Liu Hui knew the process of Xiao Hei's evolution was intensely painful, so he withdrew control over Xiao Hei's body; he simply could not endure that level of suffering himself.

Liu Hui was unaware that during the time he relinquished control over Xiao Hei, the Maoshan Sect had unleashed a Thousand-Mile Soul-Chasing Technique upon Xiao Hei, affixing a wisp of divine consciousness onto the creature to pinpoint its location for revenge. They did not anticipate that Xiao Hei, precisely during its agonizing evolution, would inadvertently cause the Maoshan Sect’s Grand Elder to be tortured to death by the sheer intensity of the transformation.

Xiao Hei thrashed violently in the deep-sea trench for several tens of minutes until its strength finally waned, its movements slowing to a stop before it ultimately lapsed into unconsciousness. The energy from the Essence-Refining Sunset Crystal began to integrate into Xiao Hei's body, working in concert with the genetic medicine.

A continuous stream of white light began emanating from Xiao Hei’s body, gathering around it, growing in intensity and brilliance until it resembled a miniature sun, illuminating every detail within a hundred-meter radius. As the white light surged forth, it began to materialize, eventually coalescing into a massive, brilliant cocoon of light that completely enveloped Xiao Hei. Then, all the light abruptly contracted inward, and the white cocoon vanished into the darkness of the trench, becoming utterly unseen.

Two hours later, Liu Hui checked on Xiao Hei’s condition. He perceived that Xiao Hei was comatose, now encased within the light cocoon for its evolution. However, the pain persisted within its body. Liu Hui withdrew his senses immediately after a brief check; he had only intended to confirm its status, certainly not to experience the torment.

Xiao Hei had entered its second evolution. All Liu Hui could do now was wait, filled with immense anticipation for the transformation. Though he could not predict what form Xiao Hei would take upon awakening, he was certain that when it finally roused, its strength would be terrifying.

Two weeks passed, and Xiao Hei remained within the great light cocoon, evolving. Liu Hui could not sense its specific details, only a pervasive, rapid itchiness across its form, indicating swift growth.

After their prior discussion, Chen Changsheng had dedicated himself to tirelessly vetting personnel, finally submitting a list to Liu Hui after two weeks. The individuals on this list would be granted the ability to deploy formations.

In Liu Hui’s office, Desheng was providing a work update. "Boss, based on the analysis by our Eye of the Starry Sky, the list submitted by Dean Chen is reliable. The personnel are entirely clean, with nothing suspicious noted; they are not spies planted by outsiders."

Liu Hui nodded. "Desheng, I trust the capabilities of the Eye of the Starry Sky, but you must not relax your vigilance. We must strengthen monitoring of this research group. They are critically important to me; I need their assistance for many projects, so absolutely no accidents or mishaps can occur."

This Desheng was an elder Liu Hui had brought from Bashan, who had rendered significant service during the defense of the Han Tang Hospital on New Year’s Day. Later, upon arriving in Hong Kong with Liu Hui, Desheng’s exceptional intelligence-gathering capabilities were discovered by chance. After assessing his loyalty, Liu Hui established an intelligence department: the Eye of the Starry Sky.

Liu Hui understood the vital importance of intelligence, pouring immense effort into establishing this department. Every member of the Eye of the Starry Sky had undergone his rigorous scrutiny; once their loyalty was assured, they were all injected with the fully formulated Body Evolution Fluid. Coupled with specialized training from experts Liu Hui hired, these members became supremely proficient and agile. Moreover, thanks to memory-enhancing drugs, their recall was formidable, and their knowledge base comprehensive; they were fluent in all internationally used languages. Liu Hui had even elevated the strength of all regional supervisors to the initial stage of Cultivation Practice—something he had previously only done for Zhou Tengyun. The members of the Eye of the Starry Sky were also highly compliant, placing their family members within the Starry Sky Group premises, where the company arranged their employment.

Because the personal strength of the Eye of the Starry Sky members was supreme, and Liu Hui provided them with abundant funding, they were generous in their operations, making it easy to acquire top-secret intelligence. For instance, the critical role played by the Eye of the Starry Sky allowed Liu Hui to locate Xiao Wan to enact vengeance upon Guo Jia.

Liu Hui handed Desheng the list provided by Chen Changsheng for investigation. Although Liu Hui trusted Chen Changsheng, he feared Chen might have been deceived, hence the need for verification by the Eye of the Starry Sky. The research he was about to undertake was far too world-shattering; any leak would bring him immense trouble.

