After listening to Ye Tian's business strategy, Bibi Dong felt as though she were basking in a spring breeze.
She shifted her gaze to Gui Mei.
"Time waits for no one. Elder Gui Mei, you will be in charge of this task," she said.
"Two days from now marks the New Year. The Spirit Hall Plaza project will commence after the New Year," Bibi Dong continued. "In the meantime, you must select a list of outstanding personnel."
"I understand, Your Holiness," Gui Mei said with a slight bow.
Then, a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes.
"But Your Holiness, the continent has so many prosperous cities. Which one should we choose as the starting point for the Spirit Hall Plaza project?" he asked.
Bibi Dong turned her gaze to Ye Tian.
Ye Tian spoke calmly, "The capitals of the subsidiary kingdoms of the Heaven Dou Empire are excellent choices."
"These kingdoms are located at the border between Heaven Dou and Star Luo, making them hubs of bustling commerce."
"Moreover, the Heaven Dou Empire's influence in those areas is very limited."
"Building Spirit Hall Plazas there would be taking advantage of favorable geography and harmonious relations."
Elder Gui Mei nodded in agreement. "Understood."
...
At that moment, outside the window.
Qian Daoliu was quietly using his spiritual power to eavesdrop.
His pupils alternated between contracting and relaxing.
Initially, he had only come to check if Gui Mei had anything important to report to Bibi Dong.
Unexpectedly, he stumbled upon a potential financial goldmine for the Pope's Hall.
A sly smile appeared at the corner of Qian Daoliu's mouth.
"Spirit Hall Plazas? Excellent idea. But it's going to be Elder Hall's project now."
The Pope's Hall planned to launch it in two days?
He would start today!
As an Ultimate Douluo, his speed was among the best on the continent.
It was no trouble for him to return to Spirit City in two days.
The time saved from rushing back, combined with the two-day lead, would be enough for him to arrange everything in advance.
"The Pope's Hall thinks they can seize control of financial power? Not while I'm around!"
Qian Daoliu cast a sharp glance toward Bibi Dong inside the room before transforming into a streak of light and disappearing.
...
"Young Master, Qian Renxue asked Fu Bo to deliver a message to you."
The speaker was Zhou Long, who handed over a rolled-up note.
"Why is Qian Renxue sending me a message?"
Ye Tian, basking in the sun under a grapevine, took the note with a puzzled expression.
The note bore elegant handwriting:
"Emperor Xue Ye has learned of the assassination attempt on me by the Star Luo Empire. He is furious and has ordered the closure of the border with Star Luo."
"The play is about to begin."
Ye Tian chuckled softly, crumpled the note into a ball, and pocketed it.
He stood up from the stone chair and glanced around.
"Where's Fu Bo?"
With Qian Renxue and Ning Fengzhi living nearby, he wondered if anything interesting had happened at the villa.
"In the front yard, chatting with Chen Jian," Zhou Long replied respectfully.
"Let's go take a look."
Ye Tian waved a hand.
He crossed the freshly trimmed lawn and arrived in the front yard.
Fu Bo immediately spotted him and quickly approached to greet him.
"Young Master, good morning."
Ye Tian smiled. "Fu Bo, you're getting on in years. Tasks like delivering messages can be assigned to someone else. No need for you to come personally."
Fu Bo chuckled awkwardly. "Miss Qian Renxue was very insistent. I thought it must be something important, so I came in person."
"Is everything at the villa alright recently?" Ye Tian asked, looking up.
Fu Bo bowed slightly and replied, "As per your instructions, the maids have been changing Qian Renxue's bandages daily. Her injuries are healing quickly."
"The guards mentioned that recently, there have been many people lurking near the villa. Likely experts sent by the empire."
"With you away, the guards don't dare to investigate too closely."
"That's the right approach. If discovered, it could lead to unnecessary trouble," Ye Tian said.
"There's one more important piece of information I overheard from Ning Fengzhi," Fu Bo added.
"Oh?" Ye Tian raised an eyebrow in interest. "Let's hear it."
"Ning Fengzhi mentioned that an important figure from Heaven Dou is coming to East Sea City soon. It seems they plan to negotiate with the Star Luo Empire."
Hearing this, Zhou Long laughed. "After the Crown Prince of Heaven Dou was nearly assassinated, negotiations are inevitable."
Ye Tian smiled faintly. "An incident of this magnitude will take months for relations to recover."
He then waved a hand dismissively. "In any case, these matters have nothing to do with us. There's no need to get involved."
"Zhou Lao, I called you from the Heavenly Strategy Army today because I have an important task for you."
"Please give your orders, Young Master," Zhou Long said, bowing deeply.
Ye Tian first turned to Chen Jian. "Chen Lao, I'm entrusting my businesses to you for now. Your first task is to handle the layoffs properly."
"Young Master, are you planning to leave?"
Chen Jian looked concerned.
Given Ye Tian's abilities, staying in East Sea City was undoubtedly the safest option.
Chen Jian took a step forward. "If there's anything that needs to be done, you can leave it to us. There's no need to act personally."
Ye Tian smiled and shook his head. "I wish I could, but this time it's not possible."
He explained, "Recently, I fell victim to a trap set by that old schemer, Sea God. Now, I need to find rare medicinal herbs to refine an antidote."
"East Sea City doesn't have what I need. I'll have to go to the library in Spirit City to search for information."
"And there's another matter—my sister is still in Spirit City. She's my only remaining family."
"I must bring her back to East Sea City."
This was Ye Tian's most pressing priority.
Expelling Sea God's inheritance imprint from his body was secondary.
In this lifetime, he didn't have many family members. If something happened to his sister, Ye Xinglan, he would regret it forever.
Although Bibi Dong had assured him that Ye Xinglan was safe in the Spirit Hall, he would only feel at ease once she was by his side.
"I'll accompany you, Young Master," Zhou Long said firmly.
"No need." Ye Tian raised a hand lightly and smiled. "Didn't I just say I have an important task for you?"
"Your mission is to train a new army on Pearl Island and assist Zi Zhenzhu in gaining control of the surrounding islands."
This was Ye Tian's plan for contingencies.
If the continent's political situation spiraled out of control, retreating to the islands would be a solid backup plan.
"In my heart, Young Master's safety is the most important task," Zhou Long insisted.
"Don't worry. Someone will protect me." Ye Tian smiled faintly.
This time, he would be traveling with Bibi Dong to Spirit City.
As a Super Douluo, Bibi Dong was one of the most formidable beings on the continent.
Not to mention, he also had Sea Witch, his persistent and inescapable protector.
As long as he didn't openly declare his intent to reject the Sea God's inheritance, Sea Witch would remain his personal bodyguard.
(End of Chapter)
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