Zhou Yi spent two days in Paris, mostly with his family and his two female friends, Ororo and Qin Gelei.
He accompanied these important people in his life, exploring the streets, alleys, and scenic spots of Paris.
Zhou Yi, who rarely had the chance to be with his family and girlfriend, wanted to make up for what he owed them in these two days. Over the years, he had been preparing for future enemies. While he had created a comfortable environment for his family, he had also paid a price. He didn't spend much time with them.
And for Ororo and Qin Gelei, Zhou Yi also felt a bit guilty. Because of the difference in their statuses, Zhou Yi couldn't take them to formal, high-profile banquets. Not to mention giving them a proper title.
Ororo knew this too. So, after being with Zhou Yi for so many years, she had never officially confirmed their relationship. Zhou Yi had brought it up, but Ororo didn't agree. She knew that her status wouldn't help Zhou Yi's career, but rather hinder it.
She was a smart and independent woman and didn't want to be Zhou Yi's subordinate. This inequality in status had once made her distance herself from him. If it weren't for Zhou Yi's persistence, they would not have come this far.
As for Qin Gelei, her situation was even more awkward. Their affair had always been led by Zhou Yi. It could be said that Zhou Yi was the one who lured her step by step into her own darkness. However, she was somewhat enjoying it.
Qin Gelei had thought about taking the most important position by Zhou Yi's side. However, her deep-seated guilt towards Ororo and Scott prevented her from taking any action. Because of this, she could only let Zhou Yi do as he pleased. Also, because of this, she could share her guilt with Zhou Yi.
The relationship between men and women was so complex that Zhou Yi found it irresistible. He enjoyed this feeling, yet he was even more unwilling to let go of them. He hadn't given them much until now, but he wanted to give them the best.
Just like his plan, in some ways, it was also for them. Because it was their lifelong wish to walk in the sunlight openly.
It was another enjoyable outing. Zhou Yi returned from the famous Louvre with his two beauties, his clingy little sister, and his entourage. Qin Gelei was an expert in the appreciation of art. But even Ororo and Xiarui Si, who weren't particularly artistic, would still marvel at the treasures they contained.
Those gorgeous artworks from all over the world, embodying the essence of ancient human thought, would be admired by any creature with aesthetic sensibilities.
Watching Xiarui Si and her girlfriends still chattering about ancient legends from Egypt, and Ororo asking Qin Gelei about the identification and classification methods of exquisite Chinese porcelain, Zhou Yi stretched lazily. If he could, he really hoped that such a time could stay still. But, that wish was basically impossible to achieve.
A well-dressed gentleman appeared in front of Zhou Yi and respectfully handed him an invitation. At the same time, he spoke in broken English with an old-fashioned tone.
"Good day, esteemed Mr. Zhou. I am the butler of the Ashford Family. I heard that you have arrived in Paris. My master is very pleased and hopes to invite you to the banquet held at Ashford Manor tomorrow night!"
"Ashford Family, I remember you as an old aristocratic family in England, why have you come to Paris?" Zhou Yi's impression of the Ashford Family wasn't too deep, but he still had some. It was a large family originating from England that had even been glorious during the Victorian era. However, after that, they gradually declined.
The Ashford Family's great-great-grandfather was a biological genius who partnered with several like-minded individuals to establish a massive multinational pharmaceutical company. They gradually expanded this company to an enormous scale.
This company, known as Umbrella, is now a giant in various fields, including biological research, pharmaceutical production, medical hardware, and the defense industry. It's a top-tier behemoth in Europe and even once extended its reach across the ocean to America.
However, the American domestic industries are very resistant to this foreign competitor. Currently, the company's reach is limited to the remote areas of the Midwest, unable to penetrate the core regions dominated by Stark Industries and Osborn Industries.
As Umbrella grew stronger, the Ashford Family gradually declined. The previous head of the family disappeared without a trace, and the current head, Alfred Ashford, is someone Zhou Yi had met. He's a pitiful fellow, crushed by the current rulers of Umbrella. Although outsiders boast about his top-tier human intelligence, Zhou Yi doesn't see much use for it. After all, it takes more than high intelligence to succeed in this world.
However, even a declining noble is still a noble, and the Ashford Family's influence cannot be underestimated. Zhou Yi doesn't want to needlessly offend such local bigwigs; it wouldn't be good for his mother, who spends a lot of time in Europe. So, after a brief moment of doubt, Zhou Yi nodded and said:
"I understand. Please convey to Mr. Alfred my thanks for the invitation, and I will be there on time."
The butler, who had acted with great gentlemanly grace, left after delivering the invitation. After he left, someone asked:
"Is he someone you know?"
