Back at the Dark Hand headquarters, in Valmont's office, two Shadowkhan ninjas were already waiting, kneeling on the ground with their hands raised, holding the Pig and Dog Talismans.
"Well done."
Walking up to the ninjas, Valmont took the two talismans and played with them for a moment before handing them back, instructing them to place them in the slots on the Shendu statue.
Seeing the two additional talismans on the statue, Valmont felt a pang of heartache. That was all hard-earned money.
"Shendu, you actually found talismans behind my back?"
Bai Qi sat back casually in the boss's chair and said, "Don't get so worked up, Valmont. You are looking for talismans, and so am I. Since I have a hundred percent certainty of obtaining two talismans, why should I rely on a fifty percent chance lottery? However, rest assured, even if the Shadowkhan ninjas find the talismans, you will still benefit."
With a wave of his hand, two ninjas emerged from the shadows, each holding a brocade box.
The ninjas approached Valmont and opened the boxes, revealing gemstones of considerable value.
"Shendu, you are too kind."
Upon seeing the gemstones, Valmont's attitude shifted one hundred and eighty degrees. He quickly snatched the two gems from the ninjas, kept them close, and planned to have his subordinates convert them to cash later.
"Valmont, how is the matter I assigned you progressing?"
Valmont was taken aback for a moment, then responded, "Yes, Shendu. As per your instructions, I have acquired an underground steel mill and replaced all the machinery with top-of-the-line equipment. But what do you need this steel mill for?"
"Do your part, and don't ask unnecessary questions."
Bai Qi, showing no leniency towards Valmont, cut him off with a single sentence, leaving Valmont speechless. After providing the address of the steel mill, he left the office in a hurry.
For the next two days, Bai Qi diligently played the role of a schoolboy, attending classes on time, chatting with Xiao Yu about trivial matters after school, and completing easy homework in Valmont's office.
On Friday after school, Xiao Yu approached Bai Qi.
"Bai Qi, the Imperial Aquarium is getting a super rare giant tortoise named Axel tomorrow. Want to go see it together?"
Bai Qi knew exactly what Xiao Yu was up to. Under the guise of seeing a tortoise, her real target was the Rabbit Talisman on its back, and she was using him as a cover to deal with Uncle.
However, this suited Bai Qi perfectly. The Dark Hand gang would also be targeting the tortoise tomorrow, and his presence would allow him to observe how his subordinates were working and get a closer look at Tohru, to see just how ridiculously overpowered this favored one of righteousness truly was.
Seeing Bai Qi agree, Xiao Yu happily bid him farewell and skipped home. Bai Qi, on the other hand, got into Valmont's car.
"Let's go to the steel mill."
As soon as he got into the car, the cheerful, sunny demeanor of a schoolboy vanished from Bai Qi, replaced by the regal authority and cold indifference of a monarch.
"Yes."
Faced with such a Bai Qi, Valmont dared not question him. Despite a thousand doubts in his heart, he couldn't voice them under Bai Qi's imposing aura and simply drove towards the steel mill.
Valmont couldn't understand why Shendu wanted him to acquire a steel mill without explaining its purpose, and he was very curious. A steel mill occupied a considerable area, and leaving it idle would incur significant daily expenses.
Upon entering the steel mill, the scene before Valmont's eyes made him understand why Shendu hadn't wanted him to hire any employees. Shadowkhan ninjas were skillfully operating the intricate machinery, requiring no external assistance.
When they reached the processing plant, Valmont was so stunned that he was speechless.
The large vats, originally used for smelting steel, contained not molten metal but a golden liquid that shimmered so brightly under the lights it was blinding.
"My goodness," Valmont exclaimed.
This vat was filled with nothing less than molten gold.
How much gold had been melted to fill such a vat?
Valmont increasingly felt that Shendu was truly wealthy, melting such vast amounts of gold without batting an eye. The rewards he usually received were likely just a drop in the ocean, further fueling Valmont's curiosity about the Golden Rooster King's treasure.
"Shendu, what exactly are you doing with all this melted gold?"
Bai Qi turned his head, seeing the fawning Valmont.
"You will understand soon enough."
Bai Qi walked to the end of the factory floor and asked a nearby Shadowkhan ninja, "Is what I requested ready?"
The Shadowkhan ninja nodded, quickly retreated, and reappeared holding what Bai Qi had asked for. He knelt on one knee and presented it to Bai Qi with both hands.
The item in the ninja's hand was a pure gold dragon-headed staff.
The staff was of the highest quality. The dragon head at the top was lifelike, its eyes inlaid with two rubies, and a gem held in its mouth. Below the dragon head were lines of magical inscriptions.
Taking the staff and weighing it in his hand, Bai Qi found it substantial. While it was slightly heavy for a schoolboy, it didn't matter. Overall, Bai Qi was very pleased with the staff.
Valmont, standing by, said flatteringly, "Shendu, your taste is excellent. This staff would fetch a high price at an auction."
Bai Qi was speechless at this money-obsessed fool. He gave Valmont a sidelong glance and said, "Do you think I'm doing this solely for money?"
Bai Qi had gone to great lengths to craft this dragon-headed staff not to flaunt his wealth.
At this time, Bai Qi's true body was still in a stone state, and this current body was very frail. Therefore, to enhance the strength of this body, Bai Qi had specially crafted a dragon-headed staff. The magical inscriptions on the staff were designed for both offense and defense, providing excellent protection and allowing him to handle any potential dangers. Furthermore, Bai Qi had created a set of magical battle armor tailor-made for this body, with the gold in the vat serving as the raw material for the armor.
Returning to the Dark Hand headquarters and entering the office, Bai Qi saw Afen standing by the door. Upon seeing Bai Qi, Afen instinctively assumed he was Valmont's child.
"Boss, is this child adopted or..."
Afen had intended to say "illegitimate son," but then reconsidered, fearing his boss's anger, and didn't finish.
Afen's words greatly startled Valmont. A child? Despite the child's innocent appearance, he was a full-fledged demon within. Valmont immediately berated Afen.
Valmont's reprimand of Afen seemed harsh, but in reality, it was a form of protection, as he feared Shendu might incinerate Afen if displeased.
Afen's intelligence was only drastically reduced when facing Tohru; otherwise, he was quite perceptive.
Seeing Bai Qi walk ahead of Valmont and casually take Valmont's seat, Afen immediately guessed he was no ordinary person.
Valmont stood beside Bai Qi. Seeing that Bai Qi showed no signs of anger, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Afen, what is it you need?"