Spellcasting Gods

After about two or three minutes, the Speaker seemed to have figured something out and nodded slightly: "Of course! I will keep it a secret for you. But I'm curious, why did you agree to Yvonne mediate the conflict between me and several other members? Or to put it another way, do you want to expand your influence in the Supreme Council?"

"Half and half! I wanted to slightly increase my influence, but more importantly, those councilors offered me a tempting price. You should know that I'm someone who really enjoys collecting knowledge and technology, so I simply couldn't resist such an offer," Zhang Cheng explained with a smile.

"Hahaha! I like your honesty! Okay, for your sake, all the conflict ends here. But there's a condition: they must find that damned thief within six months, or the consequences will be severe. No one can steal my things and get away with it." As he said the last word, Cosmo's face showed an expression that combined fierceness, cruelty, and tyranny.

"Understood! I promise to convey this message to every member of parliament without missing a single word." Zhang Cheng stood up, placed one hand on his chest, and bowed.

He had no interest in what would happen if the thief was still not caught six months later, since he had already achieved his goal.

“Alright, no need for such formality. You’re an indispensable member of the council, unlike them. Oh, right, I almost forgot to give you your reward. Here, this is a book recording powerful curse magic used by priests in ancient Egypt. It’s extremely rare and precious. It’s said that a demigod once died from the curse in this book.” Cosmo quickly took out an ancient book bound with papyrus and with a gold cover from the bookshelf behind him.

It has to be said that after thousands of years, it is a miracle that this book is completely undamaged and the text and pictures are not blurred.

Especially when held in your hand, you can immediately feel a malevolent magical energy flowing through the pages, which can help every reader better understand the principles of curse magic.

Zhang Cheng carefully flipped through the pages, and soon he was engrossed in the strange symbols and unbelievable ways of cursing.

I don't know how much time passed, maybe ten minutes, maybe several hours...

In short, by the time he came to his senses, it was already completely dark outside, and the servants and slaves inside the villa had prepared a sumptuous meal and stood respectfully to the side to serve their master.

Cosmo had a very good appetite, devouring a peeled prawn in just a few bites. He teased in a half-joking tone, "My dear Zhang, I must admit, your insatiable thirst for knowledge is quite impressive. But that book is yours now; you can take it back and study it at your leisure. Come and eat something now; I guarantee the seafood on the table will satisfy your discerning palate. Also, if you take a fancy to any pretty maid, just tell me—don't be shy, I'll transfer her magic contract to you."

"Are they all contract slaves?" Zhang Cheng glanced at the twenty-odd young women around him, their eyes revealing undisguised surprise.

Contract slaves, as the name suggests, are slaves bound by magical contracts. They are true slaves who cannot even commit suicide and are completely unable to resist any orders given by their masters, even if it means killing their own flesh and blood relatives or cutting off and eating a part of their own body.

Generally speaking, only those who commit extremely serious crimes will be demoted to indentured slaves by the Supreme Council.

Even more frightening is that this terrible disciplinary contract can be passed down to future generations.

Because the contract specifies a time limit, perhaps thirty years, fifty years, one hundred years, two hundred years, three hundred years, five hundred years, one thousand years...

If a person is unable to live that long, their descendants will take their place and continue to live as indentured servants, generation after generation, until the term expires.

If there are no offspring, the council will use powerful magic to help conceive one.

In some ways, this is the most terrifying way for parliament to punish someone...

Chapter 0652 Contract Slave

"Yes, they are all contract slaves, and second or third generation at that. The shortest contract term is still fifty years. Most importantly, they are guaranteed absolute obedience and loyalty to their masters. No matter how you torture, abuse, or even kill them, they will still be almost madly infatuated with you and love you..."

As Cosmo spoke, he reached out and beckoned to the maid on his left.

The white woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, immediately stepped forward, knelt on one knee, took the speaker's wrinkled and age-spotted hand, and kissed it deeply. Her two light green pupils were filled with a morbid, twisted adoration and fanaticism.

