We agreed on the twelve zodiac animals, but you've transformed into the Monkey King?

Xiafei Road Apartment, guest room.

The expensive Western clock swung.

Wen Xiao knelt by the bed. He carefully injected the repair fluid, which he had exchanged for 20 Sumeru Points, into Aman's vein.

After a while, Aman's chest suddenly spasmed. She turned her head to the side, coughed violently, and vomited a mouthful of thick, black, dead blood.

Then, her near-collapsed breathing miraculously stabilized. Her lifeless lungs regained their vitality, and a trace of color returned to the little girl's pale face.

Ah Man's eyelashes fluttered as she opened her clear eyes.

She stared blankly at the luxurious crystal chandelier above her head, then reached out her slender fingers and gently touched the velvet blanket covering her. The pain in her chest, as if she had swallowed a razor blade, had subsided.

"Great Sage..." Aman's voice was still weak as she cautiously asked, "Am I already dead in the Pit of Human Transformation? Is this... the Heavenly Palace?"

"You...can't go to the Heavenly Palace for the time being." Wen Xiao's eyes stung with tears as he held her cold little hand tightly and replied gently, "The Great Sage stormed the Underworld and crossed your name off the Book of Life and Death."

Looking at Wen Xiao's face, A Man's tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It really doesn't hurt anymore...it doesn't hurt at all..." A-Man gripped Wen Xiao's fingers tightly, choking back tears and trembling all over. "But Great Sage, if A-Man wakes up, will she have to go back to the mud and get whipped again...?"

"No more." Wen Xiao hugged the light little body into her arms, resting her chin on the girl's forehead. "No one will be able to hit you anymore. This house is your home, my second daughter."

Ah Man buried her face deeply in Wen Xiao's broad chest and finally burst into tears.

……

Meanwhile, at the French Concession Police Station, in the office of the Chief Inspector.

Frenchman Pierre stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray, and scribbled the map of Shanghai on his desk to shreds.

"A bunch of good-for-nothings! You've disgraced France!" Pierre roared at the Chinese detectives in front of him, spitting as he spoke.

"Chief Inspector, please calm down. Wen Xiao's reputation is too high now. If we take action against him..." Inspector Hua said nervously, wiping away cold sweat.

"Since when has it been a Chinese thug's place to talk about prestige in the French Concession?!" Pierre slammed his fist on the table, his face turning ashen with rage. "The night before last, in order to find a little beggar, he actually mobilized the Annamite police from our Grand Court without authorization! The whole street of Chinese people thinks that our noble French police are just running errands for some gangster boss!"

Pierre took a deep breath, a ruthless glint in his eyes:

"Not only that! Our people can't even get close to that new underground logistics line he opened that goes straight into the concession! Once the goods go through his tunnels, it's like water seeping into sand; we don't get a single penny of 'fees'! He's cutting off Falun Dafa's source of income! Immediately gather your men, find a pretext of 'disrupting the peace in the concession,' and wipe out his Gonghexiang branch!"

……

Seventh day.

The early winter morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Xiafei Road apartment, cutting golden patches of light onto the carpet.

In the guest room, Ah Man leaned against the headboard, staring blankly at the exquisitely crafted dark green velvet uniform spread on the bed.

Those small hands, which were originally covered with red, swollen chilblains, were now smooth and warm. They hung in mid-air, trembling slightly, but dared not fall.

"This material won't get damaged by washing, feel it."

Shelly walked in, wearing high heels and carrying a cup of black tea. Today, she wore an elegant beige trench coat, looking less aggressive than she usually was in the world of fame and fortune.

Wen Xiao leaned against the door frame, looking at the school uniform that represented the top class in Shanghai, and frowned slightly: "She can't even write her own name. If you put her in St. Mary's Girls' School, those comprador and foreigner kids will devour her."

Shelly blew on the steam from her tea, without turning her head: "I donated a new library to the principal of St. Mary's University last night and assigned her to the best class. In addition, I've hired two professors from St. John's University to come to her apartment every afternoon to give her extra tutoring."

