The globally franchised Xianlu Magic Potion Shop was in the midst of intense preparations for its grand opening.
Ever since I announced on my livestream that employees would be treated like real people, the name Xianlu Magic Potion Shop quickly caused a huge stir in Donghuang District.
Every day, a steady stream of applicants came for interviews, and surprisingly, many of them were high-level executives from Fortune 500 companies.
They had good insight.
There was no doubt that the Xianlu Magic Potion Shop, which controlled the global lifeblood of potions, could easily surpass Juzi and Weiruan even if it operated poorly.
However, amidst this celebratory scene across the seas, a discordant incident was unfolding at Egg University.
That very morning, an uninvited guest appeared at the university gates.
The man was named Yun Shanhai, a high-ranking minister of the Immortal Spirit Association, wielding significant power.
He arrived at the entrance and immediately demanded to see Yun Luo Xian.
“No need to be so guarded; I’m not here for them,” Yun Shanhai’s eyes showed no hint of emotion. “I’m here because of the mess you’ve made recently on your livestream.”
“What mess?”
“Don’t play dumb. Your company doesn’t require overtime and maintains regular days off… how do you expect other companies to compete with that?”
“…”
After seventeen years apart, I never thought my dear old dad would come looking for me because of… something like this.
“Where’s Yun Xian? I can’t explain things to you kids. Tell him to come out and see me,” the man said coldly.
“Say whatever you want to me directly. I’m now the legal representative and chairman of Xianlu Magic Potion Shop,” I said lazily, sitting back in my chair with my legs crossed.
The man furrowed his brow slightly. “You don’t understand.”
“I understand perfectly. I’m the Qilin’s Master—don’t treat my intelligence like I’m a child.”
Yun Shanhai pulled up a chair and sat down opposite me.
“Fine. On behalf of the Immortal Spirit Association, I now demand you immediately hand over the Si Bei Potion Formula to the Association. After that, Xianlu Company will publicly announce bankruptcy… You can reopen your shop, but you cannot livestream offering such high待遇.”
“You could crush people without mercy but still choose to be so polite…” I was stunned by his words. “Impressive, really.”
“You brought this on yourself.”
“Oh? So you’re here on behalf of the Mu Family?”
“No. This time I’m not representing the Mu Family. I represent the entire Donghuang Immortal Spirit Association,” the man said seriously. “What I say has nothing to do with the Mu Family. This is the Association’s stance.”
“…”
From the Qi-Viewing Technique, he wasn’t lying.
This was indeed a serious matter.
“Why?” I asked.
“Do you think other companies can’t afford the待遇 you offer? It’s not that they can’t afford it; they just can’t provide it.”
“Why?” I asked again.
“What is Donghuang District’s advantage over other districts? It’s the population. You think all these modern public facilities, convenient railways, streetlights in the city… where do they come from? They come from manpower. Manpower is productivity. It’s the hard work and diligence of several generations of people turned into value—that’s how everything exists now.”
“That doesn’t conflict with the待遇 I offer, does it? I just want them to live better.”
“It conflicts greatly. Biological nature is the same everywhere. A dog trainer never lets their dog eat until it’s full because only a hungry, yearning dog will obey… So if you want your employees to be diligent and dedicated, you have to give your dog something to desire but never fully reach—it could be food, it could be a shelter. Excessive rewards only breed laziness.”
I laughed.
“But my employees are human, not dogs. They spend their free time learning and improving themselves, making themselves better. Then I get better, stronger employees.”
“You’re thinking too simply. Do you think they’ll thank you? Naïve. They won’t. They’ll only see you as a sucker. When their horizons expand, they’ll demand more… Knowledge turns people into bottomless pits that can never be filled. You have to fill their time completely, not give them chances to study.” The man shook his head, mocking my naivety.
“But knowledge also broadens people’s minds, makes them sensible. They’ll know right from wrong, they’ll understand my kindness, appreciate it, treat me as a friend, and cherish it…
It’s not knowledge or books that create bottomless pits of desire. What determines the depths of desire are one’s family background and personal growth experiences. You’re shifting the meaning.”
“…”
Seeing that I was not easily swayed and quickly rebutted, the man began to look at me with new respect.
“You really aren’t an ordinary kid. Worthy of being my Yun family granddaughter.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. Say what you need to say, or leave.”
Yun Shanhai smiled wryly.
“Do you know about leeks? I’m not talking about leeks cooked as a dish, but those growing stubbornly in rural soil,” he asked.
“I’ve never seen one.”
“I have. It’s a tenacious plant,” Yun Shanhai said thoughtfully. “You only need to plant it once, and it will grow desperately to survive. It sprouts leaves, is harvested by farmers, then sprouts again, then harvested again…
Sometimes ten times a year!”
“…Why are you telling me this?”
“Do you think that’s all a leek is? Its resilience surpasses your imagination. Even under northern snow in winter, the planted leek can stay dormant deep underground and sprout new leaves come spring—the first growth is called Tou Cha.”
“…”
“The Tou Cha leek is often tough and dry, so you have to cut it off. The more you cut, the better it grows, the more disciplined it becomes… the more you cut, the tastier it gets. I like leeks. They’re the easiest and hardest-working crop.”
“So you want everyone in the world to be like leeks?”
“No, most people are destined to be like leeks, and must be like leeks. Only then will the world be stable, only then will the road forward progress… Every farmer wishes their crops were as resilient as leeks. That’s a good thing, a very good thing.”
“But it’s bad for the leeks.”
“Who cares what the leeks think? As a farmer, the only thing you need to care about is this year’s harvest, because you’re not a leek. You don’t need to empathize with them… and you shouldn’t change their species to be as delicate as roses.”
“But roses are beautiful.”
“But you shouldn’t tamper with other people’s leeks. Their leeks grow fine as they are, even without water or fertilizer, they’re lush and tender. But you insist on letting them taste high-end fertilizer… Once they taste it, they’ll crave it, and stop growing diligently. But no matter how much they worry or suffer, leeks will never become roses! You’re torturing those leeks.”
“Is it possible that maybe they deserve that fertilizer? Or that leeks can choose their own lives? To grow or not to grow? At least in my field, they have a choice.”
“So you’ve made up your mind to defy the Immortal Spirit Association, huh?” Yun Shanhai squinted, his voice low.
I stood up and saw him out.
“This is my field. I decide. No need to see you off!”