Without a doubt, all of this was caused by a powerful magical contract.

Perhaps through methods such as hypnosis, suggestion, or brainwashing, the victim is forced to believe that the contract holder is their closest relative or lover. Or perhaps, like a mind-stealer, the brain is directly induced with hallucinations, to the point that the victim cannot distinguish between illusion and reality, and over time, they become slowly immersed in it and cannot extricate themselves.

In any case, it certainly wasn't out of the person's own will.

Thinking of this, Zhang Cheng couldn't help but smile and shake his head, refusing, "Forget it, I have no interest in servants who don't even have self-awareness. Their value is not even as good as the high-level magical puppets created by alchemy."

“No, dear Zhang, you should know what I mean. Don’t tell me that as a straight man, you’re not interested in these beauties whose figures, looks, and temperaments far exceed the average. Believe me, they will give you unprecedented pleasure in bed.” Cosmo slightly curled the corners of his mouth, implying meaningfully.

“Excuse me, Mr. Speaker, but when it comes to women, I personally prefer genuine feedback rather than a bunch of dolls who will do whatever you say. What’s the difference between that and buying a bunch of silicone dolls?” Zhang Cheng shrugged and unceremoniously picked up a raw oyster and popped it into his mouth.

Pushing the kneeling maid aside, Cosmo's eyes flashed with a strange light before he quickly nodded in agreement: "That makes sense! It seems you know how to enjoy life better than this old man. Tell me, after this mediation, what are you planning to do next?"

"I don't know, I haven't decided yet. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll stay in Los Angeles for a while and take the opportunity to visit the famous Hollywood," Zhang Cheng replied, half-jokingly.

Although strictly speaking, it's impossible to keep something like launching a private satellite a secret, he still didn't want the underworld to know too soon.

“Hollywood…” Cosmo seemed to recall something, a hint of nostalgia appearing on his aged face. “I remember a hundred years ago, it was just a desolate town. But with the development of the times, in just thirty or forty years, it slowly became the world’s largest film production center. If you really want to see it, I can arrange a guide for you, an industry insider who truly understands the development of Hollywood.”

"Thank you for your kind offer, but I still prefer to explore on my own and enjoy the surprises that may appear at any time. If you have no other requests, I shall take my leave now." With that, Zhang Cheng picked up a white napkin, wiped his mouth, and gave a slight bow.

"Have a great time with you! Also, I won't forget everything you've done, so feel free to call me anytime if you need anything." Cosmo raised his glass high, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

……

Leaving the luxurious villa on Venice Beach, Zhang Cheng immediately took out his phone and dialed one of the numbers in his contacts.

Less than five seconds later, Chester Barsham's voice came through the receiver: "Hey! My dear friend, you finally called me. How's it going? Have you arrived in Los Angeles yet?"

“Yes! I’m already in Los Angeles. Now tell me where you live.” Zhang Cheng didn’t waste any words and went straight to asking for the address.

“I live in Beverly Hills, but it’s past nine o’clock now, and I doubt you’ll be able to get a taxi. Tell me where you are, and I’ll come pick you up in a helicopter,” Chester Barsham offered.

It must be said that his suggestion was quite thoughtful.

Zhang Cheng also discovered that after leaving the luxury villa area, it was as if he had entered another world. Black people, prostitutes, and drug dealers were roaming the streets and alleys, a stark contrast to the relatively good security during the day.

Let alone taxis, there are hardly any vehicles to be seen on the wide roads. Any local resident with a modicum of common sense knows how dangerous and chaotic this time of day is.

Left with no other option, he found a reasonably conspicuous parking lot and patiently waited for the helicopter to arrive.

In less than ten minutes, accompanied by the loud noise of the rapidly spinning propellers, a helicopter of unknown model slowly descended from the sky.

Before they even landed, the passenger door suddenly burst open, and Chester Barsham yelled at the top of his lungs, "Quick! Get in! This damn place isn't safe!"

