137: Chapter 137 Father Li, are you finally better yet?!

Inside the meeting room.

Supervisor Song sat in Li Yu's seat, sweating profusely. His gaze frequently darted toward the entrance, and he repeatedly raised his hand to check the time.

The clock ticked away, each sound like a heavy, panicky weight falling onto his heart.

"What? That kid didn't show up?" The Bald Old Man was still in the adjacent seat, speaking with a face full of disdain.

"He'll come, he'll come," Supervisor Song forced a fawning smile.

"Hmph!" The Bald Old Man shook his head and said earnestly, "He is a youngster after all. If he couldn't research anything, he doesn't even have the courage to show his face. He needs more training..."

Many of the Senior Cultivators, who had originally looked dejected, suddenly looked much better upon hearing this. They began to speak up one by one.

"Exactly. To be a Breeder, one must seek truth from facts. If you can do it, you can; if you can't, you can't."

"Researching an antidote is like crossing a river by feeling the stones. It's normal for research to fail, but the key is the attitude! To not even have the courage to admit a temporary failure is truly pathetic."

"I was so close to succeeding. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time. If I were given a few more days, I definitely could have figured it out."

"Who says otherwise? But the fact that we dared to come shows we are responsible for our actions, unlike some young people... Hmph, each generation is worse than the last."

"..."

Supervisor Song wiped the sweat from his forehead. Several times he wanted to defend Li Yu, but facing this group where any single one was a Senior Cultivator, he decisively kept his mouth shut.

He couldn't afford to offend them.

He couldn't afford to offend even one, let alone a whole group.

Dong~

The clock on the wall chimed. Supervisor Song's whole body jolted, and he checked his watch one last time, unwilling to give up hope.

9:00

His heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died.

Li Yu hadn't come...

He looked toward the head of the table. Director Wang and Vice General Liu next to him happened to be looking at him as well.

Supervisor Song shook his head.

The light in Director Wang and Vice General Liu's eyes dimmed as well.

Director Wang sighed, tapped the table, and said, "Everyone, please be quiet. The meeting will now begin."

The noisy environment immediately fell silent.

Director Wang first gave a series of polite remarks, thanking the Breeders and expressing gratitude for the attention and help from all sectors of society.

Then his tone shifted as he said, "This meeting concerns the lives and safety of 100,000 beasts in Ningyang City. Time is of the essence. Are there any Breeders who have researched a specific medicine for the blood toxin? If so, please stand up."

After he finished speaking, there was a commotion below, but after waiting for a while, no one stood up.

Those Breeders who were usually quite famous and eloquent either lowered their heads, pretended to chat with those next to them, or looked at their phones.

Not a single one dared to look Director Wang in the eye.

Even the Bald Old Man and Wu Guifang were no exception.

Director Wang sighed and said, "In that case, I announce that the formal acceptance of results begins now. Please, all Breeders, follow your seat numbers and introduce your research results from these past days. Note that we want results; omit the process as much as possible so as not to waste everyone's time."

Director Wang sat down after finishing.

The Senior Cultivator in seat number 01 stood up and said expressionlessly, "My research lacks significant results, so I won't report it. Please let my more excellent colleagues share instead."

He sat back down after speaking.

The person in seat 02 stood up, slowly unscrewed their water bottle, and took a few sips to clear their throat, making everyone's hearts skip a beat in anticipation.

"Me too."

After he spoke, the faces of everyone around him turned dark, and they glared at him with unfriendly expressions.

The same?

If it's the same, why all the theatrics!

Those who didn't know better would have thought he had some startling discovery!

One by one, the Breeders stood up and sat down. They either had no results or poor results, leaving Director Wang, Vice General Liu, and the others deeply disappointed.

Vice General Liu said worriedly, "Director Wang, is there no other way? Didn't we hear that Senior Cultivators from other cities came to Ningyang City to assist? Bring them in..."

The situation in Ningyang City had drawn national attention, which naturally attracted some people seeking fame and reputation. For the sake of fame, many Senior Cultivators had made high-profile arrivals in Ningyang City.

