Director Zhao's decision to assign Li Qianfan to Dark Blade on a nominal basis, as a secretary to Su Nanyin, was not a whim.
From the very inception of Dark Blade, Director Zhao had intended to bring Li Qianfan into the organization.
Apart from his potential as the future Dragon Lord, which would enable Dark Blade to grow rapidly and eradicate the demons and monsters lurking in the Eastern lands, there was also the consideration that he would never become too powerful to control. This, Director Zhao felt, was his public duty.
There were also personal reasons.
Director Zhao enjoyed a very good personal relationship with the Li family.
After all, Li Nanfang, Li Qianfan's father, had been responsible for Director Zhao's father's safety for several years two decades prior.
Furthermore, with Li Wujiang serving as the Chief Commander of the Supreme Guard, directly under Director Zhao's jurisdiction, Li Qianfan was, in Director Zhao's eyes, a true "grandson"!
Director Zhao naturally wished to give this young man a bit of special attention, within permissible limits, to help him elevate his stature and lay a solid foundation for his future leadership of the Dragon Ruins.
Li Nanfang, in his youth, was a disciple of Long Teng Si Yue Xie Qing Shang and later served as the Chief Principal of Long Teng's Special Operations.
Li Xiao, in his youth, had even served for several years in Chang Kong, one of the three major overseas combat teams.
These were all invaluable experiences!
Therefore, it was highly appropriate for Li Qianfan to come to Dark Blade for some "gilding."
However.
Director Zhao had only had this idea before, but had not acted upon it, as he had intended to wait until Li Wujiang and the others had developed Dark Blade before considering bringing Li Qianfan over.
Now.
Due to the incident with the branch, Li Qianfan had gone on a killing spree against the Xu and Du families!
While grappling with the aftermath, Director Zhao realized it was time to bring Li Qianfan to Dark Blade for a few years of rigorous training.
When Director Zhao summoned Li Qianfan to his study and informed him of this news, he was prepared for the "little rascal, thank me quickly" response!
But—
Li Qianfan shook his head like a rattle drum.
Director Zhao, who was expecting thanks, was first stunned.
His expression then turned extremely grim: "Little rascal, you're like a dog in a sedan chair, unappreciative. Do you know how much effort it took for me to transfer you to Dark Blade, how much balance I had to strike with various parties?"
Director Zhao assumed that Li Qianfan's refusal to join Dark Blade was because he did not want to be constrained.
After all, this fellow was a world-class top-tier playboy. At such a young age, he was already surrounded by beautiful women, wielded immense influence, and lived a life of unparalleled freedom. Naturally, he would not want to be leashed.
Director Zhao, however, was unaware that Li Qianfan's refusal was simply because he did not want to be Su Nanyin's secretary!
Be Su Nanyin's secretary?
What a joke!
Li Qianfan had already learned many things from Luo Huayin.
Even if Luo Huayin's talk of "four phoenixes circling the beam" was unfounded, Li Qianfan still had to be secretly vigilant and pay extra attention to his relationship with Su Nanyin.
He was already trying his best to distance himself from Su Nanyin!
Director Zhao, completely unaware, was insisting on pushing Li Qianfan closer to Su Nanyin.
Wasn't this like a sheep walking into a tiger's den?
Absolutely not!
"Old man."
Seeing Director Zhao's dark and angry expression, Li Qianfan quickly forced a smile and said, "First, I want to express my most sincere thanks for your considerate efforts in providing me with this opportunity to gain experience and enrich my life!"
Humph.
Director Zhao snorted dismissively.
"Secondly,"
Li Qianfan said seriously, "I will, of course, obey your arrangements and join Dark Blade, contributing what I can to the Eastern lands. After all, my grandfather and my father both have valuable military experience. As the future heir of the Dragon Ruins, I must also walk the path previously trodden by my grandfather and father. Moreover, as you clearly stated, my joining Dark Blade is only a nominal position. Neither my personal life nor my career will be subject to strict regulations, right?"
Hearing this, Director Zhao's gloomy expression improved considerably.
He did not immediately ask why Li Qianfan had shaken his head and refused earlier if he was willing to nominally join Dark Blade.
Director Zhao believed that Li Qianfan would provide him with a reasonable explanation.
"Lastly,"
Li Qianfan said, "My shaking my head and refusing just now was to refuse your arrangement for me to be Secretary to Aunt Su, to Nanyin! I hope that after joining Dark Blade, I can become a member of one of the eight major groups. Just like Qin Zhou and Tie Yuan, starting from the lowest rung. Only then can I truly enrich my military experience. If I were to become Aunt Nanyin's secretary from the start, it would be like standing in the clouds, disconnected from reality, how could I gain experience?"
Upon hearing this—
Director Zhao's displeasure vanished instantly.
He thought to himself, "I knew it. How could Li Nanfang's grandson, Li Xiao's son, refuse to serve the Eastern lands? The kid just wants to start from the bottom and work his way up earnestly. Good! He truly is the rising star I had my eye on."
Director Zhao preened inwardly.
Outwardly, however, he maintained a calm demeanor and slowly asked, "You refused to be Su Nanyin's secretary, do you truly wish to start from the bottom?"
Li Qianfan countered, "Old man, may I ask you a question?"
Director Zhao nodded, "Ask away."
"Once Junzi recovers. Don't worry, I guarantee he will be back on his feet and lively within three months."
Li Qianfan patted his chest and then asked, "Are you also planning to have Junzi join Dark Blade?"