"Boss, rest assured. We have already augmented our personnel and are covertly monitoring Starry Sky Group's external communications to ensure no leaks occur," Desheng stated calmly. Since taking on intelligence work, he had grown increasingly taciturn, his entire demeanor becoming colder.

"What is the situation domestically?" Liu Hui inquired.

"Domestic affairs are normal. The Luo family has issued a final decree to their members, mandating absolute cooperation with the Boss. As for the Guo family, their internal situation is very calm; no actions targeting the Boss have been reported," Desheng reported.

"And regarding Guo Jia?" Liu Hui asked.

"We have confirmed that Guo Jia is indeed infected with AIDS and is currently resting at a convalescent home. His only recent contact has been with Guo Jing. We ascertained that Guo Jing's visit to the Boss previously was not on behalf of the Guo family, but rather Guo Jia’s attempt to deceive the Boss into saving his life," Desheng explained.

"Just as I suspected. That Guo Jia is truly sly; well-deserved of the moniker of resourcefulness," Liu Hui chuckled.

"Boss, after Guo Jing met with Guo Jia, she traveled to Bashan and met with the new leader of the Bashan Mad Dragon Gang for a secret discussion. Following that, she went to Shuzhou and spoke with the patriarch of the Lu family for an entire afternoon, finally concluding her trip by visiting the Yan family in Shuzhou," Desheng relayed, presenting the intelligence in his hand.

"I am familiar with the Mad Dragon Gang and the Lu family, but what about this Yan family?" Liu Hui asked curiously.

"Boss, the Yan family in Shuzhou is a unique lineage. Rumor has it they were quite glorious in ancient times, and the family includes cultivators," Desheng replied.

"Cultivators? Do true cultivators really exist in this world?" Liu Hui was greatly surprised.

"We have not met any members of the Yan family, so we cannot confirm if they truly have cultivators. However, the rumor states that the Yan family's cultivators are entirely white, practicing a technique supposedly called 'Endless Snow Sea,' said to possess astonishing power," Desheng reported.

"What? Endless Snow Sea?" This time, Liu Hui was genuinely shocked.

"Indeed, it is called Endless Snow Sea. It is rumored to be an extremely frigid sorcery, yielding immense power when deployed. Yet, for some reason, few within the Yan family can cultivate this technique. According to the Yan family, the most proficient practitioner of Endless Snow Sea is a young girl named Yan Hongyu," Desheng continued.

"Yan Hongyu?" Liu Hui murmured the name, and instantly, the image of the Jade Maiden he had encountered in Afghanistan flashed into his mind—that maiden had single-handedly slain three Cardinal Bishops of the Vatican Curia and members of the Knights Templar; she was exceptionally ferocious.

"Yes, the name has an archaic, classic flavor, and she prefers to be addressed as the Jade Maiden," Desheng confirmed.

"It truly is her," Liu Hui thought, inwardly startled. He then recalled the incident in Bashan: the Lu family of Shuzhou and the Bashan Mad Dragon Gang had set a trap specifically to draw him out. Among the ambushers was an old man completely clad in white, employing 'Endless Snow Sea' as well, only to be shredded by his heavy machine gun later. Could that old man also have been from the Yan family?

"Do you know what Guo Jing discussed with the Mad Dragon Gang, the Lu family, and the Yan family?" Liu Hui asked.

"No, they were extremely guarded; our agents could not get close," Desheng stated regretfully.

"This Guo Jia truly is..." Liu Hui sighed inwardly, having pieced together the sequence of events, he understood the purpose of Guo Jing’s visit.

Guo Jia had informed him in Bashan that he knew about Zhou Tengyun murdering Young Master Lu. He had used this knowledge to threaten Liu Hui, leading to a temporary compromise, which explained why Guo Jia hadn't yet revealed the secret—otherwise, the Lu family would already be confronting him. By immediately refusing Guo Jing's proposition, Guo Jia had then released the information to the Mad Dragon Gang and the Lu family, betraying Zhou Tengyun. Guo Jing's visit to the Yan family was likely to report the outcome of the white-clad elder being killed by Zhou Tengyun. Since Zhou Tengyun killed Young Master Lu, and the ambush that night targeted Zhou Tengyun, Guo Jia was confident—even without witnessing it—that Zhou Tengyun was the killer of the white-clad elder. Liu Hui was unsure of the Lu family's true strength, but he had personally witnessed the terrifying power of the young girl Yan Hongyu; even protected by the Hongguang Armor, he was not confident he could withstand the Ice Spear she launched.

