King of the Wilderness

Dr. Carter met Lin Yu’an’s gaze with dignity and continued, "Sir, we are dealing with lives, not machines."

"Emergency response is certainly important, but what is more crucial is a mature, preventative medical system that has been validated for decades."

"Excessive stress and being on call 24/7 will only increase the team’s error rate. Ultimately, it will harm the overall health levels of the ranch animals."

"We are professional veterinarians, not clerks at a 24-hour convenience store. We have our own work rhythm and personal time."

"Mr. Hunter always respected our professional autonomy and never made such unreasonable militarized management demands."

"Mr. Hunter’s philosophy is to prevent problems before they arise. He believes that respecting the professional rhythm creates maximum value, and this is the way we have always been proud to work."

As soon as he finished speaking, the meeting room fell silent. Hank Miller’s brow also furrowed.

Carter’s words cleverly elevated the issue from simple obedience to orders to a clash of two management philosophies, even using the philosophy of the former owner, Mr. Hunter, as a shield.

This was no longer a simple show of power but an arrogant and forceful challenge from a core member of the old order.

Everyone held their breath, looking in disbelief at the guy who dared to contradict the new owner right after announcing a huge salary raise.

In Hank Miller’s eyes, there was a flash of anger and worry.

Lin Yu’an’s face showed no expression, revealing neither joy nor anger.

He did not look at Dr. Carter but turned his gaze to the two veterinary assistants behind Carter, a young white man named Tom and a white girl named Hanna.

Lin Yu’an’s voice was eerily calm, "Tom, do you agree with Dr. Carter’s viewpoint?"

The young Tom clearly did not expect to be named, but he did not panic as others might have expected.

He glanced at his supervisor, also his uncle, Dr. Carter, with a hint of brazen arrogance on his face.

Tom straightened his back and said flippantly, "Of course, I completely agree with my uncle. We make our living through professional skills, not by selling 24 hours of our time."

"Besides, the salary you offer is decent, but it’s not enough to sell our lives to the ranch, is it? Freedom is priceless."

His words were not only supportive but a blatant provocation, as if he were saying, "My uncle and I are the technical core here; you can’t do without us."

The air in the conference room seemed to freeze. Everyone could feel the tension as if a sword was drawn back.

Lin Yu’an nodded, still showing no emotion on his face. He looked at the girl named Hanna, in her early twenties with some freckles on her face, appearing very nervous.

"Hanna, how about you?"

Hanna pressed her lips tightly, her hands nervously twisting together under the table, seemingly in a fierce mental struggle. Dr. Carter and Tom looked at her with a warning gaze.

A few seconds later, as if making up her mind, she took a deep breath, lifted her head and met Lin Yu’an’s eyes, and said, "Boss... I may not understand much about work-life balance."

She paused, her eyes becoming incredibly gentle, as if she recalled something precious.

"I only know the Arabian horse called ’Storm’ in the stable, which I helped deliver when it was just a foal."

"Last winter, it had severe pneumonia, and I stayed with it in the stable for three days and nights before saving it from the Death God’s grasp."

Her voice carried a hint of choking up, "To me, it isn’t livestock; it’s my friend! They need me, and I can’t wait until eight the next morning to take care of them."

"So... I am willing to be on call 24/7. As long as they need me, I am always there!"

Her words fell, and there was a two-second silence in the conference room as everyone savored the purity in her words.

Hanna’s heartfelt statement stood in stark contrast to Tom’s selfish and arrogant arguments about freedom, deeply touching everyone present.

Suddenly, "Clap, clap, clap."

Applause rang out, sparse yet steady and powerful.

Everyone turned toward the sound to see the old cowboy Hank Miller clapping with his calloused hands for this young girl.

Hank’s applause was like a signal, instantly igniting suppressed emotions in everyone present. Ranch manager Maria followed with applause, her eyes full of approval.

Then, logistics manager Mrs. Gable, security manager Sean... applause started from one end of the conference table and quickly spread to the other end.

Amidst this applause, Tom’s selfish and arrogant argument about freedom seemed so pale and ridiculous, and the faces of both him and Dr. Carter became increasingly unsightly.

Lin Yu’an’s lips finally curled into a slight smile, but that smile sent a bone-chilling coldness to Dr. Carter and his foolish nephew.

"Hanna, thank you." Lin Yu’an first nodded gently at the girl, slightly calming her nervous emotions.

Then he turned to look at David Chen, speaking in a low voice that made everyone prick up their ears, "David, I want to confirm the standard procedures of the ranch."

"If an employee needs to undergo a comprehensive audit of assets and accounts due to their job handover, what should we pay attention to during this period?"