Shelly turned around, her cold, beautiful eyes radiating arrogance: "She's my adopted sister, Shelly. Anyone who bullies her will have their entire family bankrupt in Shanghai. What are you worried about about the school I chose?"

Wen Xiao didn't say anything more.

Ah Man finally mustered up her courage, gently pressed her cheek against the soft hem of the skirt, and revealed a smile she cherished dearly.

……

10:00 AM, Gonghexiang Wharf.

On the open ground after the cold rain, a dozen large iron pots were set up. The aroma of white rice mingled with the savory smell of stewed fatty meat, wafting in the cold air. Five hundred shirtless laborers squatted on the ground, their mouths greasy from eating.

Wen Xiao sat on a box of cotton yarn that had just been taken over from the Japanese, with a bulging burlap sack at her feet.

Chen Jinbiao stood on the platform and called roll. After the roll call, Wen Xiao drew the dagger from his waist and slashed open the sack.

"Splash—"

The white ocean water poured out, crashing onto the wooden planks with a crisp sound that made one's blood boil.

The once bustling dock was now silent except for the heavy, gurgling sounds of swallowing.

"From today onwards, the wages of Gong Hexiang's brothers will be doubled." Wen Xiao's voice clearly pierced everyone's ears. "Those who are injured will be supported by the branch for the rest of their lives; those who die will receive a resettlement allowance of three hundred silver dollars, and the branch will provide meals for the elderly and children in their families."

The youngest son and the laborers below, holding their bowls, were all stunned. Three hundred silver dollars was enough to buy a decent bungalow in Shanghai, so that wives, children, and the elderly would no longer have to live huddled in a makeshift latrine.

Wen Xiao plunged the knife tip into the wooden crate, his eyes instantly turning cold as he swept his gaze across the room: "But I have only one hard rule here. This underground network can handle arms and smuggled goods. But anyone who dares to touch even a single ounce of opium, or steal money from their own brothers, I'll personally skin them alive. Understand?"

"Understood! Thank you, Fifth Master!"

Five hundred men simultaneously put down their large bowls, their roars shaking the heavens.

Wen Xiao pulled out a dagger and casually tossed it to Chen Jinbiao: "Give me the money. I'm taking Aman to register for school; I'll be back this afternoon."

……

At noon, in the principal's office of St. Mary's Girls' School in the French Concession.

The British headmistress, with a full head of silver hair and wearing reading glasses, looked at the huge donation slip in her hand, stamped with the official seal of Jardine Matheson, and her wrinkles smoothed out with a smile.

She looked up at Wen Xiao, who was sitting on the sofa in a smart suit, then at Shelly, who was elegant and dignified, and finally her gaze fell on Aman, who was wearing a new school uniform and looked like a delicate porcelain doll.

"Oh my God, what a lovely little angel!" the principal exclaimed in fluent English. "Miss Xi, Mr. Wen, you two are truly the most perfect couple I have ever met. To adopt such a poor child so soon after your marriage, your kindness will surely be blessed by the Lord."

"Pfft—cough cough cough!"

Shelly, who was sipping her coffee, choked violently, her fair cheeks turning bright red. She hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief to cover her mouth, giving Wen Xiao a fierce glare.

Wen Xiao leaned back on the sofa, raising an eyebrow expressionlessly: "Principal, you have good taste. I also think they're quite a good match."

"A perfect match my foot!"

Sister Yuan, who had been standing guard like a gatekeeper, jumped out like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her usually icy face turned ashen with anger, and she spoke in heavily accented Northeastern English, gesturing and trying to clarify:

"No, no, no! Not together! They're not together at all! Our young lady is a senior teacher at Yihe High School, and he's just... he's just a gofer! Principal, you can't just play matchmaker and ruin our young lady's reputation!"

Sister Yuan was sweating profusely with anxiety when she suddenly realized something was wrong. She turned around and stared at Wen Xiao in surprise.

"No, how come you understand English?"