Chapter 45: From Now On, Call Me Boss

The funeral was nothing remarkable—essentially like all funerals, attended by those relatives and friends who could make it and were willing to pay their respects.

Of course, given Liu Shihao’s status, this one was somewhat special. Although kept simple, many prominent figures from society showed up: dignitaries from politics and business, people from both the lawful and underworld circles—anyone with influence who could arrive was basically present.

Liu Hongyu, as the sole son, stood there in mourning attire, expressionless for the most part. After all, it was his father’s funeral; no smiles were expected. Yet his aura of unapproachability kept many from attempting to speak with him. The detailed arrangements were mostly managed by Liu Lei and others.

The burial was scheduled for the seventh day, when the coffin would be transported to the cemetery that the old Daoist Jing Yu had chosen before his passing.

By the time Zhuang Lin and Leng Zhiheng stepped out of Jingzhou Airport, the simple funeral in Zhonghai City had already concluded.

As usual, Leng Zhiheng took care of all lodging and meals, preparing to accompany Zhuang Lin early next morning as they returned to Yin Immortal Valley with the “moving transport team.”

---

Because of the funeral notice from the previous day, several major shareholders who were not in Zhonghai had gathered.

After the funeral, Liu Lei took the opportunity to convene a shareholders’ meeting in Liu Hongyu’s name, scheduled for the morning after the Mid-Autumn Festival—that is, the day after tomorrow.

That night, Liu Hongyu lay awake in a room of his family villa. In this environment barren of spiritual energy, he was unable to cultivate, yet sleep eluded him for a long time.

Since being sent to the mental hospital, he hadn’t slept in his own bed for a very long time.

In the hospital, Liu Hongyu had pondered much, including his resentment toward his father. He had even dreamed that one day, when he had mastered the Way of Immortality, he would manifest before his father to shatter the latter’s arrogant image and make him understand what regret truly meant...

But now, all those thoughts seemed laughable to Liu Hongyu.

He recalled memories from childhood to the present, contemplated everything about Yin Immortal Valley, and thought about the path of cultivation ahead. Only the affairs of the Liu Corporation were absent from his mind—after all, he had already planned how to handle them before returning.

Tossing and turning, he remained wide awake, though at his current level of cultivation, a few days without sleep made little difference.

After some time, he got out of bed, brought a chair to the balcony outside his room, and gazed at the stars.

The night breeze was cool, but Liu Hongyu could feel no spiritual energy at all. The sensation was painful; he could even sense his body’s condensed spiritual power slowly leaking through his pores, dispersing back into the air and rapidly diluted to near imperceptibility.

The starlight and moonlight shone brilliantly above, faintly emitting some power of the stars.

Yet, Liu Hongyu had to focus intently to draw even a trace of that celestial radiance, and it was uncertain whether it could compensate for his own leaking spiritual force.

Moreover, he felt that unless he reached a certain realm, the more spiritual power he held, the faster it would dissipate. Perhaps those at the Tongqiao stage—a stage of breakthrough—would fare better.

Maybe to maintain cultivation without regression in such a world for a long time, one must at least reach the Star-Moon Realm his master had mentioned.

He had arrived at the correct conclusion but was not worried. With his current cultivation, as long as he did not waste spiritual power recklessly, a couple of months would cause no major harm.

Beyond that, regression was a real risk.

He had heard that before the Star-Moon Realm, one must establish a Dao foundation; afterward, one could harness the power of heaven and earth. He wondered what that state would feel like...

Sigh, I’ve only just opened my spiritual veins, and here I am thinking about the Star-Moon Realm. I shouldn’t be so ambitious!

Liu Hongyu slapped both his cheeks sharply to wake himself, telling himself not to keep dreaming.

“Di-li-li-li...” The phone suddenly rang once and then went dead.

In the living room, the early-rising housekeeper had picked up immediately to avoid disturbing the young master.

But soon she had to knock on the door.

“Knock knock knock—Young Master, Assistant Liu is on the phone. He says it’s important!”

Liu Hongyu, sitting on the balcony, had heard the call. Looking east, he realized he had been sitting there all night.

“Alright, I’ll answer right away!”

He called toward the door, then went inside to pick up the phone.

“What’s the matter?”

On the other end, Liu Lei quickly explained the situation upon hearing Liu Hongyu’s voice.

“Young Master, several directors have called a shareholder meeting ahead of schedule without notifying us. It’s at nine o’clock in the headquarters building. You’d better prepare.”

Liu Hongyu showed no fear and, surprisingly, asked:

“Aren’t they observing Mid-Autumn Festival?”

“You’re still joking at a time like this?” Liu Lei’s tone was lighter, showing the young master was not nervous.

---

“All right, no rush. But is it improper that they didn’t notify me?”

Liu Lei paused, then said:

“In theory, you haven’t inherited the boss’s shares yet, so not informing you isn’t against regulations. Their reason is that this meeting concerns crucial business direction decisions after the boss’s death...”

“Hmm, that’s fine then. It’s just an early meeting. Nine o’clock is still early; we’ll go once everyone is here.”

Hearing the relaxed tone, Liu Lei smiled and suggested:

“Young Master, if possible, I recommend you wear a suit today.”

“Okay, come pick me up later.”

Liu Hongyu hung up, glanced at the robe he had hung on the coat rack, then decided to choose a suit from the wardrobe.

An hour later, Liu Lei arrived at the villa to find Liu Hongyu standing at the door in a formal suit, the housekeeper adjusting his buttons and tie.

Liu Lei noticed the wooden box still at Liu Hongyu’s feet, though the cloth covering it was now missing.

“Young Master, are you bringing that with you? What exactly is it?”

