On the thirteenth day since Tang Wen received the taming mission.
At the main hall of the Blackwater Gang headquarters.
Tang Wen, Elder Li, the Gang Lord, and the vice leaders were all present.
Vice Leader Zhao stood up and said, "Gang Lord! Commander Tang Wen has successfully tamed all fifteen Mutated Beasts."
"Excellent, two days ahead of schedule!" The Gang Lord rarely showed a hint of a smile.
"Wait a moment!"
The one who stood up to speak was Vice Leader Lin.
Tang Wen frowned.
Is this old dog trying to stir up trouble?
Everyone turned to look at him. Vice Leader Lin sneered and pulled out a ledger from his wide sleeve:
"Gang Lord!
You might not be aware, but to tame just a few Mid-level Exotic Beasts.
Commander Tang Wen, under the pretense of your authority!
Withdrew thirty bottles of Extraordinary Blood Essence from the treasury!"
The Gang Lord, though composed, couldn't help but furrow his brow at the number.
Vice Leader Lin raised his voice even louder: "Not ten bottles!
Not twenty bottles!
But a full thirty bottles of Blood Essence, equivalent to the entire Blood Essence of three Extraordinary Beasts!
On top of that, there were thousands of pounds of Extraordinary Beast meat!
And thousands of pounds of precious medicinal herbs!"
The grand and majestic hall seemed to freeze instantly, the atmosphere turning icy.
Damn it!
Tang Wen felt like killing someone.
If it hadn't been brought up, it wouldn't have mattered.
Even if the Gang Lord found out about the overuse of materials privately someday, he might have turned a blind eye.
But now that it's been exposed in public.
If the Gang Lord doesn't handle this, everyone will start doing the same. What will become of the gang's treasury?
Tang Wen glanced at Elder Li.
Elder Li calmly looked back at him: Thirty bottles, and you only gave me five!
Tang Wen then looked at Vice Leader Zhao.
Vice Leader Zhao didn't even glance at Tang Wen: Thirty bottles, and I only got eight.
Damn it!
No help there.
Tang Wen quickly clasped his fists and bowed: "Gang Lord, I did indeed withdraw some materials in excess, but I also completed the mission beyond expectations."
He knew that at this point, trying to argue would be useless. The only option was to admit it.
Vice Leader Lin burst into laughter.
As if he had heard the funniest joke.
Tang Wen cut him off directly:
"Your subordinate learned that these Mutated Beasts were personally requested by you, Gang Lord.
I assumed the matter was of great importance.
Therefore, I feared that a single male Water Sprite might not be enough!
So not only did I accelerate the growth of the semi-mature Water Sprite into a Mid-level Exotic Beast.
But I also forcibly evolved one Water Elephant, one Water Snake, and one Water Otter into Superior Exotic Beasts!
As a result, a significant amount of Extraordinary Blood Essence and precious medicinal herbs were consumed!
Please investigate, Gang Lord!"
Vice Leader Zhao: "Is this true?"
Vice Leader Lin: "Impossible!"
The two vice leaders reacted differently.
Seeing Vice Leader Zhao speak up, Tang Wen quickly added, "The Mutated Beasts are right outside in the courtyard. You can see for yourself whether it's true or not."
And indeed, it was true.
Coincidentally, while inspecting these aquatic Mutated Beasts, Tang Wen noticed that a few of them were stuck at the peak of the Mid-level Exotic Beast stage.
So, he casually pushed them to evolve.
Three Mutated Beasts, using only half a bottle of Blood Essence and a few pounds of meat—it was a highly cost-effective move.
He had originally planned to surprise the higher-ups with this and use it to claim credit.
But now he had to use it to save his skin.
Vice Leader Lin, huh?
Hehe.
Just wait for me to pay you a visit!
Tang Wen secretly decided to send a message back home tonight and call for reinforcements.
Mountain Chasing City is a dangerous place, but it's full of opportunities.
And nearby, at the Four Seas Camp, there's the advanced Cultivation Method the Queen needs!
Flame Camp had every reason to grow stronger.
Vice Leader Zhao's voice rang out at just the right moment:
"Bring in the Mutated Beasts!"
"Never mind, Old Zhao, I'll go out and see them myself!" The Gang Lord leisurely descended from his seat.
Vice Leader Lin's expression shifted repeatedly, and he said firmly, "Gang Lord, even if we're catalyzing four Superior Exotic Beasts, this is too much!"
Vice Leader Zhao sneered, "Too much? Fine! Next time, let your grandson handle it! He must use very few resources, right?"
"You!"
"What about you?"
"Me!"
"What do you want?"
The two of them were at a standoff.
Tang Wen's mood improved slightly.
