Seeking the Boss for Help

"Should we just leave like this, sis? Without waiting for the boss of the dental shop to wake up?" asked Li Seven with a hint of hesitation.

"After taking him back to the Nine-Border Dental Shop, Li Wu Ya brought Li Qi Lang and left."

"What, are you afraid that he'll renege on his word?"

"Kind of."

"Qi Lang, remember, if you don't have the means to subdue someone, don't easily recruit them. And even if you do recruit them, don't rush things. The moment you meet someone, the game begins. If you want to be the boss, never let the other party figure you out."

Li Seven seemed to be pondering, understanding somewhat but not entirely.

Li Wu Ya looked at him and explained in detail, "Not helping him detoxify on purpose is not about controlling him. It's about showing him how powerful I am. Trust me, once he wakes up, he will immediately send someone to fetch a doctor."

"That's because if another doctor can't cure him, and then he's cured by you, it will naturally showcase your capabilities."

"I get it. If someone like him, with many caravans and a thriving dental shop in Rong City and other border cities, recognizes us as bosses so easily, wouldn't that be suspicious? Wouldn't he obey us so readily?"

Li Wu Ya nodded, "People like him are quite smart. I'm not worried that he'll renege on the deal. By rescuing him from those who wanted to kill him and healing his injuries, it's already evident that we are not ordinary individuals."

"Unless he figures out our backgrounds and realizes that he can ignore us without consequences, he won't easily back out."

"Our concern is not whether he'll renege, but rather how to make him willingly become our subordinate. That's what matters most."

Li Seven felt overwhelmed, "So what do we do now?"

Li Wu Ya said, "Unless we can offer him something that exceeds everything he currently has!"

Li Seven sighed, "I don't think we can do that."

Li Wu Ya smiled, "It's not necessarily the case." She patted Li Seven's shoulder, "I'm telling you all this to make you understand that subduing someone is not so simple. Some people may seem submissive on the surface but consider you a fool in their hearts."

"The initial contact between people is crucial. The impression you leave at this stage will almost determine how others will treat you in the future."

"Clever people like the boss of the dental shop like to think a lot. If he wakes up and can't see us, it will bring him more mystery and unpredictability than if he sees us the moment he wakes up."

"As a boss, you have to be strong and mysterious!"

"Tonight, let the boss of the dental shop rest and think carefully. We'll go back and get a good night's sleep. He's just a subordinate; no need to worry too much about him."

Li Seven found this advice profound, and at that moment, Li Wu Ya's image in his heart grew even more imposing.

Nine-Border Dental Shop.

Due to Li Wu Ya's treatment, by the time it was just before dawn, Shang Lao Jiu had already regained consciousness. As expected by Li Wu Ya, he immediately sent his subordinates to fetch a trusted doctor for his treatment.

"Old Shang, who treated your injuries before?"

"What? Is there a problem?"

"No problem, I just thought the other person's medical skills were extraordinary. Even with such serious injuries, they managed to pull you back from the brink of death."

"By the way, they couldn't suppress the poison in your body completely, but it won't flare up for now."

Shang Lao Jiu felt his scalp tingle. "The poison in my body wasn't cured?"

The doctor gave him a sidelong glance. "Do you know what kind of poison you're afflicted with? It's the Yellow Springs Venom from the Western Regions. This poison is notoriously difficult to treat. Being able to suppress it is already a sign of that person's immense ability."

Shang Lao Jiu panicked, "Can you cure it?"

The doctor shook his head, "I don't have that ability, but if the person who saved you could suppress the poison, they probably have a solution."

Upon hearing this, Shang Lao Jiu's heart skipped a beat. Could that little girl intentionally not cure him?

It must be the case!

Thinking about the way that little girl spoke, Shang Lao Jiu's eyelids couldn't help but twitch.

Being subordinate to a little girl of around ten years old was hard for him to accept psychologically!

The doctor noticed Shang Lao Jiu's inner conflict and advised him, "Focus on staying alive. With life, anything else is possible."

