Back at home, Xiu Ju dramatically described to Jinchán, Beautiful Demon Fox Chu Qing, and Su Xiaonuan how the beautiful teacher clung to Shen Qiang's hand and refused to let go, then got psychoanalyzed by that Doctor Pan, and in the end, was labeled as a delinquent woman.

"Xiu Ju, you're just jealous, even though you don't want to admit it. Besides, her figure seems to be even hotter than yours, and she seems prettier too," Beautiful Demon Fox Chu Qing teased with a giggle.

Su Xiaonuan added with a smile that bent her eyes, "That's right, I can smell the vinegar from an overturned jar."

Xiu Ju looked astounded: "I'm not jealous. I'm just giving a fair assessment, Jinchán, do you think I'm jealous?"

Jinchán, who was voraciously nibbling on a Pill of Fruit, looked at Xiu Ju seriously and nodded hard: "Mhm, Sister Xiu Ju is really jealous."

Xiu Ju, displeased, dodged the Pill of Fruit in Jinchán's hand and said, "That's not the correct answer. Tell me I'm not jealous, and I'll give it back to you."

Jinchán was taken aback, eyed the Pill of Fruit in Xiu Ju's hand, thought for a moment, and then said, "Mhm, sister is not jealous. Jinchán wants to eat that, it's really delicious."

Only then did Xiu Ju raise her eyebrows in triumph and handed the Pill of Fruit back to Jinchán.

At this moment, Shen Qiang was standing quietly at the railing in the patio garden, looking down at the city below.

On the phone, Bianyi was complaining bitterly, "Boss, it's not that I'm incompetent, but currently, we are really short-staffed. Consider, ordinary staff recruitment for our new company is no problem, but it's impossible to find Cultivators despite offering high salaries. If this continues, we can't get anything done."

"Why don't you just hand over those two big guys to me? Don't worry, I'll take good care of them."

Shen Qiang, hearing this, laughed, "You used the word 'take care,' which makes me feel like you see them as property. No, I won't let them follow you because you, this shameless fellow, are capable of anything. So drop this idea."

Bianyi urgently said, "Boss, I'm one of us. If you don't trust me, how can I get the work done?"

Shen Qiang laughed again, "I trust your abilities, but not your character, so don't even think about Wu Zhaoyang and Lan Yong. If you're really short on staff, I can slowly help you look."

"Look slowly?" Bianyi said anxiously, "Today at the office building, we already faced a threat from a guy who's just reached the Foundation Establishment Stage and was incredibly arrogant. If it wasn't for my superior Golden Core Stage Cultivation suppressing him, the company would have failed before it even started."

Hearing this, Shen Qiang chuckled and said, "If you're really short on manpower, I'll arrange for some. Your focus should still be on building the new company. Right now, the priority is the antiques business. You're knowledgeable in that area, and I believe you'll handle it well."

"That's my professional field, of course, there's no problem, but what about safety? So many heirlooms in the store without someone to guard them will keep me from sleeping. Do you really intend to rely on Wanxin Hesheng's help all the time?" Bianyi asked.

"Don't forget, competitors are adversaries. It may work for a short while, but not in the long run. This isn't a solution, right?"

Shen Qiang raised an eyebrow and said, "I get your point. I'll have Lan Yong and Wu Zhaoyang take night shifts at the store; this isn't a problem. But they won't report to you. Also, you keep boasting about your Master-level capabilities; stop bothering me with this recruitment nonsense. Cultivators have their own rates, just pay them."

Bianyi said, "Boss, I'm already on it, but even offering more money than others, they don't want to come," Bianyi said. "Because they don't believe our company has prospects. They'd rather take less money and stay close to the powerful. So... "

"Then what you should do is find a way to make them believe that following you holds a promising future, instead of whining to me," Shen Qiang said, irritatedly raising his eyebrow. "Don't you brag about being a Master? Go and sort out some subordinates yourself, don't use this as a reason to bother me anymore, that's it."

He hung up the phone.

After a full three seconds, Shen Qiang came back to his senses and immediately redialed Bianyi's number.

Once the phone was picked up, Shen Qiang raised an eyebrow and said, "Not bad, Bianyi, trying to trick me?"

Bianyi chuckled cheerfully, "Boss, you see, I knew you're a smart man. It's not a trick; I'm just being honest. Currently, it is tough to recruit children from families and sects. Even if you manage it, they're just after money, with absolutely no loyalty."

"If I didn't tell you and recruited privately, given your nature, you'd be wary. So, as you said yourself, I'll go and sort out some manpower. Whoever I want to recruit – that is my problem now."

Shen Qiang said helplessly, "Listen carefully; I don't care who you recruit. The stronger they are, the happier I'll be, but there is one condition: no more tricks next time. Understand? Be upfront with what you intend to do, without trying to play on my emotions to achieve your goals."

Bianyi laughed, "Actually, I'd really like to see the expression on your face when you realize I've tricked you. It means I've won a small victory."

"Good," Shen Qiang said. "You can continue; you have achieved your goal. I allow you to recruit on your own, but you'll need to show me a list with their backgrounds after recruiting."

"No problem," Bianyi replied.

"Also, there's another matter. I need a laboratory capable of drug formulation development, and you help me settle that," Shen Qiang said.

"New business for the new company?" Bianyi asked.

Shen Qiang laughed, "Don't dream; that's separate from the new company. The lab is just for me."

"Boss, my phone is out of battery, beep beep, automatically shutting down." Bianyi imitated the sounds with his mouth and then hung up the phone.

Shen Qiang was stunned. Holy shit, hearing that it wasn't related to the new company's business, without his two percent cut, Bianyi just hung up on the boss. That guy is way too arrogant! But that's probably for the best. No matter what Bianyi says or thinks, with the Thermophilic Streptococcus clinical trials already underway, once the phase three trials finish and we get the approval, we can go to market; without a lab of my own, it wouldn't be possible.

Drugs are ridiculously profitable.

Shen Qiang would never trust Bianyi with such matters.

And the reason Bianyi didn't want to discuss and hung up so quickly was probably that he hoped Shen Qiang would put the lab inside the new company. That way, he would get his two percent, and any drugs Shen Qiang developed, he would get a share of the profits.

How could that be allowed?

Drugs are Shen Qiang's lifeblood! This, absolutely, was not to be meddled with by Bianyi.

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