At this moment, the two people in the room, both turned into black stone statues, were engaged in intense mental battles.
Jiang Nan: (๐ᵒ̌ٹᵒ̌๐)
Aaaah!
Why did this woman petrify herself too?
Did she have to be this stubborn?
What was wrong with following me? Was recruiting a subordinate this difficult now?
How long would this go on?
It could not last a thousand or eight hundred years, could it? Otherwise, they would be carted off to a museum as terracotta warriors.
Though with such an artistic pose, the museum probably would not want them.
Three days! Dandelion would be gone in three days. She could not hold out forever.
Haha! I can last three days.
Wait…
If I do not go home in the morning, Xuexue and the others will notice I am missing and search frantically for me.
If they find me hanging on a woman with this smug expression on my face,
I will definitely be despised.
What then?
Let go? No way!
I, Jiang Nan, never fail!
I am locking horns with you today!
Yao Hong: (｡✡～✡｡)
Her mind was also in turmoil.
What to do, what to do!
Damn it, what ferocious poison. Even petrified, it was still spreading slowly.
I must hold on! Yao Hong, you cannot give in easily!
But the Blood Alliance will move against Dandelion in three days. This stalemate is not sustainable.
Surrender then?
No, I refuse to accept it!
I have come this far through so much hardship. Jiang Nan will crack first!
Though their bodies could not move, their thoughts were locked in fierce competition.
Three hours passed in a flash.
Outside the door, Gu Xiao Wei was still pressed against it, listening intently.
Her face was full of suspicion.
So much time had passed and no one had come out?
Was Jiang Nan that strong?
Or had they fallen asleep?
I will just peek for a second. They probably will not notice.
Gu Xiao Wei opened the door a crack and craned her neck to look inside.
She froze instantly.
What on earth was that black stone statue standing by the bed?
Why were they petrified? Surely nothing bad had happened?
After hesitating for a long time, Gu Xiao Wei finally rushed in.
“Boss! What exactly are you two…”
But no one answered her.
Driven by strong curiosity, she moved closer to examine them.
The boss is so beautiful. This is the first time I have seen her face.
Wow, Nan God’s abs are just like a sculpture. So impressive!
Jiang Nan panicked.
How did this lock-picking expert Gu Xiao Wei get in?
She would not break my arms and legs to undo my Qiang Nan Lock, would she?
I am telling you, do not come over!
Jiang Nan glared fiercely at Gu Xiao Wei. She jumped at his menacing eyes.
“Why are you glaring? You cannot even move! Believe me or not, I… I…”
I really do not dare do anything to him.
Yao Hong was burning with anxiety. She truly could not withstand the toxin’s invasion any longer. Even her consciousness was blurring.
She also feared Gu Xiao Wei might do something impulsive to Jiang Nan.
Against the Blood Alliance’s siege, Dandelion still had a chance to struggle.
If something happened to Jiang Nan while he was with Dandelion, the organisation would be finished.
After endless inner struggle, Yao Hong had to admit she had no capital to oppose Jiang Nan. None at all.
In an instant, she released her own petrification. The fierce poison surged to her heart. Her pretty face went deathly pale.
Weakly, she said, “You can do whatever you want to me. Just let Xiao Wei go…”
With that, her body collapsed powerlessly to the floor. Her lips turned blue-purple, and she fainted on the spot.
The petrification on Jiang Nan, who had been locked onto her, also lifted.
Jiang Nan scrambled off Yao Hong, stood in place, hands on hips, looking triumphant.
“Goose haha haha! I, Jiang Nan, never fail!”
Gu Xiao Wei looked at Yao Hong lying unconscious on the floor, her face full of worry. “What did you do to the boss? You…”
Jiang Nan raised a bottle of Life-Severing Big Green Stick. Gu Xiao Wei instinctively squatted and hugged her head.
Having been whacked on the head by Jiang Nan several times, she had developed muscle memory.
“Stay put obediently, or I will finish both of you off!”
Even though unwilling, Gu Xiao Wei could only submit to Jiang Nan’s threat.
Jiang Nan hoisted the unconscious Yao Hong over his shoulder and carried her into the bathroom.
He cuffed her with a string of spirit-binding handcuffs, then fed her a little yellow detox bean.
The detoxification began.
