Chapter 1433 - 866: Power in Hand, Life and Death at a Thought

"If anyone gets investigated over the salary increase after the fact, I won’t cover for them..."

After a series of reminders and warnings, Zhang Yu announced the specific measures for the salary increase.

...

Spirit Realm, within the platform of Wan Hun Square.

Lu Hengzhang was waiting for new job arrangements.

Ever since being transformed into a Soul Cultivator and sent to work off debts at the Old Graveyard, Lu Hengzhang had been muddling through daily at the Soul Cultivation Company under Zhang Yu.

Although he had become a Soul Cultivator, as a supporter of the Innate Dao, Lu Hengzhang always felt repulsed by cultivators like Zhang Yu who came from the Lower Realm, and because of the Innate Dao, this repulsion was deeply rooted.

After seeing Zhang Yu elevate Zhao Tianxing to become the company’s spokesperson the last time, Lu Hengzhang was infuriated to the extreme, reporting him every time he saw him.

"Using Soul Cultivators from lower realm colleges as spokespersons, how can you expect the company to do well? Who would dare hire Soul Cultivators from such a company? It’s because Zhang Yu is messing things up like this that the company’s market share just can’t seem to increase."

Upon hearing that after the latest Examination Sect was over, Zhang Yu’s Netherworld Property Department had already gathered over ten Lower Realm Cultivators, Lu Hengzhang felt even more heartbroken.

"A perfectly good Netherworld Property Department, but at this rate, it’ll become a den for Lower Realm Cultivators!"

Lu Hengzhang continually released related news and comments in the Spirit Realm, hoping to attract attention from the upper levels of the Wanfa Sect.

But this time, halfway through his posts, he realized his Spirit Realm data traffic was nearly used up, and he was almost out of Immortal Coins to recharge.

Due to being involved in the sky-crumbling event, he had debts to pay, leading Lu Hengzhang to work hard every day, yet still finding his Immortal Coins insufficient.

At that moment, images of past colleagues and superiors rose in Lu Hengzhang’s mind.

Ever since becoming a Soul Cultivator, he had not contacted them.

Seeing his Immortal Coins running low, he tried borrowing some from them, only to discover as expected that he’d been blocked.

"It’s no surprise; after all, I’ve become a Soul Cultivator, what qualifications do I have to communicate with them? Let alone borrow money."

Although Lu Hengzhang understood deep down that as per the Innate Dao’s philosophy, becoming a Soul Cultivator meant he should be in such a position, a vague, indescribable feeling still swirled in his mind.

As his data traffic dwindled and his income in Immortal Coins shrank, Lu Hengzhang had no choice but to minimize his speaking in the Spirit Realm.

He moved into a more crowded Yin Artifact, reduced his browsing in the Spirit Realm, and lowered his browsing quality.

Before he knew it, the world before Lu Hengzhang’s eyes seemed to be deteriorating.

Videos gradually transformed into images, images into simple black-and-white visuals, and eventually even those disappeared, turning into rows of written information.

Without realizing it, Lu Hengzhang was left with nothing but countless words before his eyes.

Later, to further save on Spirit Realm costs, even those words mostly vanished, leaving only darkness in his vision, and in the darkness, lines of floating text, the work instructions he had to receive daily.

Losing external perception, Lu Hengzhang felt as if he were stepping into the abyss of darkness, with his fate, his future...everything seemingly wrapped in darkness.

"Is this what being a Soul Cultivator feels like?"

Lu Hengzhang thought to himself cynically, "Indeed, a lowly waste deserves to be trampled underfoot for life."

"Let it be; a dead person...should feel like a dead person."

As Lu Hengzhang felt increasingly like he was a dead man, losing touch with the world of the living, a notification, like a sharp sword made of light, pierced through the darkness before his eyes.

"Salary...increase?!"

Looking at the notice sent by Zhang Yu, Lu Hengzhang’s heart trembled.

"Zhang Yu...gave us a salary increase?"

As an instinctive supporter of the Innate Dao, Lu Hengzhang wanted to shout in anger, wanting to scold Zhang Yu for daring to give Soul Cultivators a raise, saying it’s ruining the industry, wasting the sect’s money, maliciously increasing salaries.

But looking at the dark world before him, he found he couldn’t utter a word.

Having no extra Immortal Coins to leave messages in the Spirit Realm.

And from the next day, Lu Hengzhang’s world was flooded with a multitude of textual information once again.

Though darkness still surrounded him, at that moment, Lu Hengzhang felt he had reconnected with the real world, felt he had come back to life.

"Giving Soul Cultivators a raise...might...not be entirely without merit."

It was then that Lu Hengzhang saw numerous criticisms of Zhang Yu in the Spirit Realm.

"Zhang Yu’s malicious salary increase! It’s a significant disruption to the business environment of the Old Graveyard."

"Such large-scale Soul Cultivator raises in such a short time, definitely not following proper procedures, nor conducting research, not consulting related enterprises, Zhang Yu is trampling corporate rights!"

"I think Zhang Yu is just following Ying Ni’s style, brainwashed by the Transcendence Immortal’s legacy! He should be immediately dismissed and investigated!"

Seeing all sorts of criticisms targeting Zhang Yu in the Spirit Realm, Lu Hengzhang wanted to say something but eventually said nothing.

He merely followed the thoughts of numerous Soul Cultivators, together crossing the Spirit Realm, to Zhang Yu’s account, where he chose the simplest comment: [Strong]

...

Meanwhile, in the committee office on the other side.

Xiao Yunhe, looking at the news of Zhang Yu’s comprehensive salary increase, was already filled with disbelief.

"Increase the Soul Cultivators’ share?"

"Raise share proportions according to business volume and Law Realm usage points? The more the Law Realm is used, the more money one makes?"

"Giving away this much money to Soul Cultivators?"

"Has this guy gone mad? Who gave him the authority for such a malicious salary increase?! He’s just fueling the fire, keeping it alive as long as there’s fuel!"