Chapter 312: The Negotiation
"Did you find the tracker?" Valentine's question came through the secretary's earpiece.
"It seems... we found it."
"What do you mean 'seems'?"
"It means I found the receiver, but the receiver's holder is a dog. We've been played." The secretary said dejectedly. Just as she finished speaking, a Bumblebee sports car suddenly started up in the parking lot and sped towards her.
"Thump!" The sports car directly hit the unsuspecting secretary, sending her flying, and then sped away.
"Hey! Do you know what you're doing? You're tipping them off!" Even Harry, who was usually good-tempered, couldn't help but yell at Ron. The collision had really taken him by surprise.
"Do you think I'd be the one to tip them off? You don't think they're only just now realizing someone's investigating them, do you? Genius?!"
Ron's tone was unmistakably sarcastic, but Harry remained silent. Ron was telling the truth. If their people hadn't been killed in the snowy mountains first, or if he hadn't accidentally blown Dr. Arnold's head off when he approached him last time, Valentine might not be so wary now.
Of course, it was too late to say anything now, and besides, he wouldn't say these things in front of Ron, an outsider.
Ron's receiver continued to function normally. Aside from the science-related topics Valentine and Howard with Rajesh discussed, Harry was extremely interested in Valentine's next move, which he had inadvertently mentioned.
"Let me guess? You don't want to go check out his next destination, do you?" Ron shrugged, utterly speechless at encountering such a rigid, by-the-book British agent.
"Of course, now that we know where his next destination is, why don't we go and see what he's planning to do?" Harry answered confidently. "Southwood Church, I know that place. It's a very secluded church in Kentucky. Merlin, get the plane ready."
Harry had already started calling for a plane over the phone. What could Ron say to that?
"Alright, have a safe trip."
Ron dropped Harry off at the designated intersection and then drove home. Compared to Harry's next move, he was more curious about what had changed Sheldon's mind.
"Sheldon, what's wrong with you? Didn't you say you weren't going to the thank-you dinner?" By the time Ron got home, Sheldon had been there for quite some time.
"Of course, I wasn't planning on going. The great Sheldon shouldn't waste his time on such meaningless socializing."
"So how did you change your mind?"
"It was Amy," Sheldon closed his laptop and turned around in his chair. "She made me realize that all scientists need to raise funds. Think about it, if the physics department didn't have me step in, who would those donors give their money to?"
Sheldon's answer once again refreshed Ron's understanding of just how much influence Amy could have on Sheldon. One could only say the power of love was truly great, actually making this seemingly hopeless case blossom. Ron asked with interest, "Who would they give it to?"
"The Geology Department, Ron, those idiots who only know how to play with rocks and dirt all day long, and that's not all. Do you know what's even more terrifying, Ron?" Sheldon interrupted Ron's reply with lingering fear. "Even more terrifying than the Geology Department is the Humanities Department. Think about it, the money from those pretentious donors just goes around in circles to those smooth-talking BS artists, and it's all gone without a trace. It's like throwing money down the toilet!"
"Okay, that's a very good reason, but I need to remind you that I'm also a graduate of the Humanities Department." Ron immediately lost interest in continuing the conversation with Sheldon. "Please remember this next time you're going to trash other disciplines."
Ron thought the topic of the thank-you dinner was over, but to his surprise, the topic was brought up again the next evening when Ron was watching a movie with everyone at Sheldon's apartment.
"1, 2, 3, 4," Ron counted the people, then realized one was missing. "Wait, there are only five? Where did Leonard go?"
"Mrs. Latham called yesterday morning to invite Leonard to dinner, saying she wanted to discuss his research findings with him. Yeah, right!" Sheldon scoffed. "I really don't know if his research needs an entire dinner to discuss?"
"Okay, did you ask them where they were going to eat?"
"How would I know?" Sheldon said innocently. "But judging from the topic they were discussing, it's very likely McDonald's, KFC, or Jack in the Box."
Jack in the Box is a type of American fast food chain. It features a drive-through; you order from one end and drive to the other to pick up your food – very convenient and quick.
Using this kind of fast food to discuss research, Leonard's work must be insignificant. It must be said, Sheldon is a master at insulting people.
"Okay, let's forget about him then. What movie should we watch today? Zombieland, how about it?"
Ron spread out Sheldon's DVD collection, looking at the dazzling array of movies, unsure which to choose.
"Any movie will do, as long as it shuts Sheldon up," Penny said, sitting on the sofa with popcorn, earning a big eye roll from Sheldon.
Just then, the apartment door opened, and Leonard walked in looking sullen.
Howard asked curiously, "How was dinner?"
"Fantastic, absolutely fantastic! I need a drink first."
Leonard quickly walked past the sofa, his expression unreadable. Ron turned and asked, "Do you have any alcohol in your apartment?"
"How could we? We only have potatoes in the fridge," Sheldon turned to Leonard. "If you want some, I can make you vodka, but it'll be two weeks before you can have it."
The observant Penny couldn't help but ask with concern, "Leonard, are you alright?"
"I'm not sure." Leonard's expression looked conflicted.
"What's wrong?"
"Mrs. Latham said she's considering donating money to us so we can buy a cryogenic centrifugal pump..."
"Great!" The other three guys, including Sheldon, cheered, except for Leonard.
However, Ron felt things weren't that simple. If it were just about donating a cryogenic centrifugal pump, Leonard's expression would be the same as the other three—excited.
"And then? I'm guessing if she just said she wanted to donate equipment, you wouldn't be making that face."
"Then she stuck her tongue in my mouth." Leonard's expression was priceless.
Sheldon asked, puzzled, "WHY?!"
