Chapter 1682 - 1624: Shocking the Tiger by Striking the Mountain

Chapter 1682 -1624: Shocking the Tiger by Striking the Mountain

In the afternoon, Song Xiaodong arrived at the Dragon Gate’s base with three talented women.

After settling them in, Song Xiaodong held a meeting with several elders and protectors, mainly to discuss the news brought by Zhao Ruonan.

This was an internal matter for the Dragon Gate, and even as a national representative, Zhao Ruonan couldn’t participate.

After repeating Zhao Ruonan’s words, Song Xiaodong said: “I didn’t agree immediately. I’ve always believed that our Dragon Gate has its independence. I’m not sure if my understanding is off.”

Lin Feng, who rushed over this time, first nodded and said: “That’s right. Although I’m part of the national military, from my perspective within Dragon Gate, we must maintain our independence. This way, our actions have more autonomy and won’t cause diplomatic incidents even if we assist our country.”

Su Lie then added: “Exactly, Dragon Gate has always been this way. That’s why our base is overseas and not part of any country. This is what makes us unique. If we accept national support, we’d become part of the nation, which would be too restricting.”

Seeing that everyone had no objections, Song Xiaodong smiled slightly and said: “Seems like I didn’t do anything wrong. However, we are still here, and most of us are Chinese citizens. If the country needs anything, I hope to contribute, possibly because I grew up in the military and have a deep affection for the country.”

Song Xiaodong didn’t hide his true thoughts at all.

Lin Feng, having been in the military for over twenty years and now a high-ranking general, was not in a position to say much.

“This is not really a major issue. We’ve mostly developed in China over the years and have deep feelings for the country. Offering some help to the nation shouldn’t expect any return.”

“True, if we weren’t here but in another country, we’d lack such safety, and Dragon Gate wouldn’t be able to develop. This alone is the greatest help the country has given us.”

Song Xiaodong clapped his hands and said: “This statement hits the mark. It’s indeed the greatest help for us. The most important thing is the environment for Dragon Gate to recover, more essential than any manpower or material support.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. No matter how strong Dragon Gate is, it’s still just an organization, and while it can overlook some small countries, it cannot be compared to China, a major nation.

Generally, everyone’s thoughts aligned, and they began reporting recent Dragon Gate developments and situations with the Dark Night Sect.

“Regarding news from Princess Qingluan, she’s now back at the Dark Night Sect headquarters, constantly accompanied by three elders, making it impossible to make a move.”

Song Xiaodong said: “Although this isn’t good news, it isn’t entirely bad either. It shows the Dark Night Sect values Qingluan and ensures her personal safety is absolutely sound. Bringing her back is crucial, but her safety is paramount beforehand.”

Everyone understood this well. Qingluan has become the vital link for Dragon Gate’s revival. Bringing Qingluan back means returning to the original Dragon Gate base, reclaiming its core assets, and utilizing Dragon Gate’s resources.

After everything had been said, Song Xiaodong remarked: “By the way, I plan to visit Dragon Gate’s main locations in China recently.”

Everyone was momentarily surprised, then readily agreed. Despite being acknowledged as the Young Sect Master, Song Xiaodong’s understanding of Dragon Gate’s current power is mostly based on reports from elders and lacks a clear sense of the real situation.

Like a business CEO, his company can’t only rely on subordinate reports; he must visit crucial departments to truly understand the company’s state and make the best decisions.

The same goes for Dragon Gate. Song Xiaodong needs a genuine understanding of Dragon Gate’s main forces in order to grasp the organization fully and issue commands that fit Dragon Gate.

If a department within Dragon Gate has only a few people with insufficient abilities, and tasks exceed their real capabilities without grasping their situation well, not only will they fail to complete them, it could cause great losses.

Moreover, these elders and protectors have been developing individually over the past twenty years and act like local lords under Dragon Gate, with too strong an autonomy. Song Xiaodong must reduce this autonomous influence and raise Dragon Gate’s overall prestige again.

“Good, the Young Sect Master should indeed inspect the situation within the sect.” Lin Feng promptly agreed, as a general, he’s used to visiting grassroots units frequently.