"Don't worry, with me here, even if the entire California National Guard is mobilized, I can guarantee your safe departure." Zhang Cheng smiled nonchalantly, jumped into the passenger seat, and closed the door.

But Chester Barsham, wearing headphones, clearly didn't hear what was said. He quickly gained altitude and headed straight for Foley Hill, the most luxurious residential area in Los Angeles.

A short while later, the two landed on the lawn of a villa.

As soon as Zhang Cheng jumped off the plane, he saw a young woman who looked to be in her late twenties standing at the door, with a little boy of about three or four years old standing next to her.

It goes without saying that these must be Chester Barsham's wife and son.

In addition, four large Border Collies caught the scent of strangers, bared their teeth, and growled menacingly, as if warning them not to come closer.

"Good evening. You must be Mr. Zhang that Chester often mentions. It's great to finally meet you today. In fact, if my husband hadn't stopped me, I would have come to express my gratitude long ago." The young woman, who was undoubtedly very well-educated, took the initiative to greet him.

"Hehe, please believe me, your husband is definitely thinking of you. After all, I live in a magical world completely isolated from ordinary people. It's so dangerous that a beautiful and elegant lady like you would be better off staying away from it as much as possible," Zhang Cheng explained with a smile.

“Yes, darling. You know I’m doing this to protect you.” Chester Barsham clearly knew how curious his wife was about the underworld, and a hint of helplessness appeared on his face.

Chapter 0653 Private Satellite

There was no doubt that Chester Barsham didn't want his wife and children to be exposed to too much about the underworld. After a brief chat, he sent them upstairs to their room to sleep.

After the two had completely left, he took a deep breath and asked in a somewhat uncertain tone, "Where's the satellite you were going to launch?"

“Here.” Zhang Cheng calmly took out two exquisitely crafted little trinkets, each only the size of a palm, from his pocket and gently placed them on the table.

"What?! Are you sure this is a satellite, and not some children's toy or model?" Chester Barsham stared wide-eyed in surprise.

"Yes, these are satellites, but I shrunk them with magic. I'll restore them to their normal size before launch." Zhang Cheng made no attempt to hide anything, giving a straightforward and affirmative answer.

In fact, he had told the other party the size and weight of the two satellites from the very beginning, so the data obtained by the Western Space and Missile Test Center north of Los Angeles was normal size. Otherwise, launching two tennis ball-sized objects would not have cost $150 million, no matter how exaggerated it was.

“My God! That’s incredible! But I have a question: if you can shrink a satellite to such a small size, why not just launch it into space?” Chester Barsham’s tone was full of doubt and confusion.

Zhang Cheng explained with a smile: "It's very simple! Think about it, if you were the US government, and you suddenly discovered such a small and exquisite artificial satellite, wouldn't you be curious? Wouldn't you secretly conduct a small test? After it was launched into its designated orbit, wouldn't you monitor its purpose? If the satellite's size suddenly increased by tens or even hundreds of times, how would they react? Therefore, I would rather spend a little more money than leave behind a lot of potential troubles in the future."

Chester Barsham nodded thoughtfully: "I see! Then let's send the satellite to the launch center tomorrow. There's still a lot of preparation work to be done, including applying for radio frequencies, a radio operating license, and orbital registration. If all goes well, the satellite should be able to start operating normally in about a month and a half."

Clearly, he was quite familiar with the system procedures for launching private satellites, and even considered some legal approvals very comprehensively.

"Great job! I'll leave the whole thing to you. This is my payment to you." With that, Zhang Cheng took out a small briefcase, about a foot square, entered the password, and opened it.

moment!

Twenty sealed glass test tubes emitting a faint green glow were neatly arranged in the shockproof grooves of the box.

“This is…” Chester Barsham’s breathing quickened as he picked up one of the bottles, his eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.

