The Dark Lord, currently in high spirits, was actually starting to feel a sliver of gratitude toward Victor Wick.
This would have been absolutely impossible in the past.
For the previously cold and ruthless Dark Lord, what was yours was mine, and what was mine was still mine; if you helped me, it was your duty, and if you didn't, you deserved to die.
How could emotions like gratitude ever surface?
Regulus was keen enough to notice this as well, and his gaze toward Voldemort began to turn slightly odd.
What on earth did Victor Wick do to the Dark Lord...
However, the current Dark Lord seemed completely oblivious to the changes in himself, continuing to sigh with emotion.
"In all these years, he is the only one who has been constantly searching for my whereabouts. As for the others... humph! They likely thought I was truly dead!" At the thought of those other useless dregs, the Dark Lord's mood suddenly became less pleasant.
"By the way, how exactly did Victor Wick lure Dumbledore away that night?" the Dark Lord suddenly asked.
Because he had immediately devoured that mass of soul power upon arriving at this hideout and fallen into a deep sleep, he was still unaware of the finer details of that night.
"Master, that night, Victor Wick sent someone to attack Azkaban to rescue the others," Regulus said respectfully.
"Attacking Azkaban? No wonder! That way, those fools at the Ministry of Magic would have no choice but to call Dumbledore away!" The Dark Lord's mood brightened again.
Since Victor Wick had gone so far as to attack Azkaban, it was even less likely that he was one of Dumbledore's people!
Moreover, after doing such a thing, Victor Wick could only be tightly bound to his own ship from now on! Even if the deal was completed, he would have nowhere else to go!
"And was it successful?" the Dark Lord asked expectantly.
"It almost was... even the people were brought out. But Dumbledore personally gave chase..." Regulus trailed off, but the meaning was already clear.
The Dark Lord paused, then waved his hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter... I will personally rescue them all sooner or later."
Victor Wick's raid was originally intended to lure Dumbledore away.
In that case, if his servant could escape Dumbledore's clutches, it would be a bonus.
If they couldn't escape... being able to delay Dumbledore for that long meant the effort wasn't wasted.
That night, Dumbledore had returned quite late, proving he had been held up for a long time.
Without a doubt, Victor Wick's plan had been a total success.
If it hadn't been for that traitor Snape desperately holding him back, he would have slipped away long ago!
"Traitor!" the Dark Lord cursed Snape again.
Yet, a trace of guilt he couldn't voice to others welled up in his heart. After all... he had promised Snape back then.
And the Snape of the past had indeed been loyal to the core...
Back then, a simple Stunning Spell could have dropped Lily while she stood in his way. Why did he have to kill her?
It could be said that he had personally pushed Snape into the enemy camp.
Sigh, it's my fault... loyal servants are becoming fewer and fewer...
The Dark Lord frowned slightly. Regulus didn't know what he was thinking, but... he couldn't help but feel that the current Dark Lord looked very wrong!
Just how much extra 'seasoning' did Victor Wick add to that so-called soul power!
Regulus suppressed the turmoil in his heart, doing his best to maintain his Occlumency...
Even if the Dark Lord's state seemed off, he didn't dare relax in the slightest!
"Master, please give me your orders. How should I help you with your resurrection next?" Regulus asked.
"No rush. I need to restore my soul to its optimal state." With the Stone in hand, the Dark Lord was no longer as hurried as before.
Because after absorbing that soul power, the Dark Lord had a premonition: the more complete his soul was when he resurrected, the more powerful he would be upon his return!
And he knew that to help him return to his peak as soon as possible, Victor Wick would surely continue to provide him with a steady stream of that soul power!
Besides, he had moved from the light back into the shadows and was now completely safe. So what was the harm in waiting?
"I understand..." Regulus nodded.
"Before long, I will return to sleep. You'll need to help me look after this useless waste; he cannot die yet!" the Dark Lord said in a low voice.
Clearly, the "waste" referred to Quirrell... Since the Dark Lord was currently possessing him, Quirrell's physical condition had to be nurtured, or it would drag down his own soul!
"Understood," Regulus agreed again.
"I will write down a list of materials for you. Once Quirrell's body has recovered, you will help me collect them. Reshaping a physical body requires a specific potion." The Dark Lord issued his next command.
In the book Secrets of Darkest Arts, besides the records of making Horcruxes, there were naturally also records of how to resurrect using one.
In fact, the Dark Lord had even made some improvements to the recipe. By adding certain things during the reshaping process—for example, materials from magical creatures carrying powerful magic—he could make his resurrected body even more overflowing with power.
