The "Dark Merchant Guild" is currently in its nascent stage, and the current number of branches is insufficient to meet consumer demand, necessitating the construction of even more outlets!

This immediately presented a critical question: what would be the optimal location?

Old Danny is in real estate, and he hasn't been at it for just a year or two. The fact that he has managed his own properties so meticulously speaks volumes about his capability!

The "Dark Merchant Guild" currently lacks someone with his real estate expertise, and Old Danny’s joining perfectly fills this void!

Now that Old Danny is on board, Zhong Shenxiu no longer needs to elaborate on the details; someone will naturally explain the relevant matters to Old Danny thoroughly.

Exiting the conference hall, the look of shock on Old Danny and Elena’s faces had yet to fade. They looked at the special access card Zhong Shenxiu had given them; with this, they could enter and exit the Guild freely from now on, never having to queue again!

Old Danny could scarcely believe it was real. He had only intended to gather some information, but unexpectedly, he not only found the true sales hub but had also become a part of it!

Zhong Shenxiu gave him ten days to settle his affairs at home, after which he was to begin his first mission: investigate nearby property prices and acquire holdings at the lowest possible cost!

Zhong Shenxiu was thinking big. Since he had established this "Dark Merchant Guild," it had to make a mark; he intended for it to not only become mainstream in this "Winter Moon Empire" but to take its influence to the world!

To achieve this required a solid foundation as backing. Currently, Zhong Shenxiu lacked neither money nor supply sources; he only lacked two things: real estate and talent!

The initial phase required Old Danny to acquire as much real estate as possible within the "Dream Evening City," and then gradually expand to other cities, perhaps even other nations!

"Elena," Old Danny's expression suddenly turned serious, "our family will henceforth be the focus of public attention. You must prepare yourself in advance!"

Elena was not foolish and understood the weight of her father's words, nodding with equal seriousness.

Not only must she keep the fact that Zhong Shenxiu was the mastermind behind the "Dark Merchant Guild" a secret, but she also had to actively help guard it!

"Elena, I hope you and your brother can take a few days off. After this trip back, I have decided we are moving the family here!" Old Danny said after a moment of deep thought.

He had a premonition that this "Dream Evening City" would become the headquarters of the "Dark Merchant Guild," and that the city would soon reach unprecedented prosperity. Moving the family here quickly offered two benefits: convenience for his work and the chance to secure a prime location!

Elena was momentarily startled, but then realized the logic in her father's decision. Since the entire family would now need to be based long-term in "Dream Evening City," relocating was the wisest choice; this way, she could also visit home regularly!

"I’ll go talk to my brother later," Elena replied, nodding.

"We don't have much time now; just the round trip will take about four days. We must hurry!" Old Danny calculated, then continued, "You go ask your brother for leave now, and I'll take a walk around the vicinity to see if I can find a suitable house!"

And so, the two separated to attend to their tasks.

Leaving Old Danny to his house-hunting aside, we turn to Elena’s journey.

She first went to the Dean’s Office to request ten days of leave, and then headed straight for her younger brother, Laurent!

Laurent had been in low spirits for the past few days, consistently appearing dejected. The reason was simple: his ranking in the "Newcomer Tournament" had been disappointing, and he had been eliminated early!

In "Gulu City," he was consistently among the top echelon. To think that upon arriving at the "At-Home Magic and Martial Arts Academy," he was merely an average student—this vast contrast was something he found hard to accept!

There was another reason: Solomon and others he knew had started attending Zhong Shenxiu’s classes, while he was left completely isolated. He clearly understood that not only would he fail to catch up with them, but the gap in their strength would only widen!

Under the influence of such thoughts, Laurent had begun to grow disheartened!

Elena had initially intended to rush her brother to request leave and return home with her, but seeing Laurent in his current state startled her. How could he have changed so much in just a few days? Had he suffered some romantic setback?

Women were prone to overthinking, and Elena was no exception.

"Little Brother, what's wrong? Did something bother you? Tell big sister; perhaps I can help!" Elena asked with genuine concern.

Despite how strictly she managed Laurent, it stemmed from her deep affection for her younger brother!

"Nothing!" Laurent didn't want to talk about it.

However, the more he resisted, the more worried Elena became. She temporarily set aside the original purpose of her visit and decided to address his mental state first.

Laurent had always listened to Elena since childhood, and unable to withstand her gentle persistence, he finally poured out his agitated feelings.

"Little Brother, you..."

