Chapter 3: Venerable Yanluo
"Zhu Yanyi." Yanluo spoke. His voice was clear and resonant, but Zhu Yanyi's only immediate impression was that this Venerable Yanluo was intensely cold. Even with his clear tone, the sheer aura he projected made it absolutely impossible to describe him as approachable.
"Venerable One." Zhu Yanyi looked at Yanluo with curiosity.
Yanluo didn't beat around the bush. "Zhu Yanyi, born in 1976 in Ganke Village, Sicheng Town, Yaojiang City, Huaxia Nation. Before turning forty, you could be described as unremarkable. But after forty, your novels gained popularity, and fortune began to smile upon you. You took the money you earned and used it for good deeds: building seven bridges, paving nine roads, sponsoring numerous impoverished students, and later constructing several schools in poor mountain villages. Essentially, two-thirds of your earnings went toward charitable causes. Thus, you accumulated considerable merit. Furthermore, because your novels were widely recognized and gained a dedicated following, they generated faith. It is the combination of this merit and the power of faith that allowed you to stand before me after death."
For the first time, a hint of confusion flashed in Zhu Yanyi's eyes. "Isn't it standard procedure for the deceased to undergo judgment by Yanluo, drink Meng Po Soup, and then reincarnate?"
Yanluo's eyes showed not a single ripple. He simply looked at Zhu Yanyi calmly. "The Underworld consists of eighteen layers. If I had to handle every single matter myself, I would be stretched too thin. Moreover, there are hundreds of thousands of staff in the Underworld. If I personally attended to everything, what would be the point of having so many employees?"
Zhu Yanyi paused, taken aback. Unfamiliar with management principles, she had always overlooked their significance. Hearing Yanluo's words made her realize just how little she truly understood about it. "I apologize; I'm not well-versed in management. But hearing you explain it, I can see that management is indeed a profound discipline. Unfortunately, I'll never have the chance to learn it."
Yanluo remained silent. He simply raised his hand and waved toward the empty air. Instantly, a hazy image materialized before them, resembling an LCD screen broadcasting television. However, this projection was far more advanced—it required no electricity and relied on no external signals.
"The Underworld comprises eighteen layers in total. Each layer has a chief administrator, equivalent to a branch general manager in your mortal realm. With eighteen layers, there are eighteen chief administrators. Every six layers are overseen by a team leader, comparable to a regional CEO in the mortal world. Thus, among the eighteen administrators, three serve as team leaders. Each of these three manages a sector of six work zones, including their own. As for me, I only need to handle macro-level oversight." Yanluo's tone was calm, but beneath it lay an unmistakable pride. This was the method of a true sovereign; he did not need to micromanage every detail. He only needed to properly oversee his key personnel. As the saying goes, fools manage tasks, while the wise manage people. This one was undoubtedly among the wisest of the wise.
Zhu Yanyi listened and let it go. This was internal Underworld business, and since she wasn't an employee there, knowing the details wouldn't help her anyway. What truly piqued her curiosity was where she would be headed next. "If that's the case, why am I being assigned here for review? Shouldn't I also be going through the eighteen layers to undergo evaluation?" From childhood to adulthood, Zhu Yanyi had never committed any illegal acts. She remembered that during her rebellious teenage years, the most extreme thing she'd done was run away from home for a few days due to overwhelming academic pressure—that was practically her biggest transgression. At all other times, she strictly waited for the green light before crossing pedestrian crossings, never exceeded speed limits while driving, and even on highways, she kept her speed under eighty miles per hour. Whenever she needed to process any official documents, she would patiently queue up step by step. One could say her life was highly structured, but to others, it came across as rather uneventful.