Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Some people’s expressions darkened. It was clear that those words had hit a sore spot.
Some merely looked up, expressionless, and others balled their fists.
“What else are you all, if not spineless weaklings? Or should I be praising your courage? You were protected by a stronghold, had several hundred Elite-tier familiars and a considerable number of Commander-tier familiars, were equipped with guns and grenades and the very best electronic gadgets; you had the geographical advantage, and I wasn’t even asking for that much. All I asked was for you to hold down the fort for two hours, and what did you do?” Gao Peng mocked.
“I actually thought there were Lord-tier monsters in the horde, instead of a mere handful of Elites and the single Commander-tier monster it turned out to be.
Gao Peng shot a contemptuous glance at the monsters’ attributes. “Actually, all things considered, calling you cowards might be too high a praise; useless scum would be more appropriate.
“The organization has four gates in all four directions, and you lost the most territory at the eastern gate.” He continued calmly, “Based on the company headquarters’ allocations, the branch’s defenses should’ve held out against a horde without a Lord-tier monster for ten hours, yet you barely withstood it for two hours…”
The organization had four gates in total, so Gao Peng had only rushed to the eastern gate to give aid because the situation there had been the most precarious.
On the empty factory grounds behind the great door lay a motley group of familiars—some were covered in wounds, their eyes gleaming with aggression, while others were immaculate, with barely a lick of dust on their hides. Even their claws were clean. The contrast between the two was startling.
Gao Peng leaped from Flamy’s back and landed steadily. “Of course, I’m not saying every single one of you is at fault. I’m just referring to those who were slacking. Those who fought valiantly shall be rewarded, and those who didn’t will be punished. I’m very particular when it comes to fairness.”
“Go take care of the monsters at the other gates. Goldie and I will take it from here,” Gao Peng said to Flamy.
Flamy nodded and flew away. Soon, its assault on the turrets could be heard in the distance.
Goldie moved forward and placed the Three-tailed Firefox on the steps behind it. Just then, the monsters near the gate seized their chance and rushed forward, squeezing themselves through the opening. The water monsters trailed moisture across the cement behind them, as black mist spewed inwards with the intent to spread out.
Goldie turned, blank-faced, then stomped fiercely on the ground and sprinted towards the drowned monsters explosively.
Boom. Its punches were like cracks of thunder, shocking the evil spirits. Each fist and sweep of its feet were lightning incarnate that pierced the heavens. It raged on, fierce and relentless.
Goldie’s Lord-tier fists were without mercy, and none of the water monsters could stand before it.
With a single punch, those who were closest to it and took a direct hit were ripped apart instantly, while the others behind them were sent flying.
Meanwhile, a few of them began attacking Goldie from the side by gnawing on its sturdy legs.
Goldie didn’t even try to avoid their attacks at all; like a tank, it bulldozed through the horde, each punch and kick bursting with terrifying power.
Somewhere behind this horde of monsters, a giant, swollen one leveled a venomous glare at Goldie, opened its mouth with its belly expanding outwards, and exploded in an instant!
Boom!
A thick rain of tiny black dots showered Goldie, which, at a closer look, turned out to be dozens of miniature scrawny, black monsters. With their blood red eyes and skin stretched across bony frames, they proceeded to attack Goldie’s hide with their sharp fangs.
But no matter how hard they chewed, Goldie’s skin wouldn’t give an inch, for it was as tough as old boots.
However, Goldie’s body was inflating under the attacks of dozens of ghosts. As mauve light twinkled and began to gather, Goldie ballooned.
Its great wings unfolded and swept across the battlefield! As they passed through, entire swathes of monsters fell like plants before a scythe, emptying the battlefield in a single sweep. The black mist that suffused the air melted like snow in the springtime sun wherever it touched Goldie’s body.
There were, of course, a small handful of monsters that hadn’t ganged up on Goldie, but chose to attack from the flanks instead.
Meanwhile, Gao Peng didn’t lift a finger, even though he had more than enough strength from Stripey to dispose of the horde of monsters. If his subordinates couldn’t even do this by themselves, then he would really have to seriously consider replacing the entire Security Department in the Southern Sky’s branch in Yang Cheng.
After all, money didn’t grow on trees, and this held true for him as well. And Gao Peng had never liked to talk about things such as honor and ideals; perhaps he had grown cynical during the time of his parents’ deaths. Whatever the case was, Gao Peng deeply subscribed to the concept of equivalent exchange: if one was going to accept the payment, one had better follow through with his or her actions. He didn’t ask that they give their all for the organization, but at the very least, they were expected to do what was within their power.
If the security was paid only to hide behind the scenes whenever someone caused trouble… well, surely no boss would be at ease with that.
But if that was the case, why should he empty his pockets to keep them? He would be better off raising a bunch of dogs instead; at least dogs wouldn’t hesitate to bite on command when fed well.
Now, Gao Peng could say in good conscience that of all the companies in the industry, Southern Sky had the highest standards in terms of pay and how they treated their workers. Even the military didn’t treat their soldiers as well.
Gao Peng took out his phone and placed a call. “Grandfather, you don’t need to come over; there’s not even a single Lord-tier monster here. Yes, I know. I’ll be careful. Don’t worry. Okay. I’ll take care of the business here in your name.”
Once he hung up, he took a deep breath. With his back to everyone, he found himself unwilling to turn around and reveal his surly expression, for Gao Peng was forever greeting everything with a smile as if he didn’t have a care in the world. But then again, no one had ever tested his limits before.
If they had caught onto this situation earlier, it would’ve been a simple matter to deal with. The employer could’ve simply fired the offending workers, but now… now that it involved the familiars, that was out of the question, because familiars couldn’t simply change hands like a gun or baton.
No, familiars and their owners were bonded by a Blood Contract, to thrive together in glory or perish together in shame.
Most importantly, the familiars of these security guards had been provided for and trained by the company. That was what irked Gao Peng the most: these familiars had been distributed by the company to protect the company, not to be treated as personal property. In fact, this was specifically stated in the contracts that all new employees signed after being hired.
But when things came down to it, when they really needed the familiars for protection, some people chose to slack off instead. It was obvious that they’d started viewing the company’s familiars as their own possessions, and hence become unwilling to send them into battle.
If only the familiars could be transferred to new owners. Gao Peng would have absolutely no problem replacing the irresponsible employees if the familiars could be transferred.
In any case, this work culture couldn’t be allowed to spread at any cost; it had to be nipped in the bud!
It was all because of this that Gao Peng had descended into a fit of annoyance. Compared to this issue, the horde of monsters attacking from outside was merely a trifle, not even worth mentioning.