After the doctor left, Shang Lao Jiu immediately called his subordinates, "Before the two kids who saved me left, did they say anything?"

One of his men widened his eyes, "Boss, it was two kids who saved you?"

Shang Lao Jiu said, "Didn't you see them?"

The man shook his head, "I heard someone knock on the door, and when I opened it, I saw you lying unconscious on the ground. I didn't see anyone else."

Shang Lao Jiu frowned, feeling exasperated. He was injured so badly, and yet they didn't care about him at all. Were those two kids confident he wouldn't back out, or did they not consider him important at all, thinking that having or not having him as a subordinate didn't matter?

Shang Lao Jiu's head started to ache. Regardless of the reason, it was clear that he was being led around by those two kids.

Moreover, those two kids were just around ten years old, yet they could kill an eighth-grade expert. What kind of background did they have?

Alas, now that the initiative was not in his hands, he could only passively wait.

After taking the medicine, Shang Lao Jiu couldn't afford to rest. While waiting for Li Wu Ya and Li Qi Lang to show up, he had to deal with the matter involving the Sand Wolf Gang.

The Sand Wolf Gang was the largest group of bandits in the Rong City region. If possible, he didn't want to get into trouble with them.

Unfortunately, due to his men's mistakes, their caravan attracted the attention of the Sand Wolf Gang.

What troubled him the most was that the Sand Wolf Pass, occupied by the gang, was a vital passage for his caravan. If this issue wasn't handled well, he could forget about continuing his business.

Although he had almost been killed by the Sand Wolf Gang, he had no choice but to compromise. Not only could he not hold them accountable, but he also had to swallow his pride and seek reconciliation.

Thinking of this, Shang Lao Jiu felt a surge of nausea.

However, he had no choice. With no strong connections, he could only spend money to avoid disaster.

The thought of the shiny silver going into the pockets of the Sand Wolf Gang made Shang Lao Jiu heartache.

If only he could resolve the problem without spending money!

"Boss, the New Year is just a few days away. Should we still send the traditional silver as respect this year?" One of his men suddenly approached him.

Shang Lao Jiu fell into silence for a moment before saying, "Continue sending it."

The subordinate received the order and left.

Watching the man walk away, a glimmer of hope flashed in Shang Lao Jiu's eyes. Since he wanted to be their boss, then when his subordinates encountered difficulties, couldn't they find their boss to resolve them?

Both kids were able to kill an eighth-grade expert. They must have a powerful backer!

Shang Lao Jiu's face lit up with joy. Now that he was someone's boss, when his subordinates encountered difficulties, shouldn't the boss be able to help?

Both kids were just around ten years old. How could they possess such powerful backing?

Alas, since the initiative was no longer in his hands, all he could do was passively wait.

Li Wu Ya and Li Qi Lang didn't go to see Shang Lao Jiu until the afternoon.

"Boss!"

Seeing Shang Lao Jiu's enthusiastic and delighted expression as he welcomed them, Li Wu Ya and Li Qi Lang felt a little uneasy.

"Boss, you've finally come!"

Due to his severe injuries, Li Qi Lang strongly suspected that the boss of the tooth shop wouldn't have the guts to come directly to his sister.

He couldn't believe that he had thought this person was powerful before; now it turned out he was so spineless. Look at how smoothly he called her "boss"!

Addressing a little child as the boss, didn't he feel ashamed?

As they entered the shop, Li Qi Lang's vigilance diminished. Even Li Wu Ya seemed a bit surprised, but only slightly. Being in the dental business and dealing with all sorts of people, she was not only shrewd but also had a keen sense of timing. Such people could switch their attitudes like flipping a book, never showing their true intentions.

Li Wu Ya crossed her arms and smiled at Shang Lao Jiu, "You're so eager to see me, do you have something to offer as a gift?"

Uhm...

Though he had encountered Li Wu Ya's extraordinary reactions before, Shang Lao Jiu was still taken aback by her words. After a moment of awkward silence, he stammered, "Everything I have, including myself, belongs to you from now on, Boss."

