Chapter 655: Silence Like Cicadas in Winter

Downstairs at the Qingyuan City Management Company building.

Li Fei and Lu Wen stood at the company's main entrance.

Soon, Xu Rui, You Xiaofeng, and others rushed out of the company gates.

"We did not know the Marquis of Jing'an was arriving; please forgive us for failing to welcome you properly, my lord!"

Xu Rui rushed to the front, his face full of smiles, and bowed to Li Fei.

"Greetings, Marquis of Jing'an!"

The people behind him also bowed one after another.

Li Fei nodded and said simply, "I am here at someone's request to take a look."

"It is a supreme honor!"

Xu Rui straightened up and gestured to the side, inviting Li Fei in.

Li Fei glanced at Liu Saner, who was standing in the crowd looking somewhat dejected, said nothing more, and walked into the company building.

A group of people crowded around him.

"My lord, our Qingyuan City Management Company now has some reputation in Xingcheng; is there anything we can do for you?"

Xu Rui actively moved to Li Fei's side, seizing the opportunity to converse with him.

Li Fei looked at him: "Who are you?"

Xu Rui's smile grew wider: "I am Xu Rui, Assistant Regional Commander Manager of the Qingyuan City Management Company, in charge of city management operations."

"I thought you were the General Manager."

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"Liu Saner."

Li Fei called out.

Liu Saner, who had been deliberately blocked in the back, woke as if from a dream and hurriedly replied loudly:

"I am here!"

Then he pushed through the crowd and quickly came to Li Fei's side:

"My lord, I am Liu Saner, the General Manager of the Qingyuan City Management Company."

"Mm, introduce it to me, after all, this is your company."

Li Fei looked at Liu Saner and said this.

These words struck Xu Rui like a thunderbolt, and many people present changed color.

The situation seemed somewhat ominous; why did this Marquis hold such a small figure as Liu Saner in such high regard?

Liu Saner's back straightened instantly, and he began to introduce the company to Li Fei.

The group started from the first floor and visited every floor.

Liu Saner introduced what each floor of the company did and what positions existed in detail, as if he were counting his own family treasures.

Although his talent was insufficient, it did not mean he was not diligent; otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to maintain the company until now without any major deviations.

Li Fei listened patiently to Liu Saner's introduction.

He had just said it was 'your company', but in truth, this was also his company.

He was like a lion king returning from abroad, re-inspecting his own territory.

Upon reaching the highest floor, the tenth, Li Fei suddenly asked:

"Has the company encountered any problems or difficulties so far?"

These words made the hearts of Xu Rui and the others jump.

Liu Saner turned to look at Xu Rui, intending to speak, but Xu Rui finally could not help but cut in first:

"My lord, actually, General Manager Liu does not handle specific affairs; we do the vast majority of the work in the company. General Manager Liu may not truly understand the specific problems the company has encountered. Why not let me—"

Li Fei frowned slightly, so before he could finish his sentence, Lu Wen, who had been standing quietly behind Li Fei, reached out and pressed down on Xu Rui; a burst of force made the man's whole body go numb, and he was immediately unable to speak:

"Did the Marquis ask you a question?"

Xu Rui froze in place, his face flushed red.

Li Fei did not even look at him, continuing to watch Liu Saner, signaling for him to continue.

Liu Saner felt a secret thrill and pointed to the conference room where they had just held their meeting: "My lord, please come inside; we were just having a meeting here."

So Li Fei walked in.

He sat directly in the central main seat, and Lu Wen sat beside him.

"Liu Saner, Xiang Du, you two sit as well."

Li Fei invited the two to sit.

Xiang Du was somewhat surprised; he had not expected Li Fei to still remember him.

Back when Li Fei went to the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold to practice martial arts with Shangguan Xiao, Xiang Du had seen him many times.

He had not expected that in the blink of an eye, that green youth had become a big shot far more formidable than the Great Leader!

"Many thanks, my lord."

Xiang Du bowed and sat down with Liu Saner.

As for the others, Li Fei had not told them to sit, so they dared not sit and could only stand.

Li Fei noticed the documents on the table and picked them up to read through.

After finishing, he looked at Liu Saner: "Are these the problems the company is currently facing?"

Liu Saner nodded: "Yes, there have been many instances of violations recently."

"Are they all on here?"

"Basically, they are all on here."

"Are you certain they are true?"

"My lord, I am willing to stake my life that every word written here is true!"

"Mm."

Li Fei nodded, "Since they have all been investigated, then there is a problem; why not just handle it according to the rules?"

Liu Saner looked at him cautiously: "But some people in the company do not agree."

"Who does not agree?"

"."

Liu Saner did not speak.

Li Fei raised his head to look at the standing Xu Rui and the others, holding up the document in his hand:

"I will ask one more time, who does not agree?"

"."

After a brief silence, You Xiaofeng braced himself and stood out, bowing to Li Fei:

"My lord, I am You Xiaofeng, Deputy Minister of the company's Martial Security Department. Liu San... General Manager Liu does not understand the company's specific operations. Many people on this list are the backbone of the company; for the Qingyuan Company to reach its current scale, these people have all made great contributions. They are very important to the company; we cannot just listen to General Manager Liu's one-sided words and punish these people."

Li Fei looked at You Xiaofeng; although his gaze was calm, it made this martial artist who practiced force feel a pressure like a mountain!

His back was instantly soaked with sweat, and he trembled with fear.

"It seems you are the one who does not agree."

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"What was his background before?"

Li Fei asked Liu Saner.

Liu Saner looked at You Xiaofeng: "He used to be from the Tiger Blade Gang, and many people on this list are his subordinates."

