The middle-aged man only returned when the rat-catching work was nearing its end. He was clearly surprised to find both Su Baadao and Wang Gen present.
The face that had been exceptionally stern toward Yin Yang now broke into a beaming smile.
“You two arrived today?”
“This house has been empty for a long time, and some rats moved in.”
“But don’t worry, I’ve hired our best pest control expert.”
“He uses cats to catch them—completely pollution-free.”
As he spoke, Yin Yang walked out, carrying a large plastic bag filled with a dense mass of rat carcasses.
Seeing Yin Yang, the middle-aged man said hurriedly, “How can you walk through the front door carrying those filthy things? You’ll offend the gentleman’s eyes.”
In Great Wei, there was an unwritten rule: the City Lord could only be addressed as ‘Mister.’
This had been a requirement set by the founding emperor of Great Wei, supposedly to help the rulers blend in with the common people.
Therefore, in Great Wei, ‘Mister’ was not just a way to address a man, but also a description of a person’s status and position.
Yin Yang gave a brief acknowledgement and prepared to turn back with the rats.
“Forget it, it’s just some dead rats. What’s the big deal?” Wang Gen waved him off and glanced at the bag.
“There really were quite a few rats in this house. Are they all cleared out?”
“All cleared out.”
“Where’s your cat?”
“Right here.”
Yin Yang showed the cat carrier on his back. Seeing this, Wang Gen laughed.
“You’ve got good luck, kid, finding a cash cow like that.”
Yin Yang tucked the carrier away and said, “Cat Boss doesn’t belong to me. It’s free; I’m just its partner.”
Hearing this, Wang Gen couldn't help but pause, his expression filling with appreciation. He hadn’t expected Yin Yang to say such a thing, and even Su Baadao gave Yin Yang a look of newfound respect.
Yin Yang carried the rats over to the middle-aged man, who casually produced five gold notes.
“Your payment.”
“Perfect.”
After confirming there were five gold notes, Yin Yang headed out.
Wang Gen watched with surprise. “Catching rats pays that well?”
The middle-aged man smiled. “Catching rats doesn’t pay much, but being able to wipe them out in a short time without chemicals or technology—that pays.”
Wang Gen nodded. Su Baadao, however, asked curiously, “Then I have a question.”
“Please, go ahead.” The middle-aged man’s attitude was humble.
Su Baadao asked with a smile, “Which account are these five gold notes coming out of?”
The smile on the middle-aged man’s face froze instantly. He never would have guessed Su Baadao would ask that.
Five gold notes—what was the difference between paying that from his private account and cutting off his own flesh? But looking at Su Baadao’s expression, it was clear he had no intention of letting it be charged to the public account.
“The, the private account. It’s coming from the private account, of course.”
Hearing this, the smile on Su Baadao’s face became even more sincere. “In that case, I accept your kindness.”
...
After returning to the company, Yin Yang immediately closed the doors and began a frantic mental review.
Everything that had happened after meeting the two men played back in his mind like a movie. He replayed their eyes, expressions, and tones of voice in slow motion.
Only after confirming there were no anomalies did he breathe a sigh of relief.
‘Good. They shouldn’t have recognized me. If I’d been exposed, I really would have had to run.’
Yin Yang never underestimated the intelligence of others. Looking down on others was the same as looking down on himself. Only by being cautious could he avoid mistakes.
“Phew...”
“Meow~”
“Yeah.”
Both the man and the cat were still a bit shaken. Although Canned Food didn't know the relationship between Yin Yang and those two, it could see that Yin Yang’s state of mind was off.
Before, no matter what Yin Yang did, he was always at ease, as if nothing could change the outcome he wanted. But this time, Yin Yang had been nervous.
Even as a cat, Canned Food could guess that those two men were definitely not simple! That was why it had been so cooperative, acting as if it were truly just a harmless little kitty.
“Tonight, let’s awaken the fourth companion.”
...
Night fell.
Yin Yang stood before the array, with the three ghosts standing behind him.
“Phew...”
He let out a long breath, and his gaze suddenly sharpened.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The candles beside him burned fiercely, and a mysterious, inexplicable spirituality emerged in the center of the array.
The three ghosts looked on with excitement as Yin Yang reached out both hands.
“Awaken!”
A gust of wind rose out of nowhere within the sealed space. Along with it came the smell of rust.
Gurgle, gurgle...
The array in front of Yin Yang began to boil. The ground seemed to turn into a swamp as a large hand reached out, followed by a second hand, then the torso, waist, and legs!
As more and more of the body crawled out, Yin Yang’s face grew paler. Summoning the fourth ghost was a far greater drain than he had imagined.
Hum—
The air hummed, and the fourth ghost finally fully entered the world!
It was covered in bulging muscles and countless scars—clearly a brave warrior who had fought through desperate battles! An unparalleled aura of savage ferocity radiated from its body, swirling around it.
And its most striking feature was...
It had no head!
It was a Headless Ghost!
The blade-wielding ghost was very happy to see it and stepped forward to punch it in the chest. The new arrival was equally happy and threw the blade-wielding ghost to the ground with one hand.
Yin Yang let out a long breath. With the Headless Ghost joining them, his strength had increased once more.
“Quiet down.”
The moment Yin Yang spoke, the four ghosts stood silently in place.
“The original plan is no longer viable. I didn’t expect Su Baadao to come.”
“After that previous incident, I researched this man. His style is swift and decisive, and he is best at ‘uniting against an external foe’!”
The four ghosts had no idea what Yin Yang meant. Canned Food, standing nearby, let out a meow. By now, it was already immune to the ghosts. After all, whenever Yin Yang slept, the blade-wielding ghost would silently stand guard nearby. After so much time, it had become desensitized.
“His style is to flip the table as soon as he arrives, drawing all the fire and attention to himself. Then, just as things are about to explode, he’ll create an enemy to divert all that fire and attention toward.”
“The advantage of this is that it cuts through complex problems like a hot knife through butter!”
“It skips the most tedious stages. By the time the common people realize what’s happening, he’s already finished what he needed to do.”
“The disadvantage is that the risk is very high. If he makes a mistake, the infamy could destroy him.”
But Su Baadao had never made a mistake.
...
The very next day, a piece of news shocked the entire city of Mangliang!
The new City Lord had decided to double the investment in the South District!
Furthermore, he had laid out a preliminary three-year plan!
One year to take shape! Two years to break even! Three years to profit!
As soon as this news broke, the people of Mangliang City began cursing in the streets.
Given Mangliang City’s location and conditions, it shouldn't have been this poor. It was only because the previous City Lords had all wasted resources on that wretched South District that they had become poorer year after year!
“Tell him to get lost and go back home!”
“Yeah, send him back!”
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