Li Wu Ya smiled and gracefully sat down in the main seat.

Li Qi Lang immediately took a seat on the other side.

Seeing the siblings unceremoniously occupying the main seats, Shang Lao Jiu fell silent for a moment, then immediately started crying and begging, "Boss, please save me."

Li Wu Ya raised an eyebrow and placed her hand on her cheek, gazing at him as she asked, "Do you remember the question I asked you last night before saving you?"

Shang Lao Jiu hesitated for a moment but, of course, remembered it vividly. There was no way he could forget.

While others, upon seeing someone injured, would either run away or call for help, this girl asked if he still wanted to live, whether he was worth saving or not.

Seeing Shang Lao Jiu nod, Li Wu Ya continued, "The question remains, are you worth my intervention?"

Shang Lao Jiu looked at her and asked cautiously, "Can you handle it, Boss?"

Li Wu Ya chuckled, "How big of a problem can you encounter that I can't solve?"

Her words made Shang Lao Jiu's heart tremble.

What a grandiose claim!

True, compared to the powerful and influential families, his background was nothing to boast about, but he still had some foundation in Rong City.

Staring at Li Wu Ya, Shang Lao Jiu tried to test her, "The ones pursuing me are the Sand Raiders."

The Sand Raiders were not weak in combat; even the authorities found them troublesome. Besides a few major powers, there were few people they dared not provoke.

Li Wu Ya didn't say anything, only asking, "Why did the Sand Raiders target you?"

Sighing, Shang Lao Jiu explained, "One of my subordinates made a mistake and mistakenly took some of the Iron Wolf Gang's goods."

"Mistakenly took?" Li Wu Ya glanced at him indifferently, and he felt immense pressure even though it was just a casual glance. "That was indeed a mistake. Let me hear the details."

"Half a month ago, while our merchant convoy was on its way back to Rong City, we took shelter from a sandstorm near Iron Wolf Pass. Due to the intense sandstorm, some of the merchant convoys were blown away, leaving behind many goods."

"Unclaimed goods and my subordinates got greedy. When the sandstorm subsided, they took away a lot of items. Others did the same."

"Unfortunately, we were the unlucky ones. The goods we took were mostly from the Iron Wolf Gang, and that's why they targeted us."

Li Wu Ya calmly observed Shang Lao Jiu, making sure he wasn't lying, before saying, "Tell me about the Iron Wolf Gang."

Shang Lao Jiu replied, "The Iron Wolf Gang is the largest group of sand raiders in Rong City. They have several hundred members, and their leader is a top-notch eight-rank expert, said to be fearless even when facing a nine-rank opponent."

Since they were no longer talking about a force capable of reaching the nine rank, Li Wu Ya lost interest. She interrupted, "Just find the goods and return them. Find a suitable time to do so."

Shang Lao Jiu wore a wry smile. If an ordinary person had made such a suggestion, it might have been possible. But this time, they were dealing with the Iron Wolf Gang.

Even if his merchant convoy passed through Iron Wolf Pass on regular days without any trouble, now that they had taken their goods, even a significant loss might not resolve the problem.

"The Iron Wolf Gang has a strong retaliatory mindset, so I don't think it's feasible," he explained.

Li Qi Lang chimed in, "My sister said it's doable; just follow her instructions."

Shang Lao Jiu was taken aback, looking at Li Wu Ya and Li Qi Lang, who seemed nonchalant. He couldn't help but ask, "Is the boss planning to take action personally?"

Li Wu Ya didn't respond immediately; instead, she asked, "Once this matter is settled, will you follow my orders unconditionally?"

Shang Lao Jiu didn't hesitate and replied, "Of course. You're my boss, and I'll naturally obey your commands."

Li Wu Ya looked at him, stood up, and walked over to his side. Placing three iron beads in his hand, she said, "Remember what you said." Then she left.

"Give this iron bead to the leader of the Sand Raiders, and he will give you face," she said before leaving.

