[ Total Charm Points: 8,161 points available ]

[ Would You Like To Purchase Harem Cultivation Qi Condensation - IV for 6000 Charm Points? ]

[ 50% Chance of Breakthrough ]

Those were the remaining points he had left on hand, and if he were to buy the next stage of Qi Condensation that was at the fourth stage.. there was a chance that he'd fail. The CEO dismissed the screen and glanced at the Panda. "It's too risky, besides it's a bottleneck. That means I simply have to overcome that troublesome thing."historical

"...danggit, somebody else would have risked it and relied on some divine luck to intervene for them."

The CEO returned to his laptop and searched up for something, "If the divine wanted to have a show to entertain themselves—surely they wouldn't give it to me for no reason at all. When there's conflict, there is a chance for things to become entertaining.. And if you were to ask me, it's still better to not rely on things I cannot control. There's a good chance that I'll be able to overcome it on my own.. and here we go. Have a look."

Written on one random blog site was an explanation of what was described to be a bottleneck.

'It is the situation when cultivators figuratively hit a wall in their training and it suddenly becomes incredibly difficult to proceed. When they reach a bottleneck, cultivators may require new Insights, the aid of medicinal pills, or even harsher training in order to make a breakthrough and successfully bypass the bottleneck.'

Immortal Mountain

"Is that supposed to be some Daoist Name?" the Panda scoffed.

"No, that's the blog site name." the CEO took note of the three things that would help him to breakthrough a bottleneck. If his current chances were at fifty percent, then there was a good chance that he'd be able to overcome it through doing any or all of the three. He already had training in mind—so that was the first.

"... You trust what you find on the internet more than what you can get from the System?" the Panda shook its head and closed the laptop screen. "You're wasting your time with all of these gadgets when you have the powerful System installed in you."

The CEO packed up his laptop into another bag and stood up. "It's a good way to still double-check the information I can get from the System, and besides, I can still ask for some verification from the Shen Society when I go there to pick up my Bodyguard."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" the Panda said. "Sounds like you're overpaying some folks. Guess that's what you get for overplaying your card."

Li Yang thought otherwise and said. "A lot of the people from the Shen Group were preoccupied already with their own tasks, I think they assigned me with someone coming from Chongming Island, and so they're a little geographically confused with the city."

"... and this is why the System is superior—you probably have a world map installed there!"

"I do?" the CEO raised a brow and then snapped his fingers. He recalled the incident just an hour earlier at the city itself. That incident had already been checked off and cleared from his mind, but now he recovered it. "It did allow me to toggle a map to locate you, and it's also capable of finding monsters around the city then? That is handy."

"Using the word monster is quite derogatory."

Li Yang wondered if the creature felt attacked by that term and shook his head. "The System's Achievement Page says otherwise, but it seems to be an umbrella term." the CEO made a move towards his door, and the creature followed along.

"Whatever," it said.

When it simply followed him along with little complaints, it was actually nice to have around. Li Yang reached for the doorknob. "Either way, we'll just see how things turn out—I've already hired the bodyguard so it would be a shame to have them sent back when they already came all the way from Chongming."

"Who knows? Maybe they just rode on some flying sword to get here."

"Perhaps?" the CEO nodded. "But based on conversation with the people I've already met, it seems that the Cultivators are facing a recession. Even the Spiritual Blossoming Tea we got was expensive and so it means that if the resources are expensive, then artifacts like a flying sword would be uncommon or extremely rare."

"And yet you're here with a System, life's pretty unfair, isn't it?"

"But to be fair, at least the others aren't forced to do things against their whims—but I digress. Let's go." Li Yang stepped out of his office, quickly noticing that Ying Yue He was still in front of her desk and working hard. The CEO checked his watch and realized it was still just 5pm.. his secretary tended to stick around for the same hours as he did. He cleared his throat, "Miss He."

She glanced back at him and blinked, "Ah, Mister Li.. you're leaving now?"

"Yes. Will you still be staying until 6pm?" It never crossed his mind before to wonder about her always pulling overtime like him. Instead, he had been appreciative that there was someone willing to put in extra hours and was productive during these times. "Has something urgent come up?"

Ying Yue He shook her head, "No, boss. It's just a little surprising.. I think we're all clear for the board meeting tomorrow morning, Mister Li. I've finished coordinating with the security for the visitors and the proper hosting for tomorrow." She began to shut down her own computer and smiled sheepishly, "I guess getting some extra rest for tomorrow, boss?"

Small talk.

But it wasn't that bad, at least it was still related to work and it had come from her. He managed a smile and shook his head, "I still have to go over the details with my brother later, he's come home."

"Ah, Sir Liang is back?" Ying Yue He blinked and smiled. She pushed back from her chair and fished out her sneakers from her backpack. The secretary took off her pumps and changed her footwear. "He hasn't dropped by at all with the office. Had he come back from his trip in Toulouse, he usually drops by the departments and brings souvenirs. I suppose he's still worn out after hurrying back here, hasn't he, Mister Li?"

The CEO was vaguely aware of that happening—despite his brother taking a backseat in managing the company, he still enjoyed dropping by and promoting goodwill and morale with most of the employees. It was a segregation of duties between the two of them in some way. He cleared his throat, "Miss He, I'd also like to retrieve the tea canister I gave you this morning. I'm bringing it home."

"Huh?" Ying Yue He stood up and then looked at him, her hands clutching the strap of her backpack. "Mister Li, wouldn't it be more convenient for you to have it here? I think it's a little troublesome on your part that you have to keep bringing it up—"

She would have normally gotten him what he wanted by down, but this time there was some reluctance. It seemed like she really had gotten a liking for the tea that he got, even while she was still unaware. "It's fine, Miss He. I do not mind."

Ying Yue He then nodded at last.

His secretary then moved past him and made her way to the door, "I'll get it from the kitchen then, sir."

"Woah, first time I saw her brush over you like you were nothing.."

"Boss?" Ying Yue He looked back at him.

"Yes, Miss He?"

She rubbed her eyes and squinted at him, "I thought you said something, but ah.. the tea, right the tea." Ying Yue He finally went towards the kitchen. "I'll be right back, Mister Li!"

"...didn't the System just call her Spiritual Senses as a degraded version?" the Panda rubbed its paw. "She was looking straight right at me, but was afraid to call it out."

Li Yang rolled his eyes, less focused on the realization of the creature than his secretary. "It's the same way that the System has called me a person with no spiritual roots. It's measurement seems to be on a grand scale that's not actually that helpful in actually determining one's strength here."

"Right, I forgot that the System's measurement is on a Universal Scale."

"..." The CEO was the one who rubbed his face this time and chose not to respond. This was once again another piece of information that he failed to get ahold of when the System first presented itself. "Is there anything else that I need to know?"

The Panda crossed its chubby arms across its chest, "What am I? I'm not your stinkin' assistant—"

A crash erupted from across the room.

Li Yang blinked and made a move towards the kitchen, "Miss He?"

He soon came across the sight of the tea canister's broken pieces and his pale-faced secretary. The Root Blossoming Tea's red powder was littered across the floor, and Ying Yue He met his eyes with her own frightened ones.

She trembled, "Mister Li, I can explain—"

"What the actual fuck," the Panda appeared and stepped on the tea dusted kitchen floor, "1000 Charm Points went down the drain for this tea. What are you going to do about it now, CEO?"

Li Yang took a deep breath and then looked at her, "What exactly happened here, Miss He?"

"I bet she was snorting the tea powder and then dropped the canister. Disgusting."