Two hours later, the mission could be considered reluctantly completed—it could go on depending on one's mood.
Old Liao licked his lips, still craving more. His subordinates felt the same; since they wanted to show off in front of Hou Niao to avoid causing trouble, they took twenty to thirty percent less than usual from each Tianxiang house. Hou Niao's mood improved, of course, but it also meant their tangible benefits were reduced by the same percentage. It wasn't easy to come out like this, and returning with so little left them resentful.
They were experienced in dealing with such situations, though. If they took less from each place, they could make it up by demanding from a few more; the Government Office had set rules about the proportion of such random checks, which could never be completely accurate. Still, covering one or two extra places was not a problem.
