Chapter 64: Guild Obstruction and a Clever Resolution

"Recruiting talents and building up forces!" The moment Mao Yu finished speaking, a gust of chilly wind swept past, sending a chill down his spine.

Before he could react, an oily voice drifted over: "Young Master Mao is in such high spirits. Are you planning to set up your own independent faction?"

The person who arrived was none other than President Sun of the Esper Guild. Sporting a beer belly and a face plastered with a hypocritical smile, the mere sight of him made people want to punch him.

Mao Yu inwardly cursed him as an "old fox," but kept his face expressionless. "What an honor for President Sun to grace us with your presence! My humble enterprise is just starting out, and I hope to rely heavily on your guidance and support, sir."

"Support? Of course I will support you!" President Sun rubbed his hands together, his smile failing to reach his eyes. "Young Master Mao rebuilding the academy is a major event, so naturally our guild must lend its full backing. However..." He deliberately drew out his voice, his eyes flashing with a greedy gleam.

Mao Yu's heart skipped a beat as a bad premonition washed over him. As expected, this old fox had come with ill intentions.

Feigning calmness, he asked, "Does President Sun have any instructions for us?"

"Instructions would be too bold a word, but I do have a few small suggestions." President Sun assumed a haughty posture. "The espers in our guild are all elites and command a high market value. If you want them to participate in the reconstruction work, the compensation... naturally cannot be too low. Furthermore, the food and lodging must also be top-tier. Five-star hotels and presidential suites should be the absolute standard..."

As President Sun endlessly reeled off a string of unreasonable demands, the surrounding atmosphere grew heavy and tense.

Mao Yu's brows knitted tighter and tighter; he realized the situation was far thornier than anticipated.

This wasn't support at all—it was outright extortion!

"President Sun, isn't your appetite a bit too voracious?" Mao Yu finally lost his patience, his tone turning stern.

"Voracious? I think it's entirely reasonable." President Sun sneered. "Young Master Mao, don't forget that without the backing of our guild, even if you possessed mountains of gold and silver, you wouldn't be able to recruit a single esper!"

"Are you threatening me?" Mao Yu's eyes turned icy as an invisible wave of pressure radiated from him.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Just a friendly reminder." President Sun showed no fear whatsoever, continuing, "The reconstruction of the Esper Academy is of great significance to the entire esper community, so our guild naturally has to secure the maximum benefits for its members."

"Benefits? The benefits you speak of mean sacrificing the academy's future just to satisfy your personal greed?" Mao Yu ruthlessly exposed his true colors.

"Young Master Mao, you mustn't talk nonsense!" President Sun's expression shifted. "I am doing this for the guild, for the welfare of all espers!"

"Bulls***!" Mao Yu barked angrily. "Do you take me for a fool? Don't think I'm unaware of the shady dealings you've been carrying out behind the scenes!"

The two stood at loggerheads, neither willing to yield an inch. The atmosphere was charged with tension, as if they might resort to violence at any second.

"Young Master Mao, you'd better think this through..." President Sun narrowed his eyes, his tone sinister. "There are some people you simply cannot afford to cross..." He paused, then added, "And some games you simply cannot afford to play..."

Inside the office, darkness rolled in like a tide, swallowing Mao Yu whole.

Outside the window, the city's neon lights flickered, casting a reflection upon his face that wavered like ghost fire.

President Sun's greasy visage and greedy eyes kept flashing in his mind like an inescapable nightmare.

"Damn fat pig!" Mao Yu slammed his fist heavily onto the desk, his knuckles aching fiercely.

If he failed to meet the guild's demands, rebuilding the academy would remain nothing more than an empty dream.

However, giving in to that old fox would be tantamount to fueling his arrogance, and there was no telling what kind of trouble he might stir up in the future.

"Is there truly no other way?" Mao Yu ran his hands through his hair in frustration, feeling as though he might tear his scalp open.

In the darkness, he felt as if he were trapped inside a gigantic cage, the oppression suffocating him.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration hit him, and he remembered the system! "System, come out and save my life!"

"Ding! Host distress detected, solution generation program initiated..." The system's cold, mechanical voice sounded, igniting a sliver of hope within the darkness.

