After the little foxes finished shouting in unison, Su Chan popped her head out like the sun after a storm, proclaiming excitedly and smugly, "Really? You all think my idea is good too?"

The little foxes nodded in perfect unison: "That idea is brilliant!"

Su Chan was overjoyed and turned immediately to find Li Yundong to claim her praise, but the moment her eyes landed on his dark scowl, with countless blue veins throbbing on his forehead, a sudden chill shot through her. Her head drooped slowly, like a young bride who had done something wrong. She twisted the corner of her clothes with her hands and whispered timidly, "I, I was just saying it casually..."

Li Yundong’s face was grim. He pointed a finger at the notebook and papers on the dining table: "Go back to your business!"

"Oh!" the little girl chirped in response. Her head was down, her expression a mixture of grievance and apprehension. Her eyes darted around nervously, occasionally stealing a quick, timid glance at Li Yundong. The moment she caught his gaze, she yanked her eyes away, resembling a startled fawn.

Seeing Su Chan’s demeanor, Li Yundong felt both exasperated and amused. He maintained a stern face and addressed the little foxes, "Did I say everything just now for nothing? Does what I, the Sect Leader, say count for nothing?"

Although this statement was directed at the little foxes, it was truly meant for Cao Yi and the others. Cao Yi quickly stepped forward to restore order, declaring loudly, "Quiet down, everyone, and listen to the Sect Leader!"

Then, she turned to Li Yundong with a placating smile, "Sect Leader, please, continue!"

Li Yundong noticed that everyone else wore strange expressions, as if they wanted to laugh but dared not. He felt inwardly depressed but couldn't afford to explode, so he forced a chuckle and continued, "The first temporary rule for all future meetings: you must raise your hand before speaking. The meeting facilitator is not allowed to speak without authorization! Otherwise, what kind of chaos is this?"

Ruan Hongling snorted through her nose and muttered softly, "Dictator!"

Unexpectedly, Li Yundong glared at her: "Even cursing must be done after raising your hand and receiving approval!"

Ruan Hongling, fuming, raised her hand high, her face set in a grimace of sheer spite.

Li Yundong acted as if he hadn't seen it, speaking slowly and deliberately, "The second temporary rule for the meeting: as the facilitator, I have the authority to choose to ignore whomever I wish to address."

Ruan Hongling was instantly infuriated beyond measure, sticking her hands on her hips and pointing at Li Yundong: "You are too tyrannical!"

Li Yundong remained dead serious: "Raise your hand before speaking!"

Ruan Hongling abruptly shot her hand up again. Li Yundong immediately followed with: "Continue to ignore!"

"You!!" Ruan Hongling was so angry she nearly fainted. The little foxes of the Fox Zen Sect couldn't help but snicker. Cao Yi, Zhuang Yating, and Liu Yuehong, the three senior martial aunts, also had odd expressions, their mouths twitching as they seemed to be holding back laughter. Zi Yuan couldn't help but turn her head away for a quick, secret giggle.

Su Chan, who had been keeping her head down, let out a sudden laugh, but quickly covered her mouth with both hands, fearfully glancing at Li Yundong. Seeing he wasn't paying attention to her, she relaxed and slyly indulged in a few suppressed laughs.

Ruan Hongling felt like her lungs were about to explode from rage. She plopped down onto her seat, grinding her teeth as if she wished she could deep-fry Li Yundong and chew him up.

Li Yundong casually picked up a spoon to use as a gavel. He tapped the table once, drawing everyone's attention back, and said, "Listen up, everyone! Let's get back to business! Someone has poached our renovation workers, and now we can't find a single craftsman in all of Tiannan City! What do you suggest we do?"

The group exchanged bewildered glances, and silence fell.

Seeing that no one spoke, Li Yundong feigned anger: "You were all so energetic just a moment ago—why is everyone silent now?"

Cao Yi then timidly raised her hand. Li Yundong quickly responded, "Senior Martial Aunt Cao Yi, do you have something to say?"