Body reconstruction was, in a way, a process of destruction and rebirth. Taking the opportunity to strengthen his own bloodline upon resurrection was perfectly logical.
"I will gather these materials as quickly as possible," Regulus promised.
The Dark Lord looked at Regulus, his gaze softening. "It is rare that you are still so loyal. For now, just follow Victor Wick's arrangements. Do your work for him well. I will ensure the Black family receives glory that surpasses its ancestors."
When his mind was clear, the Dark Lord could occasionally regain his former poise.
Dangling a few carrots appropriately would make Regulus work with more dedication.
In his state of extreme weakness, such methods were especially important.
Regulus looked at the Dark Lord with a face full of gratitude. "I will surely give my all!"
However, internally, he was still filled with doubt. Was this really the same cold and heartless Voldemort who used the Killing Curse as his basic attack? He seemed far too genial...
The Dark Lord said no more, simply taking out the Philosopher's Stone and examining it with a burning gaze.
With the matter of the Stone temporarily settled, Victor Wick didn't find himself with any free time.
This was because Sirius had found him, carrying a thick stack of business proposals...
"I've founded Black Network Technology... and here is the proposal for that product of yours..." Sirius handed over the thick stack of papers.
Looking at the massive pile of documents, Victor felt his scalp go numb.
"You're really not cut out for a job! Since when does an employee bother the boss with every little thing!? Besides, I'm your secret financier! You're the one in charge!"
Victor forced himself to flip through two pages before snapping it shut.
"I'm just a bit uneasy... can this thing really make money?" Sirius asked, hesitating.
"How could it not? Wizards use owls to send mail, while Muggles rely on telephones! And right now, although wireless phones have appeared, they haven't become popular yet. Only the rich can afford them... that's our opportunity."
Wireless phones had appeared early on—like brick phones—but they weren't cheap; otherwise, they wouldn't have become status symbols.
Moreover, those wireless phones only had the function of making calls. But the mobile phone Victor had designed could not only make calls but also send messages, and the price wouldn't be too expensive... so how could it not make money?
In fact, if it weren't for the fact that advancing the technology tree too early would cause a series of troubles, Victor would have wanted to cook up smartphones decades ahead of schedule.
Before his reincarnation, Victor hadn't known much about the phone industry, but he couldn't help the fact that he knew magic. As long as he added some magical components to the phones... the Muggles wouldn't be able to tell anyway.
"I know that! But... precisely because this technology is too advanced, I'm worried..." Sirius shook his head. "Do you know how many interests you'll be stepping on once this thing is released? By then, forget making money—if I weren't a wizard, I might even be sent to pick up soap in a Muggle prison by those Muggle capitalists..."
"It's actually not as serious as you think. Given the level of Muggle technology, they'll be able to research this kind of mobile phone in a few more years anyway. I'm just speeding up the process a little."
"But... I still feel a bit uneasy." Sirius shrugged. "Besides, your mobile phone also requires building many more base stations and server rooms... the Muggle government won't be that easy to handle."
Victor pondered for a moment. "Minister Fudge owes me quite a few favors. You can ask him to help put you in touch with the Muggle Prime Minister. Just say I sent you... as for how to use Fudge and how to negotiate with the Muggles, that's up to you to figure out."
"I knew your tasks wouldn't be easy..." Sirius said with a bitter smile, shaking his head.
"Reviving a family is never easy... anyway, I've given you the opportunity and the path. Whether you can grasp it or not depends on your own ability." Victor indicated that he wouldn't be able to help with the rest.
In truth, with the Philosopher's Stone, Victor didn't lack money in either the Muggle or wizarding worlds. Getting Sirius to handle Muggle world business was just a casual move on the board.
If Sirius really could get the business off the ground, it would make using Muggle world resources much simpler in the future.
To Victor, the wizarding world was still too small...
"Alright then..." Sirius scratched his elegant long hair until it looked like a mess. "I'm so busy now I don't even have time to write to Harry."
"A single person's capacity is limited, after all. Don't you still have friends?" Victor said meaningfully.
"Wait, you mean...!" Sirius thought of Lupin, who was still destitute.
"The early stages are indeed hard work, but once the framework is built, you can leave professional matters to professional people. You'll only need to control the direction from behind. That way, you won't be so busy," Victor began painting a big picture again.
Victor didn't know much about running a company, but he was very good at saying things that were essentially empty but sounded somewhat reasonable.
Sure enough, Sirius fell for it, picking up the proposal and leaving with newfound confidence.