I Can Control Resources

Gao Neng turned around.

There, he saw Yi Qinglian, dressed in professional attire.

After all, in some respects, Yi Qinglian had features that were incomparable, making her stand out in a crowd.

Her features were very striking—typical of the Western Alliance—like a sculpture on display in a museum.

However, her face now held a hint of anger, and her gaze was exceptionally sharp. She didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by Secretary General Wang’s status.

"So, it’s niece Qinglian..." Secretary General Wang’s brow furrowed involuntarily when he saw who was speaking.

"I am Gao Neng’s assistant now," Yi Qinglian said with a nod.

"Heh, I know," Secretary General Wang chuckled. His gaze then shifted noncommittally toward Luna, who was still focused on her alchemy in the distance, before turning to look at the Patriarch of the West Alliance Yi Family.

Not far away,

the Patriarch of the West Alliance Yi Family was also frowning deeply.

If he weren’t mindful of the occasion, he would have, in all likelihood, shouted at her or even stepped forward to stop her.

All of this, of course, did not escape Gao Neng’s notice.

In truth, when the three from the Elixir Medicine Federation had approached, he’d already half-guessed that they were aligned with the sects and powerful families.

Now, that guess was more or less confirmed.

Yi Qinglian’s behavior, however, left Gao Neng at a loss for words.

’This girl is really something else!’

’She’s got that fearless, daredevil personality.’

’Back when she couldn’t stand the sight of me, she’d find any excuse to come and pick a fight, acting like she’d never rest until she defeated me.’

’But now, she’s completely different.’

’She’s still willful and fearless, but the difference is, she’s not targeting me anymore. Instead, she’s going after the Elixir Medicine Federation, which is also tied to the sects and powerful families.’

’And most importantly, she’s confronting a Secretary General.’

’What does that tell me?’

’It means Yi Qinglian doesn’t care how powerful her enemies are. She only cares whether or not she likes you.’

Looking at her now, Gao Neng was starting to understand why she had targeted him from the moment they met. It was simply because she didn’t like the look of him.

As for the strength and talent he had displayed in the Dragon List tournament, those things weren’t even part of her consideration.

’So, to sum it up...’

’She’s a very straightforward and direct woman.’

’Yeah, you could even say she’s incredibly blunt.’

Of course, one Yi Qinglian obviously wasn’t enough to stop Secretary General Wang. After receiving a nod from the Patriarch of the West Alliance Yi Family, a smile returned to Secretary General Wang’s lips.

"Assistant Yi, since you yourself said you’re just an assistant, and Captain Gao has yet to raise any objections, isn’t it a bit presumptuous of you to stop me from verifying the authenticity of these elixirs?" With his concerns assuaged, Secretary General Wang’s tone naturally hardened.

"I’m simply doing my duty!" Yi Qinglian’s personality was not one to back down.

"Captain Gao, your assistant is preventing me from inspecting the elixirs. Might I ask if this is at your instruction?" Secretary General Wang had no intention of arguing further with Yi Qinglian and turned his gaze to Gao Neng.

His meaning was clear.

The message was clear: I don’t want to offend the West Alliance Yi Family, nor do I want to argue with Yi Qinglian. This was the moment for Gao Neng to step up and show some magnanimity.

Under normal circumstances, Gao Neng should have stepped forward at this point. After all, he had already agreed to Secretary General Wang’s inspection moments ago.

But Gao Neng was not a normal person.

He might agree one second...

But would he still agree the next?

Gao Neng felt that ever since Yi Qinglian had stepped forward, the success rate of his ’Speaker election’ plan was skyrocketing like a rocket.

’I never thought Yi Qinglian would be useful before, but now she’s truly proving her worth.’

’At the very least, her timing is perfect.’

If Gao Neng had been the one to stop the inspection, and the elixirs were later found to be real, it would have seemed like a staged performance.

Furthermore, he might be labeled as defiant and difficult to work with.

This would be detrimental to his future bid for Speaker.

But with Yi Qinglian stepping in to stop it, the situation was completely different.

Yi Qinglian was Gao Neng’s assistant. Her natural position was to protect his interests and dignity. This fell within the scope of her duties and was perfectly normal.

Who would dare claim this was a performance?

Who would dare say Gao Neng was being difficult?

It was a stroke of genius.

Gao Neng was in an excellent mood, but on the surface, he put on a deeply troubled expression.

"Secretary General Wang, I am truly sorry. Although Assistant Yi only officially started today, you must trust her professionalism!" Gao Neng said, looking at Secretary General Wang with great sincerity.

"???" Secretary General Wang was stunned, but he quickly understood the hidden meaning in Gao Neng’s words. In an instant, a drop of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

In his mind, what could an eighteen-year-old teenager like Gao Neng possibly understand?