Li Qianfan dared to be so certain because Dark Blade had already absorbed promising young individuals like Qin Zhou, Tie Yuan, and Chu Yingying, who had been to the Black Water Forest, into its ranks!
Any newcomer who dared to venture into the Black Water Forest was eligible to join Dark Blade.
Dark Blade, newly formed, would also become a crucible for outstanding disciples from prominent families to hone their skills and grow.
Especially with Li Wujiang as the Chief Commander, and the future Chief Commander being Du Junlin, who was jointly trained by five master martial artists!
This, in itself, had elevated Dark Blade's prestige to a level that other organizations could not match.
Therefore, it was only natural for Director Zhao to consider "abusing his power" and having Junzi train at Dark Blade once he recovered.
Director Zhao nodded, "As long as you can get Junzi back on his feet, I will definitely assign him to Dark Blade."
Li Qianfan then asked, "Do you plan to have Junzi serve as Sister Wujiang's secretary?"
"Little rascal, that's your own mother! Calling her 'sister' all the time, what kind of conduct is that?"
Director Zhao reprimanded Li Qianfan, then added, "Impossible. I already have someone in mind for Li Wujiang's secretary. Even if I didn't, I would only have Junzi start from the bottom within one of the eight major groups."
*Bang.*
Li Qianfan slapped the table, "Isn't that the point? You're having Junzi start from the bottom, so I should also start from the bottom. After all, like Junzi, my experience in this regard is far inferior to Du Junlin's. Therefore, Du Junlin can hold a key position in the newly established Dark Blade. Junzi, myself, and Qin Zhou can only start from the bottom and work our way up slowly."
What he said made a lot of sense.
Director Zhao, however, smiled, "Little rascal, can Junzi or Qin Zhou compare to you?"
Li Qianfan looked utterly bewildered, "We both have two shoulders supporting a head. How can we not be compared? Old man, please don't think highly of me just because I'm the future heir of the Dragon Ruins."
"Damn it, why shouldn't I think highly of you?"
Director Zhao even swore, glaring, "The young master of the Dragon Ruins! The future leader of one of the four major global powers! How can he be compared to Junzi or Qin Zhou?"
Li Qianfan appeared speechless—
"Kid, listen to me first."
Director Zhao offered Li Qianfan a cigarette and said softly, "You are the young master of the Dragon Ruins, and the village chief of Li Family Village. Either of these identities is something Junzi and the others could not achieve even if they worked for generations. Even if I were blind, I could not, and would not dare to, overlook it."
These were the facts.
Li Qianfan could not refute them.
Director Zhao continued, "Most importantly, you have your own career. You have a large group of women around you. This dictates that you cannot be like Junzi or Qin Zhou, who, once they join Dark Blade, must absolutely obey orders. They must participate in regular training and be ready to execute missions at any time. Your work nature can only be flexible."
Flexible—
This meant that Li Qianfan could go to work when he wanted to, and skip it if he had personal matters.
Such a work nature was certainly not suited for starting from the bottom.
Therefore, becoming a secretary to an important person in Dark Blade became a necessity!
This way, he could stand at a higher level, participate in the planning of important actions, learn how to control the overall situation, and simultaneously have the flexibility to come and go, even taking half a year off without issue, while gaining valuable experience!
"The only people capable of being your boss, besides Li Wujiang, is Su Nanyin."
Director Zhao said earnestly, "Li Wujiang is your biological mother, and she knows you too well. More importantly, her greatest strength is in leading from the front and engaging in direct combat. This will not be of much help to you in your future leadership of the Dragon Ruins."
Director Zhao's statement was entirely correct!
Li Qianfan had to nod, acknowledging the truth of his words.
"As for Su Nanyin, I now realize that Vice Commander Su's schemes and methods are absolutely top-tier in the world today. Especially your ruthless actions today, and how Su Nanyin, from behind, covered your tracks (forcing the Du and Xu families to claim internal accidents), truly earns my admiration. She is a schemer! No wonder Li Wujiang insisted on having her as her assistant at Dark Blade back then."
Director Zhao said seriously, "And if you wish to firmly control the Dragon Ruins in the future and remain unshakeable amidst the ever-changing international landscape, then learning strategy while you are young is imperative. Given your special relationship with Du Junlin, Su Nanyin will surely impart everything she knows, her expertise in strategy, to help you enhance your skills in this area!"
His words were absolutely objective.
Li Qianfan, however, frowned.
He absolutely could not get involved with Su Nanyin again.
Director Zhao's keen eyes saw through him, "Kid, is there a reason you don't want to be Su Nanyin's secretary that you can't easily disclose?"
*Bang.*
Li Qianfan's heart skipped a beat, but he feigned ignorance, "Old man, what do you mean by that? You must have heard how good Aunt Nanyin is to me, right? My not wanting to be her secretary is not only because I want to work earnestly from the bottom, but also because I worry that Qin Zhou and the others will look down on me."
"What do those beardless brats know?"
Director Zhao scoffed and said, "It's settled then. Tomorrow, I will issue a notice officially appointing you as the Grand Secretary of Dark Blade."
Li Qianfan—
Director Zhao gave him no chance to refuse and changed the subject, "The Xu and Du families are considered finished. Are you going to take this opportunity to target the other 12 families?"
Upon mentioning the 12 families—
Li Qianfan had to put the matter of the Grand Secretary of Dark Blade aside for the moment and nodded, "I will absolutely not let go of those 12 families who have always schemed against me!"