"I believe it was someone from the Mei clan. Although I can't be 100% sure but there have been rumors about this. One of the branches of the Mei clan trains assassins to take care of any obstacles that may stand in the Clan's path.

"

Hao Xuan's frown deepened and he looked at Yangdi skeptically,

"The Mei clan? But why? How could I possibly be a threat to them? I haven't even met any direct descendants nor have any other connection to them. Why would they target me out of nowhere?

"

Yangdi shook his head helplessly,

"I have no idea either. But there have been rumors about this 'branch' for centuries, although I wasn't even sure about their existence before. It was just hearsay you know. Every clan that has managed to keep the throne for this long has some kind of measures in place so it's not that far fetched.

"

"Hmm,

" Hao Xuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

'How did they even find me? Or it could just be a case of mistaken identity...'

"Well, it doesn't matter right now. I want you to keep an ear out just in case, but don't take any actions,

" he waved his hand dismissively and met Yangdi's gaze somberly.

"Its time to kick off the first stage. I'll send you a few weapon blueprints, contact Baracus, and see if any of them can be made here cheaply. If so, buy some land and set up a few factories to start mass production. But don't sell the rights to anyone, instead, try to make a deal with the military.

"

The blueprints Hao Xuan was talking about were the ones Poriverse had come up with. In his free time, he often scribbled down random things. The only difference between his scribbles that of a normal person was that HE was a being of supreme intelligence so what he considered to be useless scribbles could be a godsend to mere mortals.

And Hao Xuan could make use of them all. There were a lot of things like that with him, a literal treasure trove in the right hands.

"War can be good business. Even though we didn't start this, it doesn't hurt to make a few bucks here and there. The Mei clan is loaded.

"

"Now, a couple of points:

1. Invest everything you get from there into other businesses. Keep expanding outwards into other kingdoms or even empires. You don't need to contact me for anything related to this unless you need more money or help with something. We don't know what's going on so keep communication to a minimum. You're a smart man, I expect you to know what to do.

"

"Contact the 'Den' and make use of their network. Expand into every single industry but keep a low profile for now.

"

Yangdi's eyes shone with a new light upon hearing Hao Xuan's plan. He was a businessman at heart. This would just be like changing fields, but the overall goal would still be the same for him.

"How far do you want to go with this? How....

"ruthless

" can I be? The current industry leaders won't take kindly to a new entrant.

"

"I'm getting there.

2. Don't involve any innocents. Do not kill civilians. Other than that, there's no need to be passive if there's no other option. I will need money, resources, etc, you know the deal. You are my bank so hire and train your own people. Just make sure they are trustworthy. As I said, consult with Baracus and come up with a good plan for everything.

"

Yangdi went silent for a few minutes, going over everything. Hao Xuan patiently waited for him.

"Alright, I have a general idea of what to do. My connections will come in handy for this as well. Are there any restrictions with our target market outside of Mei?

"

"Not really. As long as its not a mad dictatorship and they have enough money and some modicum of civility, then I don't see why not. But do not supply weapons to just anyone. Try to make longlasting partnerships rather than temporary profits. We're not looking to make a quick buck here.

"

Yangdi nodded passionately,

"Got it. I'll start planning as soon as I get the blueprints.

"

"Good, Baracus will contact you with the details soon. And one last thing, once everything gets going, use at least 5% of all profits to do some charity work. Make schools, thicker walls for towns, housing projects for the poor, etc.

"

"Charity?

" Yangdi looked at him as if he was looking at an alien.

Hao Xuan nodded with a blank face,

"Yeah.

"

"5% of the total profits are a lot. Are you sure about this? If we reinvest that money we can-

"

"No. This matter is not up for discussion. It is an order!

"

*Sigh*

Yangdi saw the look in his eye and knew he was dead serious about this so he didn't argue.

"Alright, as you wish,

"master

". I'll get it done.

"

*Bzt*

Hao Xuan hung up and tapped once on the watch.

"Baracus.

"

"Yes?

"

"You heard the conversation right?

"

"Of course. You were literally talking through me.

"

".....alright, I guess. Send the cheapest and most basic weapon blueprints over to Yangdi. Simplify them if there aren't any like it. We don't need to make something special, just a projectile weapon that even mortals can use to defend themselves against lower leveled beasts. Unless you're a cultivator you need to depend on other people for survival in this world, which I don't like.

"

"Make the weapons and start working on prototypes of other things as well. Anything that improves the quality of life, provides some defensive measure, etc. Don't limit yourself to one industry. Find what people need and fulfill their needs. And add some kind of a control feature to every weapon, like a biometric scan or something. Only the registered users should be able to use it.

"

"Affirmative. But the endeavor will take quite some time. A few weeks of planning, several months of setting up, making deals, etc. Overall it could take years before you will see any actual returns on your investment.

"

"I know. Setup an internal network for the business. I don't want to use the country's network if there's another option. We need to do everything in-house. No outsourcing at all.

"

"Copy that. I'll contact Yangdi right now in that case.

"

Maybe it was just Hao Xuan but he felt like Baracus's tone sounded somewhat...happy. Maybe he liked doing these things...

Hao Xuan walked out of his room and called for Green and Red to meet him under the maple tree he liked so much.. He hadn't seen the divine apes in a long time.