Upon hearing the news, the association members outside the door rushed in. Seeing the president had passed away, they all showed shock and sadness, whispering among themselves.
Liu Jianye, Liu Yiyi's uncle and the eldest son of the grandfather, walked to the center of the room. His brow was furrowed, and his face was full of deep wrinkles. About fifty years old, he had high prestige within the association, but now his face clearly showed dissatisfaction and doubt.
Liu Jianye cleared his throat and raised his hand to signal for silence. The crowd gradually stopped murmuring and all eyes turned to him.
"Everyone," Liu Jianye began, his voice deep and serious, "My father has just passed away. According to his last wish, Jiang Ming will be the next president of the association."
This statement caused another uproar in the room. The association members looked at each other, clearly finding this sudden decision hard to believe.
"How can it be him?" someone whispered.
"He's probably coming to the association for the first time, not knowing even the basics," another person echoed.
Liu Jianye's brow remained furrowed, his gaze sweeping coldly over everyone. His dissatisfaction was evident, but he maintained his calm and authoritative demeanor.
"I know everyone is shocked by this decision," Liu Jianye continued, "But this is my father's last wish. We must respect his decision."
He turned to look at Jiang Ming, his eyes filled with complex emotions. Although he was extremely unhappy with this young man taking over as president, he had to maintain the family's authority and unity in such a setting.
"Jiang Ming," Liu Jianye said, his voice carrying a barely perceptible coldness, "From today, you are the president of the association. I hope you do not let my father's expectations down and lead the association to a better future."
Jiang Ming felt Liu Jianye's gaze, still filled with doubt and unease, but he knew there was no turning back now. He took a deep breath, nodded, and tried to make his voice steady and firm.
"I will do my best in this position and not disappoint Grandpa's expectations," Jiang Ming said, his eyes shining with determination.
Liu Jianye nodded, though still dissatisfied, he knew this decision could not be changed. The association members, though shocked and doubtful, could only silently accept this fact in this sorrowful moment.
Under the starry sky of Longyin Mountain, Jiang Ming stood in front of everyone, filled with a sense of responsibility and mission.
However, at this moment, Liu Jianye's son, Liu Wei, suddenly stepped forward. Liu Wei, who had just graduated from college, had a buzz cut and looked smart and capable. His sharp eyes scanned the room, his tone filled with dissatisfaction and doubt.
"Listen to me, everyone," Liu Wei said loudly, "Jiang Ming is just an outsider, here for the first time, not knowing anything about us. How can he become the president? How can we entrust the future of our association to someone with no experience?"
"The demons are gradually reviving. How can a young, inexperienced person lead us to defeat such powerful demons?"
Liu Wei's words resonated with many people, causing low murmurs and some openly expressing dissatisfaction. Liu Jianye stood aside, outwardly calm but inwardly pleased.
Liu Jianye had been unhappy with Jiang Ming becoming president, and now his son had voiced his thoughts, giving him a glimmer of hope to reverse the situation.
However, Liu Yiyi immediately stepped forward to defend Jiang Ming. She stood next to Jiang Ming, her gaze firm, her voice filled with undeniable strength.
"Everyone, calm down!" Liu Yiyi said, "This is Grandpa's last wish. He believed in Jiang Ming's abilities. Although Jiang Ming is an outsider, he has special abilities that the association needs. Shouldn't we respect Grandpa's final decision made with his last breath?"
Liu Yiyi's words made everyone ponder, and the room fell into silence. At this moment, Liu Yiyi's father, Liu Hao, also stepped forward. He was Liu Jianye's younger brother and had always had higher prestige in the association than his brother.
"I support Yiyi," Liu Hao said, his tone filled with determination and confidence. "Father's decision was well-considered. I believe Jiang Ming is capable of being president. We should unite, respect Father's wish, and support Jiang Ming."
Liu Hao's words swayed many, and gradually, more and more people stood by Jiang Ming, expressing their willingness to support him.
"Since this is the president's last wish, we should respect it," said an elder member of the association.
"I believe in Jiang Ming. If the president chose him, he must have extraordinary qualities," echoed another.
Seeing this, Liu Jianye, though still dissatisfied, knew he could not change the situation. He could only silently accept this fact.
After dealing with Grandpa's affairs, Liu Yiyi took Jiang Ming back to his residence on the eagle.
"Follow Longyin Mountain's public account on Hongxin and sign up for the summer job tomorrow!" Liu Yiyi said.
"Got it, I'm not that dumb, you don't have to say it so many times!" Jiang Ming waved to Liu Yiyi.
With a loud eagle cry, Liu Yiyi disappeared into the night sky.
Back in his room, Jiang Ming searched for Longyin Mountain on Hongxin. A public account named "Longyin Mountain Tourism" popped up, with a simple introduction: "Welcome to follow Longyin Mountain Tourism public account, explore the mysterious and magnificent journey of Longyin Mountain. We are dedicated to providing you with comprehensive travel information and detailed scenic spot introductions, making it easy for you to plan and enjoy an unforgettable trip."
Through the relevant entry, Jiang Ming found the announcement for summer job recruitment and sent his application via email. After signing up, he glanced at the Hongxin group messages, with "99+" written in the top right corner of the group icon.
Scrolling to the top, he saw:
Teacher Wang: "Finally liberated today, how did everyone do in the exam?"Ge Qingming: "Haha, liberated! I think I did okay, hope to get a good grade."Zhang Xiaoxiao: "Sigh, I think that math problem was tricky, worried it might drag down my score."Wang Han: "Don't worry, it wasn't easy for anyone, there will be pleasant surprises."Li Li: "Yes, we all did our best, the experience is the most valuable thing."Zhang Xiaoxiao: "Indeed, we've been through this together, it feels like a journey of growth."Teacher Liu: "Now we wait for the results, hope our class does well overall."Teacher Wang: "Everyone worked hard, no matter the results, we are the best!"
The rest of the conversation was about where to hang out and how to spend the summer.
Closing the phone screen, Jiang Ming couldn't sleep all night, thinking about everything that had happened. The sudden responsibility of becoming the president of the association made him feel both excited and uneasy, a mix of emotions that kept him restless.
Early the next morning, Jiang Ming received the offer from Longyin Mountain. He happily told his parents, who, although worried, understood his decision. After confirming multiple times that Longyin Mountain was a legitimate place, his parents expressed their full support.
Thus, Jiang Ming smoothly moved into the Exorcist Association's headquarters, starting a new chapter of his life.