"Little kitty, go find a reputable construction firm and tell them there's a big job here," Caius said as he walked toward the Orphanage, tossing the instruction over his shoulder to Kiki.

  "Meow, got it!" Kiki nodded energetically and darted off toward the commercial district of Ocean City.

  This was the advantage of having an obedient little Catgirl—Caius didn’t have to handle everything personally.

  When he arrived at the Orphanage, he noticed the courtyard had been cleared, and the broken wall had already been repaired. He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in suspicion.

  From what he knew, Granny Lunla wasn't the type to spend money on things like that.

  Just as he was about to step inside, the door swung open and a man stepped out with a wide grin on his face.

  Caius arched a brow. "Sean?"

  Indeed, the man was Sean, and two lackeys followed closely behind him.

  “Big bro?” Sean blinked in surprise, then quickly ran over with his two men in tow.

  Caius noticed a new metal attachment on Sean’s arm—this time, not an iron claw, but a hammer.

  "What are you doing here?" Caius asked, arching an eyebrow with a hint of edge in his tone.

  Sean immediately sensed the misunderstanding and pointed at the two behind him. "I brought the boys to do some good for the Orphanage!"

  "Do some good?" Caius’s expression grew more skeptical.

  Sean rushed to explain.

  After absorbing the Sea Serpent Gang’s assets, the Crab Gang had expanded rapidly. Now they had over four hundred members. Not only did they manage orchards and woodlands, but they’d even stepped into the construction and building materials industries.

  Back when Caius had wiped out the Sea Serpent Gang, Sean had noticed the plaque in Caius’s hand—engraved with Lunla Orphanage. He immediately put two and two together, asked around, and found the place.

  Using “business development” as an excuse, he took it upon himself to fix the broken walls and clear the courtyard of weeds. He even replaced the kids’ sandpit with clean ocean sand.

  Now he was here to discuss with Granny Lunla about fully renovating the old house.

  And the reason?

  Naturally, to curry favor with Caius.

  Caius couldn’t help but chuckle.

  This guy—his horizons had certainly broadened.

  Caius gave Sean a pat on the shoulder. “Not bad. How much do I owe you?”

  “No need, no need!” Sean grinned wide. “The Orphanage is a charitable cause. We should all take part in building a harmonious and beautiful world—so that the poor orphans of this world can have a warm home~”

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Caius almost burst out laughing.

  This guy was surprisingly philosophical. If Caius didn’t already know what kind of person he was, he might’ve even believed him.

  They were both seasoned in this game. Even after losing both his right- and left-hand men to Caius, Sean could still flash a fawning smile without hesitation. Someone like that could be called clever—or a spineless opportunist.

  But such people could be very useful. As long as Caius remained dominant, someone like Sean could save him a lot of effort.

  “Thanks. If anything comes up, I’ll come find you,” Caius nodded.

  Hearing that, Sean was overjoyed. He nodded vigorously. “Yes, Big Bro!”

  Now he could call him “Big Bro” openly and proudly.

  “Well then, if there’s nothing else, we’ll be going?” Sean’s goal achieved, he prepared to leave.

  But Caius gave a sly smile. “What’s the rush? We rarely get a chance to talk. Let’s go over a few things.”

  “You just mentioned your gang's into construction now?”

  “Well, I’m planning to renovate this old place and give the whole Orphanage a facelift. Standard market price.”

  “Interested?”

  Sean was almost moved to tears.

  This—this was what a real Big Bro looked like.

  Not only did he look out for you, but he also brought you business.

  He nodded rapidly. “Of course! Absolutely!”

  “Good. Send someone to the commercial district to bring Kiki back. Let’s discuss the plan.”

  “On it!”

  Before long, inside the Orphanage, a large table had been cleared. Kiki and a few young girls peeked over the edges with curiosity, while Granny Lunla looked on from the side.

  Caius leaned over the blueprints. “Replace the wooden walls with stone, and line them with white bricks—same kind as the ones on the Iron Tavern’s exterior.”

  “Raise the interior ceiling height by one meter. The bathroom needs to be top standard. I want a bathtub.”

  “And then, add one more floor on top.”

  “As for the courtyard…”

  While Caius laid out his vision, Sean and his two men diligently jotted everything down.

  Half an hour later—

  “That’ll do for now. Build it first, and if I’m satisfied, I’ll come to you for the next phase,” Caius nodded.

  “Leave it to us!” Sean thumped his chest confidently before rushing off. Before long, he returned with a large team of workers—many of whom were former Crab Gang members. After receiving training, they were ready to work.

  As for the architects and foremen, they were professionals hired specially by the Crab Gang—allegedly from the Trevor Architectural Academy.

  Baron Zachary’s manor had been designed by Trevor Academy, and it was top-notch.

  Since construction was about to begin, Caius rented a place nearby to temporarily house Granny Lunla and the girls.

  This was a world of Magic, after all. With Earth-element mages involved, construction was lightning fast. Sean confidently pounded his chest and swore to finish everything in ten days.

  Watching the renovation progress in full swing, Granny Lunla fidgeted nervously and turned to Caius. “This must cost quite a bit, right?”

  “Not too much. Around a hundred and ten thousand gold,” Caius said as he puffed on a cigarette.

  “One… hundred… and ten…” Granny Lunla was stunned. She had thought the renovation might cost a few thousand, ten thousand at most.

  Over a hundred thousand? She wouldn’t even dare to dream of having that much.

  And this was actually the discounted rate. Though Caius had insisted on paying market price, Sean was adamant about giving him a deal. In the end, Caius gave in, agreeing to cover just the base cost—saving about fifty or sixty thousand gold.

  Caius had more than enough money now—if he didn’t spend a little, he felt uneasy.

  “Granny Lunla, I might just be a mercenary, but I’ve got a taste for quality living,” Caius said with a grin, turning to the elderly woman. “So don’t blame me for being a bit extra.”

  Granny Lunla pressed her lips together, then gave a small nod.

  She understood—Caius was trying to ease her worries.

  Soon, she and the children would be living there, without paying a single coin. The more she thought about it, the more she felt she should never have sold the land to him.

  She should have just gifted it to him outright.

  Granny Lunla felt she owed Caius far too much.

  And what was all this Caius was doing for?

  She understood deep down, but she didn’t say it out loud.

  She only looked at Caius with a gaze that had grown more and more gentle—

  like how one would look at a beloved son-in-law.

  But then, her eyes shifted to the little catgirl perched on Caius’ shoulder.

  Her tail, ever mischievous, was currently wrapped around Caius’ pinky, its tip gently brushing against his palm in a playful scratch.

  A flicker of worry passed through Granny Lunla’s eyes.

  Caius was a good man. He cared deeply for Belle, and with him around, she could feel at ease.

  But…

  Would Caius truly love only Belle?