Little Pink Starfish

Clothing shops, silk stores, cosmetic shops, hairpin boutiques…

Everyone understands that there are very few women who do not love beauty, especially in harem novels, where women are always exceptionally beautiful. If one wants to be beautiful, then dressing up is indispensable, so to quickly accumulate wealth, one must decisively focus on this area.

If Qi Guan Rui were still alone, things would undoubtedly be more troublesome. However, with Chen Yuanhao, many matters became much easier.

Chen Yuanhao was responsible for finding shops, hiring servants, designing interiors, managing connections, and recruiting shopkeepers and accountants.

In short, every major and minor affair was all handled by Chen Yuanhao.

If this were the modern world, Qi Guan Rui would be the typical ruthless boss who “treats women like men and men like beasts,” squeezing out every ounce of value from his employees. Of course, if his life trajectory hadn’t shifted slightly due to meeting Gu Bai, his methods of exploiting both women and men would have been different.

Unfortunately for him, things had changed.

…As for what Qi Guan Rui himself did?

He provided the funds, and he provided the means of surveillance.

Indeed, every purchased servant was infested with snake venom, and even hired employees were no exception.

He did not disclose this to his newly recruited subordinates, keeping it as his final safeguard.

Meanwhile, aside from business ventures, Qi Guan Rui also handled a few other matters.

The first was having Chen Yuanhao investigate the reason why Wei Wu from the Martial Inn had something in his body that could prevent the snake venom’s infestation. Additionally, he sought to find out whether Qingtian Academy had any similar protective measures for its students.

He had to be cautious. Although he did not infect Qiu Tu or Chen Yuanhao with the venom, he had secretly planted a dormant toxin in them. However, when Qiu Tu transformed into his demon form, the toxin disappeared, and the same had happened with Chen Yuanhao. This made Qi Guan Rui all the more wary.

Chen Yuanhao, being highly capable, efficiently gathered information by socializing with both the inner and outer courtyard members.

It turned out that Wei Wu was the nephew of the Martial Inn’s steward, who was a significant figure in the establishment. As such, everyone connected to him had to be unquestionably loyal. The steward himself had placed something inside Wei Wu to ensure this, which would instantly destroy anything attempting to invade his body—its effectiveness was on par with a technique capable of sealing a wu wang.

Thus, the snake venom Qi Guanrui had developed was still far from being able to bypass such defenses.

As for Qingtian Academy, certain high-status students from prestigious families had protective measures, but most students did not. These protections were not provided by the academy itself but rather by the families.

This meant Qi Guanrui could still develop a network of puppets within the academy—he just needed to be selective. If the academy’s enforcers or teachers discovered anything, it would pose a significant risk.

However, Qi Guan Rui was both bold and lucky. In no time, he had discreetly gained control over a few individuals, placing them strategically as chess pieces.

Gradually, even within various student-run societies, he had eyes and ears.

—At the end of the day, he could not rely solely on Chen Yuanhao’s abilities without having his own safeguards.

Since the snake venom worked on many people, Qi Guan Rui’s next move was to target two specific women.

One was Wang Yingluo, who had to be infested and drained of her value as soon as possible. Upon examining her memories, Qi Guan Rui naturally uncovered the series of events that had led to his master, Gu Bai, being targeted. He also realized her connection to Li Qingyu, the leader of the clandestine Lantian Society.

This connection was the only reason she had been allowed to live thus far.

The other target was Meng Xiaohe.

Back then, Qi Guan Rui had been questioned by Ziche Shubai because of this woman. Naturally, she couldn’t be allowed to remain.

However, while Wang Yingluo was easily infested, Meng Xiaohe seemed to have… eaten his snake venom.

Qi Guanrui was displeased, but he could not use overt means for now. Thus, he chose to temporarily hold back.

Regardless, while Gu Bai spent two months secluded in the library tower, Qi Guan Rui used his wealth and abilities to weave an intricate web.

This web continued to expand, spreading silently and methodically—like a spider spinning its silk, waiting with cold patience for its prey.

Prey that was foolish, greedy, and reckless…

Gu Bai finished his bath and decided to take a walk.

Leisurely strolling through the streets, he planned to check on his small restaurant.

Starting a business was truly a hassle. If not for Gu Xiaoshan and his loyal death guards assisting him, juggling cultivation and development on his own would be far too difficult.

The main storyline had less than two years before the deranged protagonist arrived in Haoyang City. If Gu Bai didn’t raise his combat power and accumulate resources, even running away wouldn’t be an option.

The thought filled him with grief.

As he walked, he noticed a commotion ahead.

The scene was centered around a hairpin shop, where numerous beautiful women had gathered, attracting a crowd of admirers and wealthy patrons eager to impress them.

The bustling crowd made Gu Bai want to turn around and leave—

But he couldn’t.

Because he saw Gu Xiaoshan.

And at that moment, he knew he wasn’t going anywhere.

Gu Bai’s heart pounded. He had seen Gu Xiaoshan standing with an exceptionally beautiful woman—Leng Xianyun, the Ice Soul Fairy.

Qi Guan Rui, who was also present, quickly noticed Gu Bai. His eyes flashed with intense delight.

“Gege!” he called out eagerly.

Gu Bai instinctively turned his head toward the sound.

Ah, this brat had spotted him so quickly!

Qi Guan Rui wasted no time. He quickly stepped forward and embraced Gu Bai tightly, his voice laced with deep emotion. “Gege, you’ve finally come out. I missed you.”

Gu Bai cleared his throat awkwardly. “…Aren’t you going to introduce this young lady to me?”

Qi Guan Rui’s expression briefly twisted.

Young lady?