At the airport, Xu Que hummed a cheerful tune as he boarded the plane bound for the Northeast.
As for Zhao Kunpeng, though gravely wounded, he had not perished. The excruciating pain he endured for two hours had rendered him utterly powerless, a complete cripple. Upon being discovered by the villa's patrol guards, he barely clung to life, losing half of it in the process. Even if healed, he would forever remain a blind, deaf, and mute shell of a man.
Upon learning of Zhao Kunpeng's condition, the Dahe Hunter Company launched an investigation. However, the results were baffling. No useful clues were uncovered; even the surveillance footage failed to reveal how the mysterious assailant had gained entry to the villa.
What shocked the chairman of Dahe even more was that, after witnessing Zhao Kunpeng's injuries, Chen Jingyu unexpectedly offered his resignation. No matter how much they offered to retain him, he refused, as if he had encountered a plague, leaving without uttering a word, fleeing the city in haste.
As for Xu Que, he had long ceased caring about Zhao Kunpeng's fate. To him, such a cripple posed no threat, and he was content to let the man rot in darkness for the rest of his days.
At four in the afternoon, Xu Que arrived at the Honor branch office according to Chai Xiaohau's address. The office building, unassuming in appearance, caused Xu Que to momentarily admire Liang Jinyu's choice.
Though the current Bombsky Hunter Company attracted much attention, Honor was not far behind. After all, it was ranked fifth among the Hunter Companies in Z Nation.
As for the second, third, and fourth ranks, they were held by the Tianqi of Lingchuan, Yunguang of Shangjing, and Shenyin of Modu, respectively.
Xu Que was not surprised that Tianqi ranked second, for Luo Qianhe was an extraordinary individual. According to his memories from his past life, Luo Qianhe not only possessed brilliant intellect, but his combat skills were unmatched. He was one of the few who survived the Arrival of Tianyuan and made it into the top ten in the ninth year of Tianyuan's aftermath.
In this life, Luo Qianhe still commanded great respect, ranking eighth on the "Cultivation Heaven List."
As for the seventh place, that was Zhou Qingyun of Shenyin, codenamed "Yin." Xu Que knew little about this person, but one thing was certain: he was exceptionally mysterious. Apart from his thirteen bodyguards, he cooperated with no one.
As for Yunguang of Shangjing… Xu Que could only sigh at its tragic end. The company, founded by the Sima family, the most powerful military faction, had perished during the Great Purge in the third year of Tianyuan. It was a massacre of unprecedented scale, with three S-rank bosses, more than thirty A-rank bosses, and over ten thousand A-level abnormal creatures wreaking havoc.
After the battle, Z Nation spent two years reclaiming its land, and during that time, the nation's decline began.
Snapping back to reality, Xu Que stepped into the company.
When Chai Xiaohau saw Xu Que, his eyes glowed with admiration. Liang Jinyu had instructed him to never provoke Xu Que and secretly told him that Xu Que was their "money tree."
Chai Xiaohau obediently complied with his sister's wishes. Who would want to offend someone who was both powerful and wealthy?
As for whether Liang Jinyu and Xu Que shared a deeper connection, Chai Xiaohau didn't need to think hard about it. After all, his sister was a renowned beauty.
"Brother-in-law, you've worked hard," Chai Xiaohau said with exaggerated politeness, "Would you prefer tea or a drink?"
Xu Que twitched at the mention of "brother-in-law." Was this really the same Chai Xiaohau from his past life?
When he had heard Liang Jinyu's words in the other dimension, Xu Que hadn't quite believed it. But now, seeing it with his own eyes... he couldn't deny it.
"Uh... I'm not thirsty," Xu Que replied awkwardly, "Have you arranged for the personnel yet?"
Truth be told, Xu Que wasn't adept at handling these relationships, especially with Liang Jinyu. If Shen Mengchu ever found out, everything would be ruined.
"As per your instructions, I've targeted only C and D-level ability users," Chai Xiaohau said excitedly.
For Chai Xiaohau, the opportunity to take advantage without lifting a finger was a dream come true. Training thirty or so B-rank strongmen without any effort? That was a deal too good to miss.
"Alright, you make the arrangements. We'll head out shortly," Xu Que said, standing up.
"Brother-in-law, don't you want to eat something before we leave?" Chai Xiaohau asked, rubbing his hands together. "I've arranged something special for you."
Xu Que gave him a puzzled look. He wanted to ask this little brat if his sister knew about this.
"No need, time is precious, and I'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon," Xu Que said seriously.
Upon hearing this, Chai Xiaohau's face showed a trace of disappointment. He really wanted Xu Que to experience some local specialties, but seeing him leave so soon, Chai Xiaohau reluctantly waved him off.
Xu Que, unaware, breathed a sigh of relief.
He had completely misunderstood.
The "special arrangement" Chai Xiaohau spoke of was none other than a local Northeast specialty: a bath, a scrub, and a massage. The indulgence was... nothing short of heavenly.
Chai Xiaohau had instantly fallen in love with the experience upon arriving in the Northeast.
Ten minutes later, a modified school bus sped away from the Honor branch office.
...
In the Chaisfield family estate in Y Nation, upon seeing the B-rank completed armor, Lacey's face broke into a satisfied smile.
Lu Ang and Bell had originally planned to fly to Xiangcheng, but upon hearing Lacey's orders, they hurried back to Y Nation.
"What do you think of Xu Que?" Lacey asked.
"He's lecherous!" Bell spoke first, "This man is not only lustful, but a total sycophant."
"If Miss Lacey were to make a move, Xu Que would certainly stay in Y Nation," Lu Ang added quickly.
"Good," Lacey nodded approvingly, then turned her gaze to the two men. "Any other useful information?"
"Miss Shen is very proud, but the person we dealt with is another Oriental beauty, named Liang Jinyu, the chairwoman of Honor," Bell said.
Lacey wasn't bothered by Shen Mengchu's pride, for she herself was equally haughty. But hearing that the person they had dealt with was Liang Jinyu intrigued her. She only knew of this woman's background from before the Tianyuan incident...
"This Liang Jinyu is very thorough in her work," Lu Ang continued. "She pointed out several unreasonable clauses in the contract we brought, and we made the changes as per your instructions."
"Oh, by the way, we also saw Murong family's young lady and Mr. Zhou from Shenyin at the Prospect International Building."
Lacey nodded. "Well done. You two go rest now. I'll arrange for the resources to be sent over."
"Of course. Should there be any further plans, we'll be at your service," Lu Ang smiled.
Once the two left, Lacey took the equipment and headed to the back room.
"How is it?" Meijello asked.
"The equipment is fine, the people are fine. But the appearance of the King of the Underworld puzzles me."
Meijello's gaze fixed on Lacey. "What do you mean?"
Lacey pondered for a moment before speaking. "Logically, the King of the Underworld shouldn't have been seen by the two men. If he appeared, it surely means there is something we don't know."
"Have you asked Asura?" Meijello inquired.
"Not yet," Lacey replied.
"Contact him. The appearance of the King of the Underworld is not so simple," Meijello said.
"Understood."
Lacey stood and walked toward the door, her resolve unwavering.