Chapter 1187: Prodigal Returns

Chen Song, with his two subordinates, after conducting some research, decided to go find Ye Liuyun for negotiations.

But they waited outside the Chengzhu Fu for many consecutive days and never saw anyone.

Every day, a large number of personnel came and went from the Chengzhu Fu, all busy with Alliance matters.

They also tried to slip into the Chengzhu Fu, but were turned away at the gate for lacking the Alliance‑issued insignia.

He wanted someone to go in and report to Ye Liuyun. However, after the guard clarified his intention, he thought it was a daydream and simply ignored him.

"Boss, maybe we should just call it off!" one subordinate advised Chen Song.

"No, we can't give up easily; we must keep waiting!"

Chen Song was determined; he would wait for Ye Liuyun to emerge.

He, with his two subordinates, crouched day and night outside the Chengzhu Fu, awaiting Ye Liuyun's appearance.

That day, Ye Liuyun finally finished the Alliance business and prepared to return to Yi Cheng to rest.

Su Miaoyin then brought up the matter to Ye Liuyun.

"There are three people at the gate who have been waiting outside for you for many days. They said they wanted to negotiate with you. However, we thought they were unreliable, so we didn't disturb you, but we also didn't have the guards drive them away!"

"Oh? What are they negotiating about? Can't we talk with them?" Ye Liuyun asked, curious.

"They specifically requested to speak only with you!" Su Miaoyin said with a smile, revealing that Chen Song wanted to discuss recruiting Southern Region immigrants with Ye Liuyun.

"Just have Lan Ruo Bing decide!" Ye Liuyun didn't seem to mind much.

He currently lacks neither an army nor manpower. Even if he recruited these people, they could only be assigned to Lan Ruo Bing's unit.

As he spoke, he also used Divine Sense to probe outward, checking what kind of people were seeking him.

That probe revealed that they were the three individuals who had previously stalked him.

Ye Liuyun's expression changed, and he said angrily, "These three have some nerve, daring to deceive me! Have someone bring them in!"

Su Miaoyin, after asking, finally understood what was happening.

"Never mind, they can't cause any big trouble anyway!" Su Miaoyin urged Ye Liuyun to drop it, saying there was no need to waste effort on them.

"Bring them in! I haven't been active for a long time, so I can use them to practice! If these scoundrels escape, they'll only continue to harm others!"

Ye Liuyun happened to be looking for an opportunity to act, and could also eliminate these lingering threats.

Su Miaoyin smiled and ordered someone to bring Chen Song and the others inside.

As soon as Chen Song entered, he began to lay out his ideas to Ye Liuyun, and, fearing Ye Liuyun's concern, even agreed to sign a Divine Soul Contract.

Neither Ye Liuyun nor Su Miaoyin expected that he would still dare to sign a Divine Soul Contract.

Moreover, while he was speaking, Ye Liuyun and Su Miaoyin truly didn't realize he was deceiving them.

"You several have stalked me before, haven't you?" Ye Liuyun asked directly.

Chen Song did not conceal anything and admitted it outright.

Now, in order to gain Ye Liuyun's trust, he dares not tell a single lie.

"At first we were motivated by greed and wanted to rob you! Later we envied you and wished to become like you!"

Chen Song spoke very politely and sincerely.

"Whether it's true or false, I'll know when I test it. Dare you open your Sea of Consciousness to me? I can guarantee I won't harm your Soul," Ye Liuyun asked tentatively.

Usually, when someone undergoes Soul Search, it damages the Soul.

Chen Song also knew that he couldn't easily win Ye Liuyun's trust. Yet for his own future, he was giving it his all.

"Fine!" he surprisingly agreed outright.

Ye Liuyun and Su Miaoyin exchanged a glance, then truly began a Soul Search on him.

Subsequently, to verify, they also forcibly performed a Soul Search on his two subordinates.

After Ye Liuyun finished the Soul Search, he fell silent and communicated with Su Miaoyin via Transmission Voice about how to handle these people.

"These people are prodigals returning; I want to give them a chance!" Ye Liuyun suggested.

"Recruiting Southern Region immigrants is no small matter. First we must ensure Emperor Xia doesn't misunderstand, and also guarantee successful recruitment. I'm worried Chen Song's abilities are insufficient; he might botch it despite good intentions!"

Su Miaoyin knew Chen Song and the others intended to reform, but remained skeptical of their abilities.

"How about this: first ask Lan Ruo Bing, Lao Gui, Wu Tian and others whether they have time to come to Yi Cheng. I can also check with them on the Teleportation Array construction progress. Then ask if they need manpower. If they do, let them assist Chen Song with this task!" Ye Liuyun suggested.

"Alright then!" Su Miaoyin immediately agreed and began contacting Lan Ruo Bing and the others.

Ye Liuyun also said to Chen Song and the others, "Your prodigal return is indeed commendable. However, I still need to plan this matter. You should first return to Yi Cheng with me and wait for my news! Even if it doesn't work out, I will assign you other tasks."

Ye Liuyun let these people follow him, also fearing he might neglect their enthusiasm.

When they saw Ye Liuyun accept them, they were instantly overjoyed.

Chen Song was so excited he didn't know what to say, and just kept thanking repeatedly.

Chen Song's two subordinates had been terrified half to death by Ye Liuyun's Soul Search, yet discovered they suffered no damage at all.

What delighted them even more was that Chen Song actually managed to pull this off.

Although there is no final verdict yet, at least eating a bowl of rice with Ye Liuyun should be fine. They could even do odd jobs in the army!

Ye Liuyun himself rose from the bottom step by step, understanding how hard life is for low‑level people.

Thus he prefers to invest some funds to give Chen Song a chance.

As for whether Chen Song can seize this opportunity, that depends solely on him.

Ye Liuyun led them back to Yi Cheng, had someone arrange lodging for them, and waited for Lan Ruo Bing and the others to arrive.

Lan Ruo Bing and the others arrived at Yi Cheng that same day to meet Ye Liuyun.

"Now that we have the Teleportation Array, it's so convenient!" Lan Ruo Bing and the others exclaimed to Ye Liuyun, sharing their appreciation of its benefits.

They chatted idly for a while, then discussed the Teleportation Array's construction progress and the development of transport business.

The Teleportation Array of Lan Ruo Bing's group has already been built as far as the border near the Southern Region.

In terms of quantity, it now covers roughly one third of the major cities, and both the transport business and the Teleportation Array have begun turning a profit, making a lot of money.

But the development space is still very large. Moreover, two-thirds of the major cities and a large number of medium and small cities have not yet been developed and opened, eh?

"We are short of manpower now!" Wu Tian complained to Ye Liuyun.

"Originally we thought we had enough people, but once we got busy, we realized our handful of people is far from enough. We even wanted to borrow people from you, eh!"

Upon hearing that, Ye Liuyun felt it was the right moment.