The ceiling panel had indeed been removed before; it was easy to pry open.
Inside the false ceiling was a safe.
Directly above the light bulb, there was a simple mechanism made of ropes and gears. When the light bulb was twisted, the gears would turn, pulling the ropes.
These ropes were attached to the ceiling panel that had been removed. Once the ropes were pulled, the panel would naturally lower.
If the light bulb was twisted further, the ropes would also catch the safe, pushing it down through the opening in the ceiling.
It was a crude design, but undoubtedly practical. Unless someone violently tore apart the ceiling for inspection, or Batman scanned it thoroughly with high-tech equipment, it would be genuinely difficult to find.
Predictably, the key to this safe had already been destroyed by Black Gold, along with the room key and its owner.
However, Qingshui wasn't without a solution.
For a ninja, the truly secure method of protection was sealing jutsu. Locks like this could be bypassed in multiple ways.
Qingshui took out a straightened paperclip with a sharpened tip, connected it with Chakra Threads, and inserted it into the safe. He wiggled it up and down a few times, then pulled it out, twisted the paperclip a few times to reshape it like a key, and reinserted it.
This trick had been used by a fellow villain back at Arkham Asylum, but that person relied on experience and skill. Qingshui, however, used Chakra Threads to perceive the inside of the keyhole, allowing him to deduce the key's shape.
"Click."
The safe opened, revealing stacks of crisp green dollar bills and the intoxicating scent of ink.
A smile spread across Qingshui's face.
Though there were no gold bars this time, the amount of money was significantly more than what he'd found with the last gang leader. His overall haul shouldn't be much less.
To get rich, simply working hard and saving diligently isn't enough. You have to exploit others.
Chidi Kohl, and that gang leader from the nightclub he encountered earlier, were just heads of small, unassuming gangs, yet they could easily possess such a large sum of money.
"Boss! There's a total of four hundred and ten thousand dollars in here!"
After counting the money, the accountant excitedly reported to Qingshui.
"Take two hundred thousand and split it among the brothers. Then take another hundred thousand to buy some guns and things. The rest is mine. Also…"
"From now on, the Kohl Gang won't be called the Kohl Gang anymore. Just call us Hogg United."
Receiving their share, the thugs were naturally thrilled, cheering joyfully.
Having just taken control of these subordinates, it was only natural to offer some benefits. Combined with the methods he'd displayed earlier, a dual approach of both power and incentives would make them more effective.
Perhaps feeling he had closed the gap with his new boss, Dura, the accountant, approached Qingshui for a chat after helping distribute the money.
"Hogg United? Boss Watt, that doesn't sound very intimidating, does it?"
"Those gangs with 'gang' in their names—even an idiot knows they're gangs. Changing it to Hogg United makes us sound like a legitimate organization, at least, and less likely to attract the attention of those bat-monsters. Later, we can even set up some kind of football club or something, and then we'll be a proper, legitimate organization, a civilian society."
Qingshui explained to Dura.
Most of the other thugs were essentially uneducated, entertainment-fed low-level workers, but Dura was the only one who had attended university.
American church universities varied widely. The truly good ones were indeed top-tier global institutions, but more often, they were regional, serving specific communities or groups, and their quality wasn't particularly high.
The Gotham Gradia Church University he attended couldn't compare to elite institutions like Gotham University or Central City University, but it was still a legitimate university.
Dura was currently the only person under him with higher education and some management ability, making him someone Qingshui valued.
"Got it. So, from now on, we can also collect protection money under the guise of financial services, like a civilian money society. That way, it'll be harder for outsiders to catch us.
But boss, I think I should remind you, this is the Gotham slums. The rules from the rich districts don't apply here. Our rules are: whoever has more guns, more people, or can fight better, gets more territory and more money. The expansion of our gang will still depend on brute force. Of course, I don't think anyone here has a tougher fist than you."
Dura pushed up his glasses and said.
Qingshui nodded in satisfaction.
This guy was sharp.
...
...
Naruto World.
A day had passed since the last S-rank mission incident.
After Jianxue initially stabilized Ishido's injuries with medical Ninjutsu, the group escorted him back to the Sand Village for better treatment.
The Third Kazekage, meanwhile, returned to the front lines.
With Hatake Sakumo severely injured, it was the best time to counterattack Konoha, and the Kazekage needed to take charge.
Ebizo specifically granted the Sixth Division a few days of leave, allowing everyone to rest well.
However, Qingshui still planned to go to the Puppet Force base as usual to use the training puppets.
When Qingshui arrived at the base, he found Sasori already assembling a puppet on a workbench.
"Sasori, what are you doing…?"
"I've been here all night."
Sasori pointed to the Salamander, which had already been repaired, then looked at Qingshui.
"Your two puppets are very good. Once I finish assembling Black Ant, we'll have another match."
"Black Ant..."
Qingshui looked at the puppet Sasori was assembling.
Though not yet fully put together, its general shape was already visible.
Clearly, this was an upgraded version of Termite, only much larger, and its materials had been changed.
"Is something on your mind?"
Qingshui felt Sasori's current state was a bit off.
Considering that Sasori would turn his childhood companions into puppets in the future, and later assassinate the Third Kazekage and turn him into a puppet too, Qingshui suddenly worried if Sasori would want to turn him into a puppet as well.
After all, he and Sasori were teammates, and he had even beaten Sasori during the selection process.
It would be best to try and steer him in the right direction while Sasori was still young.
Sasori's hands paused, but then he began installing parts even faster, speaking as he did so:
"What about you? You seem to admire the Third Kazekage a lot?"
"Perhaps. At least in the Sand Village, right now, we are all subordinates of the Third Kazekage. How about you? Are you dissatisfied with him?"
Sasori pursed his lips, stopping his movements. His bright eyes fixed on Qingshui.
"He didn't lead us to victory against Konoha, and many people died."
So that's your reason for assassinating the Third Kazekage a few years from now?
Sure enough, this kid is just like Itachi Uchiha; no one taught him when he was young, and his mind got twisted.
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