Seeing that it was Ororo speaking, Zhou Yi smiled and shook his head.
"Just acquaintances. But in business, even if you don't know someone, as long as there's profit, they'll bow and invite you! It seems Alfred, or rather, the Umbrella Corporation behind him, needs my help."
"That European medical giant? What do they want from you?" Qin Gelei, who had heard of the company, asked. "They focus on medicine and biological research. It doesn't seem like there's any overlap with your businesses."
"Who knows? Maybe there's a problem with their supply chain." Zhou Yi shrugged, indicating that he didn't know the specifics. "I guess they're eyeing the liquid capital I have."
"You should be careful. I have a feeling they're not up to any good." Ororo was a little worried. She didn't know the intentions of these so-called businessmen, but a woman's intuition told her there was definitely some kind of conspiracy involved.
"Ororo, don't pay attention to those people." Qin Gelei pulled Ororo back, speaking playfully. She didn't want her friend to get too involved with these dark things. So, she steered the conversation away. "They're like sharks. They'll swim over the moment they smell even a little bit of blood."
"You're right!" Zhou Yi agreed with Qin Gelei's statement, readily admitting to her assessment. "We are indeed sharks, otherwise, how could we be at the top of the marine food chain?"
"Sharks are vicious creatures that don't even spare their own kind!" Ororo cautioned, always having some criticism for these large companies that researched biology. Because many of their unsavory businesses had used mutants for experiments.
"I know, I'll be careful." Zhou Yi patted Ororo's hand, comforting her. "Don't worry, I'm not that stupid. Besides, my status isn't something a declining family like that can easily meddle with."
Although his words were a bit exaggerated, they weren't too far from the truth. The Ashford Family had already been removed from the core of Umbrella since the previous head of the family, only handling some peripheral research and departments. By Alfred's generation, even these things were on the verge of being lost. Aside from a research lab in Antarctica, all he had was a portion of the Umbrella security department's power.
Such an Ashford Family certainly couldn't shake Zhou Yi's power. After all, Zhou Yi was a core high-level executive of two giant enterprises. And the strength of these two enterprises was even above that of Umbrella.
Rolling her eyes at Zhou Yi, Ororo stopped worrying about him in this regard. There was still some distance between them, and this distance limited her from sharing everything with him.
Smiling slightly, Zhou Yi secretly squeezed Qin Gelei's hand under the table. Qin Gelei shuddered in fright and quickly pulled her hand away. While Ororo wasn't paying attention, she glared at him in shame and anger.
Zhou Yi, whose skin was already thick to a certain degree, directly ignored Qin Gelei's glare. He propped up his chin as if nothing had happened and said to the two ladies.
"Tomorrow's banquet. Ororo, would you like to be my companion and go to the banquet with me?"
Ororo considered for a moment and silently shook her head.
"Sorry, Yi! You know I'm not cut out for this kind of thing. So, you should find someone else to go with you."
Zhou Yi had just turned his gaze to Qin Gelei, and this woman, who had been quite frightened by Zhou Yi's earlier actions, spoke without hesitation.
"Don't even think about it, I won't be your date and attend that kind of gathering."
"Alright!" Zhou Yi shrugged. "Looks like I'll be all alone at the Ashford's banquet tomorrow."
"Yi, I'll go with you. I haven't seen what a noble's banquet is like yet?" Xiarui Si, who had been eavesdropping on Zhou Yi from another table, leaned over and said to Zhou Yi, trying to please him.
Zhou Yi pressed down on the beret on her head and squinted, saying, "Unless I'm dead, darling. Otherwise, don't even think about having anything to do with these messy banquets before you turn eighteen."
"Why not?" Xiarui Si angrily waved her fist. "You annoying guy, don't think you can deprive me of my freedom just because you're my brother."
"When you ask me for pocket money, you've already paid the price with your freedom, my dear sister." Zhou Yi disdainfully expressed his opinion on the value of freedom and retorted clearly. "Do you think there's anything good about these nobles? Let me tell you. Half of the nobles nowadays are homosexuals, and most of them are men with men. The rest are even worse than these true love enthusiasts. Well, are you satisfied with what I said?"
"How disgusting, you," Xiarui Si said, waving her hand in disgust. "I'm still eating dessert, can we not talk about something so nauseating?"
"You walked right into it, darling!"
Stuffing a large piece of cake into her mouth, Xiarui Si's emerald eyes revealed a mischievous look.
"Don't think you can scare me with that. I have a big backer." Unfortunately, she was too vague, and Zhou Yi didn't understand what she was talking about at all.
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