Even if he had some talent, he was just a pawn for them to use and control.

But now, he suddenly felt that something was wrong. In Gao Neng’s eyes, he saw a look of almost demonic intelligence.

And then, Gao Neng confirmed his suspicions.

Because Gao Neng spoke again.

"As a direct descendant of the West Alliance Yi Family, Assistant Yi has been deeply influenced by her family’s alchemy since childhood. Furthermore, her mother is a high-level Alchemist. Therefore, I have every reason to trust her judgment. And you... as the Secretary General of the Elixir Medicine Federation, I also trust your professionalism!"

Gao Neng paused slightly before continuing, "Since you are both professionals, I find this matter rather difficult to handle. How about this... I invite Speaker Wu and Governor Yun to act as mediators, and we can all decide how to proceed. Secretary General Wang, do you think that’s feasible?"

"It’s just a simple check of the elixirs’ authenticity. This should be a normal procedure at a conference like this. I personally see no need to complicate matters," Secretary General Wang said, another drop of cold sweat rolling down his forehead.

Having mediators...

meant there would be constraints.

What kind of constraints?

He knew all too well.

It meant that if he inspected the elixirs and they turned out to be real, he would pay a heavy price. He might even be branded with the label of ’unprofessional’.

"Secretary General Wang, I, Yi Qinglian, do not agree with that!" Yi Qinglian spoke up again before Gao Neng could. "Today’s event is a high-profile Alchemist exchange conference, jointly hosted by the Speaker of the Alliance Supreme Council and the Governor of the Underground City. Which of the Alchemists present here isn’t an elite from a major sect or family? For you, Secretary General Wang, to question Gao Neng’s integrity and accuse him of cheating on such an occasion is an insult, not some so-called normal procedure!"

"..." The sweat on Secretary General Wang’s forehead grew denser. He glanced at Chairman Sheng and Vice Chairman Lei beside him.

Both men were also frowning deeply at that moment.

Normally, since Gao Neng had already agreed to the inspection, all Secretary General Wang had to do was get it over with quickly, and no one would have to bear any responsibility.

If the elixirs turned out to be fake, the sects and powerful families would fully save face.

If they turned out to be real...

they would still have an explanation to give to the sects and families.

But now, a Yi Qinglian had appeared out of nowhere. And this Yi Qinglian happened to be the sole daughter of the West Alliance Yi Family and the future successor to the Saintess of the Bright Sect.

This was extremely awkward.

Most importantly, from their vantage point, they could see clearly that Gao Neng really hadn’t had much opportunity to cheat.

It was just that the results he had produced were so astonishing that they had no choice but to step in and inspect the five Sea Horse Pills.

But an inspection was one thing...

Once ’constraints’ were involved, it became a different matter entirely.

The two men hesitated.

They were caught between a rock and a hard place.

Wu Qingjing and Yutian also exchanged a look. Emotionally, neither of them believed Gao Neng would cheat on an occasion like this. The problem was, damn it, he used high-temperature alchemy and produced ten pills in just five hours. That efficiency was simply too astonishing.

"Secretary General Wang, do you have any substantial evidence to prove that Gao Neng did indeed cheat in this competition? If not, then please cease your actions and, on behalf of the Elixir Medicine Federation, issue a formal apology to Gao Neng!" Yi Qinglian pressed on, seeing that Secretary General Wang remained silent.

"This..." Secretary General Wang’s back was soaked with sweat.

But Chairman Sheng and Vice Chairman Lei offered him no response, simply turning their faces away, which put him in an extremely difficult position.

If he went forward and something went wrong, he would bear full responsibility.

But if he retreated...

Damn it, could he even retreat now?

All the sects and powerful families were watching him. If he backed down now, what would they say about him in the future? Would he still have a place in the Elixir Medicine Federation?

As the two sides stood in a standoff, the BEEP BEEP BEEP of a completed alchemy process sounded again from the third challenger’s station not too far away.

"The third type is done too?!"

"So fast!"

"High-temperature alchemy... a pill that usually takes one or two days is finished in just five hours. Can you believe it?"

The disciples from the sects and powerful families discussed in low voices.

At this moment, Gao Neng demonstrated his magnanimity. He first apologized to Secretary General Wang, then quickly walked over to the third challenger’s station.

"You guys can take your time debating the authenticity. I’m going to open the cauldrons and retrieve my pills first!" After arriving at the third challenger’s station, Gao Neng gave a polite greeting to the Alchemist across from him before uncovering the five small Tripod Cauldrons one by one.

Yes, this time, there was no pause in between.

That was just the kind of person Gao Neng was—simple, direct, and never one to dawdle. The lids of the five Tripod Cauldrons were all opened in under five seconds.