“Purrrrlurrrrlurrrr~”
Jiang Nan’s face darkened. He was about to leave the bathroom when the limp, unconscious Yao Hong, soft as dough, swayed and nearly fell off the toilet.
If she hit the floor, the scene would be irreparable. The first thing Yao Hong would probably do upon waking would be to kill herself.
With a helpless expression, Jiang Nan opened a spatial wormhole, steadied her shoulder with one hand, pulled out a gas mask, and fastened it on his face.
He hid in the bathtub, looking utterly resigned.
Was recruiting a subordinate really this hard? Did he have to assist with the toilet too?
Gu Xiao Wei listened to the barrage of sounds from the bathroom, her face full of disgust.
Those unrefined noises must be coming from Nan God.
After all, how could a beautiful fairy like the boss ever make such sounds?
Half an hour later, Yao Hong gradually regained consciousness. Her mind cleared.
This is… hmm?
Yao Hong’s eyes snapped wide open. Why was she in the bathroom? And still…
“Purrrrlurrr~”
Yao Hong’s pretty face flushed crimson.
Seeing Jiang Nan hiding in the bathtub, clutching a gas mask with a look of despair, even her earlobes turned red.
He gave me the detox bean?
“No… no need to hold me. I am awake. I can manage myself!”
Jiang Nan withdrew his hand, sighing. “What kind of grievance have you suffered? It has not stopped for half an hour!”
[Resentment value from Yao Hong +1000!]
[From Yao Hong…]
“Why did you not kill me? What exactly do you want from Dandelion?”
Jiang Nan grinned. “I…”
“Purrrrlurrr~”
“I want every…”
“Bang!”
Two veins bulged on Jiang Nan’s forehead.
Yao Hong bit her lower lip hard, trying desperately to hold it in.
Jiang Nan: “I…”
“Bu!”
Jiang Nan exploded. “Can you hold it for a moment and let me finish this sentence?”
Yao Hong covered her face: (づ﹏ど) I will try!
Jiang Nan leaned forward, slowly raised one hand, and clenched it into a fist.
“(๐¯͒ٹ¯͒)و I want it all!”
Yao Hong supported herself on her knees and fell silent.
Jiang Nan said calmly, “Agree or not, think it over carefully before answering.”
“I will not force you. If you do not want to follow me, give me the three billion. I will still help you deal with the Blood Alliance, and we will call it even over the reselling.”
“What I want is true loyalty, a confidante, someone I can trust with my back! I do not like betrayal!”
Jiang Nan genuinely wanted to take Dandelion under his wing. He valued its potential for growth. For his long-term plans, he needed people handling affairs outside.
Though he had the nation’s backing, some matters were inconvenient for the state to handle directly.
The resources Dandelion controlled were also very appealing to him.
Controlling Dandelion would make everything much more convenient in the future.
But that meant Dandelion would inevitably come into contact with some of his core secrets.
So Jiang Nan wanted Yao Hong’s trust. He did not want to be stabbed in the back later.
If she was unwilling, so be it.
Forced loyalty is not sweet. He would still get three billion and could raid the Blood Alliance’s treasury.
No loss at all.
Yao Hong was silent for a long time before finally speaking.
“Do you know why it is called Dandelion?”
“Dandelion seeds scatter with a single puff of wind. They drift wherever the breeze takes them, unable to control their fate, yet wherever they land, they take root. The whole world can be their home!”
Jiang Nan was taken aback. He had not expected Dandelion to carry such meaning.
Yao Hong lowered her head. “Xiao Wei’s parents died in the Spirit Calamity. After leaving the welfare institution, she had no money for school. I have supported her all along…”
“There are many others in the organisation like Xiao Wei. The reason I founded Dandelion was to give them a place to settle, to give them a home!”
“Most of the money I earned building Dandelion over the years has gone towards that. Those who awakened abilities, I recruited into the organisation so they could earn a living with their skills.”
“Those without abilities can stand on their own after graduating and live ordinary lives. That is good too!”
Jiang Nan was stunned.
Yao Hong! You are quite something!
Building an underground organisation, earning dirty money?
And using all that dirty money for charity?
Using the dirtiest money to do the purest things in the world!
Jiang Nan’s heart twisted sharply. “Then… what are you doing it for?”
Yao Hong looked up into Jiang Nan’s eyes. “To make sure there are fewer unlucky people like me in this world!”