Cao Yi tentatively suggested, "Sect Leader, if we can't find any workers, perhaps we don't need to renovate at all? We could save some money and just make do?"

Li Yundong looked utterly defeated. He retorted, "And if the Daoist temple where the Fox Zen Sect resides needs to become a Buddhist temple, should we just let the monks move in and 'make do' without changing anything?"

Cao Yi offered a dry little laugh: "I was just thinking aloud."

Li Yundong shook his head helplessly and addressed the rest: "Does anyone else have a different idea?"

Everyone in the Fox Zen Sect—both big and small foxes—seemed to be masters of creating problems rather than solving them. Asking them for a good solution was no different than asking the blind for directions. The foxes exchanged wide-eyed looks, shaking their heads vigorously like rattles.

Li Yundong was merely going through the motions; he hadn't expected these little troublemakers to devise anything sensible. He sobered his expression and announced, "Since no one has a good idea, I will state mine."

Ruan Hongling, who had been sulking, couldn't help but huff again: "Wouldn't it have been better to just state your idea from the start? Why waste time with all these detours?"

Li Yundong glared: "Raise your hand!"

Ruan Hongling raised her hand, and Li Yundong immediately said, "Continuing to ignore!"

Ruan Hongling was now too drained even to be angry; she simply rolled her eyes dramatically.

Seeing that this non-cooperative young lady had finally stopped being mischievous, Li Yundong cleared his throat and declared: "My idea is this: Do It Yourself, and you shall prosper!"

"Do it ourselves?" Everyone gasped in unison.

Zi Yuan, who had been preoccupied with Ruan Hongling’s earlier mention of 'lover' and paying little mind to the meeting, now looked genuinely astonished: "You mean we should do the renovations ourselves?"

Ruan Hongling’s mouth fell open: "I always thought your arrogance had limits, but I never realized you were limitlessly conceited! Can't you just go mad on your own without dragging us into it?"

Su Chan lifted her head, speechless: "Yundong, we don't know how to renovate!"

The little foxes looked at each other, whispering, "Do it ourselves? What does that mean?"

"Are we going out to work?"

"What work?"

"Will it be fun?"

"Forget whether it's fun or not, as long as we get to go outside! We're bored stiff being stuck inside all day!"

The little foxes reached a consensus: As long as they could go out, it didn't matter what they were doing!

Their eyes lit up, and they nodded in unison: "Yes, yes! Sect Leader, what should we do?"

Seeing the room devolve into chaos again, Li Yundong slammed the spoon hard against the glass tabletop and shouted, "Silence! Raise your hands! Remember to raise your hands!"

Everyone instantly quieted, their gazes fixed squarely on Li Yundong.

Li Yundong said with utmost seriousness, "What, is renovation so difficult? I only see carpentry, masonry, and some interior design work. The hardest thing in this world is cultivation—is renovating harder than cultivation? Which one of you is not a cultivator? Who lacks confidence? Step forward and speak up!"

Their eyes glazed over. No one dared step forward to admit to lacking confidence, and they all shook their heads.

Li Yundong continued, "Since you all agree on that point, it's settled! I will assign tasks shortly, ensuring everyone is utilized to their full potential!"

This statement made Su Chan, Zi Yuan, and Ruan Hongling all curious. Su Chan secretly poked Li Yundong’s arm with her pen and whispered, "Yundong, give me a good job later, okay?"

To her surprise, Li Yundong glared at her with unwavering impartiality: "Raise your hand!"

Su Chan sadly raised her hand, and only then did Li Yundong nod with satisfaction: "Speak."

The little girl looked at him pleadingly: "Later, can you give me a good job?"

Li Yundong paused for thought and said, "Fine, I will arrange it!"

The little foxes immediately started buzzing: "That’s not fair! We want good jobs too!"

Li Yundong roared back, "What’s all the noise? I have my arrangements!"

The three senior martial aunts, Cao Yi and the others, also yelled, "Don't argue! Follow the Sect Leader's arrangements. You can argue later if the assignments are bad!"