"Solution generated: Target the internal conflicts within the guild, divide and conquer, and defeat them one by one!" As soon as the system finished speaking, a detailed plan manifested before Mao Yu's eyes.

Mao Yu carefully studied it and realized the system actually had some impressive tricks up its sleeve.

The core of the plan was to exploit the friction between various factions within the guild, sowing discord and making them turn on each other.

No sooner said than done!

Mao Yu immediately contacted several guild elders who were at loggerheads with President Sun, delivering the "special care" provided by the system straight to them.

This "care" consisted of concrete evidence regarding the shady, unsavory dealings President Sun had been conducting behind everyone's backs—hard proof sufficient to completely ruin his reputation.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before the internal ranks of the guild erupted into chaos.

Upon receiving the evidence, those elders immediately banded together and launched an offensive against President Sun.

The guild was thrown into utter disarray with all sorts of rumors flying everywhere, leaving President Sun overwhelmed and too busy trying to save his own skin to bother with anything else.

Witnessing this scene, the corners of Mao Yu's mouth curved upward into a cold smile.

"Old fox, you're still a bit too naive to play games with me!"

Seizing the opportunity, he contacted President Sun once again, his tone unyielding and resolute.

Already stressed to the breaking point by the internal strife, President Sun now faced Mao Yu's uncompromising attitude and realized he had finally kicked a steel plate.

After weighing the pros and cons, he had no choice but to compromise and agree to Mao Yu's terms.

"Pleasure doing business with you!" Mao Yu hung up the phone, his heart swelling with the joy of victory.

He walked over to the window, gazed at the night view outside, and felt an immense sense of relief wash over him.

"Knock, knock, knock..." A rap sounded at the door.

"Who is it?" Mao Yu asked.

"It's me..." A sweet voice drifted in.

The door swung open, and Mao Ling bounced inside, her large eyes shining brightly like stars in the night sky.

"Brother, you're amazing! You took care of that old fatty in no time flat!" She leaped up excitedly, threw her arms around Mao Yu's neck, and hung onto him like a koala.

Caught off guard by her sudden display of affection, Mao Yu felt a bit awkward and gently patted her back. "Alright, alright, get down now. What kind of behavior is this?" Although he scolded her verbally, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up, and a warm current flooded his heart.

Feng Yao stood to the side, watching the siblings bicker with a gentle smile on her face.

She stepped toward Mao Yu and softly said, "Congratulations on solving another difficult problem."

"This is all thanks to the system pulling its weight," Mao Yu said with a smile, though he remained inwardly vigilant—this was only a minor victory, and much greater challenges lay ahead.

With the guild's issue resolved, the enthusiasm of the espers signing up to help rebuild the academy soared.

Early the next morning, a long queue formed at the entrance of the academy, packed with all sorts of diverse and colorful espers in a bustling, lively scene.

"Gosh, with this many people, when will it ever be our turn?" complained a fire-attribute esper.

"Seriously, if I'd known, I would have come yesterday," a water-attribute esper chimed in.

"Stop complaining. Being able to participate in rebuilding the academy is our honor!" said a veteran esper. "This is a monumental undertaking that will benefit generations to come!"

Standing on an elevated platform, Mao Yu looked down at the bustling crowd below, filled with a strong sense of accomplishment.

He took a deep breath and announced loudly, "Everyone, thank you for your support in the academy's reconstruction! I promise that I will lead you all in building the ultimate esper institution!"

As soon as his voice fell, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the crowd.

The reconstruction work proceeded methodically, and everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.

Yet, a lingering sense of unease remained in the back of Mao Yu's mind.

He knew this was merely the calm before the storm; even greater challenges awaited him.

In the evening, the setting sun dyed the sky a bloody red.

Mao Yu stood at the reconstruction site, watching the busy crowds while maintaining high vigilance.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated, and an anonymous text message popped up: "Mao Yu, did you really think it was over? The game has only just begun..."

Mao Yu's expression shifted drastically as a chill shot straight from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He gripped his phone tightly, his eyes turning glacial, and muttered under his breath, "I'll be waiting..."