Chapter 3062 Decision and Cleanup!
Before You Di contacted You Tao, he had thought about it seriously. You Di believed that asking Traveling Dragon Palace to give up their freedom to join this faction was not a bad thing. On the contrary, it was an opportunity. This was because there was a Grade 6 Creator in this faction. Even if Traveling Dragon Palace was not in a predicament, they could still consider making such a choice just to obtain the protection of this Grade 6 Creator.
No matter how he looked at it, this matter was a win-win situation. Hence, he took the initiative to contact You Tao. Otherwise, as the second-in-command, You Di would not have easily decided to let Traveling Dragon Palace join another faction.
Upon hearing this, You Tao frowned. After a while, he asked You Di in an unfriendly tone, "Is this faction a local faction of Diverse City?"
You Tao's first reaction was that Diverse City's local factions intended to leverage Traveling Dragon Palace's current predicament to threaten them. There were factions in Diverse City that were comparable to or even stronger than Traveling Dragon Palace.
However, Traveling Dragon Palace couldn't possibly resort to joining them just to survive this crisis. Doing so would immediately make them a laughing stock in Diverse City. Could it be that the City Lord of Diverse City, Zhao Chen, had taken the initiative to contact You Di?
The City Lord Manor of Diverse City was the undisputed strongest faction in Diverse City. Apart from being the City Lord of Diverse City, Zhao Chen was also born into a powerful species and had many connections.
Zhao Chen had interacted with You Tao a few times before. During Traveling Dragon Palace's heyday, Zhao Chen had attempted to recruit You Tao and proposed a joint development under the leaders.h.i.+p of the City Lord Manor. At that time, Traveling Dragon Palace was in the limelight, so You Tao rejected Zhao Chen without hesitation.
You Di knew You Tao very well and understood that You Tao had asked such a question because he didn't agree with his idea. You Tao most likely felt that some faction in Diverse City wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to exploit Traveling Dragon Palace.
You Di said without holding back, "Brother, a Grade 5 Creator came to me through a small faction called the Dragon Plum Family. At first, this person didn't express anything. It was when I attempted to recruit this Grade 5 Creator to join Traveling Dragon Palace that they directly mentioned our predicament. He then asked if Traveling Dragon Palace needed protection and claimed that the faction behind him could help us survive this crisis.
"I haven't agreed to it. I came to you immediately to discuss it. You just asked if this faction is a local faction of Diverse City. I can confirm that it's not because Diverse City can't handle such a huge fis.h.!.+"
When You Tao heard that a Grade 5 Creator had found You Di, his expression softened. This meant that You Di was not taking desperate measures out of desperation.
"Second Brother, it's not impossible for the factions in Diverse City to hide a Grade 5 Creator. Why would you say that Diverse City can't accommodate this faction? Could it be that this Grade 5 Creator has shown exceptional qualities?"
Upon hearing this, You Di surmised that You Tao was quite concerned about Traveling Dragon Palace joining a local faction in Diverse City. You Di could not help but feel helpless. Even at this point, You Tao was still acting impulsively.
"Brother, this Grade 5 Creator didn't show any exceptional qualities. He only revealed that he came to Diverse City with his Young Master. It shouldn't be long before they leave. No faction in Diverse City can hide a Grade 6 Creator. If it were possible, then the City Lord Manor wouldn't be the sole dominant faction in Diverse City. More than half of the City Lords in the other mega cities are suppressed by other factions."
You Tao trembled when he heard You Di's words. What faction actually had a Grade 6 Creator presiding over it? Moreover, their Grade 5 Creator had the ident.i.ty of a servant.
You Di's guess was right. You Tao indeed disliked Traveling Dragon Palace being controlled by Diverse City's local factions. However, if Traveling Dragon Palace relied on a faction with a Grade 6 Creator, it might not necessarily be a bad thing even in their peak days.
"Second Brother, the matter of Traveling Dragon Palace has always been decided by the two of us. If we make a decision on this matter, we don't need to discuss it with the others in the faction. To tell you the truth, I have already made up my mind to give up on Traveling Dragon Palace's investment in Extreme Wood City and return to Diverse City like a stray dog.
