How Am I Still Alive?-Chapter 1316 - 1302: Purification

Lu Ping’an was not a good boss, as he was greedy but not to the extent of being rapacious. He always followed the bottom line he had set for himself, and for that reason, he couldn’t obtain the greatest possible "value."

However, he was a good partner, respecting his fellow partners.

"We need to consider the future of the team, and everyone’s place within it..."

He didn’t try to take all the profits, nor did he arrogantly overlook others’ growth with his still largest share or disregard their ability to stand on their own two feet.

It was like a startup after a decade of hard work, having become a mid-tier player in the industry. Those original scrappy members and low-class workers had all become department leaders and big shots within the industry.

At this juncture, if you, as a boss, still treat them like "cogs in a machine," neglecting their desires and needs without improving their compensation, their departure or even rebellion is just a matter of time.

And unlike a company, the society of professionals is more realistic; tier and combat power are the undeniable truths. By the rule-level, the Multi-universe could be traversed with relative freedom, so if they still expected to be partners, adjustments and negotiations were necessary.

"I’ll start with myself. The first goal has always been survival..."

Similar in nature to when he had talked to Xia Qin, as the team’s leader, Lu Ping’an spoke not just of the current situation but more so about his vision for the "company."

If they could continue working together, they’d continue the collaboration, adjusting and compromising when necessary. But if the gap was too wide and each had dreams of their own, then they should shine separately... A good gathering should lead to a good parting, at least remaining friends on a personal level.

Ten years of time were not an illusion. If Lu Ping’an pretended that nothing had happened, that was precisely when disaster was destined to strike.

"I never thought that..."

The Panda-man was somewhat confused; he had truly not thought about it.

"Then think about it more. Remember to give me an answer within three months. I’ll use it as a reference for the company’s future direction and will reallocate your position based on your goals."

"... No need, I think continuing to work with the society is pretty good. If I really have any expectations..."

Xue En made a decision in just an instant.

Although these years had been hard, and he had fought many unjust battles, he had actually lived quite happily. He owed his reach to this realm to... He vaguely knew some things, but he wasn’t foolish enough to ask outright.

"... I think, now that Old Lu you’re back, you should take control of the economy, the company’s benefits and compensation should be taken up a notch. I’m not talking about raising salaries, even if you did give me a raise, it would be useless. The wallet disappears within a couple of days... cough cough, I mean, the canteen should provide fresh bamboo and alcoholic drinks, medical expenses could get a discount, ideally with a free monthly quota..."

Hearing this, Lu Ping’an fell silent. With just these two sentences, he could guess what Xue En had probably gone through over the years.

The treasures and wealth he obtained would disappear without a trace in no time. So, why not do without them, putting all his energy into self-cultivation? Under normal circumstances, the physical hardware wouldn’t disappear.

And for the resources required for biological survival... the canteen had food so one wouldn’t starve to death, and the sea was full of fish. But if there could be more quality free drinks and snacks, life’s quality would improve.

"... No big deal. How about you take care of logistics yourself? Whatever you want, just find a supplier..."

"No! Please, don’t!"

"I dare not, Manager Lu!"

Before Lu Ping’an could finish speaking, the others at the table panicked.

"No, I’ve tried it before. Just three days in, the canteen supplier had issues, leading to one case of food poisoning and one case of the cook being poisoned..."

Lu Ping’an’s mouth fell open, it hadn’t been this scandalous before.

"This is the price of growth..."

Alright, it seemed not only strength had grown.

But if this was all there was to it, wasn’t the desire of this rule-level professional a bit too low? Didn’t he have any longings? Now that Boss Lu was about to lay out the company’s future development plan, it was also time to integrate core aspirations.

"As for wishes... even if it’s just once, I want to be called a Lucky-kid, not cursed with bad luck every single day..."

"What about we talk about saving the world... Okay, just kidding. I’ll try to keep an eye out for you, there might be luck-related abilities or items. Anything is possible in the Multi-universe; perhaps something exists that could quell your bad luck."

Xue En was rather easy to appease; however, even Lu Ping’an himself could not determine whether this was a good or bad thing.

And another one had been keeping his eyes closed... It’s not that Brother Guan had any ideas of his own, but he had been contemplating ever since he received the information from Lu Ping’an.

"The fragment that I fused with should be ’Redemption’, while the one merged with Little Sang should be ’Ark’."

These words seemed unrelated to Lu Ping’an’s inquiry, yet they were the most sincere and candid response.

Without a doubt, Redemption was both Guan Xinxian’s "Rule" and his "Obsession". If the Rebirth Business Group continued on this path, he had no reason to leave.

"That’ll work, I understand... We’ll talk privately later about some matters. I need your technical support; if it works out, it’ll probably be much more efficient than if you were to go down to save people yourself."

Lu Ping’an nodded, this was within his expectations.

If not for a deep obsession, the shards of the world would not have found their way. Most likely, in the eyes of most mortals, Guan Xinxian is the embodiment of the world’s "Redemption" and "Ark".

If Brother Guan were to implement Lu Ping’an’s "plan", he would be an essential component. Seeing his current state, Lu Ping’an was also reassured; the stronger Brother Guan was, the higher the success rate of his plan.

"I... I want to become an official..."

Seeing someone voice their desires and Lu Ping’an responding affirmatively, confirming that it wasn’t a bait-and-switch law enforcement, the other high-level members naturally became eager.

Everyone was pragmatic. Although there were none who broke through to the Rule-level, Decree-level professionals who had spent ten years in the bloodbath of the Exotic Realm were significant figures on Earth; naturally, they had their own goals.

At this time, some speculation by Lu Ping’an was also confirmed.

"I want to go back... Head of Group Lu, it’s not that I don’t want to roll with you, I’m just tired, I’d like to rest for half a year..."

Lu Ping’an heard quite a few similar statements.

Ten years of "Time acceleration" not only isolated outsider interference but also trapped those who attempted to leave within.

Three months away from home can evoke homesickness, let alone ten years... Even if they knew in their hearts that only a few months had passed on Earth and their families likely hadn’t changed much, how could they not long for home?

"That’s fine, tally up the numbers. In a couple of days, once things have settled down, I’ll make a trip back to Earth, and we can go together."

This was part of the plan, but with the mention of home, many more were moved.

If Lu Ping’an were leading the group back instead of them catching a ride on a favorable wind, not only would it save time, but it would also prevent some troubles along the way.

"I want to advance further in my studies; I also aspire to become Rule-level..."

Without anything that needed to be done, Lu Ping’an was a lazy person, but when it came down to tasks only he could do well, he never shied away.

Ten years had inevitably led to changes and even deterioration within the core of the team; if the team were to continue to move forward steadily, some degree of adjustment and fresh blood was unavoidable, at least, it was necessary to understand their own desires and opinions.

And to as much as possible retain the backbone and combat power, to get these middle and high-level members to share their hearts without worries, that listener could only be Boss Lu Ping’an himself.

"That’s fine, I’ll remember that, and I’ll speak to you about it when there’s a chance..."

Anything he could promise and deemed "worthwhile", even if it was slightly overpriced, Lu Ping’an would agree to.

"It’s okay, parting on good terms, we’re still friends. We’ll have a farewell drink together later..." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

If it was something unattainable, or if someone was insistent on leaving, Lu Ping’an would also give his blessing.

He was making promises while recording them, and at the same time, reorganizing and purifying this decade-old team... He already knew about the "betrayal", yet had no desire for a second occurrence.

Such things could not be accomplished overnight, but from the current feedback, it was already much better than expected.

"...If people’s hearts can be relied on, then, it’s time to get started with work."