While Cassahalla now trembled before Bai Qi, he was still a well-known figure in collector circles, owning a sizeable private museum filled with valuable paintings and ceramics.
Many might not recognize the name Cassahalla, but his other moniker, "Origami Thief," is likely familiar. Cassahalla was once an ordinary petty thief, but during a burglary, he discovered a magical talisman that granted him the ability to transform into an origami person. In this form, he could fold his body at will into various shapes, and his paper could become hard enough to cut through metal.
Initially, Bai Qi had no intention of going to such lengths to find Cassahalla. He had planned to create another paper person using the talisman and had dispatched ninjas to retrieve it.
Unfortunately, by the time the ninjas returned with the talisman, its magical power had vanished.
This meant the talisman was now merely a historical artifact with no means to recreate a paper person.
Since that was the case, Bai Qi had no choice but to find a way to recruit Cassahalla, who had already become a paper person.
"Great demon lord, why have you brought me here?"
Initially, the sheer size of the Sacred Lord had overwhelmed Cassahalla. However, seeing that the demon had no intention of harming him, Cassahalla’s fear gradually subsided.
"You ask why you were summoned? Should I address you as Cassahalla, or the Origami Thief?"
"What?" Cassahalla's pupils contracted as his identity was revealed. "How do you know I am the Origami Thief?"
Bai Qi feigned mystery, saying, "In this world, there is nothing I do not know if I wish to."
"Now, you have two choices. First, become my subordinate and serve me. You will receive the support of a demon. Second, you can refuse, in which case I will conduct an experiment to see if a paper person thrown into the deep sea can be crushed by the water pressure."
Bai Qi's words were calm, yet they made Cassahalla shiver. These were hardly choices.
"I choose the first option. I am willing to become your subordinate and serve you, as long as you spare my life."
"A wise choice."
Bai Qi gestured, and a ninja nearby presented Cassahalla with a small cup containing a verdant, unknown liquid.
"Drink this to prove your loyalty."
Cassahalla instinctively recoiled from the green liquid. Before he could utter a refusal, two ninjas on either side pinned him to the ground. Another forced his mouth open, poured the liquid down his throat, and compelled him to swallow before releasing him.
"What... what did you make me drink!?"
As the green liquid flowed down his throat, Cassahalla’s throat felt as though it had been sliced by a knife, burning with pain, and an indescribable bitterness flooded his taste buds.
"This is a magic potion I have carefully concocted for you. If you harbor even a sliver of rebellious thought, *bang*! Your body will explode into pieces."
Hearing Bai Qi's words, Cassahalla felt dizzy. He had been forcibly abducted from his home by the ninjas; he was being pushed into this situation.
As a renowned collector mingling in high society, attending cocktail parties, and pilfering antiques and famous paintings – wasn't that enjoyable? Why should he follow a demon?
Cassahalla had initially intended to placate them for now and then pack his bags and flee upon returning home. However, now that he had been forced to drink what the demon called a "magic potion," any thought of escape was completely out of the question. He subscribed to the principle of better safe than sorry. Who knew if this demon was telling the truth? Cassahalla dared not gamble with his life.
Resigned, Cassahalla sighed weakly and asked, "My lord, what do you require of me?"
Bai Qi's response was unexpected.
"You don't need to do anything right now. I will have the ninjas escort you home. Once you return, continue with your previous activities. Then, take this to the Umbrella Corporation and find Bruce. Tell him I sent you, and he will inform you of your specific tasks."
Taking the card handed to him by a ninja, Cassahalla fell into thought.
The black card was embossed with a red and white umbrella.
As someone from the upper echelons of society, he was well aware of the significance of this card.
This so-called Umbrella Corporation seemed to have sprung from nowhere, aggressively sweeping through and acquiring numerous companies in the field of genetic engineering. Even the titan of the industry, the Osborn Group, was rumored to have been secretly consumed by Umbrella, leaving behind only an empty shell.
Even more terrifying was Umbrella Corporation's claim to have conquered various incurable diseases, including cancer, and developed drugs capable of fully recovering cancer patients.
At the time, Cassahalla found it unbelievable. Now, it seemed the mastermind behind the Umbrella Corporation was the demon before him. With that in mind, the Umbrella Corporation's momentum and bold pronouncements were understandable.
After all, a demon that had lived for countless years was itself a living, ancient library, possessing immeasurable knowledge beyond that of ordinary humans.
Witnessing the demon's depth of power, Cassahalla's last shred of rebellious thought vanished.
Life was like this. Since he could not resist, he might as well lie down and enjoy it. With a demon backing him, if something were to happen in the future, wouldn't he be free from worry? Especially since this demon was not as ferocious and cruel as the rumors suggested.
Having confirmed Cassahalla's loyalty, Bai Qi had the ninjas escort him home.
Frankly, even in this altered world, Cassahalla's strength in the original story was mediocre. He was a mere petty thief who stumbled upon good fortune. All his power lay in his origami abilities. Even if he hadn't been captured by Fu Long, with his amateur skills, his capture was only a matter of time.
If he had a choice, Bai Qi certainly wouldn't have recruited him. Wouldn't it be more satisfying to give the origami magic to A Fu? Unfortunately, Bai Qi had no choice.
However, Cassahalla did have his own advantages: his connections.
Having long frequented high society circles, Cassahalla had amassed many contacts. His collection of antiques and famous paintings also provided him with sufficient assets. Rather than valuing his paper-person abilities, Bai Qi was more interested in his connections and wealth.
This was also why, after subjugating Cassahalla, Bai Qi assigned him no immediate tasks and instead directed him to connect with Bruce.
At this point, Bai Qi himself was already quite powerful. Combined with the Imitation Master, Caitlyn, and Kraven, any one of them was capable of fighting ten Cassahallas. It was better to hand him over to Bruce, allowing him to leverage his advantages under Bruce's command.