"Tianlong is back?" An Xiaoyu's face lit up with joy. This happiness didn't seem fake; it was genuine joy from the bottom of her heart.

Of the entire Zodiac group, only Yu Tu and Tian Long survived and left Nancheng. The others either died in battle at Bingzhu Tomb or in Nancheng. Tian Long was also her comrade-in-arms in District D.

"No, my Xiaoyu still has to come to the East China Sea with me!" Jiang Yuan quickly stopped him. If his old partner were a woman, he would have agreed immediately, but since the other party was a man, there was no room for discussion.

Liu Zhaodi glanced speechlessly at the jealous man and continued to make sarcastic remarks, "He talks about his own Xiaoyu on one hand, but doesn't trust his own family on the other. Men, they're all hypocritical pigs."

Jiang Yuan: "???"

He looked completely bewildered, almost ready to deliver a fatal blow.

"Idiot, Tianlong's child is already five years old." An Xiaoyu was both amused and exasperated. Her charm was due to her constitution, but the people of the Zodiac were already immune to it. After all, when she couldn't control her Heavenly Charm Body, she made her comrades suffer. At least one day a week of cultivation was reserved for her. Anyone would have a psychological trauma from that.

“Just because a child is five years old doesn’t mean he has no thoughts, right? I…” Jiang Yuan stammered, clearly very unwilling.

Nie Zhen, well-versed in human relationships, naturally knew the reason, so he said, "Don't worry, this is official business. It's just an Iron Blood mission that requires someone with the combat power of the Nascent Soul Realm to complete. Number One, Number Two, and Number Three are all carrying out missions, otherwise we wouldn't have troubled Xiao Yu and Tian Long."

"Alright, anyway, I haven't played chess with Uncle Nie in a long time. I'll stay a little longer this time so I can spend some time with my dear Uncle Nie." An Xiaoyu didn't mention Tianlong's matter at all, only saying that she wanted to spend time with her elders.

Jiang Yuan couldn't refute such a statement; after all, to refute it would be too sarcastic.

"Alright, for Tianfu's sake, I agree to let Xiaoyu help you with one more Ironblood mission this time." Jiang Yuan finally relented, but immediately corrected him, "However, you have to take good care of her. She's impulsive and reckless, so don't let her do any dangerous missions, or you know the consequences!"

"Alright, alright, you and Sister Zhaodi go back first, and also say hello to Sister Suxin for me." An Xiaoyu playfully stuck out her tongue, clearly showing that she still cared a lot about Tianfu and her comrades-in-arms.

"Uncle Nie, please take good care of Xiaoyu for me."

Jiang Yuan emphasized this again before leaving with Liu Zhaodi.

The battle in Haicheng was merely an interlude for him; he couldn't stay there for long. His path lay ahead, not in guarding Haicheng until the Deep Sea Disaster struck.

In the time it takes to eat a meal, Gong Suxin had already managed the black market in an orderly manner. A list of all the managers in the black market, from top to bottom, had been compiled, which would allow Jiang Yuan to control the black market to the greatest extent possible after handing it over.

The black market is definitely a major force. It is not only rooted in China, but also spread overseas. Its farthest stronghold is located on Greenland in the Western Hemisphere. Wherever the population exceeds one million, there will inevitably be the shadow of the black market.

Under Jiang Yuan's control, this massive black market will reach another peak, where countless goods, both legitimate and illegitimate, will be traded, creating a vast underground empire.

"Five Ghosts, there is currently one unfilled transaction in the black market."

After briefly glancing at the list of top-traded items on the black market, Jiang Yuan looked at the Five Ghosts.

The wise ghost understood immediately and stepped forward, saying, "Reporting to the master, the black market is currently building its own research team, and no new strategic weapons have been added to the market yet."

Six years of Tianqi Technology have elevated the technology of the Imperial Star to a new level. The previous methods of burning water with firewood, coal, and nuclear fuel are now completely outdated. However, the energy released by the decomposition and degradation of matter is not so easy to utilize. Only a handful of military industrial groups on the vast Imperial Star have mastered this emerging technology.

"No need. Learning from others is not shameful. We have the shoulders of giants to stand on."

Jiang Yuan tossed out five spheres and said, "These are the Creation Instruments I made myself. You take trustworthy people to find those with extraordinary talent. I need a group of geniuses to study at the Sanhe Group. As for how to get these geniuses, I don't care what methods you use, as long as you don't cross my moral bottom line."

The black market is an organization entrenched in the shadows; exposing it completely to the light will undoubtedly destroy it. As long as there is war, darkness will always outweigh light. What the black market needs to do is not to eliminate darkness, but to establish its own dark laws, making darkness pure, rather than a breeding ground for rotten flies and maggots.

Just like adopting and raising orphans, if the black market doesn't adopt them through legitimate means, these orphans will still die and rot in the mud. But by joining the black market, at least there is a chance to turn their lives around.

True darkness is cruelty, not evil.

"The five ghosts obey."

The five ghosts lowered their proud heads, completely convinced of the man before them. In the past, the God of Slaughter only existed in legends, but today, they witnessed a true god who could stop thousands of troops with his killing prowess.

"Alright, let's go our separate ways! In a month, I want to see a brand new underground empire full of limitless future."