Although he didn't know much about potions, he easily recognized it as the tonic that had saved his son's life last time and was said to cure all diseases, curses, poisons, and negative magical effects.

“That’s right! Exactly the same bottle as the one I gave you last time. I think using these to pay for the satellite launch is much better than giving you dollars directly, isn’t it?” Zhang Cheng pursed his lips and winked with a half-smile.

“Of course! These beautiful potions are worth far more than $150 million! I swear, if you put them in front of those billionaires suffering from terminal illnesses, they would be happy to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for their health.” Chester Barsham unconsciously licked his lips.

As an outsider who controlled public opinion for the North American Supreme Council, he knew better than anyone the value of these high-level potions, which could not be bought with money alone.

Moreover, for an ordinary person like him who has absolutely no supernatural powers, obtaining the gold dinars circulating in the underworld would require a great deal of time and effort.

But now, with these twenty bottles of tonics that can be used as hard currency, he can quickly obtain a sum of gold dinars through mortgages, loans, and other means. He can then use these gold dinars as capital to buy and sell low-level magical items, thereby earning the price difference.

Simply put, it means fully utilizing the strengths of businessmen and capitalists, taking advantage of information asymmetry and the relatively slow flow of commerce in the underground world to make profits for themselves.

In addition, twenty bottles of tonics mean that they can save twenty lives at critical moments and make the other party owe them a favor. Their enormous value is incomparable to a mere 150 million US dollars, and it would be more like it if you added two zeros.

"Then I'll leave the satellite launch to you. Try not to let too many people know about it unless absolutely necessary," Zhang Cheng said without hesitation.

After sensing the superficial thinking of the guy in front of him, he couldn't help but sigh to himself that capitalists are indeed ruthless and are much better at getting something for nothing than he is.

It's unclear whether the entry of people like this, who have been influenced by modern commercial culture, into the underground world will directly drive up the already high prices of low-level magical items.

"No problem, leave it to me. If even such a small matter required your personal involvement, the Supreme Council would have already kicked me and my family aside and replaced us with someone more capable. Oh, by the way, how long do you plan to stay in Los Angeles this time? If time permits, I can introduce you to several families in California that have served the legislature for generations; they are very influential in both politics and business. Most importantly, since you're in Los Angeles, how can you not properly appreciate and enjoy the Hollywood actresses…"

At the end, Chester Barsham wore a knowing smile that all men understand.

"Hahaha! Thank you for your kind offer, but let's forget about Hollywood actresses. I really have no interest in them," Zhang Cheng laughed and shook his head in refusal.

You should know that he is a staunch supporter of the truth that "there are no good people in the entertainment industry." Everyone who enters this circle, regardless of gender, will sooner or later be tainted by the ink-like dye vat.

For money, status, and fame, male and female celebrities would not hesitate to sell their souls, let alone their bodies.

Only an idiot would fantasize about professions like actors and celebrities, believing that there must be one or two pure white lotuses among them who remain untainted by the mud.

But in reality, every single one of them has an extraordinary vanity and desires. They would easily fall into depravity if they were tempted even slightly. Those who seem innocent are just good at pretending.

"You have OCD?" Chester Barsham raised an eyebrow in surprise.

This was the first time he had encountered someone who would refuse his offer to arrange a Hollywood actress. Even members of the secondary council and lords would usually accept and enjoy the process.

"No, it's not a matter of being a germaphobe; it's that I hate getting caught up in pure desires."

If the other person is a member of the Supreme Council, no matter how promiscuous her private life may be, I would gladly accept any behavior that could enhance our intimacy.

But if it were a female celebrity with no power or influence, why would I waste my precious time and energy on her?

Remember, dear Chester, never let lust control your thoughts. Only then will you be qualified to evolve towards a higher level of life…

Chapter 0654 Tendency

Simple stayed overnight at Chester Barsham's house. The next morning, Zhang Cheng restored the two satellites to their normal size and put them into a fully enclosed truck. He then wandered around Los Angeles alone.