The night was alluring. Ye Yun held his ground at the pinnacle of the Dragon Palace building, the entire cityscape of the magical metropolis laid out before his eyes. Threads of lightning danced back and forth between his fingers. Though they appeared somewhat unrefined, the energy contained within these wisps of electricity was enough to inspire dread.
This was the skill—Arc Lightning—that Ye Yun had just materialized using a ‘Skill Manifestation Card.’
Due to the reason of his materialized strength, Ye Yun’s physical fitness had long surpassed the limits of the human body. Even if the entire two hundred plus official members of the Dragon Palace had taken turns drinking with him last night, they hadn't managed to get him drunk. Instead, it was those fellows who were sent back by the reserve corps.
A gentle breeze stirred the documents Ye Yun had placed on his desk. Through the dim light, one could see photographs and corresponding brief textual descriptions.
Ye Yun chuckled softly, murmuring to himself, with traces of remembrance and a hint of melancholy.
“Comrades, when we meet again in this lifetime, I wonder what your circumstances will be?”
“Chen Jiamiao, the stab you took for me saved my life, yet it left you crippled.”
“Jin Zhiyuan, I wronged you, and you, you charged into the Imperial Dragon Headquarters in the capital for me, only to perish at the hands of that bitch.”
“Xie Yifeng, I will forever remember your back as you shielded me from the alien invasion. Though you couldn't hold them off, and we ended up as a pair of brother kebabs.”
“Xiao Mu, after we left, how long did you hold on by yourself?”
Four names, four people. It could be said that in the latter year of his three-year past life, Ye Yun had fully experienced what true friends were, and what comrades in the crucible of war meant.
“Xiao Yun? You drank so much last night, why aren’t you resting yet?” Ding Yi stood at the bedroom door, looking at Ye Yun seated by the floor-to-ceiling window, and couldn't help but ask.
This was Ye Yun’s office, and also his residence. The entire place spanned nearly a thousand square meters, with three large bedrooms, a dedicated office hall for Ye Yun, a training area, and even an indoor swimming pool exceeding a hundred square meters.
“Thinking about some things, can’t sleep.” After manifesting his strength, his body had undergone significant reconstruction. Ye Yun felt he didn't need sleep at all.
“What’s wrong? I’ll keep you company?” Ding Yi had also drunk a fair amount of wine last night. She swayed as she walked over.
“It’s nothing, just thinking about some old acquaintances. By the way, your parents and your younger brother will be arriving tomorrow. The Dragon Palace building will arrange accommodation for your parents, as for your brother…” Ye Yun paused here, looking at Ding Yi with some hesitation.
“It’s fine, I know his personality. He’ll only stir up trouble here,” Ding Yi walked over and sat on Ye Yun’s office chair, looking up at Ye Yun from the desk, letting out a small burp.
“I’m thinking of sending him to the army, I’d like to hear your suggestion.” Looking at the woman slumped over his desk, a flicker of emotion crossed Ye Yun’s mind. Indeed, the higher you stand, the better your view.
“Whatever you say…” Ding Yi tilted her head slightly, a smile appearing on her face as she looked at Ye Yun, completely oblivious to the alluring curves peeking out from her sleepwear.
Damn it, this was too much.
Ye Yun quickly shifted his gaze back out the window. For a moment, they sat in silence.
This feeling of peaceful years, it was truly good.
The next morning!
A convoy of vehicles majestically entered the Dragon Palace building, and not long after, it majestically departed, leaving some observant individuals outside filled with questions.
Ye Yun sat in his office, looking at the military uniform and the letters of appointment before him, a wry smile on his face.
Although he knew the authorities would grant him a high military rank, he hadn't expected it to be this high! The rank of General, with absolute command over the Dragon Palace and its affiliated forces!
A General! There were only eight such positions in the entire country! It could be said that Ye Yun had ascended to heaven in one step, becoming a person of immense power and authority in a single day.
It was just that the vetting process was too troublesome. They had investigated everything about him, down to his underwear color. From minor incidents like wetting the bed to major events like his romantic relationships, they even knew he was still a virgin.
Ye Yun looked at the stacks of documents on his desk and quickly fed them all into the shredder. These state apparatuses were truly terrifying.
