The overnight collapse of the Irish Mob, coupled with the disappearance of most of New York's Vampires, shook the entire underground world.
Whether it was the Irish Mob or those Vampires, their strength had been quite considerable.
Adding to that the earlier demise of the Cent Family, the Sullivan Family—dormant for over a decade—suddenly became the hottest topic in New York's underworld.
The Sullivans had always been one of the thirteen major families in the city's criminal network.
Now that they had risen so powerfully, no one dared to challenge them—not anytime soon.
So, when Ryan's subordinates went out to seize the assets of the Irish Mob and the New York Vampires, everything went down smoothly.
Ryan, meanwhile, had returned to the Dao Field beneath Presbyterian Hospital, keeping a low profile.
First, Professor Connors still needed Ryan's help with developing the Lizard Serum at the hospital.
Second, there was Deacon Frost—a Marquis-level Vampire—who also required Ryan's "personal attention."
A Marquis-level Vampire was an incredibly rare find.
For Ryan, a Vampire of that level was almost wasted if used as nourishment for the Blood Transformation Demon Blade.
But as a test subject—or even better, a "blood bag"—he was extremely valuable.
Starting with Frost, Ryan began laying the foundation for a Vampire Breeding Base under Presbyterian Hospital.
Being one of the top five hospitals in the United States—and among the best globally—Presbyterian had a natural advantage in blood supply. With enough money, it could easily sustain thousands of Vampires.
And Vampires, after all, were no ordinary beings.
For research and cultivation, their genes, speed, recovery, longevity, and heightened senses were all priceless assets.
In terms of cultivation resources:
their blood could nourish blades,
their skin could be crafted into talismans,
their claws refined into Artifacts,
their bones forged into Bone Demons,
their flesh could expand the Taiyin Jade Ring's space,
and their souls could temper the Red Dust Heart Refining Furnace.
Even their inherent sinister Devilish Qi was useful—it could reinforce the Dao Field's foundation.
Ryan understood the difference between a one-time feast and a sustainable food source.
Properly maintained, a Marquis-level Vampire could easily give rise to a whole generation of Counts and Viscounts.
Two months passed quietly.
Aside from spending time with his Gwen, Ryan devoted himself to building the Vampire Breeding Base beneath the hospital.
With capable allies like Frank and John Wick, they managed to capture hundreds of stray Vampires across New York over those two months.
Combined with vast sums of capital flowing in and out, the operation grew rapidly.
After 64 days of work, the underground Dao Field beneath Presbyterian Hospital had changed completely.
The original Bagua Mountain had been carved into an octagonal Treasure Artifact, and after the Five Yin Ghosts devoured massive amounts of flesh and blood, they had opened nine layers of inner space within it.
Bagua and Nine Palaces—World-Painting Pagoda.
The small mountain underground was now almost completely refined into a Spirit Treasure embryo—the World-Painting Pagoda itself.
One of its layers was specifically dedicated to Vampire breeding.
The flowing Star Origin Ki, the corpses from mortuaries, and the constant blood supply from Presbyterian Hospital—all of it created a self-sustaining ecosystem.
Using Deacon Frost to expand the Vampire population, and using the Vampires to mass-produce cultivation resources—it was a fully closed-loop system.
Self-sufficient. Recycling. Regenerative.
An absolutely green and environmentally friendly industry—without a trace of pollution.
The only downside?
After refining Bagua Mountain into the World-Painting Pagoda and adding the Red Dust Heart Refining Furnace, the Star Origin Ki here was stretched thin trying to nourish two Magic Treasures at once.
"I wonder if the assets of the Irish Mob and New York Vampires have been fully sorted. My next plan can't proceed without solid financial backing."
Just as Ryan was mulling that over, John Wick entered the Dao Field.
"Your Excellency," John reported, "the assets related to the Irish Mob and the Vampires have been fully integrated. Would you like to review them?"
"They've been integrated so quickly?"
A small smile tugged at Ryan's lips as he stepped out of the breeding base.
Speak of the devil.
Upon hearing that a professional auditing firm and legal team were already waiting at Presbyterian Hospital, Ryan didn't linger. He followed John to his office.
The first thing that caught Ryan's eye as he walked in was a red-haired woman—curves for days, posture confident, beauty sharp enough to kill.
A bombshell figure. A siren's face.
A familiar name surfaced in his mind almost instantly.
Black Widow. Natasha Romanoff.
The moment he saw her, Ryan's mind stirred.
Has S.H.I.E.L.D., that snake's nest, started paying attention to me?
They actually sent out their ace agent—Sister Widow. They must really value me.
I just wonder which version of her this is…
A quick scan with Divine Sense revealed the details:
A 21-year-old body, a half-healed arrow wound, and—surprisingly—her primordial Yin still intact.
So this Black Widow's just joined S.H.I.E.L.D.? Early 2000s… a few years before the Avengers Initiative. The Natasha Romanoff of the movie timeline was born in 1984—yeah, it fits.
Tsk. An all-around agent indeed.
S.H.I.E.L.D. must be investing heavily these days.
Even if he knew this was bait, Ryan couldn't help but smirk. It was too tempting not to bite.
After a brief pause, he nodded slightly and stepped into the room.
Natasha stepped forward, her tone professional.
"Mr. Sullivan, I'm Natasha Shariman. I graduated from New York University's School of Business Administration. Presbyterian Hospital has hired me to help manage your assets."
"I've been handling all asset summaries from the past month. Here are the documents—please take a look."
Ryan accepted the folder, glancing at her again. Their eyes met—and a faint blush rose on Natasha's face.
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear nervously. For a second, she looked less like a spy and more like a shy college intern.
Sugoi… No, wait. Focus, Ryan.
She was sexy, smart, and utterly lethal.
When it came to seduction, Black Widow was a professional.
For her acting, I'd give her 82 points—and the remaining 18, I'll send in 666s.
Her performance was pure enough. Her looks, perfect. Her demeanor, just innocent enough to disarm.
If there weren't others in the room, Ryan would've smirked and whispered:
"Miss Natasha… you wouldn't want to lose your job, would you?"
He held back the line—for now.
Business came first. Pleasure could wait.