The Gang Lord's deep voice resonated, "Enough! The situation is urgent. Wasting a little is nothing. As long as we achieve results, it's fine!"
The group moved outside.
At the forefront were four Mutated Beasts, significantly larger than the other Mid-level Exotic Beasts. They were lined up in a row and immediately started excitedly barking upon seeing Tang Wen.
Both the Gang Lord and the elders were knowledgeable.
They could tell at a glance that Tang Wen's claims were true.
These four Mutated Beasts had indeed stepped into the realm of Superior Exotic Beasts.
"Not bad."
The Gang Lord smiled at Tang Wen.
The latter quickly humbled himself, feeling relieved.
"Record his merit!"
"Thank you, Gang Lord!"
"However, when the opportunity arises, you should still learn from the Beast Taming Master. We've been too wasteful."
Understanding the underlying message, Tang Wen nodded repeatedly.
Vice Leader Lin, though unwilling, had no choice but to endure it for now.
But the occasional glances he cast at Tang Wen were filled with malice.
Tang Wen also sensed danger from him—a deadly danger.
This old man wants to kill me?
Something's not right.
You have issues with Vice Leader Zhao, so go deal with him!
Why are you targeting me?
Tang Wen's vigilance was on high alert.
After some thought, the only conflict he had with Vice Leader Lin was this "Beast Taming" incident.
Is that why he wants to kill me?
Because I made him lose face?
It can't be that simple.
Could it be because I did too well?
It benefits the gang but doesn't benefit, or even harms, Vice Leader Lin's interests?
Upon closer consideration, it was possible.
It's like a construction site with water accumulation.
Logically, the faster you pump it out, the sooner you can resume work.
But in reality, if you finish a seven-day pumping job in three days by working overtime, chances are, no one will thank you.
In fact, it's uncertain whether you'll even get work in this circle again.
Tang Wen felt he was facing a similar situation.
However, he still needed to verify it.
After the Gang Lord and the others finished inspecting the beasts, Tang Wen quickly caught up to Vice Leader Zhao and handed him a porcelain bottle:
"Vice Leader Zhao, this is a pill I made from the remaining Blood Essence.
In the future, if these beasts are too afraid to carry out orders, just feed them half a pill, and they'll immediately become excited and fearless!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Wen felt a malicious gaze fall upon him.
Judging from the direction, it was Vice Leader Lin.
Without hesitation, Tang Wen immediately looked over and shouted, "Vice Leader Lin, what's with that look? Don't you want me to complete the task?"
Even though Vice Leader Lin was a seasoned veteran, he couldn't help but be momentarily stunned when the conflict was directly brought to light.
Although he quickly regained his composure, a trace of his expression was caught by everyone present.
The Gang Lord didn't turn his head, but his steps paused slightly.
Vice Leader Zhao and Elder Li exchanged a meaningful glance.
Vice Leader Lin, after all, was a seasoned actor and reacted swiftly on the spot:
"What nonsense are you spouting!
You greedy brat!
Of course, I couldn't stand by and watch!
But thankfully, it didn't delay the gang's important matters!"
"Oh~," Tang Wen curled his lip, looking as if even a three-year-old wouldn't believe him.
Vice Leader Lin was so furious that blood seemed to rush straight to the top of his head.
If it weren't for the inappropriate setting, he would have already slapped Tang Wen into a pulp!
So, it was like this.
The gang's salvage operation conflicted with Vice Leader Lin's interests.
Therefore, the better I performed, the angrier he became.
I had exposed this point.
The Gang Lord and the others must have noticed it too.
Analyzing this, Tang Wen felt a strange sensation in his heart.
The current situation was that we all knew, at least regarding the salvage operation, that Vice Leader Lin had ulterior motives.
Vice Leader Lin also knew that we knew.
And we knew that he knew we knew...
So, how would you break this deadlock?
Old man, you targeted me!
Wouldn't it have been better to scheme in secret?
Vice Leader Lin's thoughts had been laid bare by Tang Wen under the sun.
Now even the Gang Lord knew that the two had a feud.
Tang Wen had ensured his temporary safety from retaliation.
Because if anything happened to him, everyone would immediately suspect Vice Leader Lin.
And any gang's greatest hatred and fear was internal strife.
Fighting for power and arguing was one thing.
But anyone who dared to take action would be committing a grave taboo.
Vice Leader Lin had clearly realized this too, and when he looked at Tang Wen again, his eyes were completely calm.
Damn it!
I underestimated this wild bastard.
Originally, bringing out the ledger was a surefire way to break the rules.
Who would have thought that he would manage to break through it and leave me covered in filth.
The salvage operation must be carried out more secretly!
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