Elena was momentarily stunned after listening to Laurent's narration. She truly couldn't understand what was so great about Zhong Shenxiu's classes. First, it was Maxin, and now it was her brother—why was everyone acting as if they were bewitched? What on earth was going on?

Because she couldn't figure it out, she found herself developing a slight curiosity about Zhong Shenxiu’s class. But now was not the time to dwell on that; resolving her brother's emotional crisis was paramount!

Elena, being an older sister, knew that young men Laurent’s age were the most emotionally volatile, and letting it slide unchecked could ruin Laurent’s entire life. As a sister, she could not allow that to happen!

Laurent nodded. Since he had already told Elena, there was no need to hide anything further. He quickly recounted what Solomon had told him about the class.

"A Swordsman can excel at ranged attacks? And Aura has properties??" Elena’s eyes widened. This was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard!

Yet, Laurent’s expression suggested he wasn't joking. Could such a thing truly exist?

After a moment of contemplation, Elena suddenly looked up and spoke with encouragement, "Brother, don't worry too much about this. I'll help you think of a way later!"

"Sister, you really have a way? I heard that class isn't accepting new students anymore; even the Dean and Vice Principal’s pleas didn't work!"

Laurent had heard from others. Some students regretted leaving that day and were trying every connection to get into Zhong Shenxiu’s class, but even the Vice Principal’s influence was ineffective, let alone her, as just a teacher!

"I can’t guarantee it will work, but I have about a seventy percent chance!" Elena was actually less than fifty percent sure; she said this only to comfort her brother.

"Really?" Laurent instantly rallied, as if seeing a glimmer of hope.

Elena merely smiled, not saying anything further, fearing that the higher his expectation, the greater his eventual disappointment would be!

After chatting for a while longer, Elena finally brought up the real reason for her visit: "Little Brother, I came to tell you something important!"

"What is it?" Laurent was also wondering why his sister had suddenly sought him out.

"You need to go request ten days of leave right now and come home with me."

Elena hadn't finished speaking when Laurent’s face changed, and he interrupted, "Sister, is something wrong at home?"

It was understandable; such a long leave, and so suddenly, would easily suggest bad news.

"No!" Elena quickly clarified. "It’s that our family is moving to 'Dream Evening City.' Father can’t handle everything alone, and we need to go back and help out!"

When Laurent heard it wasn't a family emergency, his expression softened, but he asked with fresh surprise, "Sister, why are we moving out of the blue?"

Elena knew this news would eventually reach her brother anyway, so she didn't hide it, saying, "That’s because our father has joined the 'Dark Merchant Guild.'"

Laurent blinked, seemingly not grasping the meaning. After a long pause, he asked, "Sister, what did you just say? Father joined what?"

"Father joined the 'Dark Merchant Guild'!"

Laurent shot up with a gasp, his voice filled with shock as he asked again, "The 'Dark Merchant Guild' that’s been the talk of the town ever since it was established recently?"

"Mm," Elena nodded. She understood how her younger brother felt and knew this kind of news was hard to process immediately.

It was clear that Laurent's expression went from extreme surprise to boundless excitement!

Joining the "Dark Merchant Guild" was no small feat. Rumor had it that graduates from prestigious academies had to pass through layers of screening just to work as janitors there. Laurent never imagined his own father had joined the "Dark Merchant Guild"!

This surprise was simply too immense!

Laurent’s previous gloom vanished instantly, replaced by eager anticipation for the future!

Time passed swiftly; two days flew by in a blink.

Charlotte and Angelia had a habit of exercising early, and today was no exception. They headed straight to the internal training hall of the "Dark Merchant Guild," a space meticulously arranged by Zhong Shenxiu, secure enough that even a Forbidden Curse spell might not scratch its surface!

Charlotte and Angelia were sparring when Zhong Shenxiu and Robin walked in.

"Stop for a moment!" Zhong Shenxiu suddenly called out to the two women.

Charlotte and Angelia already shared a tacit understanding; after an exchange of glances, they simultaneously ceased their movements.

"Woman, come here!" Zhong Shenxiu called to Charlotte.

Charlotte seemed to have guessed what was coming, and a look of delight spread across her face. She scurried over eagerly. Though she didn't ask what it was, her expression clearly betrayed her anticipation.

A smile touched the corner of Zhong Shenxiu's mouth, and he said slowly, "The blade custom-forged specifically for you is ready!"

With that, he pulled it out of his magic ring.