Liu Hui, naturally, was unaware of the heavy toll the Jade Maiden paid to unleash her Ice Spear. He presumed she could deploy it limitlessly, leading him to hold her in deep apprehension.

Having connected all the dots, Liu Hui shook his head. Despite having AIDS and appearing close to death, Guo Jia was clearly unwilling to remain quiet and still sought to cause trouble. Guo Jia was acting like a dedicated mob-puller in a game, continually drawing various threats toward Liu Hui. Even if they couldn't defeat him, they could certainly irritate him to death. It seemed he needed to devise a definitive solution to this persistent nuisance.

"Desheng, what is the progress on the investigation into Guo Jia?" Liu Hui asked.

"It is ongoing, but Guo Jia operates cleanly, rarely leaving traces. We haven't yet found concrete evidence to use against him," Desheng replied.

"Mmm, there’s no rush with Guo Jia; proceed slowly." Liu Hui understood that pinning Guo Jia down would be difficult and required patience, so he shifted topics. "What about the international situation?"

"Excluding the US market, the situations overseas are generally normal. A few months ago, an Italian judge tried to oppose us by preparing to file an antitrust lawsuit. However, after we threatened to halt supplies to Italy, public opinion among domestic consumers pressured the judge to withdraw the matter and cease all action," Desheng reported.

"Excluding the US? What is happening in America?" Liu Hui inquired.

"Boss, we have a problem with our general agent in the US. They grew greedy over our profits and secretly colluded with some powerful domestic factions, attempting to extort us for a substantial concession. We sent them a fax recently threatening them, which quieted the agent for a few days, but they are still making subtle moves," Desheng reported.

"What kind of subtle moves?" Liu Hui asked.

"They seem to be courting general agents in other regions, trying to form a bloc to resist our products, forcing us to offer significant price reductions. Furthermore, the proposal to sue us for monopoly within the US has not been dropped; it is progressing covertly," Desheng elaborated.

"They truly won't give up. What have the other general agents said?" Liu Hui asked.

"Those general agents have not made a clear statement; they are waiting to see how the situation plays out on the shore," Desheng replied.

"No clear stance is good. They are likely waiting to see the outcome of the confrontation between us and that US general agent before making a move. I can understand that decision. In that case, let's teach that US general agent and the forces behind them a lesson," Liu Hui sneered.

"Boss, we know what to do."

"How is Wei Chao doing in the US?" Liu Hui suddenly asked.

"Wei Chao has centralized his team and appears to be conducting some kind of financial operation. Due to their high level of alertness, we are unaware of the specifics," Desheng replied.

"Has Wei Chao met with any other US factions?" Liu Hui pressed.

"No, he spends all his time with the young masters from those few Hong Kong families and has not met anyone else."

"Wei Chao reacted so strongly at the wedding and vowed to deal with me? Why is there complete silence now?" Liu Hui murmured, feeling strangely unsettled by Wei Chao’s lack of action.

Liu Hui summoned the research personnel selected by Chen Changsheng in batches. He spent time talking with them, followed by live demonstrations on how to make a table levitate in mid-air. These scientists, dedicated their lives to research, had their eyes light up, their personal veneration for Liu Hui reaching its zenith. They were determined to join the research effort and readily agreed to numerous restrictive conditions Liu Hui imposed.

Once all arrangements were settled, Liu Hui gathered this team of thirty scientists and uniformly injected them with the Body Evolution Fluid, initiating their physical transformation. After a month of adjustment, their physical condition reached the peak of human capability. Only then did Liu Hui inject them with the Spiritual Root Manufacturing Fluid and provide each with a meditation cushion embedded with a Spirit Gathering Formation, arranged by Xiaoyaozi, enabling the scientists to begin cultivation. With Liu Hui’s repeated demonstrations and assistance, the scientists spent just over a month breaking through to the initial stage of Cultivation Practice, generating spiritual energy within their bodies, allowing them to manipulate the True Essence stored in the energy spheres.

However, since the purpose of these scientists' cultivation was purely for array deployment, even though they had reached the initial stage and possessed spiritual energy, they had virtually no combat capability; it merely allowed them to live longer. Furthermore, as these scientists spent their lives confined to research labs and rarely ventured out, outsiders remained completely unaware of their existence, thus never discovering their formidable hidden strength.

Liu Hui imparted all the array knowledge he had acquired from Xiaoyaozi’s inheritance hall to these researchers. Possessing incredible memory, the scientists quickly mastered this knowledge. They were deeply impressed by Liu Hui’s ability to provide such miraculous array lore, unconsciously viewing him as a fellow scientific fanatic, perhaps even more advanced than themselves.

