158: Chapter 158 Welcome to the Company! We're not talking about the common people here, only performance.
"Forget it, forget it."
Sect Master Li Qingyun lowered his head dejectedly. In that instant, he seemed to have aged several decades.
"For the sake of the Heavenly Sword Sect's legacy... I'll sign."
Seeing his old rival surrender, Great Elder Zhou Tong realized there was no point in holding out any longer. Muttering a few curses, he went up and pressed his thumbprint.
In less than ten minutes, the bigwigs of the Seven Great Sects lined up one by one and sold themselves out completely.
Ye Liangchen watched the signing data jumping on the backend, finally making no effort to hide the smugness on his face.
He patted Sect Master Li Qingyun on the shoulder, almost knocking the old man apart.
"That's the spirit! Old Li, from now on, we're brothers eating from the same pot. Don't look so glum; when payday comes at the end of the month, you'll thank yourself for this wise decision today."
Sect Master Li Qingyun's mouth twitched twice, but he said nothing.
Right now, he just wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
Ye Liangchen turned around, waved at the group of ordinary disciples who were still in a daze, and shouted:
"Everyone, family! Listen up!
From today on, there is no more Heavenly Sword Sect or Vajra Sect. From now on, when you go out, stand tall and tell everyone you are an employee of the Ghost Group!
Our group doesn't have many rules, just one: listen and follow instructions, and you'll live the high life!"
The disciples below looked at each other, and then, not knowing who started it, sparse applause broke out.
Immediately after, Gou Dan and Long Aotian, the two hype men, started leading the rhythm. The applause grew louder and louder, eventually turning into cheers.
For the low-level disciples, it didn't matter who was the boss.
What mattered was whether there were resources, whether there were skins, and whether they could pay off their Huabei... oh no, I mean "Ghost Pay".
Ye Liangchen looked at this group of "leeks" who had been swindled into submission, and felt incredibly satisfied.
"Alright, stop standing there.
Baize, arrange the airships to bring everyone back.
Remember, get our new employees settled in properly.
First, go take a bath and disinfect, then get uniform haircuts and change into work uniforms.
Throw away those ragged robes; they look pathetic."
At Ye Liangchen's command, the massive black airship slowly descended. The cabin door opened like a giant mouth devouring the old era.
The heavens of the cultivation world had completely changed.
Demon City, Ghost Group Industrial Park.
This place used to be a wasteland, but now Ye Liangchen had turned it into a massive, cyber-cultivation style factory.
Everywhere were flashing neon light strips, and huge holographic advertising projections floated in mid-air, scrolling with the motivational slogan: "If you don't work hard today, you'll be working hard to find a job tomorrow."
Medicine God Valley... oh no, now it's called "Ghost Biopharmaceutical Branch No. 1".
The originally ethereal and sage-like Valley Master Gu He was now wearing a white lab coat and a dust cap, standing in front of a fully automated assembly line, staring blankly.
On the assembly line, brown medicinal liquid flowed with a "swishing" sound. After passing through various complex processes, it was finally pressed into round pills, automatically bottled, sealed, and labeled.
The entire process was smooth and fluid, moving so fast it was dazzling.
"This... this is an outrage!"
An old, stubborn elder beside Gu He pointed at the machine with trembling hands.
"Alchemy is a sacred task! It requires bathing and burning incense, calming the mind and spirit, sensing the elemental fire, and eighty-one days to form the pill!
This... spitting out a dozen in one second, this isn't alchemy, this is clearly taking a..."
Before the word "dump" could be uttered, Gu He glared at him sternly.
"Taking a what? Do you know how to speak properly?"
Gu He was now the "Production Department Director".
He pointed to the screen next to him, "Old Zhang, open your old eyes and look!
This data! The active ingredient extraction rate is 99.8%! Impurity content is below 0.01%! Do you know what this means?
These are top-quality pills! Our old way, with a waste rate as high as 30%, was just a waste! It was a crime!"
Gu He became more and more excited as he spoke. He picked up a bottle of freshly produced "Rejuvenation Capsules", his eyes shining:
"Boss Ye is right, technology is the primary productive force.
What we had before was a workshop, but this is industry!
Old Zhang, put away your outdated almanacs and hurry up and study that 'Operation Manual for Fully Automated Temperature Control Systems'. There's an assessment next week, and if you fail, I'll deduct your performance bonus!"
Old Zhang looked at his direct superior in a daze, feeling that the world had gone crazy.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the park was the "Ghost Security Training Base".
This place was originally the gathering point for disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Vajra Sect.
Now, the sword cultivators in flowing robes and the shirtless body cultivators had all changed into black tactical vests and camouflage pants, with thick-soled combat boots on their feet.
"Stand at attention! Didn't you eat?
You with the sword, put your sword away! This is morning exercise time, not a time for you to perform acrobatics!"
Long Aotian had a whistle around his neck and a pointer in his hand, roaring at a group of his former fellow disciples.
He was now the "Captain of the First Security Brigade", looking imposing.
"Report, Captain! I object!"
A rebellious disciple shouted with his neck stiffened,
"I am a sword cultivator! My sword is my life!
This tactical vest restricts my Qi and blood flow, affecting my sword-drawing speed!"
Long Aotian sneered, walked over, and sized up the rebellious disciple.
"Draw your sword? Draw my foot!"
Long Aotian pulled a modified stun gun from his waist.
With a "crackling" sound, blue electric arcs danced in the air, "My lord, the times have changed!
By the time you draw your sword, the enemy would have already turned you into a sieve!
In Ghost Security, there is only tactical coordination, no individual heroism!
If you talk nonsense again, I'll deduct two hundred 'Ghost Credit Points' from you, and you won't even be able to log into the game!"
Upon hearing about the point deduction, the rebellious disciple immediately cowered.
In the Ghost Group, credit points were worth more than spirit stones.
If you didn't have enough points, you could only eat vegetables in the cafeteria and the internet in the dormitory would be cut off—it was worse than death.
The most extreme change was the transformation of the Water Moon Palace.
Originally, the Water Moon Palace was full of female disciples practicing water-element cultivation techniques that required purity and abstinence, each one as cold as frost.
Now, it had been renamed the "Ghost Entertainment Idol Trainee Base".
Inside the training room, in front of a huge floor-to-ceiling mirror,
Dozens of tall female disciples were wearing improved versions of the "sect uniforms".
These uniforms were "designed" under the personal guidance of Ye Liangchen, retaining the charm of the ancient style, but with extremely bold "optimizations" made to the skirt length and waist cut.
The long skirts that originally wrapped people up tightly had become perfectly proportioned pleated miniskirts, paired with white over-the-knee stockings. Combined with that cold, bashful temperament, it was simply the ceiling of pure desire.
"Stop, stop, stop! Your movements are too stiff!"
The person in charge of guidance was not an elder, but a fashionable girl in her early twenties (also a clone).
She clapped her hands and pointed to a female disciple in the front row: "What we want is 'both pure and seductive', not you going to a funeral!
Eyes! Your eyes need to be alluring, do you understand?
That feeling of 'wanting it but not daring to say it'!
Let's do it again. The rhythm of the song 'Love You' needs to be cheerful. Throw away those lifeless cultivation faces!"