Chapter 96: Xiyang House Headquarters

The next day.

Upon waking early, Li Luo was once again served a highly nourishing breakfast by Niu Biaobiao, which made his nose feel hot, leaving him constantly suspicious that a nosebleed might flow out.

After breakfast, Li Luo headed straight to the Xiyang House headquarters accompanied by Jiang Qing, and naturally, Yan Lingqing, a member of Xiyang House, and Cai Wei, the chief steward of the House of Luolan, could not be absent.

In the spacious carriage, even with four people riding together, it did not feel crowded in the slightest; a faint, lingering fragrance drifted through the carriage, coming from the three women, and upon closer inspection, each had a distinct scent.

"Qing, previously the Xiyang House headquarters was held down by Han Zhi; although that guy didn't manage things, with him there, Pang Qianchi would at least restrain himself a little. Now that Han Zhi has left, I'm afraid no one in the Xiyang House headquarters can suppress him," Yan Lingqing said, adjusting her silver-rimmed glasses with some worry.

"And given the chaotic state of the Xiyang House headquarters now, we must indeed select a President as soon as possible to stabilize the situation and allow Xiyang House to resume production quickly, otherwise the losses will only grow larger," Cai Wei added, her red lips slightly parted.

"This is likely what Pang Qianchi wants to see."

Jiang Qing nodded slightly and said, "With Pang Qianchi's reputation and his strength as a Resonance Refiner within the Xiyang House headquarters, no one can compare to him. With Han Zhi gone, if a President is to be chosen, Pang Qianchi will inevitably receive the most support; even those in the neutral faction will choose him."

"But if we really let Pang Qianchi become the President of Xiyang House, that would likely be even more troublesome. By then, Pei Hao could continuously encroach until he finally annexes the headquarters," Cai Wei said.

"What a nuisance," Yan Lingqing sighed. Her own ability was enough to compete for the position of branch president in Tianshu County, but if placed here at the Xiyang House headquarters, it was somewhat lacking. If they really pushed her into the position, it would inevitably cause much dissatisfaction, and those stubborn old men at Xiyang House would be the first to object.

"Actually, it's not that there are no candidates at all," Jiang Qing suddenly chuckled.

Yan Lingqing and Cai Wei both looked over in surprise.

Jiang Qing gently raised her snow-white chin toward the person sitting opposite her, and then the gazes of Yan Lingqing and Cai Wei landed on Li Luo.

"Me?" Li Luo was also startled; he hadn't expected the candidate Jiang Qing mentioned to be him.

"Although I am a Resonance Refiner, I am currently only at the Second Grade... With this ability, I'm afraid I can't be the President of Xiyang House, right?"

Jiang Qing smiled and said, "In terms of ability, you might indeed lack the qualifications to be the President of Xiyang House, but you have another advantage, and that is your status."

"You are the Young Master of the House of Luolan. If you come to take charge of the Xiyang House headquarters, I presume even those stubborn old men at Xiyang House would have no reason to refuse. Furthermore, it's not as if you have no track record; the Tianshu County Xiyang House performed excellently under your and Lingqing's management, which is also your advantage."

"So, actually, even you haven't noticed that you are the best candidate to serve as President."

Yan Lingqing and Cai Wei, who were on the side, also had their eyes brighten slightly; put that way, Li Luo was indeed very suitable.

Seeing this, Li Luo pondered for a moment and said, "It's not impossible for me to take over as President for the time being, but you have seen the current situation of the Xiyang House headquarters: a serious loss of Resonance Refiners and constant internal strife. If Xiyang House wants to truly grow strong in the future and reach the level where it can compete with the top-ten Spirit Liquid and Light houses like the Duze House's 'Daze House', then it must inevitably undergo some changes."

"I mentioned this to Sister Qing last night as well."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qing pondered for a moment and finally nodded gently.

"You are the legitimate Young Master of the House of Luolan. If you feel it is possible, then I will support you."

"Then thank you in advance for your support, Sister Qing," Li Luo smiled.

Yan Lingqing and Cai Wei, on the side, looked at the two with some confusion, not knowing what riddle they were speaking in.

The Xiyang House headquarters was located in the southern part of Daxia City, in the same district as the House of Luolan headquarters. However, when the carriage passed through the complex streets and arrived at the destination, nearly an hour had passed. In terms of distance, this Daxia City was unimaginably larger than Nanfeng City.

And the Xiyang House headquarters appeared even more magnificent than the branch in Nanfeng City.

The main gate, guarded by stone lions, faced the street, with dozens of steps outside, grand and imposing. Looking through the gate, one could see tall buildings standing within.

At this moment, outside the Xiyang House headquarters, there was a constant flow of people, and they were pointing at the Xiyang House headquarters, with some laughter from onlookers faintly audible.

