"This has nothing to do with you. Sit down!"
Aoshi Longhuang's face darkened as he barked at the vice president, Aoshi Xiaokuang, who had "forgotten his place."
"But—"
"I said sit down!"
Just as Aoshi Xiaokuang tried to speak, he was cut off by Aoshi Longhuang's roar. Startled, he shrank back, shut his mouth, and plopped down into his seat.
Seeing that Aoshi Xiaokuang had caved under Aoshi Longhuang's pressure, disappointment flickered in the eyes of the other Aoshi Guild executives.
"My apologies for failing to discipline my subordinate. Please forgive the embarrassment."
Having dealt with the meddlesome Aoshi Xiaokuang, Aoshi Longhuang turned to the guild leaders of Jiuzhou and Mushui, offering an awkward smile.
"Guild Leader Aoshi, you weren't just joking about giving each of us ten thousand vouchers, were you?"
The Mushui Guild leader stared at Aoshi Longhuang, his expression practically demanding that Aoshi Longhuang transfer the vouchers into his account right then and there.
"Don't worry. I, Aoshi Longhuang, always keep my word. I have that much credibility. Please take a moment to tally your brothers' accounts, and I'll arrange it immediately."
Aoshi Longhuang smiled, assuring the two guild leaders of Emperor State.
"Great! With your word, Guild Leader Aoshi, we can rest easy. Otherwise, all that effort would've been for nothing. I'll head back to the guild base now to gather the brothers and share the good news, hahaha!"
The Mushui Guild leader laughed heartily, nodded to Aoshi Longhuang, and promptly left the meeting hall with his senior executives to tally the accounts back at the guild base.
"Since that's settled, Brother Longhuang, we won't impose further. Farewell!"
With Mushui gone, the Jiuzhou Guild leader, "Duduan Jiuzhou," also rose with his executives to take their leave.
Once Jiuzhou had left, only Aoshi Longhuang, Aoshi Xiaokuang, and three senior Aoshi Guild managers remained in the meeting hall.
"Xu Yi, do you think that because of your sister's connections, you've earned the right to question me as vice president?"
Aoshi Longhuang's face was terrifyingly dark, his eyes blazing as he fixed them on Aoshi Xiaokuang, the guild's vice president, his voice icy.
Xu Yi was Aoshi Xiaokuang's real name. His sister, Xu Yanran, was Aoshi Longhuang's girlfriend and came from an impressive background herself—she was the heiress of the "Xu Group" chairman in Canglan Province, Dragon Kingdom. Xu Yi was Xu Yanran's cousin, and his father was a major shareholder in the Xu Group, wielding significant influence.
It was through this connection that Xu Yi, after getting into the game "Wanjie" and learning that Aoshi Longhuang had founded the Aoshi Guild, used his sister to secure the vice president position.
"Brother-in-law, I—"
Xu Yi started, but Aoshi Longhuang cut him off again.
"Don't call me brother-in-law. Xu Yanran and I aren't engaged yet."
Aoshi Longhuang shot Xu Yi a look full of disdain. Though he genuinely liked Xu Yanran, he was utterly disappointed in her simple-minded cousin.
"Guild... Guild Leader, I spoke out of turn today. I'm sorry."
Seeing Aoshi Longhuang truly angry, Aoshi Xiaokuang dared not defend the guild members any further. He lowered his head and immediately apologized.
Watching this, the other Aoshi Guild executives felt their disappointment deepen.
"Xu Yi, you shouldn't have stood up to speak today. Do you think I don't know what our brothers are thinking? Do you think I need you to teach me how to give them an explanation?"
As Aoshi Xiaokuang bowed in apology, Aoshi Longhuang's tone softened. His gaze swept over the other executives as he spoke.
"Yidao, go tell the brothers: each one gets twenty thousand vouchers."
Aoshi Longhuang addressed the executive standing beside Aoshi Xiaokuang—the man he had lured into the guild with a hefty sum, "Yidao Powanfa."
"Got it. I'll handle it now."
Hearing that Aoshi Longhuang was also compensating the Aoshi Guild players, and at double the amount of the other two guilds, Yidao Powanfa exchanged glances with the other executives. Their faces finally relaxed. He nodded to Aoshi Longhuang and left the meeting hall.
"Everyone, disperse. I need some quiet."
After arranging the compensation, Aoshi Longhuang rubbed his temples, looking exhausted, and waved his hand dismissively, shooing Aoshi Xiaokuang and the other executives out of the hall like flies.
Once they were gone, Aoshi Longhuang sat alone in the meeting hall, the only one left in the chair.
"Ding! The results of the Alliance Raid War are in: First place, Tianbo Mansion Alliance—rewarded with 10,000 jade, 5,000 ore, and 100,000 gold in alliance funds! Second place, Hanjiang City Alliance—rewarded with 7,500 jade, 3,500 ore, and 75,000 gold in alliance funds!"
Not long after, a system notification chimed, revealing the final outcome of the Alliance Raid War.
"Damn it!"
After a few seconds of silence, Aoshi Longhuang erupted with a roar. He stood up and kicked a nearby chair, sending it flying over ten meters.
He had gone into this Alliance Raid War with a winning mindset, but not only had his main stronghold been easily taken by Tianbo Mansion due to a lack of defenders, but even Hanjiang City, which he had been determined to secure, had gone awry.
On top of that, to quell the resentment within the alliance, Aoshi Longhuang had to dip into his own pocket to compensate the Aoshi, Jiuzhou, and Mushui guilds with vouchers—nearly a million in total.
Soon, Aoshi Longhuang's phone buzzed with a few text notifications. He temporarily logged out of the game to check: it was the account summaries from the Jiuzhou and Mushui guild leaders, as well as Yidao Powanfa.
"Biaozi, tell Xiaoya to come to my office."
Aoshi Longhuang picked up his phone, opened WeChat, and found a contact with a nine-dragon-pattern avatar. He sent a message, then tossed the phone aside, leaned back in his comfortable executive chair, and closed his eyes to rest.
His office was on the 12th floor of the "Bai Group" headquarters, a floor dedicated to his general manager's office. Without his permission, no one could enter.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Soon, a knock came at the door.
"Come in!"
Aoshi Longhuang rubbed his temples, his voice laced with fatigue.
The secretary, Xiaoya, dressed in a form-fitting uniform with a curvaceous figure, pushed open the door and approached him.
"I'll send you a list. Print it out and take it to finance to recharge the accounts according to the records."
Aoshi Longhuang gave her round backside a squeeze, then forwarded the list from WeChat.
"How annoying..."
Xiaoya shot him a playful, reproachful look, then swayed her hips as she left the room.
After the flirtatious secretary had gone, Aoshi Longhuang put his VR headset back on and logged into the game.
"Server Broadcast: [Hanjiang City Leader Cangshu Buding]: Aoshi Longhuang, unmatched in cunning, tried to steal the chicken but lost the rice!" "Server Broadcast: [Hanjiang City Jiang Yuan]: Longhuang's brilliant plan to settle the realm, lost his wife and soldiers in the end!"
The moment he logged in, Aoshi Longhuang saw a glaring red message floating on the world channel. Two lines hovered at the top of the chat bar, refusing to fade.
"F*ck your mother!"
Seeing those messages visible to the entire server, Aoshi Longhuang's blood boiled, and his intracranial pressure skyrocketed.
"Ah!"
He clutched his head, the helmet already tossed aside. An explosive sensation surged in his brain. With a scream, his eyes rolled back, and he slumped sideways in his chair.
The young master of the Bai Group and guild leader of Aoshi Guild had been so enraged that he passed out.