"Our Traveling Dragon Palace can no longer hold on. Since this Grade 5 Creator is in contact with you, you'll have full authority to communicate with him. If we can really rely on this faction with a Grade 6 Creator, will this faction be able to give Traveling Dragon Palace some resources to suppress Gray Smoke Stronghold?
"As long as Traveling Dragon Palace can gain a firm foothold in Extreme Wood City, the subsequent benefits will be much greater than the initial investment!"
Upon learning that this faction had a Grade 6 Creator presiding over it, You Tao no longer considered whether Traveling Dragon Palace would submit to this faction, but whether this faction would still be willing to take Traveling Dragon Palace under their wing after understanding their current predicament.
You Di said after a moment of silence, "Big Brother, the entire Traveling Dragon Palace is in a state of panic now. Once this matter is confirmed, it will give our core members a lot of strength. Wait for me to contact this Grade 5 Creator. If everything is confirmed, why don't we announce this to boost the cohesion of Traveling Dragon Palace?"
Upon hearing this, You Tao did not speak immediately. Instead, he pondered for a moment before responding. "Second Brother, you should have already sensed that our Traveling Dragon Palace has been infiltrated by other factions. Many factions have already planted people in Traveling Dragon Palace.
"Apart from that, there are also many individuals within Traveling Dragon Palace who have become disloyal. They act against the interests of Traveling Dragon Palace and take the initiative to contact other factions. These individuals are only a small fraction that has surfaced. Many others remain hidden in the shadows and haven't revealed themselves.
"I think it is necessary to get rid of these individuals from Traveling Dragon Palace to ensure the survival of all our members after this calamity. Otherwise, if our Traveling Dragon Palace is really under the command of this Grade 6 Creator, internal problems are bound to arise. If this affects future operations, the gains will not make up for the losses."
In the past, You Tao had always believed that Traveling Dragon Palace was extremely united under his leaders.h.i.+p and there was no discord. However, after this incident, You Tao realized how many shortcomings existed within Traveling Dragon Palace. He might as well take this opportunity to get rid of all these shortcomings once and for all.
You Di had previously suggested this to You Tao, but the latter had consistently refused to acknowledge any internal issues within Traveling Dragon Palace. This time, You Di decided not to divert the topic. Now that You Tao had come to this realization on his own, it was truly the best outcome.
"Brother, I know what to do. I'll contact this Grade 5 Creator and discuss the matter of affiliation with him. I'll carefully consider and agree to the other party's requests and conditions, without informing you of every detail.
"You stabilize the development of Traveling Dragon Palace in Extreme Wood City first, and then you'll also be responsible for cleaning up the remaining factions.
"Big Brother, I know everything you have done has been for the good of Traveling Dragon Palace. This failure has indeed caused a lot of losses for us. However, this does not mean that your management is problematic. I believe that Traveling Dragon Palace will become better and better under your leaders.h.i.+p."
With that, You Di ended the call. He took a deep breath and prepared to contact Sun Yin.
On the other end of the line, You Tao could feel his brother's concern for him. Although he did not know if the faction that You Di mentioned was really willing to help Traveling Dragon Palace, You Tao's heart was much more at ease than before.
Since the other party took the initiative to contact You Di, as long as Traveling Dragon Palace met their demands, they should be willing to help Traveling Dragon Palace. Traveling Dragon Palace might have fallen into a predicament, but it still had a lot of potential.
At present, Lin Yuan had already selected the Gourmets and Weavers. Three Cla.s.s 4 and above Gourmets and Weavers had been chosen. The eyes of the three Gourmets and Weavers could be healed.
Facing Lin Yuan's choice, Sun Youcai tried to persuade Lin Yuan again. However, seeing Lin Yuan determined to proceed with the trade, Sun Youcai turned to Feng Qian and Ding Tao and said, "I've already reminded you, Brother Lin. Don't let Wan Ying come looking for trouble with me later."