Li Qi Lang quickly caught up with her. As they passed by Shang Lao Jiu, who was still lost in thought, Li Qi Lang smiled and patted his shoulder playfully, "Look at you, it's just the Iron Wolf Gang, and you were so troubled by it. Now you have a powerful backer. Work for us diligently, and you won't be treated unfairly!"

Only when the siblings far away did Shang Lao Jiu gradually calm the tremendous shock in his heart.

This iron bead... Everyone in Rong City would surely recognize it now, right?

When the news of the destruction of the Northwest's number one assassination organization, the Heavenly Net Sect, reached Rong City, everyone found it hard to believe. If he hadn't personally gone to Pulo Mountain, he might not have believed it either.

White Moonlight, Black Lotus Flower...

Could those two children be their offspring?

Yes, they must be. Otherwise, that little girl wouldn't possess such formidable skills.

Suddenly, excitement surged within Shang Lao Jiu. Could it be that his luck had also turned around? With such a powerful expert supporting him, what did he have to fear from the Iron Wolf Gang?

The next day, despite his injuries, Shang Lao Jiu carried the goods and met with the leader of the Iron Wolf Gang at Iron Wolf Pass.

"You've got some nerve, daring to come here on your own accord!" the leader said.

Normally, seeing the leader of the Iron Wolf Gang would have terrified Shang Lao Jiu. However, at this moment, the three iron beads in his hand gave him great courage.

"Iron Boss, these are the goods we mistakenly took from you. Let's settle the matter like this," Shang Lao Jiu suggested.

The leader of the Iron Wolf Gang seemed to have heard a joke, laughing heartily before looking at Shang Lao Jiu maliciously, "My third-in-command was killed by you?"

Shang Lao Jiu replied, "The third-in-command was a highly skilled warrior, but I'm not capable of doing such a thing."

The leader of the Iron Wolf Gang narrowed his eyes and said with a sinister tone, "And what if I refuse to agree?"

Shang Lao Jiu spread out his right hand. Initially, he had wanted to hand over all three iron beads to the leader, but after hesitating for a moment, he only gave him one, saying, "Our boss asked me to deliver a message, hoping you would give him some face."

As he looked at the small iron bead in his hand, the leader of the Iron Wolf Gang's heart trembled. The weapon used by the recently renowned White Moonlight and Black Lotus Flower was precisely this type of iron bead!

Damn it, he had inquired before, and Shang Lao Jiu was just an ordinary merchant. He shouldn't have any connection with White Moonlight and Black Lotus Flower.

Old Three was destined to die in vain!

Facing the iron bead, the leader of the Iron Wolf Gang indeed hesitated. He looked at Shang Lao Jiu sharply, and the latter met his gaze calmly, unyielding.

The leader of the Iron Wolf Gang tightened his grip on the iron bead, debating whether to let Shang Lao Jiu off. He felt some reluctance, but this iron bead...

Not long ago, White Moonlight and Black Lotus Flower had shaken Rong City. He couldn't afford to provoke such individuals.

With reluctance in his heart, the leader of the Iron Wolf Gang gestured to his subordinates to take away the goods. "This matter is settled," he said, then left without saying another word.

As Shang Lao Jiu watched the Iron Wolf Gang leave, he finally felt relieved. Although he had appeared composed just now, he was quite anxious.

Indeed, White Moonlight and Black Lotus Flower had a resounding reputation, but they hadn't been in the jianghu for long. He was somewhat worried that the Iron Wolf Gang might not back down.

"Let's go, back to the city," he said.

Shang Lao Jiu's brows relaxed. This was the first time he had experienced the benefits of having a powerful backer.

He knew he had to treat those two young bosses well.

After they had walked a distance, Li Wu Ya and Li Qi Lang emerged from behind a nearby mound.

The reason they followed was twofold: first, they didn't want their newly acquired underling to get into trouble, and second, they wanted to witness White Moonlight and Black Lotus Flower's reputation firsthand.

The result was satisfying to Li Wu Ya. Just one iron bead was enough to force the Iron Wolf Gang to retreat.