Chapter 482: Chapter 238: Expanding Territory, Sub-Sect Leader

The applause was thunderous, especially from his younger colleagues, their gazes filled with admiration.

The system also rewarded him with two thousand contribution points.

Yang Qi saved them up, in no hurry for a lottery draw.

The day after the conference, Yang Qi finished his routine work for the morning and walked toward the administration building.

He was going to the Director’s office to see Huang Zhongmu.

It was time to bring things to a close.

Preparations for Xianlai had entered the final stretch.

As its director, it was impossible for Yang Qi to continue balancing his work at Donghua long-term.

Moreover, Yang Qi’s energy and focus would inevitably shift more and more toward Xianlai.

Continuing to hold his post at Donghua and draw a salary here while working for Xianlai was unjustifiable, both professionally and personally.

Unexpectedly, however...

Yang Qi knocked on the door to the Director’s office, walked in, and before he could even speak—

"You’re here."

Huang Zhongmu, who was sitting behind his desk reading a document, looked up at the sound. Seeing it was Yang Qi, his face showed no surprise at all; instead, it was as if he’d been waiting.

He greeted him casually, set down the document in his hand, and picked up another one from the side—one that was clearly prepared in advance—and handed it over.

"Here. Just sign it."

Stunned, Yang Qi took the document.

He glanced down. Printed in bold at the top of the page was a line of text.

Donghua City Public Institution Professional and Technical Personnel Application for Entrepreneurial Leave

The application was already completely filled out: applicant name, reason for application, duration of leave, explanation of benefits, and so on were all there. Only the "Applicant Signature" and "Date" fields at the very bottom were blank.

Clearly, Huang Zhongmu had prepared it long in advance, just waiting for Yang Qi to come and sign his name.

"Director, I..."

Yang Qi clutched the application form and looked up at Huang Zhongmu, astonishment flooding his face. He opened his mouth to say something, but was at a loss for words.

Although he had been mentally prepared for a confrontation, now that the moment had arrived, Yang Qi’s heart was flooded with a complex mix of emotions—especially seeing Huang Zhongmu so composed, so considerate as to have prepared all the paperwork in advance.

Over the past six months, Huang Zhongmu, Jiang Kai, and the other Zoo leaders had been nothing but good to him. They had trusted, supported, and mentored him, giving him a great deal of freedom.

Now that he was leaving, he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.

Seeing Yang Qi’s rare, flustered expression, Huang Zhongmu actually laughed. He leaned back in his chair and asked leisurely,

"Curious how I knew?"

Yang Qi nodded silently.

’He’d always thought he’d done a decent job of hiding his connection to Xianlai.’

’Over on Pang Yunrui’s side, all the core team members had signed strict confidentiality agreements.’

’By all rights, Huang Zhongmu should only know that he and Pang Yunrui were friends. He might have guessed that Xianlai would try to poach him, but he shouldn’t have been so certain—certain enough to prepare the application in advance.’

"At first, I honestly didn’t suspect a thing."

Huang Zhongmu smiled and explained slowly, "Back when the Xianlai project was just starting, it was making huge waves. I even had dinner with Pang Yunrui to discuss a potential partnership."

"At the time, he only said you were the man who saved his life, a good friend. He couldn’t praise you enough. But he didn’t breathe a word about anything else."

"Back then, I just assumed that, at most, he wanted to poach you to be a technical director or a deputy director in charge of the animals."

"After all, your skills are plain to see, and you saved his life. It would only make sense for him to offer you a high-paying, senior position."

He paused, taking a sip from his teacup before continuing. "But later, as Xianlai’s project grew larger and larger, Pang Yunrui never came to me to discuss poaching you. That’s when I started to find it strange."

"With Pang Yunrui’s style and the high regard he has for you, if he really wanted to poach someone, he would definitely show up in person and make Donghua an offer it couldn’t refuse."

"But he remained quiet. It didn’t make sense."

"Unless he didn’t need to poach you at all, because you were already one of Xianlai’s people—perhaps even a core member!"

Huang Zhongmu looked at Yang Qi, his eyes filled with the knowing wisdom of someone who has seen it all.

"Still, back then, I was only a little suspicious. I thought you might be deeply involved in Xianlai’s planning, or maybe you held some shares."

"Until the annual conference in Liangcheng."

Huang Zhongmu set down his teacup, his gaze deepening. "At the conference, I saw with my own eyes how warmly people like Lu Gangsheng and Yu Xiulian—big names in the East China zoo community—treated you, how highly they regarded you."

"That wasn’t how they’d treat a promising young keeper or technician. It was how they’d treat an equal—a fellow expert who, in some respects, they felt they could learn from."

"That’s when I truly realized I’d been short-sighted."

"Pang Yunrui didn’t recruit you to be a general; he needed you to be the commander."

"In other words, the Director of the Xianlai Zoo!"

Yang Qi was silent.

’He never imagined Huang Zhongmu’s observations would be so meticulous, his deductions so precise.’

’The older, the wiser, indeed.’

Seeing Yang Qi’s silence, Huang Zhongmu sighed softly. His tone became even more candid, tinged with a hint of subtle regret.

"Xiao Yang, you’ve grown so quickly."

"So quickly that even a director like me can barely keep up. The Donghua Zoo is a public entity. It has its advantages—it’s stable and secure."

"But it also has its limitations: tons of red tape, a system based on seniority, and slow promotions."

"With your abilities, you should have been made an assistant director long ago, helping me manage all the animal and technical affairs for the entire zoo."

"But that’s not a decision I can make on my own. It requires approval from higher-ups."

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