Huh?! What kind of statement was that?

Li Yundong gave Cao Yi and the other two martial aunts a look of utter speechlessness. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Ruan Hongling’s hand raised high, her expression one of profound tragedy, as if she would immediately pounce on him and perish together if he didn't call on her.

Li Yundong sighed and conceded, "Hongling, what do you want to say? You don't need to use insulting language."

Ruan Hongling snorted and declared loudly, "Do you think I'm like you? I just want to ask, since I'm not part of the Fox Zen Sect, can I skip this whole affair?"

Li Yundong gave a noncommittal laugh: "Certainly! But if this shop makes money when it opens, you won't get a single cent!"

Ruan Hongling crowed triumphantly, "No problem! Sister Zi Yuan has shares, so she can split the profits. I'll just ask her for mine!" Saying this, she turned, smiling smugly: "Right, Sister Zi Yuan?"

Zi Yuan looked at Ruan Hongling with an unreadable half-smile, remaining silent. After staring at each other for a while, Ruan Hongling started to feel uneasy under the gaze. She turned back to Li Yundong with a look of defeat: "Fine, fine, I'll work. What do you want me to do?"

Li Yundong’s expression turned benevolent, and he spoke with deep feeling: "That’s the spirit! As the saying goes, Heaven gave me talent, I must use it. Hongling, you are very experienced, clever, and possess a strong spirit for practical work. I shall simply appoint you as the Art Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Earthly Three Immortals shop!"

Ruan Hongling had held deep resentment toward Li Yundong, but hearing the lofty title he bestowed upon her, her heart leaped with secret joy. She deliberately adopted a haughty air: "Hmph, that sounds nice, but who doesn't know that titles like 'Manager' and 'CEO' are flying around everywhere these days, cheap as cabbage?"

Li Yundong’s face stiffened: "Do you accept, or do I give the position to someone else?"

Ruan Hongling immediately capitulated: "I accept!"

Li Yundong rolled his eyes at her, then turned to the little foxes: "All of you are staff members, and future store managers and shareholders!"

The little foxes, being new to the ways of the world, had no idea Li Yundong was essentially fooling them. Seeing him speak with such solemnity, they began to feel important, grinning from ear to ear.

Li Yundong suppressed a laugh and turned to Cao Yi and the others: "The three senior martial aunts, please bear with it and serve as Lobby Managers."

Cao Yi and the others had no idea what a Lobby Manager was or what duties the role entailed, so they just agreed in confusion.

Li Yundong then turned to Zi Yuan: "Zi Yuan, you contributed the most, and you are a major shareholder, so you shall be the General Manager of the Earthly Three Immortals shop!"

Zi Yuan smiled gently. She had no intention of exposing Li Yundong's little trick, nodding in agreement with a knowing smile.

Su Chan saw that Li Yundong was enjoying himself assigning roles, but he hadn't mentioned her position yet. Anxiously, she waved her hand back and forth in front of his eyes.

Li Yundong initially pretended not to notice the hand moving left and right before his face. But when the little girl became frantic, she actually hopped right in front of him, blocking his view from both sides.

Li Yundong sighed in resignation: "What is it?"

Su Chan stomped her foot: "You promised me you'd give me a good job!"

Li Yundong put on an expression of sudden realization and smacked his forehead: "Oh, look at me, I almost forgot!"

Su Chan giggled: "It's okay, it's okay! Hurry up and tell me, what official title am I getting?"

Li Yundong sighed dramatically: "Alas, so young, and yet everyone is so eager for official power! What will become of this? Corruption, utter corruption!"

Su Chan pouted coquettishly: "Tell me, tell me!"

Li Yundong had no choice but to say, "Then I appoint you the General Commander of this current renovation!"

Su Chan was delighted at first; her eyebrows practically soared, but after a moment of thought, she countered: "Wait, what does 'General Commander of this renovation' mean? What about later? No, I want a permanent position at the Earthly Three Immortals shop, just like them!"