Clearly, the news that the President of Xiyang House had taken many Resonance Refiners to leave Xiyang House and join Daze House had already spread throughout Daxia City.

When the carriage arrived and Li Luo and Jiang Qing stepped out, they were immediately spotted.

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

"He looks quite handsome, with the bearing of his father. Tsk tsk, back in the day, that Li Taixuan was the man most admired by many noble ladies in the royal city; it simply incited public outrage."

"This Li Luo is even better than his father."

"Heh, Li Taixuan was so favored, but his appearance was only part of the reason. He himself was a supreme genius, the youngest Marquis-level expert in Daxia; that halo was the most dazzling. As for this Li Luo, he has the looks, but in terms of talent and achievements, he is far inferior to his father."

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

"That reason 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 whispers from the crowd on the street, Li Luo's expression did not change at all. He walked up the steps with Jiang Qing, Cai Wei, and Yan Lingqing and entered the Xiyang House headquarters.

Inside the headquarters, the environment was extremely quiet and beautiful, but at this moment, it was filled with a chaotic atmosphere, and no high-level officials came to welcome them; only a few attendants hurried up.

"Where are the elders and Vice President Pang?" Jiang Qing asked with a calm expression.

The attendants looked at each other timidly, then pointed to a spot in the back and whispered, "Elder Zheng Ping and the others are arguing with President Pang."

Jiang Qing said nothing more, but strode forward with her long legs toward the direction the attendant pointed.

Li Luo and the others followed.

The group passed through a path among the trees, and a fountain plaza appeared ahead. At this moment, the plaza was packed, with many people dressed in Xiyang House Resonance Refiner attire gathered there.

"Everyone, this Han Zhi is insane! Not only did he betray Xiyang House, but he also burned down the research laboratory. In my opinion, we shouldn't have let him be the President of Xiyang House in the first place; we should have chosen Vice President Pang!" someone in the crowd shouted loudly.

At this time, the Resonance Refiners of Xiyang House were filled with anger and hatred toward Han Zhi, and upon hearing this, they all echoed the sentiment.

"That's right, this Han Zhi is a beast! It would be better to let Vice President Pang take over!"

"Now that the President's position is vacant, it is only right to let Vice President Pang take command of the overall situation to stabilize the chaos in Xiyang House!"

In the crowd, Elder Zheng Ping's face was livid as he shouted, "Who becomes President is for the Young Master and the Young Lady to decide! Do you need to make the call?!"

"If the Young Master hadn't come to Daxia City, nothing would have happened. Now that he's just arrived, this kind of thing happens..." someone muttered.

"Who is running their mouth?!"

Elder Zheng Ping glared at the crowd and scolded, "Are you dogs eating bear hearts and leopard gallbladders? The Young Master coming to Daxia City to stabilize the situation is only good for the House of Luolan. Do you short-sighted people need to question it here?!"

He scolded harshly, yet no one dared to refute him; after all, Elder Zheng Ping was famous in Xiyang House for his explosive temper—he was stubborn and difficult.

"Hehe, Elder Zheng Ping, no need to be angry. Actually, everyone doesn't mean to blame the Young Master; it's just that in the current chaos, it's inevitable that some will speak without thinking." At this moment, a laugh rang out, and a figure walked out from the crowd.

It was a middle-aged man with a gentle expression and narrow eyes. As soon as he appeared, it drew some cheers: "Vice President Pang is here."

Elder Zheng Ping looked at the middle-aged man coldly and said, "Pang Qianchi, I don't want to waste my breath on you. The Young Master and the Young Lady will be here soon. There is no need for you to incite the crowd to do these things. As for who should sit in the President's chair, the Young Master and the Young Lady have their own candidates. You just wait."

Vice President Pang Qianchi, with his narrow eyes, chuckled upon hearing this.

Although he didn't speak, someone in the crowd instigated, "This time we only recognize Vice President Pang! In Xiyang House, only he is qualified to serve as the President of Xiyang House. Otherwise, we won't agree to anyone else!"

Elder Zheng Ping was so angry that his eyes were spitting fire and his face was livid.

He also knew that today, Pang Qianchi was clearly trying to take advantage of the situation to force a coup; Han Zhi's betrayal was, for him, an excellent opportunity.

Elder Zheng Ping also clearly understood that in terms of seniority and ability, no one in the current Xiyang House could compare to Pang Qianchi. If someone else were to take this position, the already agitated Resonance Refiners of Xiyang House would certainly not agree.

If things escalated and caused these remaining Resonance Refiners to resign one after another, then Xiyang House would truly be paralyzed.

For a moment, even he fell into a dilemma.

And it was while he was overwhelmed that a calm voice suddenly broke through the noise and came straight in.

"I think I can try taking the position of President."

(End of chapter)