"Third Brother, how did you get so dark?" Liu Hui asked in surprise. The Zhou Tengyun opposite him looked as if he had just returned from Africa, deeply tanned and covered in road dust.

Zhou Tengyun set down his teacup and managed a wry smile. "Boss, I traveled to many places this time, most of which were under the scorching sun. Getting darker was inevitable."

Liu Hui asked, "You went to many places? Weren't you supposed to go to Afghanistan? Tell me about your route."

Zhou Tengyun gathered his thoughts and began, "Boss, I went to Afghanistan this time to meet General Mohandes of the Taliban and discuss trading munitions for narcotics. On the way, while passing through Thailand, I decided to visit Chai Cha and Mu Lao San, the leaders of the Red Flower Gang. But inside the Red Flower Gang's stronghold, I saw several cardinals from the Vatican See—the same three I met at the charity ball last time. The one leading them was named Andre."

Liu Hui immediately recalled the three cardinals and asked, "What were those three cardinals doing in Thailand looking for the Red Flower Gang?"

"When I arrived, those three cardinals had already stormed the Red Flower Gang headquarters. They slaughtered every gang member inside and captured Chai Cha and Mu Lao San, who were being interrogated. I became cautious and moved closer, discovering they were asking Mu Lao San for the details of the drug deal he conducted with Big Brother Quan in Hong Kong previously," Zhou Tengyun recounted.

Liu Hui was startled and quickly inquired, "These cardinals actually tracked them down to Thailand, even finding Mu Lao San. That’s incredible; how did they manage it?"

"It turns out those cardinals were in Hong Kong last time to discuss reviewing the case files for the Sha Wan Blood Feud with the Chief Executive. They claimed the Holy See was studying the feud because many aspects of the case defied scientific explanation, and they intended to include it in their doctrine for the moral education of the world. So, the Chief Executive agreed to let them examine the Sha Wan Blood Feud case files. After reviewing the files, they learned that Big Brother Quan and his subordinates were the ones killed. They then used Big Brother Quan's surviving subordinates to learn that he was trading drugs with the Red Flower Gang that night. Following this thread, they eventually located the Red Flower Gang in Thailand," Zhou Tengyun explained.

"What happened to Mu Lao San in the end? Did he give up any useful testimony?" Liu Hui asked.

"Mu Lao San himself was confused; he had no idea what happened after he passed out, so he couldn't possibly answer anything. Consequently, those three cardinals brutally tortured Chai Cha to death right in front of Mu Lao San. Mu Lao San, having no other choice, made up some random things to fob them off. Unfortunately, Mu Lao San's testimony mentioned me," Zhou Tengyun stated.

"Did you leave any loose ends with Mu Lao San?" Liu Hui’s heart leaped into his throat.

"Fortunately, I am usually vigilant and didn't leave Mu Lao San any truly useful information, so he couldn't reveal anything substantial. Those cardinals were indeed extremely astute and immediately suspected me, but they couldn't obtain any more accurate intelligence. Finally, they subjected Mu Lao San to an evil form of interrogation—something like an ancient spell conversion, I'm not entirely clear on the specifics. But, regrettably, this evil method failed. Mu Lao San died suddenly during the process. Because that secret technique was so shockingly potent, I accidentally made a sound while outside, and those three cardinals discovered me," Zhou Tengyun said, swallowing hard, clearly still deeply affected.

"What happened next?" Liu Hui's heart hung suspended. Although Zhou Tengyun was sitting before him unharmed, he couldn't help but press for clarity.

"My objective was Afghanistan; the Red Flower Gang was just a detour. Therefore, I had no desire to clash with these people from the See, so I left immediately. However, those cardinals possessed considerable strength. I don't know what method they used, but they kept hanging onto my tail. The moment I relaxed even slightly, they would catch up, and I couldn't shake their pursuit for a while. So, we continued like this, moving from Thailand into Myanmar, then Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Only after entering the Taliban-controlled territory in Afghanistan did I manage to shake them off completely using the complex terrain there. It was also fortunate that I had been cultivating the Heaven and Earth True Scripture during this period. I had just broken through to the introductory stage when I left for Thailand, which greatly advanced my strength. Coupled with the spirit stones you gave me to restore my energy, I managed to endure such a long distance. Otherwise, with my previous strength, I would have been captured by those cardinals long ago," Zhou Tengyun explained, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow—though there was no actual sweat, it showed the immense pressure those three cardinals had placed on him.

