Liu Hui was taken aback and said, "Never heard of it. What kind of organization is this 'Dragon Slaying Society'?"

Wei Chao replied, "This organization called the 'Dragon Slaying Society' is incredibly mysterious. No one knows the specifics of their structure, only that their influence is immense, holding significant sway in many countries and regions. Rumor has it that most of their members are the most powerful people in the world. This organization hides in the darkness, secretly manipulating everything in this world. No one knows the true extent of their power."

Liu Hui asked out of curiosity, "There are such strange organizations in the world? But what is the significance of you telling me all this?"

Wei Chao said, "Not long ago, I attended a gathering of American high-society figures, and I inadvertently picked up some news from a friend: the organization named the 'Dragon Slaying Society' had attempted to sabotage your Starry Sky Group around the New Year, though they ultimately failed."

Liu Hui was stunned, "So, the ones who attacked me before were this 'Dragon Slaying Society'?"

Wei Chao nodded, "Precisely, it was them. Although they failed last time, don't assume their power is weak. Last time, they underestimated you and didn't strike with full force. They won't let this go; they will certainly return with a vengeance. So, you must pay close attention to them. I don't know much about this organization myself, so I can't offer much help."

Only then did Liu Hui realize who the mastermind behind the opposition was, and judging by Wei Chao's tone, the 'Dragon Slaying Society' was extraordinarily powerful. However, Liu Hui wasn't overly worried. The development of his Starry Sky Group was unconventional and explosive; give him some time, and his strength would become inconceivably vast. In comparison, the 'Dragon Slaying Society' would be nothing more than brittle clay and rotten wood before him, easily crushed.

After saying this, Wei Chao turned to leave, but Liu Hui suddenly called him back.

Wei Chao asked, "Is there anything else?"

Liu Hui paused for consideration before saying to Wei Chao, "There are things you might not want to hear, but I still feel compelled to warn you to be careful."

Wei Chao said, "Go ahead."

Liu Hui asked, "Don't you find it strange that you lost the Dream Investment Company tonight?"

Wei Chao replied, "What's so strange about it? Didn't you say that Korean was cheating me?"

Liu Hui shook his head, "I'm asking why you were gambling such large stakes against that Korean."

Wei Chao said, "Naturally, because that Korean was trying to bully my woman. I was standing up for my woman; what's strange about that?"

Liu Hui sighed and said, "You might think I'm harboring ill intentions, but I still have to say this: during your card game with that Korean, I noticed your woman exchanging suggestive glances with him under the table. Their relationship is probably somewhat irregular."

Wei Chao became furious upon hearing this, "My woman likes watching K-dramas, so she's a little interested in Koreans—I know all about that. Where were they exchanging glances? Besides, my relationship with her is excellent; don't slander her. Furthermore, this is my family matter, and I will handle it myself; I don't need outsiders meddling." With that, Wei Chao didn't spare Liu Hui another glance and stormed off angrily.

Liu Hui sighed again. Wei Chao still didn't believe him. That mature woman had been exchanging clandestine glances with the Korean, their eyes conveying a specific form of communication that Liu Hui had clearly observed. He knew there had to be an issue between them, which is why he wanted to warn Wei Chao. But Wei Chao was trapped in a state of extreme arrogance, unwilling to believe his own woman could be problematic.

Having just seen Wei Chao being duped by the Korean, Liu Hui, spurred by righteous indignation, stepped in himself. During his recent card game with the Korean, he had taken several opportunities while checking the cards to subtly swap the decks into his storage space, actually tossing a few empty card boxes into the trash.

When gambling with the Korean, Liu Hui always revealed his cards after the Korean did. Except for the first visible card, the Four of Spades, every subsequent card was swapped in from his storage space. Since his storage space was extremely discreet and his hand movements were swift, no one noticed that these cards weren't the deck on the table; not even Han Junxi noticed anything amiss.