Finally, Liu Hui provided the scientists with the energy storage spheres and several Monster Beast Crystal Cores, instructing them to begin research on array applications. Only at this point did Liu Hui breathe a sigh of relief. With the research efforts of these scientists, he was confident that within a short time, arrays could be applied to the real world, marking the true beginning of his grand plan's implementation.

Liu Hui had done nothing else these past two months; all his time was devoted to these scientists. They did not disappoint his expectations, formally commencing their research into formations, by which time it was already January of the second year.

During these two months, the most significant achievement for the Starry Sky Group was that several new drugs, including one for Hepatitis B treatment, had completed pharmacological trials and approval processes, securing the qualification for market release. Due to Liu Hui's strict secrecy, the outside world had no knowledge of these new drugs or their imminent launch.

Xiao Hei remained dormant in the trench; no one knew when it would awaken. Liu Hui keenly anticipated its return, occasionally taking control of its body. Xiao Hei was no longer in pain, but the itchy sensation of new flesh growing was highly uncomfortable, so Liu Hui immediately withdrew control after confirming its state.

Liu Hui found Hu Xian’er in her office, where she was busy approving documents. He had gradually delegated less critical paperwork to her, and each time, Hu Xian’er handled the tasks with speed and efficiency, delivering results that deeply satisfied Liu Hui. She had successfully relieved him of part of his workload, allowing him more time for other matters.

"Boss, please have a seat. I will finish signing this document and be right with you," Hu Xian’er seemed quite busy.

"Heh heh, no rush, I'll sit for a moment," Liu Hui smiled, picking up a magazine from the coffee table to flip through.

Hu Xian’er quickly finished processing the document, came over, and poured Liu Hui a cup of tea—the same fragrant blend she often made for him. Liu Hui tossed the magazine onto the table, sipped his tea, feeling perfectly at ease. Hu Xian’er smiled and bent down to tidy the things Liu Hui had scattered on the table. Her rounded hips swayed before Liu Hui.

Liu Hui felt a sudden warmth, instantly recalling the first time he saw Hu Xian’er in the office. On a strange impulse, he reached out and gave her full hip a light squeeze. The sensation of resilient heat accelerated his heartbeat.

"Ah!" Hu Xian’er gave a slight cry, turning back to look at Liu Hui, her face flushed crimson.

"Heh heh, well, I..." Liu Hui clenched his hand tightly, feeling utterly awkward, unsure why he had acted on such an urge to touch her.

"Boss, how could you do that? This is the office," Hu Xian’er admonished him softly.

"About that..." Liu Hui chuckled dryly, rubbing the back of his head, then raised his teacup to his lips to mask his profound embarrassment.

"If you want to touch, I can come to your place after work and let you," Hu Xian’er said.

"Pfft... Cough, cough!" Liu Hui was startled, spitting out his tea, then choked on the leaves, coughing uncontrollably.

"Boss, why are you so careless? You choke even while drinking tea," Hu Xian’er immediately patted his chest a few times to help him regain his breath.

"Cough, cough, I’m fine. Xian’er, I came by to ask if there have been any unusual situations in the recent workflow?" Liu Hui smoothly changed the subject.

Hu Xian’er smiled. "Under the leadership of our wise and mighty Boss, all aspects of our company are developing in perfect order; there are no major issues. Ah, if there is an anomaly, there is indeed one."

"What anomaly? Let's hear it?" Liu Hui smiled.

"It's that our products are selling too well. Due to massive shortages in the market, our general agents have paid for two months' worth of goods upfront just to secure inventory. That advance payment totals a staggering five hundred million US dollars!" Hu Xian’er exclaimed with wonder.

"Ha, having a lot of money isn't necessarily a good thing; it just proves our company's strength. Coincidentally, Director Wang from the Asset Management Company informed me that he has a major deal coming up that requires substantial capital. Perfect timing—let’s transfer those funds to him," Liu Hui chuckled.

"Boss, you need to be careful. That sum of money is no small matter; we absolutely cannot afford any mishaps," Hu Xian'er cautioned.

"Heh, when have you ever seen me run into trouble?" Liu Hui retorted.

"Boss, what did you think of what I just said?" Hu Xian'er asked with a smile.

"What did you say?"

"About me coming to your room so you can have your fill of touching me," Hu Xian'er said, looking at Liu Hui playfully.

"Ahem..." Liu Hui was utterly mortified, yet just then, his phone rang, and he quickly answered it to mask his embarrassment.

"What? Several monks have blocked our main gate?"