"And then?" Liu Hui, thoroughly engrossed in the thrilling account, couldn't help but press further.

"After I managed to evade the cardinals' pursuit, I found General Mohandes. Recently, the leader of the Base organization, Bin Laden, was killed by American Navy SEALs in Pakistan. Bin Laden's death was a massive blow to the morale of all resistance groups within Afghanistan, and General Mohandes' subordinates were also facing a severe threat of declining morale. That's why, when I proposed the plan to trade weapons for drugs this time, Mohandes agreed on the spot. Furthermore, if we could deliver the weapons to his territory as quickly as possible, he even offered a discount on the price and guaranteed that their drugs would only be sold to us in the future," Zhou Tengyun stated.

"Mohandes mentioned he has two hundred tons of refined narcotics. Did you verify that amount?" Liu Hui’s greatest concern was this detail.

"I demanded to see the goods first. Mohandes then took me to where they stored the drugs. I personally inspected it; the two hundred tons he mentioned seems accurate," Zhou Tengyun replied.

"And then?" Liu Hui prompted.

"I had General Mohandes write down the quantity and specifications of the munitions he needed. Earlier, Colonel Viktor Anatolievich Bout, that famous underground arms dealer, invited me to visit their arms exhibition in Yemen. However, due to the volatile situation in Yemen, it became extremely unsafe, forcing them to postpone the exhibition date. The rescheduled opening coincided exactly with these recent days. So, I borrowed a vehicle from Mohandes, filled the tank with gasoline, and began crossing the entire Middle East, eventually arriving at Yemen, at the southernmost tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Perhaps the sun exposure in between caused my skin to darken somewhat, resulting in my current appearance," Zhou Tengyun said, helplessly gesturing toward his face.

"What was the situation like after you arrived in Yemen?" Liu Hui asked. He knew Zhou Tengyun's journey covered at least ten thousand kilometers, encountering countless unimaginable difficulties along the way—far more complicated and arduous than his brief description suggested. Yet, he refrained from asking further; in brotherhood, some things are better left unsaid, held in the heart rather than voiced.

"I met that arms dealer named Bout, witnessed their weapons exhibition, and then delivered Mohandes' arms order to them. Colonel Bout mentioned that some of the weapons were miscellaneous, but they assured me they could prepare the entire shipment within a week. After paying a partial deposit, I arranged the transaction time with them and rushed back," Zhou Tengyun concluded, finally recounting the entirety of his recent experiences.

"How much was the batch of munitions Mohandes requested worth?" Liu Hui inquired.

"It's worth four hundred and fifty million US dollars. You previously established an account specifically for our mercenaries and transferred one billion dollars through various channels. This time, I used that account to pay the forty-five million dollar deposit to that arms dealer," Zhou Tengyun responded.

"Did you negotiate with Mohandes to trade this batch of weapons for his two hundred tons of refined drugs?" Liu Hui asked.

"Yes. Those drugs were originally valued at one and a half billion dollars, but because we are delivering the weapons to his territory, he only requested the four hundred and fifty million dollars worth of arms. The rest serves as our hardship compensation. This is purely due to the immense pressure they are currently under; they had no other choice," Zhou Tengyun explained.

Liu Hui’s depressed mood finally began to lift; Zhou Tengyun had brought him good news, as expected. Not only had he finalized the drug deal with Mohandes, but he had also sourced all the necessary munitions requested by the other party. Now, all that remained was for Liu Hui to travel to Yemen, quietly transport the arms to Mohandes’ territory in Afghanistan, and the business would be secured.