“However, it’s probably because they thought I was terminally ill with cancer and wouldn't live much longer, that’s why they’re giving me so much authority, right?” Ye Yun stroked his chin, his thoughts fluctuating with the sound of the shredder.
The authority granted to him by the state this time far exceeded Ye Yun's expectations, but the conferment ceremony was a quiet affair, almost unnoticed by anyone except the Dragon Palace and a few relevant personnel.
“Forget it, the country is like home to me.”
“Reporting, Chief, Zhou Ningdong, Li Chenxu, and Liu Hai are here to report!” After seeing off the military officials who had come to confer the titles, the three men rushed over gleefully. Zhou Ningdong, in particular, held an almost fanatical admiration for Ye Yun.
“Alright, all of you, sit down. I’ve already gained a preliminary understanding of the Dragon Palace’s overall situation last night. Now, I’m going to make a few adjustments!”
“First, I appoint Zhou Ningdong as the Director of the United Front Work Department, responsible for the Dragon Palace’s major external wars! And the management of in-game members! Li Chenxu is appointed as Deputy Director, also serving as Secretary!”
“Liu Hai is appointed as Deputy Director and concurrently head of the Logistics Department, managing the in-game affairs of the reserve members! Every five days, five individuals will form a team, and they can select outstanding members from the reserve to become official members of the Dragon Palace! Simultaneously, they need to pacify the families of all members!”
At this point, Ye Yun’s gaze was fixed intently on Liu Hai.
“Liu Hai! Your work is the most arduous, it’s the most crucial link for the Dragon Palace members and the growth of the Dragon Palace! I can grant you greater authority, but what I need from you is fairness and justice! A clear conscience!”
“Second, whether they are official Dragon Palace members or reserve personnel, I demand that as soon as they reach level 10, they must proceed to Fengle Village, numbered 18716, as quickly as possible! And apply to become permanent residents of Fengle Village! If they don’t know how to do it, they can check the layout map of our country’s novice villages on the ‘Tiandao’ official website!”
“Third, all Dragon Palace members will be organized into units of five! Designed as optimal combat teams. If any type of role is missing, Liu Hai will select from the reserve team, and the quota for that day will be voided!”
“Fourth, I want you to find these four individuals as soon as possible and bring them to the Dragon Palace. From now on, the Dragon Palace will be organized into five-person teams, and ten teams will form a squad! These four will be squad leaders, reporting to the United Front Work Department!”
Ye Yun laid out several requirements in succession. Since the higher authorities had given him such great power, he would not disappoint them. Individual strength might be enough to protect a region, but the vast territory of Huaguo, how could he protect it all alone!
“Zhou Ningdong, how much gold coins do we have in total now? And what are the revenues from the various channels?” The new official comes in with three fires, but Ye Yun didn't have that inclination.
“A total of 785.7 billion, 947.5 million, 864.3 thousand. Each official member receives 10 million gold coins daily! Reserve members receive 1,000 gold coins per person per day. Today’s distribution has just been completed!”
“The Dragon Palace’s monthly income is as follows: the Ministry of National Defense provides 20 billion monthly, the various ministries of the Political Affairs Yuan, after coordination in the past few days, collectively provide 18 billion monthly. Various provinces and cities can provide a total of 5 billion monthly. Large state-owned enterprises and special organizations nationwide contribute a total of 500 million monthly. The ‘Tiandao’ donation fund is currently around 32 billion, and corporate donations are around 23 billion.”
“The latter two are relatively volatile, as they are based on voluntary contributions.”
Zhou Ningdong replied quickly. Although he acted decisively as a soldier, anyone who could reach the rank of Major General was undoubtedly an exceptional individual. These funds were obtained through immense effort and countless pleas.
785.8 billion! Ye Yun no longer knew how to describe it.
He had worked himself to death and only managed to accumulate less than 10 billion. As expected, an individual was truly insignificant compared to a behemoth like the nation.
Ye Yun browsed through the profiles of all members on his computer. He discovered that all 200 official members possessed S-class talent, while Zhou Ningdong and the other two had reached SS-class. This meant that the announcement online was indeed true, and the funds for official Dragon Palace members were 100 million Huaguo coins! Because the talent from D-class to S-class required 84.21 million gold coins.