Chen Long shook his head, refusing Captain Black's offer. Even though he knew it was the best course of action, he couldn't. If the talismans fell into the hands of the Dark Hand, they would likely be spirited away by the elusive ninjas, and he couldn't risk that.
Seeing Chen Long's resolve, Black didn't press further. He patted his shoulder and said, "Alright, old friend, I respect your decision."
As Xiao Yu got into the car, she glanced back at Uncle Long, who was sitting alone on the bench, and whispered, "Don't worry, Uncle Long, I won't let you turn into stone anymore."
Meanwhile, back at the Dark Hand headquarters, Valmont immediately informed Shendu of the plan's success.
Bai Qi nodded. "Good, I understand."
Shendu's reaction surprised Valmont. He had expected Shendu to show some emotion upon the plan's success, but apart from a nod, Shendu displayed no discernible feeling.
Demons were demons, their thoughts inscrutable to ordinary minds.
Bai Qi was naturally pleased with the plan's success, but not because it would eliminate Chen Long or retrieve the talismans.
As the protagonist, Chen Long was guaranteed not to die, especially when righteousness held the absolute advantage. A series of unforeseen events would surely occur, leading to Chen Long's perfect resurrection. The talismans, too, would likely be reclaimed by Chen Long.
The reason Bai Qi had wasted time on this doomed plan was not for the talismans.
After Valmont left, Bai Qi immediately instructed the ninjas to notify Klain and Hak Foo, preparing for the next stage of the plan.
It's worth mentioning that Hak Foo, a man whose every utterance was a display of cultural mastery, was successfully brought into the Dark Hand fold by Bai Qi shortly after Valmont's recruitment.
Unlike others, Hak Foo's motivation for joining the Dark Hand wasn't solely financial. After Bai Qi subtly demonstrated his magic and enhanced Hak Foo with it, Hak Foo, driven by a thirst for power, immediately swore his allegiance to Bai Qi.
Soon, Hak Foo and Klain stood side-by-side before Bai Qi.
Looking at the two, Bai Qi asked, "How is the task I assigned you progressing?"
Klain stepped forward and said, "Hak Foo and I have, after this period of searching, identified subordinates who meet your requirements, Master. We seek your final confirmation."
Hak Foo placed seven photographs and their corresponding information on the table in order.
Before heading to the Lotus Temple, Bai Qi had tasked Klain and Hak Foo with finding individuals who met his standards to be taken on as subordinates.
After all, he had too few capable subordinates at the moment and desperately needed fresh talent.
Though Bai Qi was eager for talented individuals, he wasn't desperate enough to overlook his criteria.
Loyalty was paramount. Strength could be lacking, but absolute loyalty to him was essential, as no one wanted to be stabbed in the back.
Bai Qi gazed at the seven photographs before him, lost in thought.
The first photograph depicted a stern-looking bald man with a scorpion tattooed on his gleaming head.
Klain introduced him to Bai Qi. "This man's name is Bruce. He was once a gang leader in Hell's Kitchen and is also a mutant who can partially metalize his body. He's known for his righteousness in Hell's Kitchen. He's taken the fall for his crew before and served time in prison."
Bai Qi inquired, "Excellent. How do you plan to win him over?"
Bruce, the bald man, was indeed a promising candidate. However, he was already a gang leader, so why would he become Bai Qi's subordinate?
Klain explained, "A few days ago, Bruce's gang was attacked by another faction. His men suffered heavy casualties, and the opposing gang also had mutants. Bruce was no match for them and fled, severely injured. We've located his hiding spot, and we can use the promise of revenge as leverage to recruit him."
Bai Qi nodded. Klain's method was sound. Exploiting the man's loyalty and using revenge as a bargaining chip to recruit him as a subordinate would greatly win Bruce's heart.
Bai Qi then examined the second individual, a blonde Caucasian girl named Caitlyn. Judging by her age, she appeared to be in her rebellious teens, around eighteen or nineteen. However, her situation in the photo was dire. There were visible bruises around her right eye and marks on her face from being struck.
According to the information, this girl, Caitlyn, possessed the ability to control ice. Furthermore, her parents had subjected her to long-term domestic abuse, and her schoolmates had ostracized and subjected her to emotional coldness, making her personality somewhat reclusive and eccentric.
However, these weren't the main points. The crucial detail was that this rebellious teenager had fallen for Klain, which was quite perplexing. This information came from Sudan Novels Online.
Bai Qi's understanding was as follows:
Klain had seen Caitlyn being extorted by several thugs on the street. For reasons unknown, his sense of justice suddenly surged, and he intervened, driving off all the thugs with a few swift blows. Afterward, he had a long conversation with Caitlyn in the park. When he heard about her parents' frequent abuse, Klain even took Caitlyn to her home and beat up her parents, threatening to kill them if they dared to hit Caitlyn again. He was outrageously arrogant.
Hearing this cliché story, Bai Qi was speechless. He casually asked Klain if he had fallen for Caitlyn.
"No, absolutely not. I did all this only to complete the Master's mission."
Bai Qi looked at Klain, whose face was as red as a monkey's backside, and rubbed his temples with a sigh. "Damn it, can you at least compose yourself before speaking? Who would believe you like this?"
However, surprisingly, someone did believe him, and that was Hak Foo.
Whatever Klain said, Hak Foo believed him, leaving Bai Qi bewildered.
"Fine, fine, it doesn't matter. As long as you can control the situation."
The remaining individuals were quite ordinary, either seasoned underground boxers or unknown mutants. Their strength hovered between second-rate and third-rate at best.
"Apart from Bruce and Caitlyn, the rest are yours to manage, Klain. I won't be involved."
After arranging these matters, Bai Qi asked, "Do you two know about Valmont's plan?"
Hak Foo nodded and said, "Yes. He plans to threaten Chen Long to obtain the other talismans stored in Section 13."
Bai Qi then asked, "And do you think he will succeed?"
Hak Foo pondered for a moment and replied, "He should succeed, shouldn't he? After all, the Master gave him the magic poison."
Bai Qi shook his head. "No, Valmont will definitely fail. Regardless of the process, Chen Long will not turn to stone in the end."
"How is that possible? Could it be that old man developed an antidote for the poison?"
Bai Qi said, "That's destiny."
Klain asked, confused, "Since the Master already knows the plan is bound to fail, why give the poison to Valmont?"
Bai Qi explained, "My goal from the beginning was never to seize the remaining talismans. You two, when Chen Long and the others are transporting the talismans to Kaiyta, go to the antique shop and retrieve a book called 'The Complete Book of Magic' for me."