Chapter 112 (4): Fang Che's Promotion

While the ore vein was being excavated, Mo Ganyun and the others had already been secretly delivered back to the Guardian headquarters, still in an unconscious state.

Bing Qianshan was serving as a delivery man, taking full spatial rings back to the Guardian headquarters, where they were emptied before being brought back to the ore vein.

The ore vein was truly enormous, and even with so many top-tier warriors working at once, the excavation job was still not done.

Eventually, Xue Fuxiao decided to tackle the outer layers of Amethysts as well, even though they weren't of the highest purity, and Dongfang Chongming was being made to toil away like a mule!

For many years after this, Xue Fuxiao tried to avoid Dongfang Chongming as much as possible as failure to do so would immediately lead to him being on the receiving end of a furious tirade.

***

Upon his return to the Hall of Protectionists, Fang Che was thoroughly rewarded for his efforts in the form of six thousand merit points.

Furthermore, he had been promoted to chief administrator. Previously, it was only Tang Zheng under his command, but now, he was the direct supervisor to four hundred administrators!

Even though he normally liked to keep a relatively low profile, this was very much a worthy cause for celebration, and he treated everyone to a lavish banquet.

As the new chief administrator, he was colloquially referred to as Chief Fang, and he immediately began making some major changes.

"From this day forth, no fishing is allowed! If you discover demonic church members, then they are to be taken out right away!"

In the blink of an eye, over two hundred "fish ponds" in the White Cloud Prefecture were eradicated in the wake of this order.

"From this day forth, I will be holding non-scheduled cultivation base and battle technique examinations, and your results will be recorded in your file. I don't care what cultivation base you're at right now, you must display all-round improvement in all categories with each passing examination. Otherwise, you will have committed malfeasance, and there's no place in our administration halls for people like you.

“Either you transfer yourself away, or I stick you in another department. Everyone must undertake the examinations, regardless of age or gender. Don't try to tell me nonsense about how you've been stuck at a bottleneck for decades. That's your problem, and it's up to you to find a solution. If you can't, then piss off!"

This was naturally met with strong opposition, and even Hall Master Song Yidao stepped in to try and convince Fang Che to change his mind.

"Aren't you being a little too demanding?"

"This is something that must be done!" Fang Che insisted. "Either you allow me to do what I want, or you demote me. There's no other alternative. Even if Zhao Shanhe comes here in person, I'm not changing my mind!"

Song Yidao could only depart with a forlorn shake of his head.

Even Zhao Shanhe couldn't change Fang Che's mind, what could a mere hall master like him possibly do?

That was not the end of Fang Che's demands.

"From this day forth, everyone must begin targeting promotions! All third-rank administrators, aim for the second rank. Second-rank administrators, aim for the first rank. First rank administrators, strive to become my deputies! While I'm serving as chief administrator, the only thing that I ask of you is that you make meaningful and substantial contributions.

“If you're not making contributions, then what do we even keep you around for? This is not a retirement home! Your salaries and wages all come from taxpayer money, so you have to reciprocate the people!"

Both administration halls had erupted into a frenzy in the wake of these three orders.

Fang Che had someone make a giant table called the Merits Records, and it was plastered to the wall.

As the name suggested, it was a record of the merit points earned by all administrators.

"Each month, the administrator ranked last will lose their bonus and benefits for that month! If you're dead last for three months in a row, then you're gone!"

An atmosphere of tension had arisen in both administration halls.

Some of the old administrators who were accustomed to slacking off banded together to collectively protest these changes, but all they received for their efforts was a merciless beating from Fang Che.

"Either follow my orders, or piss off! There's no room for compromise here!"

Everyone shuddered in fear at the sight of the fifty or so brutally beaten veteran administrators rolling on the ground.

"These are your comrades, Brother Fang. Don't make them turn on you. Try to keep things friendly and amicable," Yuan Jingjiang advised.

"Friendly and amicable? Why? I'm not here to make friends!"