Liu Hongyu picked up the sword case and smiled.

“You finally asked. This is a sword case given by the valley elder!”

“A sword case?”

Seeing Liu Lei’s puzzled frown, Liu Hongyu chuckled.

“Lei, you should read more wuxia novels or watch historical dramas! By the way, do you have any tricks for dealing with those old-timers?”

“Tricks...”

Liu Lei pondered, aiming to help the young master relax.

“You’ve been calm these past few days, which suits you. Just dominate them with your presence. As the boss used to say, these people are all spineless!”

Liu Hongyu considered briefly, then nodded seriously.

---

At the Liu Group headquarters in Zhongjin District, Zhonghai City, many cars arrived early in the underground parking lot.

In an era where private car models were limited even in Zhonghai, the vehicles arriving at Liu Group were mostly rare luxury brands, reflecting their owners’ status.

Liu Lei had wanted Liu Hongyu to arrive early, but the latter insisted that it wasn’t right for higher-ups to wait for subordinates.

Unable to persuade him, Liu Lei arrived together with the young master exactly at nine o’clock. They headed straight to the headquarters tower.

Before entering the top-floor conference room, a group was stopped by two burly men.

Liu Hongyu surveyed those blocking the door with a scrutinizing gaze. He recalled no such thing at company meetings during his childhood; disagreements were settled in the meeting, not outside.

Liu Lei had anticipated many scenarios; this was among them. Before he could speak, more men arrived, prepared to advance.

Liu Lei raised a hand to stop them, then addressed the men guarding the door.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Yes, you’re Assistant to the President Liu Lei. This is a board meeting, and you don’t have permission to enter!”

Liu Lei smiled unfazed.

“Do you know who this is beside me?”

The same man looked at Liu Hongyu with some doubt. The young man carried a wooden box on his back; usually, subordinates handle such things. But since Liu Lei asked, he must be who they suspected.

“He should be Mr. Liu’s son, but this is a board meeting. He’s not allowed in either!”

Liu Hongyu smiled. The reply was formal and compliant, but anyone with eyes could see through it.

If they used this reason to bar him, it meant without board approval he couldn’t inherit the company, and without inheriting, he couldn’t attend meetings—an endless loop.

“When did the company start playing such games?” Liu Hongyu asked.

Liu Lei chuckled and leaned in to reply, aiming to ease the young master’s tension.

“Sometimes business isn’t as grand as in dramas. Real corporate warfare is often dirty but effective. For example, this. Even if they can’t stop you, a fight would be ugly and damage your image across branches and employees. Whether it’s useful or not, it certainly annoys us!”

As he spoke, Liu Lei signaled his men to advance, while the men guarding the door readied themselves.

---

“That won’t happen!”

Liu Hongyu glanced at his men, and his look stopped them in their tracks, leaving them wondering what he meant.

Liu Lei was puzzled too. Surely the young master didn’t expect those blockers to back down just because he approached? They might not dare strike him, but barring entry was definite.

Before Liu Lei could say more, Liu Hongyu laughed.

“Normally, this would be troublesome, but since they’re acting this way, I actually feel no psychological burden!”

With that, Liu Hongyu swung the sword case off his shoulder, flicked his arm forward, and kicked the rear of the case with his right foot.

“Boom.”

The heavy sound echoed as the sword case shot toward the conference room door.

It moved so fast, like a flash of lacquered light, the guards failed to react before it struck.

“Bang!”

The sword case collided with the wooden door, producing an explosive sound that shocked everyone’s ears and stirred a strong gust.

The blurred sword case, accompanied by flying wood chips and a whirlwind, burst into the room.

With a “thud,” it settled firmly in front of the main conference table.

Dust and debris filled the air. After brief shouts and screams, calm quickly returned.

In the staff area on the top floor, farther from the meeting room, the shock was shorter-lived. Some panicked employees instinctively grabbed phones to call the police but were immediately stopped by nearby supervisors.

Near the meeting room door, everyone crouched and covered their ears, instinctively retreating from the door.

Inside, the seasoned board members, weathered by countless business storms, were either crouching at the table or hiding beneath it, clearly shaken.

Many feared a robbery had occurred. Some glanced toward the door; others cautiously eyed the wooden box on the table.

A low hum emitted from the sword case, a chilling, sharp sound that made listeners feel as if a blade was pointed at their hearts, freezing them with fear.

This was beyond reason—a terror reaching the soul.

The spiritual sword was excited, yearning!

Throughout the top floor, only Liu Hongyu stood upright. Even Liu Lei beside him was shrinking into a dazed posture.

Liu Hongyu then strode into the conference room, and no one stopped him. Liu Lei hurried to follow.

Entering, the directors and so-called elders appeared utterly disheveled, still stunned from the shock, many looking at him with bewilderment.

Liu Hongyu stopped before the seat once occupied by his father and placed one hand on the sword case.

“Not today.”

His voice was soft, and the sword’s sharp hum gradually ceased.

Liu Lei, standing beside Liu Hongyu, trembled with excitement, his fists clenched involuntarily.

This show of power was incredibly impressive and inspiring!

But could this be humanly possible? What was the sound coming from that wooden box? What had happened to the young master?

---

In Jingzhou, within the Shennongjia Nature Reserve, Leng Zhiheng, who was responsible for the actors’ transfer convoy, answered his large mobile phone beside Zhuang Lin.

“Hello? Oh, yes... I’m here... Really? Ah? Ah? The young master is so powerful?”

Leng Zhiheng, both shocked and delighted, instinctively glanced at Zhuang Lin.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the call in Zhonghai City, Liu Lei corrected with a smile:

“From now on, please call him ‘Boss.’”