"I didn't expect you to be so quick, boss," Hu Bayi said with genuine emotion. He felt that if they had to search themselves, finding one large tomb in several years would be good, let alone a tomb with fixed objects.
"I just happened to get the news. There was a middle-aged man selling antiques in Beili..." Zhang Tian briefly recounted his encounter with the uncle. Everyone then suddenly understood.
"Isn't that too coincidental? But boss, is that Gu worm you mentioned really that magical?" Hu Bayi exclaimed, his interest in Gu worms piqued.
"I don't understand Gu worms very deeply; they are just poisonous insects that can be controlled," Zhang Tian mused. "Didn't we eat that corpse ginseng-like thing before? We should be immune to many toxins. As long as nothing unexpected happens, we should be immune to those poisons."
"Then do we need to prepare anything?" Hu Bayi asked. Zhang Tian thought for a moment. "Just in case, let's get some gas masks and those old anti-poison suits. If someone uses Gu on us, we'll discover it immediately." Zhang Tian felt it would be better to have gas masks to avoid encountering any unpredictable things.
"Alright, I know an antique shop. They should have what we need there. I'll take care of it later," Hu Bayi nodded and took on the task. "As for the departure date, let's set it for a week from now. There are still some unfinished matters in Beili."
"Fatty, you should also go see Uncle Shi. It will probably be helpful to you. I'll handle the Beili Group's affairs," Zhang Tian said softly. The others also agreed, as there was no rush of a few days.
After dinner, Shirley Yang and Hu Bayi went to wash the dishes, while Zhang Tian got up to inspect the situation of the Nine Gates over the past year.
At this time, within the Nine Gates Group. Under Su Nan's organization, the group had recruited nearly a hundred formal employees and over a hundred miscellaneous staff. With these employees, the Nine Gates Group's influence had greatly increased.
"After our first-quarter assessment, Wu Family is the outstanding employee of the year." Su Nan looked at the people in the conference room, holding the award for the best family of the year. This was something Zhang Tian had mentioned before: every year, a best family would be evaluated and awarded the best employee. Su Nan felt he hadn't done as well as the Wu Family, and after comparison, no other family seemed as promising as the Wu Family. After all, many people were skeptical when Zhang Tian first said it. Only the old master of the Wu Family took it seriously and put in a lot of effort, investing capital many times over. This is how they earned the best family award for the year. Others naturally had no objections. They might have been dedicated to the Nine Gates in the beginning, but later they slacked off, as the Nine Gates was not their own family, and they didn't need to be so committed.
"When will the sect leader come out of seclusion?" asked a member of the Xie family in the conference room. Zhang Tian hadn't been seen for a year, and some might have thought he had left Beili.
"I don't know about that. We just need to do our own jobs well," Su Nan said softly. He had no right to know about such matters.
"Then, if the sect leader isn't here, won't this year's award be invalid?"
"Yes, if that's the case, is this year considered void?" Suddenly, people around began to discuss. Only the Wu Family looked displeased. The Wu Family had put in their best effort this time because the old master of the Wu Family wanted to break through, and the only way to do so was through Zhang Tian. Therefore, Wu Laogou was taking a gamble, betting that Zhang Tian had some powerful elixirs.
"Who said I wasn't here? This year's award counts." Suddenly, a voice came from the doorway. Zhang Tian slowly walked into the conference room.
"I didn't expect everyone to be so punctual. Su Nan, I heard everything you said. The Wu Family made the greatest contribution this year, right?" Zhang Tian looked around and then became serious.
"Yes, sect leader!" Su Nan nodded without hesitation. Everyone looked at Zhang Tian, eager to know what he could offer. They also wanted to compare, and if he really could provide good things, they might put in more effort later.
"I will naturally keep my promise. This is a top-grade Spirit Gathering Pill and a pot of Spiritual Water. This is this year's reward."
"Of course, if you are not satisfied, you can also exchange it for some weapons or cultivation techniques!" Zhang Tian said openly, deliberately mentioning cultivation techniques and weapons to intimidate them. He wanted them to know that he had good things, and whether they could get them depended on themselves.
"This is a top-grade Spirit Gathering Pill! One pill is equivalent to a hundred ordinary Spirit Gathering Pills!"
"If I had this pill, I could definitely break through one level!"
"If I had this, I could definitely become a Grandmaster!"
Suddenly, countless people felt a pang of regret. If they had also strived for it, could they have obtained such a thing? After all, elixirs were priceless, and top-grade elixirs were even more so. No one knew how much this single pill was worth.
"Thank you, thank you!" The person sent by the Wu Family quickly expressed their gratitude, accepting the items Zhang Tian gave them with both hands. A pot of Spiritual Water and a top-grade elixir were enough to cover the profits the Wu Family had made in five to six years, and they had obtained it with only one year's effort.
"Su Nan, report the annual progress." Zhang Tian said nothing further and directly looked at Su Nan. Su Nan nodded, feeling envious but suppressing it. He picked up a paper and reported the situation of the Nine Gates over the year. When he heard that his group had earned hundreds of millions in a year, Zhang Tian was quite satisfied. At the same time, all the construction projects in Beili had been contracted by the Nine Gates, and Beili was undergoing continuous construction. Su Nan estimated that in a few years, the roads in Beili would be completely transformed.
Soon, Su Nan finished his report. Zhang Tian then proposed plans, and the meeting ended.
"Next, I'll trouble everyone to put in more effort."
"Sect leader, we will do our best!" everyone shouted. They were determined to be serious this time. Zhang Tian nodded and said nothing more. He got up and walked towards the exit.
"Um, sect leader, our Xie family invites you to visit us. It's mainly because my son has always wanted to thank you in person." As Zhang Tian took a step, Xie Lianhuan's voice came from behind him. Zhang Tian's mind flashed to the elegant young man, Xie Xiaohua.
"Alright, I'll come over tonight." Zhang Tian finished speaking and left the conference room. Zhang Tian hadn't seen Xie Yuchen for a long time, and meeting him would be good. Moreover, Zhang Tian wanted to ask if Xie Yuchen had encountered any terrifying events after activating the altar. If not, how could Xie Yuchen have a curse on him later?