Finally, Liu Hui exploited Han Junxi's overconfidence, quickly flipping over the Ace of Spades first, rendering Han Junxi's stolen Ace of Spades useless, forcing him to concede defeat. Moreover, Liu Hui’s entire sequence of actions was so seamless that Han Junxi couldn't find a single flaw, making him assume he had encountered a true master, which is why he departed in haste.

Liu Hui wasn't concerned about anyone discovering the secret of the deck, because no one could find anything wrong with it. Coupled with his status as a public figure who never gambled, people simply wouldn't believe he was a card sharp; they just envied his incredible luck.

After parting ways with Wei Chao, Liu Hui wandered around the Lisboa Casino for a few laps. He had always been curious about gambling paraphernalia, so he took a closer look this time. However, now valued in the hundreds of billions, having shed the need to struggle for survival, he had lost interest in these thrilling games of chance.

Liu Hui merely strolled through the casino, not sitting down to play. Time slipped by quickly, and midnight neared, with many guests from the reception departing. Just then, the Sixth Miss found him and told him the Old Master was looking for him. Liu Hui quickly accompanied the Sixth Miss, only to find the Old Master waiting for him in a private room. Old Superman was not present; it seemed he had already left.

Upon seeing Liu Hui, the Old Master laughed, "Xiao Hui, congratulations on making a fortune tonight!"

Although Liu Hui had returned the Dream Investment Company to Wei Chao, he still pocketed $16 billion, so he smiled, "This is all thanks to your blessings, Old Master."

The Old Master said, "Xiao Hui, regarding the issue you raised earlier, I need to discuss it further with the family, so I cannot give you a definitive answer right now."

Liu Hui replied, "I understand that completely. Whenever you reach a conclusion, just notify me when you come to Hong Kong."

So, Liu Hui bid farewell to the Old Master, who then had the Sixth Miss drive him to the pier. Liu Hui and the Sixth Miss sat in the car, yet no words were exchanged between them; the atmosphere was slightly awkward.

The car arrived at the pier. Surrounded by his security detail, Liu Hui prepared to board the ship, but the Sixth Miss stopped him, quietly handing him a small package.

Liu Hui smiled, tucked the small package into his coat, bid farewell to the Sixth Miss, and boarded the ship. His luxury yacht then set sail, heading toward Hong Kong. On board, Liu Hui opened the small package the Sixth Miss had given him. Just as he suspected, it contained those empty card boxes and that strange deck of playing cards—the one with the extra Two, Three, and Five of Spades.

A few days later, Liu Hui was working at his company when his Planar Trading Device suddenly chimed. He went down to the Starry Sky Group's basement and opened the device to see that Alexander was calling him. He activated the trading interface.

"My dear Alexander, what is troubling you?" Liu Hui asked, noticing Alexander on the screen looked rather downcast.

"Respected Teacher, am I utterly useless?" Alexander asked dejectedly.

Liu Hui laughed, "You are the Teacher's most favored disciple; how could you be useless?"

Alexander said, "But why is it that the Dark Magic you taught me, which can refine powerful Zombies, only allows my followers to summon frail Skeletons when I pass it on to them?"

Liu Hui was momentarily surprised, "What are you talking about?"

Alexander recounted gloomily, "Teacher, after I taught the Dark Magic to those followers who can cultivate neither Light Magic nor Holy Battle Qi, when they attempted to communicate with the corpses of fallen warriors, they failed to awaken them. Instead, they accidentally contacted a mysterious space and summoned some weak Skeletons from there. Those Skeletons are exceptionally feeble, as weak as humans were before meeting you. They are nowhere near the powerful Zombies you described; they are completely useless."

Hearing Alexander's explanation, Liu Hui felt a strange sense of familiarity. After thinking carefully, he realized this was precisely the Necromancer archetype frequently seen in otherworldly novels—Necromancers who communicate with the Plane of the Undead to summon Skeletons for battle, often possessing the strongest crowd-control capabilities among all mages. Had the Mao Shan Corpse Refining Art mutated in the magic plane? The spiritual frequency meant to contact Zombies had unexpectedly connected with the Plane of the Undead, allowing the summoning of its Skeletons?