Li Yundong pinched the little girl's nose and laughed: "You silly girl, didn't I tell you before? If I am the boss, you are the proprietress. Isn't the position of Proprietress of the Earthly Three Immortals enough for you to flaunt?"

Su Chan was ecstatic. Forgetting the audience entirely, she threw her arms around Li Yundong's neck and planted a loud, resounding kiss on his cheek.

Ruan Hongling secretly glanced at Zi Yuan. She noticed that Zi Yuan, perhaps intentionally or not, shifted her gaze away. A thought struck Ruan Hongling: How heartless this Li Yundong is! If my Sister Zi Yuan hadn't put in the effort, could this shop even exist? And he says things like that in front of everyone! That's too much!

Ruan Hongling couldn't resist a sarcastic jab: "General Commander? Proprietress? What kind of positions are those?"

Su Chan detected the hidden meaning in Ruan Hongling's words, but assuming her rival was just jealous that her own position was superior, she proudly showed off: "Anyway, it's a higher rank than yours, that's for sure!"

Ruan Hongling snorted: "What do those jobs actually involve? Can you even explain it?"

Su Chan was stumped when she heard this. How would she know?

The little girl quickly tugged Li Yundong’s sleeve, looking up at him pleadingly: "Yundong, what do I have to do?"

Li Yundong stifled his laughter and said, "Don't you know? The General Commander does absolutely nothing. It's a position where whether you're there or not makes no difference!"

The little girl’s eyes glazed over as she mumbled, "Then what about the Proprietress? What does she manage?"

Li Yundong couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You'll be in charge of counting the money! From now on, however much we earn, you just count it."

Su Chan immediately brightened again: "Then, how much money can I take?"

Li Yundong became serious: "Not a single penny!"

At this point, everyone finally gave in and burst into loud laughter.

Su Chan stamped her foot in anger, tears welling up in her eyes. She tugged at Li Yundong’s arm and scolded him: "How can you be like this! No, absolutely not!"

Li Yundong laughed so hard he bent over, clutching his stomach. Su Chan pulled at his arm for a long time but couldn't straighten him up. Seeing Ruan Hongling laughing particularly hard, she retorted defiantly, "Well, what about your position? What do you manage? Do you even know?"

Ruan Hongling snorted, ready to boast proudly, but as she opened her mouth, she froze slightly. Art Director and Chief Executive Officer? The title sounded impressive, but what exactly did it entail?

Ruan Hongling thought for a moment, found no clear definition, and reluctantly said, "Li Yundong named it, you ask him to explain!"

Su Chan immediately turned, her eyes wet with tears, looking at Li Yundong: "You tell me, Yundong, hurry up and tell me!"

Li Yundong fought back his smile, stood up, and said, "Art Director and Chief Executive Officer?"

Ruan Hongling and Su Chan both nodded and asked in unison: "Yes, what kind of official position is that, and what are the responsibilities?"

Li Yundong cleared his throat, straightened his face, and declared matter-of-factly: "This is a bit difficult to explain... how should I put it..."

Ruan Hongling sneered: "You bestow an office upon yourself and don't even know what it does—that's really something!"

Li Yundong didn't even look at her, speaking slowly and deliberately: "Let me put it this way: I will name a corresponding, concrete profession, and then you will understand! The meaning of this Art Director and Chief Executive Officer is, relatively speaking, actually... carpentry and masonry!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the room erupted in roaring laughter.

Now it was Su Chan's turn to be smug. The little girl laughed so hard she doubled over, her slender waist swaying like a weak willow in the wind. Ruan Hongling, mortified, shouted furiously, "Li Yundong, this isn't over between us!"

============================================ Yesterday at Shanghai Hongqiao, it was utter chaos, completely jammed up. My 6:30 flight didn't board until 11:30... I didn't get home to Shenzhen until after four in the morning... and didn't fall asleep until past five~~~~ What a tragedy! D