"We can't explain everything to you. Go look at the book we bought you."
The gossip was interrupted, and Penny glared at Sheldon.
"She likes me." That was Leonard's reply to Sheldon.
"Wait! Wait!" Howard finally realized what he meant and asked with a lecherous grin, "You mean that professor actually wanted to sleep with you as a condition for donating millions of dollars to your department?"
"I guess so."
"You lucky son of a gun," Howard said, shaking his head with a mixture of envy and regret.
Even Sheldon, oblivious to social cues, recognized Howard's intention to replace Leonard, a fact that touched on a blind spot in his knowledge.
WHY?
"I bolted before she could make her next move, but she wants to see me again tomorrow night. Do you guys have any ideas?" Leonard, still feeling uneasy, cast a pleading look at the people on the sofa.
However, to his surprise, the first to respond was Sheldon: "Great! What are you planning to wear?"
"Huh?" Leonard was completely bewildered.
Sheldon excitedly turned to Penny: "Penny, you use your looks to get by. You're an expert in this. Teach him!"
Leonard quickly stopped Sheldon before he could continue his rant: "No, no, wait a minute, I don't want to sleep with her."
"But we need a cryogenic centrifugal pump."
"Don't even think about it, I won't do that!"
"Please! Leonard," Sheldon stood up angrily, earnestly advising, "This might be your only chance to contribute to science in your life!"
"If scientists all used this method to get funding for their departments, I bet your Principal Siebert would replace you all with male strippers from nightclubs."
Ron got up, pressed Sheldon's shoulder, and pushed him back onto the sofa: "In this matter, I suggest you respect Leonard's personal wishes."
"I said absolutely not!" Leonard finished speaking and stormed back to his room.
"It's all your fault!" After Leonard left, Sheldon turned his anger towards Ron.
This time, however, Ron was unusually calm: "Come on, Sheldon, you need to be strategic with these things. Since he's already here and so resistant, you should be thinking about how to overcome that resistance, right?"
"Ron, you must have some devious plan up your sleeve again, right?" Howard, sensing the unspoken meaning, leaned closer to Ron and grinned mischievously.
"Of course, first, you need to let Leonard see this photo."
Ron showed the photo on his phone to Howard and Rajesh, causing them to gasp.
"My God, who is this babe? She must be a movie star, right? I've never seen her on TV before!"
Ron smiled smugly: "No, actually, this is the lady who just had dinner with Leonard, when she was younger, of course. You know what I mean, any guy would be tempted by this photo, right?"
The lecherous duo nodded frantically.
Sheldon, drawn in, sat down next to Ron, notebook in hand, and asked as he wrote, "And then? What else needs to be done?"
Ron grinned mischievously, "Then, of course, we need to prepare everything he'll need for tomorrow, so he can find it whenever he wants..."
The next day, near dinner time, Ron sat down on the sofa in Sheldon's apartment, finding a good spot in the audience, ready to watch the show.
"Leonard, Mrs. Latham's car is waiting for you downstairs!" Sheldon called out to the bedroom after hanging up the phone.
"I'll be back in a bit. I'm going down to make one last effort for the funding, then I'll say goodnight to her."
Leonard, who had been waiting for a long time, emerged from the bedroom as if heading to his execution.
Ron raised an eyebrow at Sheldon, signaling it was his turn. For the first time, Sheldon nodded in perfect sync with Ron, stood up, and blocked Leonard's path: "Wait, I have something for you."
Sheldon handed Leonard a small black leather bag.
"What's this?" Leonard asked suspiciously.
"I consulted Ron, and everything you might need tonight is in here: lube, a condom, and some pills I specially got from the biomedical department. They say it's the best Viagra on campus."
"I'll say it again, I'm not going to sleep with her!" Leonard said, placing the small black bag on the table.
"Wait!" Sheldon shoved the bag back into Leonard's arms and pulled a photograph from behind his back: "Maybe this will help you overcome your reluctance. To get you interested, Ron found me a picture of Mrs. Latham when she was 25."
Under Ron's direction, Sheldon used his trump card, showing Leonard the photo Ron had shown him yesterday: "Look, how sexy her boots are, so wild and Western, right? Yeehaw!"
Sheldon mimed a cowboy riding a bucking bronco, and the final "Yeehaw!" was the perfect finishing touch.
Because Penny's voice was quite loud, everyone knew what kind of sound she was going to make.
"Are you out of your mind? I wouldn't sell my body for a few new pieces of equipment!"
Leonard turned away speechlessly, while Sheldon stomped his feet in anger behind him. "Ron! You have to talk to him for me!"
"Ron, you knew about this too?"
Ron lazily stood up from the sofa. At Sheldon's insistence, he had no choice but to take matters into his own hands.
"Leonard, don't worry, although I'm Sheldon's brother, I'm definitely not here to be his mouthpiece."
Compared to Sheldon's impatience, Ron was noticeably more composed, because he knew that to pull off a perfect prank, sufficient preparation was necessary.
"That's good. Anyway, no matter what you say today, I absolutely will not sell my body."
"But," Sheldon was about to speak when Ron gestured to stop him and continued, "I want you to think about a question, Leonard."
"Go ahead."
"Please think carefully about how many beautiful women competed with Mrs. Latham for her rich husband back then. How did she beat out all those competitors?"
Leonard fell into deep thought, then suddenly realized, "You mean..."
"That's right," seeing that Leonard understood the question, Ron nodded in satisfaction and continued to tempt him with a devilish tone, "Mrs. Latham is a woman with skills! Don't you want to find out what you could learn?"
(End of Chapter)
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