The two hundred tons of drugs from Mohandes would completely solve the dire shortage in his current inventory. His company’s experts calculated that the current market could digest three hundred million doses of 'Starry Sky Myopia Cure' annually. The amount of narcotics Liu Hui needed to exchange with Zeg for these medicines was thirty thousand kilograms, or thirty tons. With these two hundred tons, Liu Hui would be greatly relieved, having surplus capacity to market his other genetic products, thus accelerating his development speed.

Moreover, Mohandes could produce another one hundred and fifty tons of narcotics annually. If all those drugs were traded exclusively to him, Liu Hui would never again have to worry about insufficient supply, nor would he need to personally take the lead and place himself in danger for small amounts of narcotics.

"Third Brother, when is the agreed transaction time with Colonel Bout?" Liu Hui asked.

"Four days from now, in a valley near Sana'a, the capital of Yemen," Zhou Tengyun replied.

"Contact Colonel Bout immediately and tell them to pack those munitions in wooden crates. The crates must be sealed, and the dimensions absolutely must be nine meters by nine meters by nine meters—no deviation allowed. Mark them clearly with serial numbers in Arabic numerals. If they resist, we can pay a little extra," Liu Hui instructed.

"Boss, I understand. Are you planning to use that thing to transport this batch of arms?" Zhou Tengyun was momentarily stunned but immediately recalled Liu Hui’s spatial storage capacity and instantly understood.

"Correct. This is extremely important, so contact them right away and ensure this is handled properly," Liu Hui stated.

"That shouldn't be a problem, Boss. It's just that Yemen is quite unsafe right now, with protests demanding the president step down everywhere, often escalating into violent clashes. If you go to Yemen now, it will be very dangerous," Zhou Tengyun expressed concern for Liu Hui's safety.

"Third Brother, do you think any step I’ve taken to reach this point wasn't dangerous?" Liu Hui countered.

Zhou Tengyun immediately fell silent. Though unaware of Liu Hui's secrets, he had witnessed firsthand how Liu Hui had progressed step by arduous step. Every move Liu Hui made was fraught with peril, where a single misstep could lead to irreversible ruin. The risk factor was no less than a trip to Yemen.

As he was about to depart for Yemen, Liu Hui needed to arrange his company affairs to prevent chaos during his absence. He summoned the general managers of the various branch companies, and Hu Xian'er, as his special assistant, also attended the meeting.

In the meeting, Liu Hui informed everyone that he was feeling somewhat fatigued from work and had decided to take some time off to relax. During his absence, all company matters would be decided collectively by the general managers present. If they reached an impasse, they would use a show of hands, with the majority ruling. For security reasons, he stated he would only take Zhou Tengyun along and intended for the rest of the company not to know he had left, claiming he would be resting at home. Therefore, he stressed the absolute necessity of confidentiality among them.

The general managers had no objection to resolving issues by voting. However, Wu Yuanjia and Huang Huali felt that the company's security personnel should be responsible for Liu Hui's escort and safety. Given that Liu Hui was now worth hundreds of millions and renowned globally, he was no longer an unknown figure; his movements were closely monitored by many, necessitating extremely cautious security measures. But Liu Hui insisted that with Zhou Tengyun protecting him personally, no additional security detail was required. Furthermore, since he was going to relax, having a large entourage would only be bothersome. In the end, he even became irate, using his authority as the boss to veto Wu Yuanjia's strong insistence on arranging security personnel.

After settling company matters, Liu Hui also bid farewell to his parents, telling them he was going away to rest and not to worry. To ensure the health of the elderly couple, Liu Hui instructed Hu Xian'er to visit them frequently and keep them company.

Liu Hui finally arranged everything, and he and Zhou Tengyun vanished silently from within the Starry Sky Group. Except for a few general managers, no one knew their boss had departed.

As he left, Liu Hui donned the magical mask and transformed into the appearance of a white foreigner. This caused Zhou Tengyun considerable astonishment, but Liu Hui offered no explanation for the item’s origin. Zhou Tengyun, restraining his curiosity, did not press for details.

Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun boarded a tanker at the dock, beginning their journey toward the Persian Gulf. Liu Hui disliked flying, believing it offered the least security, effectively surrendering one's life entirely to others. He detested losing control over his destiny. This preference, combined with the need for secrecy, led him to specifically choose sea travel this time.

Zhou Tengyun also altered his appearance, transforming into a middle-aged white man. Liu Hui achieved his transformation directly using the magical mask, while Zhou Tengyun had painstakingly sketched his new face. It must be said that through continuous disguise practice during this period, Zhou Tengyun’s mastery of camouflage was flawless, leaving no trace of deception. Since both men boarded the cruise ship under false identities, no one suspected that Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun were aboard.

There was another important reason why Liu Hui was unwilling to fly: every plan he made previously always underwent massive alterations due to unforeseen circumstances. He estimated that this operation would also not proceed smoothly. Therefore, he needed to keep his entire fighting force close at hand. Currently, Little Black was following the tanker closely, moving ten kilometers behind it. With Little Black accompanying him, Liu Hui felt a measure of reassurance and greater confidence in his actions, as Little Black was now his most powerful asset.

To avoid unexpected incidents, Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun remained inside their cabin, refusing to leave except for meals. Inside, the two practiced diligently, striving to elevate their strength further to be prepared for any sudden developments.

Three days later, the tanker arrived at the city of Aden on the coast of the Red Sea, which was already within Yemeni territory. Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun quietly disembarked without alerting anyone. Shortly after leaving the ship, Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun changed their appearances, both transforming into Arabs dressed in white robes. Zhou Tengyun had scouted the terrain here a few days prior, so he quickly procured a vehicle and drove Liu Hui toward Sana'a, the capital of Yemen.

Yemen’s situation was rather unstable recently, with protesters visible on the streets everywhere. Mixed among them were opportunistic thugs who had set tires alight. These tires emitted thick black smoke, casting a desolate atmosphere over Aden, under which robberies were taking place.

Zhou Tengyun consulted the map, carefully avoiding the crowds of demonstrators, and then proceeded along the highway connecting the cities toward Sana'a. Yemen’s territory was quite small; this inland route to the capital was less than a hundred kilometers from the coast. This allowed Liu Hui to keep Little Black swimming roughly in the direction of Sana'a.

The road conditions in Yemen were not ideal; the car took about four hours to reach Sana'a. However, Zhou Tengyun did not enter Sana'a itself, as the city was extremely chaotic. He merely stopped at a gas station for refueling and a brief rest. During this time, Liu Hui brought out food, and the two ate something and drank some water before continuing toward the agreed meeting point with the arms dealer.

The meeting location was in a valley west of Sana'a. When Zhou Tengyun arrived at this valley, it was already nine in the evening.

"Third Brother, what time is the transaction?" Liu Hui asked.

"Ten o'clock tonight, in the canyon of that large mountain ahead," Zhou Tengyun replied.

Zhou Tengyun parked the car there while calculating the time. Liu Hui began surveying the surrounding terrain. Although it was night with no moonlight, Liu Hui, utilizing his superior night vision, had already thoroughly mapped the area. It had to be admitted that the arms dealers had chosen their location very well; the canyon had complex pathways, treacherous topography, and numerous interconnected caves, allowing for an organized retreat even if besieged.

At 9:50 PM, Liu Hui got out of the car. Zhou Tengyun drove into the large canyon alone, with Liu Hui, clad in a black stealth suit, closely following behind him.

Qian Yu Chu Hai sincerely apologizes. Due to system issues, the previous chapter: Luo Family's Happy Event, was posted twice. After consulting with my editor, Hong Cha Shang, we decided to correct this error, adjusting and modifying the chapter index. Chapter 121 has now been changed to Chapter 122, and Chapter 122 changed to Chapter 123. We apologize for the inconvenience caused to our readers. Qian Yu Chu Hai will post two chapters totaling 10,000 characters today, with the second update scheduled for 7 PM. V