"I apologize, please forgive me!"
O’Neill’s heart was filled with humiliation, but he had no choice but to bow before Zhong Shenxiu.
The very next moment, it was as if he was subjected to some tremendous pressure; he knelt on the ground, cracking the floor beneath him.
"An apology should be sincere, mongrel!"
Gross laughed wildly, tossing a wine bottle, "Smash it yourself; shatter every wine bottle in this cabinet! If one is less, I’ll take one of your legs!"
Zhong Shenxiu frowned.
"Boss... Do you have any other orders?"
Gross watched the blood trickling down O’Neill’s forehead, his eyes almost shining with an abnormal and crazed gleam.
"This is my wine after all, I still need to make money... And besides, O’Neill’s fault is not major, yours is not minor."
Zhong Shenxiu sighed, "Using external forces to pass that stage also affects you, at the very least, a soul that ascends abruptly cannot adjust, polluted by the madness of the Spirit Realm..."
Gross was startled, fear flashing across his face, "Indeed... Boss, I wouldn’t have noticed if you hadn’t mentioned it. After my breakthrough, I came hurrying to find you, seemingly neglecting the effects of this..."
"Mystery always accompanies madness; you can’t be careless."
Zhong Shenxiu shook his head and sighed.
"I knew it... How could a simple and kind-hearted person like me become so fierce all of a sudden? It’s not my fault, it’s the Spirit Realm that’s corrupting me."
Epiphany struck Gross, who casually picked up another bottle and smashed it over O’Neill’s head, "The boss has spoken, get out quickly. Oh, and later, send over a satisfactory apology, or I wouldn’t mind making another visit to your home!"
Watching O’Neill’s dejected escape, Gross turned around with a radiant smile, "After venting my negative emotions, I feel a lot better."
"This can be considered a form of psychological adjustment."
Zhong Shenxiu nodded, "You sought me out to repay me?"
Gross nodded earnestly.
Although Zhong Shenxiu knew that forming ties was Gross’s real purpose, he didn’t mind.
At the very least, the Nightingale Family seemed very old and powerful; perhaps there were more books to read.
"Then... I need you to do something for me."
He thought for a moment before speaking directly.
"No problem, what is it?" Gross assured, patting his chest, a stark contrast to his previous ferocity.
"Find me the auxiliary rituals for different schools attempting to climb the ’Golden Tower’... the more, the better!"
The aim was to modify the entities being called upon in those rituals, trying to switch the target to himself.
Thus, the more samples there were, the more accurate the data.
Gross was somewhat puzzled; he thought Zhong Shenxiu had long been a ’Perfected One.’
Even a powerful ’Ascender’ seeking promotion generally only needed one particular school’s ritual; having more could interfere with personal beliefs and cause the ritual to fail.
’It seems the boss has long been a ’Perfected One’ and is simply undertaking some special research on ascension?’
Gross made up an explanation in his mind, finding his answer, "Boss is indeed boss, such high-end research..."
"Good, after you find them, deliver the materials to Whisperer Bar in Byron City, where I’ll be for the next phase."
Zhong Shenxiu, unaware of the many thoughts that had flashed through Gross’s mind, expressed his satisfaction accordingly.
Jones, dressed in a crisp black suit and donning a bowler hat, appeared much more mature and looked every bit the successful businessman.
At the moment, while dining with Carmela and Jennifer, he said, "I’m getting ready to go stock up, you two be good at home, okay?"
As a candy merchant, he needed to purchase large quantities of malt syrup and grape bricks every so often.
Moreover, the demand in Byron City had been growing lately, and having tapped into the Isreal market, the order volume had surged.
Carmela rolled her eyes as she fed Jennifer milk on the side, "Also... don’t think that just because big brother isn’t here, you can boss us around. Take care of yourself first."
Jones’s expression froze, and he guiltily glanced at the butler and maids who had just left the dining room, then put on the air of a big brother, "What about me? I work hard every day to make money, to support you..."
"Really? In between work, you also happen to pin your female secretaries and typists over the office desk?" Carmela said with a grin that wasn’t quite a smile.
"Damn... how do you know? No, wait... that’s not true."
Jones suddenly felt as if he had lost all the dignity of an older brother and experienced social death in front of his two little devilish sisters.
"It’s hardly a secret, just ask around, right, Jennifer?"
Carmela high-fived her sister Jennifer’s plump little hand, "If you don’t want us to tell big brother about this, then increase our allowance!"
Jones’s lips twitched, wanting to say something, but in the end, he obediently took out his wallet.
Half an hour later, he all but ran out of the house as if fleeing for his life, "Whoever marries my two sisters is in for bad luck..."
Jones quickly hopped into a carriage and instructed the coachman, "Go to Shahua Avenue No.17, to Mr. Dengrike’s gallery."
This Mr. Dengrike was a new friend he had made recently, a struggling artist whose works were full of abstraction and chaos, incomprehensible to the ordinary person.
But Jones really liked one of his paintings, a Blood-Red Sunrise.
It reminded him of the hunger he felt when he first saw the covers of those books.
"The mysterious world, huh?"
Jones murmured to himself, feeling a young man’s curiosity and longing.
After spending some time with him, he was sure that Mr. Dengrike was a man of mystery, and perhaps he could gain the key to unlocking the door to that arcane world from him!
’When Li Wei returns, I am going to give him a big surprise!’
Jones felt like a child who had a little secret to show off to his parents, his heart brimming with excitement...
Angel, dressed in a black skirt, rested her chin in her hand and blankly gazed at the vibrant school grounds.
Since Alice had left, she had had a big fight with her family, and her heart felt hollow.
Even the blooming flowers seemed completely colorless in her eyes.
At that moment, a fit, lively redhead came over, "You’ve been down for a long time. It’s time to get out. Let’s go have some fun together. There’s a party tonight, a very private one, exactly what you’ve been searching for."
Angel’s eyes lit up. She had confirmed the existence of the mysterious world from Alice but had always been unable to gain entry.
"Yes, let’s go together." The redhead smiled, "The drinks and dishes there are fantastic, you’ll feel the ultimate joy."