"But you still have to coexist with them!"

"Coexist my arse! I'm here to work, not to coexist with anyone! If they can't do their jobs, then they can all piss off! I have plenty of drinking partners to choose from, why would I drink with someone who doesn't make any contributions or pull their own weight? They're not worthy!"

Before long, it became clear that no one would be able to dissuade Fang Che, and everyone quickly accepted their fate.

Even after his promotion to chief administrator, Fang Che remained seated at his original desk, as opposed to moving into the chief administrator's office.

Whenever Fang Che was around, all of the other administrators were immediately on their best behavior.

In particular, Cripple Hong had become a serious, no-nonsense gentleman ever since Fang Che's promotion!

Every single day, he walked around with a serious and professional expression, and while at the Hall of Protectionists, he spoke about nothing outside of work.

He even had a to-do list that he went through every day, and only after ticking off every item would he finally clock off for the day.

His drastic shift in attitude immediately had everyone looking at him through a new lens, and it was difficult to imagine that he had been a sleazy office clown not long ago.

***

"I have three pieces of good news to report, Master."

"Let me hear them."

"The first piece of good news is that our branch helm has been fully established now. It now has 1,200 people, 666 of which are armed escorts, consisting of 660 Lords and six Warlords. They all have legitimate identities that allow them to go anywhere unopposed, and at this point, not only has our business expanded to outside the seventeen southeastern prefectures, it's continuing to gradually expand. Our branch helm is now fully ready for an assessment from the main church at any time."

"Well done."

Yin Shengong was ecstatic, and he decided that it was about time to make a report to his higher-ups in exchange for a reward.

He anticipated the application to go very smoothly. After all, now that the branch helm was established, it meant that all 666 armed escorts had also completed their "work experience" missions, so they were also set to receive rewards, and that had to be a tantalizing prospect for all of their clans.

Even though Night Demon of the One Heart Church had killed direct lineal descendants from some of those clans, Starlight of the One Heart Church had returned to them one or multiple branch lineal descendants who now had bright futures ahead.

Thus, they had to support Yin Shengong in order to ensure that they would be able to reap the benefits.

"What's the second piece of good news?"

"I've made a breakthrough to the third-rank Warlord tier."

"Not bad. Have you really begun cultivating the Blood Smoke Hands?"

"I have."

"What level are you at right now?"

"The second level, but I'm about to reach the third level soon."

"I see."

At this point, Yin Shengong had no choice but to accept this outcome. In any case, the Blood Smoke Hands would grant one tremendous power upon achieving full mastery.

Even though there wasn't a single person currently in the Church of the Self-Righteous that had fully mastered the cultivation art, there were people who had reached those heights in the past.

According to legends, there was once a Blood Smoke Demon who terrorized the continent seven thousand years ago. He once faced off against three extremely formidable warriors from the Guardians, including a prime Dongfang Chongming, and he was able to gain the upper hand!

If Fang Che could reach those same heights...

Just the mere thought plastered a wide grin across Yin Shengong's face.

"What's the third piece of good news?"

"I've been promoted in the Hall of Protectionists. I am now the chief administrator of the White Cloud Prefecture Hall of Protectionists. From here, the next step up will be deputy hall master, but what's the point in becoming a deputy hall master? If I'm going to earn a promotion, then I may as well jump straight to hall master, wouldn't you agree, Master?"

Yin Shengong gave a cold harrumph. Fang Che's words were brimming with ambition.

The implication was clear: "Master, I want to become a hall master!"

You've only been helmsmaster for a few months! How could you possibly expect a promotion to hall master in such a short time?!

"You can become a hall master once you reach the Emperor tier."

"That's not a problem at all, Master! At my rate of progression, I'll be at the Emperor tier in no more than a year!"

"Seeing as you've told me three pieces of good news, I'll also tell you a piece of good news in return."

A sense of foreboding instantly welled up in Fang Che's heart.

"What is it, Master?"