Sun Youcai said this with a smile, but Feng Qian and Ding Tao both understood that there was more to his words. Sun Youcai was trying to tell them that anyone would take the initiative to rope in someone like Lin Yuan and ask for Fortune Treasure Palace not to target him because of this matter.
After joking with Feng Qian and Ding Tao, Sun Youcai asked Lin Yuan, "Apart from these Weavers, Gourmets and the Spirit Craftsmen you just chose, do you have any other needs? Apart from Weavers and Gourmets, I also have many niche lifestyle-cla.s.s spirit qi professionals. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't sell these spirit qi professionals at all."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan asked curiously, "Brother Sun, may I know what these niche lifestyle-cla.s.s spirit qi professionals are referring to? I'm interested in those functional talents. To be honest, I'm out to establish a faction and don't lack resources, but I urgently need high-quality talents. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bought so much right from the start."
Lin Yuan's words were very sincere, and Sun Yin revealed a look of understanding.
Sun Yin had always speculated about Lin Yuan's ident.i.ty. Now, it seemed clear that Lin Yuan belonged to a hidden faction with deep foundations. As a direct descendant, Lin Yuan needed to prove himself by establis.h.i.+ng his own faction. Currently, he was in the early stages of doing so. The more Sun Yin helped him now, the more Lin Yuan would owe him.
Soon, Sun Yin brought a large group of niche lifestyle-cla.s.s spirit qi professionals. To put it bluntly, they were actually captives of species with special bloodlines. These individuals could use their unique bloodlines to perform tasks that ordinary lifestyle-cla.s.s spirit qi professionals could not. They were much more valuable than the average professionals.
Lin Yuan selected a portion of these talents, resulting in a fruitful harvest. After completing the talent transaction, Lin Yuan didn't stay any longer. The newly acquired talents were stored in spatial equipment. Although they were completely under Lin Yuan's control, they were not yet qualified to enter the Spirit Lock spatial zone.
The Gourmets would not be directly controlled by Lin Yuan; the Spirit Craftsmen would be under Hu Quan's supervision, while the Weavers would be managed by Wen Yu. Sun Ningxiang would oversee the lifestyle-cla.s.s spirit qi professionals with special functions.
Among the Spirit Craftsmen, some possessed abilities stronger than Hu Quan. Lin Yuan's decision to recruit them indicated his intent to use them extensively.
However, he didn't want Hu Quan to feel undervalued. Lin Yuan recognized Hu Quan's capabilities, particularly his management and learning abilities. He preferred to nurture Hu Quan, who had been with him since the early days of Sky City, rather than placing these newly recruited craftsmen in significant positions.
After Lin Yuan left with Chu Ci, he didn't immediately return to Fortune Treasure Palace. Instead, he took Chu Ci to Diverse City to taste various delicacies.
Noticing Chu Ci's solemn expression, Lin Yuan said seriously, "Chu Ci, you're still uncomfortable because those professionals were sold, right? This goes against the rules of the Radiance Federation where we lived. However, it's completely acceptable in the Sky Beyond the Clouds and is tacitly approved by all factions.
"Being tacitly approved by all factions doesn't necessarily mean it's right, but this set of rules has been in place for a long time here. Even if you completely control the Sky Beyond the Clouds, you can't stop it. Explicit prohibitions will only drive it underground.
"Don't forget that factions in the Scarlet Territory trade Bloodians as commodities right under the Bloodian clans' noses. You need to adapt to the Sky Beyond the Clouds and do as the Romans do!"
Chu Ci nodded. "Brother, I do feel uncomfortable about this, but it won't affect me. Instead, it helps me understand the Sky Beyond the Clouds better. Now, I have another reason to work hard: to ensure that neither I nor those dear to me will be treated as commodities and sold at will."
Lin Yuan saw the determination in Chu Ci's eyes and felt gratified.
In Diverse City, due to its diverse population, there were all sorts of peculiar foods, some with excellent flavors, though their preparation methods were hard to stomach. The delicious food eased Chu Ci's emotions, and by the time they returned to Fortune Treasure Palace, it was evening.
When Feng Qian and Ding Tao returned to Fortune Treasure Palace, they immediately sought out Wan Ying to report everything that had happened that day.