So, Liu Hui smiled, "My dear Alexander, this is not your fault at all. Perhaps this Dark Magic has mutated when it arrived in your world. Those mages who can summon Skeletons—I believe they are a crucial combat asset for you. You must intensify their training. Although your Skeletons aren't strong individually, they excel in sheer numbers, seemingly endless. They can be used as cannon fodder in war, which will spare your actual warriors from unnecessary harm. This is a good thing for you."

Alexander was exceptionally intelligent and quickly grasped the point, yet he hesitated slightly, "Teacher, do you mean we can use these Skeleton soldiers to drain the enemy's strength during battle?"

Liu Hui confirmed, "Yes, these Skeleton soldiers can massively deplete the enemy's power without causing harm to your fighters. So, you need to research thoroughly how to utilize these Skeleton soldiers in warfare going forward."

Alexander considered it carefully and indeed recognized the advantage of the Skeleton troops. His spirits lifted immediately, and he exclaimed, "Teacher, I will. There is one other matter I must report today. The plant you instructed us to cultivate, the one called Poppy—it has begun to flower. According to your instructions, the black substance should be ready for harvest soon."

Liu Hui was overjoyed. He had been eagerly anticipating the opium harvest in the magic plane, worrying about any potential failures in the process. Fortunately, everything had gone smoothly, and harvest season was nearly here. The Grand Canyon spans about 800 square kilometers, with roughly 500 square kilometers suitable for planting poppies—that’s 750,000 mu. Calculating a yield of 1 kilogram per mu, the magic plane could provide him with at least 750 tons of drugs annually. 750 tons of narcotics per year would be enough to trade for sufficient genetic medicine from the Zerg. Once he secured the drug supply from the magic plane, Liu Hui would no longer need to worry about trading with the Zerg. At that point, he could completely sever ties with the drug trade on Earth, abandoning those dangerous activities forever.

Liu Hui, delighted, announced, "My dear Alexander, to reward you for the hard work in cultivating the poppies, I have decided to double the standard of living supplies provided to you this month."

Alexander was ecstatic. Double standards meant they could finally eat their fill without worrying when food might run out, as the delicacies from Earth were so incredibly delicious; after tasting them, they could no longer stomach the black bread of the magic plane.

Seeing Alexander so happy made Liu Hui happy too. The magic plane had become his greatest reliance. Its abundant supply of Magical Beast Cores, ample land and manpower for drug cultivation, and various bizarre items had all provided him with immense help.

However, Liu Hui sometimes felt a strange sense of dissonance. If the Church of Light he transmitted truly took root and flourished in that world, how would their future history record this period? The Pope and his followers cultivating narcotics; Necromancers and Light Mages originating from the same source...

A strange smile suddenly flashed across Alexander's face. He placed a small earthenware jar on the trading device and clicked 'Exchange'.

Liu Hui asked curiously, "What is this?"

Alexander laughed, "This is something very interesting, Teacher; you'll know when you see it."

Liu Hui, suspecting nothing, happily clicked the exchange button. The small jar appeared in his hand. Curious, he lifted the lid. Inside were some black paste, emitting a foul odor so unbearable that Liu Hui nearly vomited just from a light sniff. He slammed the lid shut instantly. The source of the stench was contained, and although the odor still lingered slightly in the basement, Liu Hui felt much better and less nauseous.

Liu Hui asked out of curiosity, "Alexander, what is this thing? Why does it smell so terrible?"

Alexander looked somewhat embarrassed and replied, "Teacher, I apologize; I should have told you that this thing stinks so badly before giving it to you. This black paste is extracted from a large tree that grows in one of our canyons. We cut an opening in the tree, and this black paste flows out. Because the paste is so foul, we call that tree the Stink Tree. Since you asked me to look out for strange things here, I collected it to see if it has any use?"

Liu Hui smiled, "Whether it’s useful or not, I'll have to study it first. But judging by its intensely foul nature, if it were used during a military engagement, if the enemy suddenly smelled this stench, I suspect they would immediately lose all combat effectiveness."