"Do you think I haven't thought of that?" Director Wang sighed. "I sent people to watch the doors tightly, but they ended up escaping through the windows."

"How could this happen?"

"I only found out after checking the surveillance. They couldn't produce an antidote and were afraid of losing face, so they teamed up and escaped through the windows in the middle of the night. A huge amount of travel expenses wasted on them."

"How shameless!"

Director Wang sighed and said, "Face? We can't worry about face now. 100,000 beasts... if they really all die here... how am I supposed to explain to the higher-ups? How do I explain to the Beast Tamers who entrusted their beasts to us?"

"Forget about face. If anyone can cure these beasts, I'd even shine their shoes for them!"

Both men fell silent.

100,000 Beast Tamers.

These weren't beast-taming apprentices or some newbies, but professional Beast Tamers of at least Bronze rank, each capable of fighting off beast tides!

If these people died, Ningyang City would fall into a period of severe shortage of Beast Tamers. Security, industry, and all other aspects would be affected, and it would take at least five years to recover.

Thinking of this, a flash of unwillingness appeared in Director Wang's eyes as he asked, "Can the method Li Yu gave before still be used?"

"No," Liu Zhanxing said. "These beasts are already extremely weak and cannot withstand another treatment. If used recklessly, the mortality rate will exceed eighty percent, and the higher the quality of the beast, the higher the mortality rate."

Director Wang frowned, his face showing a trace of despondency.

Eighty percent.

He didn't dare to gamble, and he couldn't afford to.

Time passed minute by minute.

Finally, it was Li Yu's turn—no, it was Supervisor Song's turn.

As the previous person sat down, everyone's gaze turned to Supervisor Song. He stood up with a stiff neck and an awkward smile, saying, "Well... Breeder Li Yu's research has reached a critical stage and he cannot attend. So... pass."

As soon as these words were spoken, the room erupted in laughter. The atmosphere, which had been somewhat oppressive due to the Breeders' lack of results, suddenly lightened a bit.

"He actually didn't come? Is it really as others say, he's afraid of losing face, so he won't show up?" Wu Guifang whispered with a frown, her words tinged with disappointment.

She hadn't researched anything either, but she had been full of expectations for Li Yu's results.

Now, it seemed she would be disappointed.

As the most popular Breeder in Ningyang City recently, the name "Li Yu" was closely watched by the media.

Upon learning he hadn't come, the reporters raised their hands one after another to ask questions:

"Sir, may I ask why Li Yu did not come?"

"Is it because, as other Breeders say, he's afraid of losing face and thus didn't dare to come?"

"How did he obtain his Senior Cultivator certificate at the age of eighteen? Are there some unspeakable secrets involved?"

"May I ask..."

Facing the sharp tongues of the media, Supervisor Song was so anxious he scratched his head. He was just a minor supervisor; when had he ever seen such a scene?

"Pass, pass. That's all, I'm done. Let the next Breeder come."

Supervisor Song's panicked response once again triggered a wave of laughter. Finally, Liu Zhanxing stepped forward to speak, and only then did the reporters restrain themselves and sit down.

Next was the Bald Old Man.

He straightened his coat and stood up. His demeanor was not as awkward as the others; instead, he wore a self-satisfied smile.

Looking around, especially at the reporters, his smile grew even more radiant.

"My research is not perfect, but I have some small results. If the side effects can be accepted, I can guarantee the survival of the 100,000 beasts in Ningyang City."

Bang!

Director Wang stood up excitedly, his chair falling to the floor with a loud noise. But he couldn't care about the breach of etiquette, asking with an excited expression, "Are you serious? You really have a way to save these 100,000 beasts?!"

Hearing this, Supervisor Song's heart skipped a beat, and he quietly sent a message to Li Yu.

"Father Li, are you finally ready or not?! If you don't come soon, the 'light of the city' badge will be gone!"

Soon, a message came back.

"My brother said there's still a little bit left. Wait a bit longer."