Urahara: Cards on the Table

White mist curled up beside the spiritual spring, and the diffused Reiryoku flowed slowly in the air, making the atmosphere in the laboratory exceptionally peaceful.

But beneath this calm surface lies a silent probing.

Wang Xun maintained his calm demeanor.

He walked to the stone table, picked up a cucumber, and slowly took a bite, his gaze sweeping over the cultivation racks and the spiritual spring in the laboratory, his tone casual.

"Your spiritual spring is now more than capable of cultivating spiritual fruits and birds in large quantities. It's time to move it outside and expand its scale."

Urahara leaned against the lab bench, still fiddling with the bottles and jars on it, but his eyes were always fixed on Wang Xun out of the corner of his eye.

Seeing that Wang Xun never looked at the bottle of reagent, doubts gradually arose in her heart.

Urahara could clearly sense that the ethereal Reiatsu within the reagent bottle was slowly dissipating and floating in the air.

During the last test, even with such a low Reiatsu concentration, Wang Xun was still able to notice the sleeve from which he sprayed the potion.

Wang Xun couldn't possibly have missed the dosage this time.

But Wang Xun's behavior at this moment was too calm, making it impossible for him to discern anything.

You're right, that's exactly what I was thinking too.

Urahara nodded with a smile.

"I just wonder if you've prepared the places I mentioned earlier?"

Wang Xun turned around and looked at Urahara, his tone calm and steady.

"I acquired a piece of land in West Rukongai. It's in a secluded location, far from the sphere of influence of the Seireitei nobles, so I'm unlikely to be disturbed."

"I've already asked Uncle Ichiraku to arrange for people to clean up over there. Don't worry, everything that needs to be prepared is in place."

A flicker of surprise crossed Urahara's eyes, followed by a laugh.

"You're quite efficient. I thought you'd need a few more days to think it over, but I didn't expect you to have already arranged the venue."

Early preparation leads to early results.

Wang Xun said calmly, walked to the experimental table, and stood opposite Urahara.

Out of the corner of his eye, he had already noticed that the Hollowfication Fragment emanating from the bottle of dark red reagent were slowly drifting towards him.

Tiny specks of light flickered in the air, carrying a familiar, chilly aura.

Wang Xun's mind focused slightly, but he made no move, letting the Hollowfication Fragment flow into his body.

The system notification sounded quietly in his mind, which he deliberately ignored:

[Gain 10 Hollowfication Fragment, +1000 Hollowfication Experience]

[Hollowfication: lv4 (Experience: 3880/5000)]

As Reiryoku entered his body, Wang Xun felt his Reiatsu become much more abundant.

These fragments were several times purer than the Hollowfication Fragment he had absorbed in Rukongai in the past, and they had no trace of frenzied energy, clearly indicating that they had been harmonized and improved by Urahara.

In this way, Wang Xun finally made up his mind.

Kisuke Urahara was indeed researching something, and it's quite possible that it originated from him.

This bottle is clearly a test, just like last time.

Wang Xun sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm.

"Once the site is built, the spiritual spring will be moved there. You will be responsible for the initial setup of the food cultivation. I won't concern myself with the technical aspects; I will only be responsible for providing funding, materials, and channels."

"The final products will be graded according to quality. Part of them will be sold to merchants in Rukongai, and the rest will be sold to nobles at a higher price. We'll split the profits 20/80."

"80/20 split?"

Urahara raised an eyebrow, a playful smile appearing on his face.

"These technologies were all developed by me. Giving me only 20% is a bit too heartless, isn't it?"

"Twenty percent is quite a lot. Even if you wanted to do these things yourself, do you have the channels and the energy?"

"Give me these things now, and you can just lie back and collect the money. What more could you ask for?"

Kisuke Urahara blinked and held up three fingers.

"I'll cover your subsequent iterations, even if it's only 30%. In my opinion, this technology still has a lot of room for improvement."

The two stared at each other, as if sparks were flying in the air.

Finally, Wang Xun slowly nodded.

"I still trust Third Seat Urahara's abilities."

"Make a deal."

Wang Xun looked directly into his eyes, his tone calm, yet carrying an undeniable certainty.

"After that, you need to be even more attentive to this project than I am. If it loses money, you'll lose even more."

Urahara gave a playful smile.

"Of course, you don't need to worry about that."

Wang Xun said calmly.

"It's getting late, so I'll head back to the Fourth Division now."

"As for the follow-up matters, first draft a detailed plan and send it to the Fourth Division for me. After I review it, I will begin preparations for the next steps."

After saying that, Wang Xun turned around and walked towards the laboratory door.

Urahara stood by the lab bench, watching Wang Xun's back. The smile on his face gradually faded, and the thoughts in his eyes grew deeper.

His gaze fell on the bottle of reagent.

But Wang Xun never once glanced at the bottle of reagent.

There wasn't even the slightest unusual reaction.

Did he genuinely not notice, or was he deliberately pretending not to notice?

If he deliberately pretends not to have noticed, then he is far too cunning.

Urahara tapped his fingertips lightly on the lab table, his mind replaying Wang Xun's every move.

Every word he uttered and every movement he made seemed incredibly natural.

When discussing cooperation, his thinking was clear, his considerations were thorough, and there were no flaws whatsoever.

But it was precisely this perfect naturalness that made Urahara feel uneasy.

He remembered the time he secretly released the potion in Rukongai.

Although Wang Xun didn't expose him on the spot, he later gave him a subtle look, clearly indicating that he had some suspicions.

This time, he deliberately placed the reagent in a conspicuous position, wanting to see Wang Xun's reaction.

But Wang Xun's behavior was something he couldn't figure out.

Just as Urahara's thoughts were churning, Wang Xun had already reached the secret door of the laboratory, his fingertips about to touch the stone wall outside the door.

"Wang Xun."

Kisuke Urahara suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching Wang Xun's ears.

Wang Xun stopped in his tracks, but did not turn around.

He could feel Urahara's gaze fixed on him, filled with inquiry and scrutiny, and a hint of barely suppressed probing.

After a few seconds of silence, Wang Xun slowly turned around and looked at Kisuke Urahara.

His face remained calm, with a perfectly measured hint of doubt in his eyes.

"What is it, Third Seat Urahara?"

Kisuke Urahara did not answer, but slowly raised his hand and picked up the bottle of dark red reagent on the edge of the lab bench.

He pinched the bottle neck with his fingertips, pulled it out of the jar, and held it in mid-air.

The slender bottle gleamed faintly under the light, and the reagent inside swayed gently, exuding an unusual allure.

Kisuke Urahara's gaze fell on Wang Xun's face, a half-smile playing on his lips.

The probing look that had previously been hidden deep in his eyes was now revealed without any concealment.

At the same time, he asked, word by word.

Do you know what this is?

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.