If it's anyone else, we won't agree to it!"

Elder Zheng Ping was so furious that fire seemed to spray from his eyes, his face an iron-blue.

He also knew that today this Pang Pang Qianchi had clearly made up his mind to use the situation to force a coup; Han Zhi's betrayal, for him, was instead a perfect opportunity.

Elder Zheng Ping was equally clear that, if one were to speak of seniority and ability, within the current Xiyang House there was simply no one who could compare to Pang Pang Qianchi. If someone else were to take this position, the already incensed Phase-Masters of Xiyang House would certainly not agree.

If things were to blow up and cause these remaining Phase-Masters to resign one after another, then Xiyang House would truly be paralyzed.

For a moment, even he was caught in a dilemma.

And just as he was at his wits' end, a calm voice suddenly broke through the clamor and came straight in.

"I feel the position of President can be left for me to try."

(End of this chapter)