Thus, Liu Hui took this incredibly pungent little jar, bid farewell to Alexander, and proceeded to the Science and Research Institute. When Chen Changsheng accepted the jar and, caught off guard, opened the lid, he was actually overcome by the smell and fainted dead away.

Liu Hui was deeply regretful. Chen Changsheng didn't possess his own robust strength to resist such an odor; he shouldn't have played such a joke on him. When Chen Changsheng was revived, his first reaction upon seeing the jar was to retch, but he also developed an intense interest in the paste inside. He immediately formed a team to begin researching that black substance.

As time progressed, Liu Hui's wedding date drew nearer, and the organizational work for the ceremony reached its final stages. The day before the wedding, Zhou Tengyun also rushed back. Liu Hui then summoned Zhou Tengyun to the Starry Sky Group's basement to discuss certain matters.

Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun hadn't seen each other for half a year. Zhou Tengyun now exuded a powerful killing intent; his gaze was sharp, and his face even bore a savage scar—he truly possessed the aura of a mercenary leader, indicating he had endured many life-and-death battles during this time.

"Third Brother, how have things been for you all during this period?" Liu Hui asked.

"Boss, the 'Dragon Fang' mercenary group we established has made a name for itself in Africa. We participated in the successive conflicts in Sudan, Libya, Syria, and Yemen, displaying extraordinary capability in combat. We've attracted the attention of relevant nations and organizations, and now hiring the 'Dragon Fang' mercenary group often requires advance booking," Zhou Tengyun replied concisely.

"How has your strength developed?" Liu Hui inquired.

Zhou Tengyun stated, "After a year of development, the 'Dragon Fang' mercenary group now numbers three thousand fierce, elite soldiers. One hundred of these vetted soldiers have used the complete Body Evolution Fluid, and their strength has reached the peak of the Houtian realm. Coupled with the finest equipment, they are now the most terrifying professional soldiers in the world. The rest of the soldiers have consumed the diluted Body Evolution Fluid; while not as powerful as those hundred, they are still very elite fighters."

Liu Hui asked about armaments, "What about weapons and equipment?"

Zhou Tengyun replied, "Our mercenary base is in Somalia. We leased a large tract of land there and have established a very comprehensive training camp. Our Dragon Fang group now possesses twenty advanced tanks, fifty advanced artillery pieces, fifty armored personnel carriers, ten fighter jets, twenty bombers, and thirty attack helicopters. Our combat capability now ranks among the top three mercenary organizations in Africa."

Liu Hui smiled, "Excellent, very good. I didn't expect you to develop to this level in just one year."

Zhou Tengyun said, "This is largely due to your timely financial support. With massive funds, this force developed quickly. However, new recruits still make up a large proportion, so our actual combat power isn't as formidable as it sounds. But by continuously engaging in the wars in Africa and the Middle East, they are growing rapidly. I believe in two years, I will bring you a terrifying army."

Liu Hui asked, "Are you facing any difficulties right now?"

Zhou Tengyun shook his head, "We haven't experienced a large-scale war yet, so we haven't encountered any significant problems for the time being."

Liu Hui asked, "Are there any unusual movements in Africa right now?"

Zhou Tengyun pondered for a moment and said, "Africa and the Middle East have been quite turbulent over the past year. Various shadowy forces, using the pretext of religious conflict, have become restless. As a result, mercenary organizations have resurged in Africa and are becoming increasingly active. Other than that, nothing out of the ordinary."

Liu Hui sighed, "I didn't expect the flames of war to reignite in Africa. No matter the nature of the war, it's always the common people who suffer."

Zhou Tengyun suddenly recalled something, "Recently, we've noticed certain organizations trading chimpanzees across the African continent. Normally, chimpanzee trade is relatively common in Africa, but the sheer volume of chimpanzees being traded during this period is rather peculiar."

Liu Hui was slightly startled, "What use are chimpanzees? Are they being used for some strange experiments?"

Zhou Tengyun shook his head, "That part we don't know."