When Ye Zhongming returned to Cloudtop Manor, the entire mountain felt like it was celebrating a festival.
This was how it always was whenever Ye Zhongming came back.
And this time, his return was particularly grand. After all, five hundred battle beasts, most adults, walking together—some flying in the sky, others running on the ground—was a spectacular sight.
Before Ye Zhongming could even settle in, the captains of the main combat squads who hadn’t gone out arrived. Little Tiger, Guang Yao, Tong Hu, and others were all present.
“Boss, dear boss,” Little Tiger began. If anyone in Cloud Peak had thick skin, it was undoubtedly Little Tiger. “These battle beasts are quite impressive. I heard they’re specialties of Thousand Beast Villa, and they have specialized control devices, right?”
Looking at Xiao Hu’s expression, Ye Zhongming couldn’t help but want to laugh. His gaze swept over the cloth covering Xiao Hu’s eyes, and a faint sadness flickered in his heart.
“Yeah,” Ye Zhongming responded with a light hum. He didn’t need to think hard to know what Little Tiger was after.
Guang Yao, Tong Hu, Mo Ye, and the others stood nearby, barely holding back their laughter as they watched Little Tiger put on his act.
“Can I have some?” Little Tiger asked with a flattering smile, then put on a facade of fairness. “Boss, look, Guang Yao has his Chain-slicer Tank, Sister Mo Ye has the Holy Army Coat, Sister Chuyin has a battle skirt set, Young Master Yun has that level-six battle beast you found for him, Brother Shengyuan only needs his shield, and Ah Yang has his many brothers…”
“What about Tong Hu? Why didn’t you mention him?” Ye Zhongming asked, suppressing a laugh.
Tong Hu was well-equipped, his team was strong, and most importantly, he was fearless in battle, making his team the first choice for charging into the fray among Cloud Peak’s many combat units. But these couldn’t be used as bargaining chips.
Little Tiger was momentarily stumped. After a long pause, he finally said, “Tong Hu has Little Li.”
Everyone burst into laughter, with Tong Hu laughing the loudest. Little Li, who was standing nearby, came over and kicked Little Tiger. Then, she went back to pinch Tong Hu’s ear, scolding him for being heartless and laughing with everyone else.
This only made everyone laugh even harder.
“These battle beasts aren’t for you,” Ye Zhongming said, pushing Little Tiger aside as he dramatically opened his mouth in mock disbelief.
Looking at the team captains in the room, Ye Zhongming hadn’t even spoken when Mo Ye took the lead.
“Zhongming, we don’t need these battle beasts. We’ve already taken a lot of battle beast eggs and young beasts from the warehouse. It’s better to raise them slowly so we can get used to them.”
Mo Ye was a veteran. Her personality was resolute, and while she appeared cold and reserved, she was actually very warm-hearted and always willing to help others.
When considering issues, she always approached them from the perspective of Cloud Peak. She never fought over resources, believing that what was meant to be given would come naturally and that forcibly demanding things would only harm unity and leave a bad impression on Ye Zhongming.
Her team had inherited Mo Ye’s personality. Among the main combat teams, they were the most balanced and stable, almost like a guardian team.
At the same time, her team was versatile and capable of both offense and defense, making them the ideal backbone of any operation.
Ye Zhongming’s evaluation of Mo Ye’s team was that they could attack fiercely and defend well.
This showed that the personality of a team’s leader directly reflected on the team’s overall temperament.
Guang Yao and the others also said they didn’t need the battle beasts. While these battle beasts were of decent levels, their team members were all at least four-star evolved. Adding these battle beasts would require adjustment, and in the short term, their combat strength might not increase—it could even decrease.
Ye Zhongming didn’t insist. Cloud Peak’s battle beasts were well-fed and well-cared for, with great growth potential. That was understandable if the captains wanted to raise their own, like the female guards.
“In that case, I’ve already marked some of these battle beasts for Sister Hong’s lab. Whoever wants them can take the rest. If there are any left…”
Ye Zhongming paused, and the room immediately fell silent.
They all knew this was their boss’s signature pause before deciding.
“The number of battle beast cubs, eggs, and other young creatures in our warehouse is growing. I’ve decided to establish a dedicated department to take care of, tame, and train these battle beasts for future use.”
The battle beasts had been on everyone’s minds, including Ye Zhongming’s, but only after returning from Thousand Beast Villa did Ye Zhongming decide to address it properly. The young mutated lifeforms from the secret realms, dungeons, wilderness, and unhatched eggs were being wasted if left untouched. It would be better to gradually figure out how to hatch and tame them, as they might prove unexpectedly useful in the future.
“I plan to invite people from Saint Light Hall and Posthumous People, as they are the most familiar with the secret realm’s demon monsters. Also, among the people who accompanied Yuan Yuan here, are evolved skilled in taming war beasts. They will contribute as well. As for the leader of this battle beast camp…”
“Yuan Yuan will take charge.”
Ye Zhongming’s gaze fell on the young girl quietly standing in the corner.
Everyone suddenly understood why the boss had brought this little girl, who was said to be Li Daqian’s granddaughter, into the room. It was to have her lead the newly established battle beast camp.
But she was an outsider. Was this a good idea?
Those quick-minded people realized Ye Zhongming’s intention.
The battle beast camp was just being established, and everything was in its infancy. It needed experienced people to help. The Posthumous People and Saint Light Hall would naturally assist if Ye Zhongming asked, but Cloud Peak had no one with such expertise on Earth.
With its mature methods, Thousand Beast Villa was undoubtedly the best representative in the region. By making Yuan Yuan the leader of the battle beast camp, those who came with her would surely give their all. When the news reached Li Daqian, he would also sense Cloud Peak’s goodwill.
As for secrets, there were none to worry about. Thousand Beast Villa was far more authoritative in this area than Cloud Peak.
Most importantly, Yuan Yuan was not a permanent member of Cloud Peak. She would eventually return to Thousand Beast Villa, and the position would naturally become vacant, allowing someone from Cloud Peak to step in. By then, they would have learned the techniques and gained the experience.
Standing to the side, Xia Lei secretly gave Ye Zhongming a thumbs-up.
Yuan Yuan clearly hadn’t expected Ye Zhongming to give her this position. She looked uneasy, as her actual age was under four. Even though children matured faster in the apocalypse, she was still only equivalent to a ten-year-old from the peaceful era.
Ye Zhongming smiled reassuringly and assigned Miya to care for her daily life.
“As for you…” Ye Zhongming’s gaze shifted to Little Tiger.
“No battle beasts for you, but this is for you.”
With that, he placed a small box on the table.