"Including those who raped women and sold opium?"

"Yes."

"My lord!"

Hearing this, You Xiaofeng became anxious and was about to defend himself.

"Kill him."

Li Fei said nonchalantly.

Boom!!

The air in the room vibrated violently, and Lu Wen, who had been sitting quietly in his seat, suddenly moved.

He stood up and reached out to grab You Xiaofeng.

You Xiaofeng was also a battle-hardened martial artist, but facing this simple movement, he could not dodge at all, nor did he have the strength to resist.

His neck was grabbed by Lu Wen with one hand, and his protective internal force was shattered the moment it surged to the surface of his skin.

Hum! Hum! Hum!

Everyone present heard three consecutive dull thuds.

They saw Lu Wen grab You Xiaofeng's neck and shake it three times, then let go and calmly return to his seat.

You Xiaofeng's eyes bulged in anger, his body tilted backward and collapsed to the ground; his chest was clearly sunken inward, and he had already lost his breath!

For Lu Wen, a Dao Foundation realm expert with 5th-tier combat power, killing a martial artist who practiced force did not require a second move.

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Everyone in the room, including Liu Saner, was terrified, staring blankly at You Xiaofeng, who had collapsed on the ground and stopped breathing.

Especially Xu Rui, whose face turned deathly pale, looking on in disbelief.

You Xiaofeng was one of the few top experts in the Qingyuan City Management Company and an extremely important combat asset.

Just like that, he died?!

He did not understand why Li Fei valued Liu Saner so much, nor did he understand why Li Fei had to handle things this way.

Is a Force-Refining martial artist not more valuable than trash like Liu Saner?

"Xiang Du."

Li Fei suddenly looked at Xiang Du.

Xiang Du was startled and hurriedly said, "What are your orders, Marquis?"

Li Fei pointed to the document in his hand: "Take this person's head, go and deal with everyone on this list. Those who should get lost, let them get lost; those who should be killed, kill them. Can you do it?"

Xiang Du was stunned, but quickly reacted, stood up, and saluted Li Fei:

"Rest assured, Marquis, I can do it!"

"Do you need me to send you some men?"

"No need."

"Good, go."

"Yes!"

Xiang Du revealed a ferocious smile, strode to the side of You Xiaofeng's corpse, and with a wave of his hand, he severed the man's head.

Then, carrying the head in one hand and the list in the other, he walked out of the conference room, radiating killing intent.

Inside the conference room, everyone was silent as cicadas in winter!

Fresh blood spread across the floor, and a bone-chilling stench of blood permeated the air.

"Liu Saner, stay. Everyone else, leave."

Li Fei said.

The people present felt a sense of relief and hurriedly left the place.

In the end, only Li Fei and Liu Saner remained in the conference room.

"Liu Saner, do you know why I helped you today?"

Li Fei looked at Liu Saner and asked.

Liu Saner answered cautiously: "Because of the Ghost King?"

"That is one reason, but not the most important one."

"Because I am obedient enough?"

"Because you have always strictly followed the rules set by the Green-Faced Ghost from the beginning. Neither the Green-Faced Ghost nor I need you to have great talent; the Qingyuan City Management Company needs a general manager who can always hold the line."

Li Fei said earnestly.

In fact, if he had chosen to keep You Xiaofeng, the Force-Refining martial artist, and chosen to tolerate the various petty schemes of Xu Rui and the others, just a little bit of discipline to keep them from making mistakes in major matters would have allowed the company to develop more smoothly.

After all, whether it was Xu Rui or You Xiaofeng, they were truly talented people. To any faction, they were more valuable than Liu Saner.

But Li Fei did not make that choice.

As Ye Zhao said, establishing the Ghost-Slaying Gang and tolerating the gang members preying on the common people was just a way to let the gang develop rapidly first, to be dealt with later.

That was the other party's expedient measure.

The process does not matter; what matters is the result.

But Li Fei would never choose such an expedient measure!

Even if it causes self-inflicted damage, even if it becomes more difficult, a bottom line is a bottom line.

Those who cross the line die!

This is the rule Li Fei set for the Qingyuan City Management Company.

Therefore, even though the Qingyuan City Management Company and the Green-Face Villa did not have many Force-Refining martial artists to spare, Li Fei still killed You Xiaofeng without hesitation.

It is like this in Xingcheng now, and in the future, when the Qingyuan City Management Company takes over the entire martial arts world of Datong Prefecture, the rules will be the same!

He knew it was impossible to make everyone in the company strictly follow the rules, which is why he needed the company's general manager to be someone who could hold the line.

Over the past year or so, Liu Saner had withstood the test.

Therefore, he would continue to be the general manager in the future.

Li Fei looked at Liu Saner: "From now on, the entire martial arts world of Datong Prefecture will be ours. I want you to expand the Qingyuan City Management Company to every city in Datong Prefecture. What Xingcheng is like now, other places must be like as well."

Liu Saner was stunned.

He used to be just a bottom-tier nobody, struggling to get his next meal.

Sitting in the position of general manager of the Qingyuan City Management Company was already the limit of his imagination.

He had originally thought that the Green-Faced Ghost King would replace him sooner or later, but he never expected Li Fei to run over today and say to him:

In the future, you will manage the entire martial arts world of Datong Prefecture!

It was truly like a dream.

"Liu Saner is willing to give his all, to serve the Ghost King and the Marquis! I will have no regrets even if I die nine times over!"

Liu Saner said with red eyes, moved by the sentiment of a scholar dying for one who appreciates him.

"I don't need you to throw your life away, just work hard."

Li Fei patted his shoulder and said so.

(End of chapter)