Despite the small interlude on the plane, Shen and Jade ended up chatting happily. He genuinely liked this lively little girl.
Meanwhile, in Bavaria, outside a magnificent ancient castle once owned by King Ludwig II—
Several figures suddenly rushed out of the castle in panic.
"Bad luck! Bad luck! Bad luck!"
Under the stunned gazes of those outside, Jackie Chan was sent flying through the air, tightly clutching a shield.
Embedded in the shield was a stone engraved with an ink-wash rooster pattern that faintly glowed.
Not far away, two separate groups fixed their eyes on the disheveled Jackie almost at the same time.
"Follow him!" ×2
The leaders of the two groups spoke simultaneously.
One was a bald man wearing a black trench coat.
The other wore a green suit and had a white ponytail.
Inside one of the vehicles speeding away—
"Finn, aren't we supposed to find the archaeologist that Valmont mentioned?" Rasu asked while driving.
Zhou also cast a questioning look at Finn, who sat in the passenger seat, calmly applying hair gel and styling his hair using the rearview mirror.
"No. We're going to the airport first."
After fixing his hair, Finn adjusted his collar and raised an eyebrow at his reflection with satisfaction.
"Haven't I told you? I must have. My nephew is coming to stay with me for a few months in San Francisco. I'm responsible for looking after him during that time."
"You didn't tell us," Zhou said flatly.
"Should we prepare a welcome gift?" Rasu scratched his head.
"No need. I've already prepared it."
Recently, for reasons unknown, Valmont had acquired a large number of weapons and equipment—even armed helicopters. Because of that, the trio hadn't been paid in months.
Still, as long as they completed the mission, Valmont promised enough money to last a lifetime.
All three firmly believed that.
"We should still prepare something," Zhou said. "We can't lose face in front of a child."
"At the very least, treat him to a big meal," Rasu added, though he subconsciously thought about his thin wallet.
Not long after, they arrived at the airport.
"Uncle Finn!"
With just one glance, Shen recognized the trio immediately. They were impossible to miss in a crowd.
Calling them conspicuous wasn't an insult—they truly stood out.
As key members of The Dark Hand, they carried themselves with confidence. Despite how they appeared in the anime, they weren't incompetent at all.
"There he is! My nephew!"
Finn pointed at Shen and strode forward with Zhou and Rasu.
Meanwhile, inside Uncle's Antique Shop—
Uncle pointed at the little girl standing between three suitcases almost larger than she was.
"Jackie, this is your niece."
"I have a niece?" Jackie stared at the cool-faced little girl, utterly bewildered.
Back at the airport—
"Haha, Shen!"
Finn walked over and gave him a warm hug.
"Long time no see."
"Long time no see, Uncle Finn," Shen replied with a smile.
In his inherited memories, Finn had always doted on him when he was young.
"As expected of a top student. Your English is excellent too. Uncle feels relieved."
Finn then introduced his companions.
"These are my good partners, Rasu and Zhou. Not just at work—we're good partners in life too."
"Hello, kid." Zhou stepped forward and gave Shen a firm hug.
"Hello, Uncle Zhou. Uncle Finn often talks about you. He says you're a very reliable friend."
Zhou adjusted his yellow-tinted glasses, clearly pleased.
"Uh… hello!" Rasu awkwardly extended his hand.
"Hello, Uncle Rasu. Uncle Finn says you're the most knowledgeable among the three of you."
Shen shook his hand politely.
He wasn't flattering them randomly. In his memories, he and Finn frequently exchanged letters. Though their last meeting was years ago, their connection remained strong.
Finn smiled proudly and draped an arm over Shen's shoulder.
"We're taking you to a welcome dinner first. Big meal tonight. Uncle Rasu and Uncle Zhou already booked the restaurant."
Shen nodded obediently.
This start… wasn't bad at all.
They drove to a restaurant and enjoyed a lavish Chinese meal.
After dinner, back in the car, Finn turned to Shen.
"Shen, what are your plans in San Francisco? Anywhere you want to visit?"
Shen looked at him earnestly.
"Uncle Finn often says his job is very cool. I want to work alongside you."
The trio froze.
Finn exchanged glances with the other two before shaking his head.
"That won't do. Uncle's job can be dangerous. It's not suitable for a child like you."
"That's right," Zhou agreed. "Think about where you want to have fun instead."
"The Golden Gate Bridge and Lombard Street are great," Rasu added enthusiastically. "I especially recommend the California Academy of Sciences. You can learn a lot there."
"Alright, alright," Finn waved a hand. "He just finished his exams. No more studying for a few months."
Finn pulled out a thick wad of U.S. dollars from his white jacket and handed it to Shen.
It was at least several thousand.
"Uncle Finn, Dad already gave me living expenses," Shen said quickly.
"Don't act like a stranger. I'm your uncle."
Finn firmly shoved the money into Shen's hand.
"Go have fun," Zhou said calmly, though surprise flickered briefly behind his sunglasses.
"Our salaries are very high," Rasu nodded seriously. "This amount is nothing."
Finn subtly touched his neck, feeling a slight twinge of guilt—but he maintained his confident expression.
"It's still early afternoon. We have work. Go enjoy yourself. And don't think about getting involved in our work. If anything happens, call me. You have my number."
Shen met Finn's determined gaze.
Bringing him along clearly wasn't happening today.
However…
Shen's eyes flickered thoughtfully.
He obediently stepped out of the car.
"Uncle Finn, Uncle Rasu, Uncle Zhou, I'm going to explore. I wish you success in your work."
He slipped the money safely into his pocket. Carrying that much cash openly in America was not wise.
The trio waved back before driving away.
"What a sensible child," Rasu said with a grin.
"Yes," Finn nodded with relief. "Shen has always been sensible. Looks like I won't have to worry too much during his stay."
They had no idea—
The sensible child standing on the sidewalk was already planning his next move. 🐉
...
Author's Note
Hello, readers! Welcome to my second Webnovel account.
My first Webnovel account is Shadow_demon_007, where I uploaded 20 fanfics. Due to Webnovel's upload limits and rules, I created this second account so I can continue uploading more fanfics for you all.
Please also check out my first account, where many of those 20 fanfics are available. Some of them are already fully completed, and I have uploaded those completed fanfics on my Patreon
👉 patreon.comShadow_demon_007
On Patreon, you can find
Fully completed fanfics
Three free fanfic available for readers
Another free fanfic coming on next month
I sincerely hope you enjoy my works, and I truly appreciate all your support.
Thank you for reading and supporting me!
— Shadow_demon_007