Hong Fei examined the blade in his hand, noting four nicks of varying sizes along the edge, with extremely fine cracks appearing near the gaps.
Seeing him shake his head in disappointment, Frank couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so obsessed with cold weapons?"
"Because in the future, the role of cold weapons will be more prominent than that of firearms."
Frank's face was immediately filled with bewilderment. Hong Fei turned his hand and thrust the Cross-blade into the snow.
"The quality of this blade hasn't improved much compared to the previous one; it's barely usable, but I'll definitely be able to find better metals in the future. You might also need to face more powerful creatures later on; at that time, bullets or even missiles might not necessarily harm the opponent, but a better blade could."
Frank frowned deeply as he listened. Even looking at Hong Fei's serious and solemn expression, he couldn't help but say, "Are you kidding me?"
Hong Fei laughed, "You'll find out in the future."
The eighteen gunshots drew out the security forces from both the overt and covert positions of the manor. More than twenty people from different locations simultaneously cast shocked looks toward Hong Fei.
Seeing this, Frank immediately shouted a stern reprimand, "What are you looking at? Can't you handle this little bit of noise? Are you all too idle!?"
Within seconds, everyone returned to their positions, and the manor became empty and quiet once again.
Turning back into the house, the two sat before the fireplace, listening to the wood crackle and enjoying the light and warmth provided by the flames. Frank poured a glass of brandy and looked up at Hong Fei.
Sensing the gaze, Hong Fei said without turning his head, "Thanks, I don't drink."
Frank withdrew his gaze and began drinking by himself. A moment later, he set down his glass, pulled out a cigarette case, and looked at Hong Fei again.
"Thanks, I don't smoke."
Frank's brow furrowed, "Do you have any hobbies?"
Hong Fei nodded.
"Then what do you like?"
Hong Fei glanced at him sideways, "I like quiet." Frank's face twitched slightly. Outside, the snow fell heavily, while inside it was warm and pleasant. In such a contrast, even just sitting before the fireplace watching the flickering firelight made Hong Fei feel that life was very beautiful. It was just like a thunderstorm night, which makes people sheltered in a warm bed feel a greater sense of security and comfort. After a while, Frank stubbed out his cigarette and added, "You should hire a professional butler." Hong Fei's brow twitched.
"This manor is too big; the twenty-some of us can barely handle the security," Hong Fei said. "A place like this should have professionals providing services."
"It's inconvenient."
"It's even more inconvenient now. Food has to be driven into the city to be bought every day. Leaving aside whether it's a waste or not, it's simply unnecessary."
Hong Fei thought for a moment. "Fine, find someone to handle it. No rush, but they must be trustworthy."
Frank agreed immediately. He leaned back and sighed. "I never thought I'd live like this."
Hong Fei couldn't help but laugh. "So fond of reminiscing. Seems you're getting old."
"Heh, forty years old, indeed old."
Hong Fei's eyes shifted. "How is Claire doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"What do you think?"
"She doesn't want to join us."
"That's not what I'm talking about."
"Then there's nothing else."
...
A few days passed in a blink, and Christmas was approaching. After receiving a text from Peter, Hong Fei decided to drive to the city around noon. Arriving downstairs at his home, just as he got out of the car, Peter came running out of the bookstore.
"Sir! You're here!"
Hong Fei leaned down to pick him up and laughed. "You seem a bit heavier; you're growing quite fast." Peter wrapped his arms around Hong Fei's neck, smiling happily.
Entering the bookstore, Mei had stood up early to greet him at the door. Hong Fei's gaze was already drawn to the customers coming and going in the shop. The shop's layout and decoration had completely changed styles, and many new categorized areas had been added. New shop assistants moved between the bookshelves.
With a quick scan, there were quite a few customers, much better than the cold desolation when Hong Fei was there. "You've done very well; it seems my choice was correct."
Mei smiled modestly. Seeing customers entering and leaving, Hong Fei turned to step outside and stood by the street. "Christmas is coming soon. I'd like to invite you and Peter to my place to celebrate." Hong Fei had no personal feelings toward Christmas, but Peter was very much looking forward to the holiday.
Upon hearing this, Peter's eyes immediately filled with hope.
He stared at Mei without blinking, his little face full of pleading.
"Close up tonight, and you can come over tomorrow morning to take a look first. We can prepare the things we'll need in advance."
Mei nodded.
After chatting for a while, Hong Fei said his goodbyes and drove away. Although there was reluctance in Peter's eyes, Mei wouldn't allow him to stay out overnight, so his plan to go play with Hong Fei fell through.
More than twenty minutes later, Hong Fei drove into a hotel parking lot, took the elevator up, and arrived outside a certain room door with practiced ease.
After knocking and waiting a few seconds, the door opened, and a beautiful figure appeared before him. Dr. Helen Cho smiled and said, "Mr. Hong, welcome, please come in."
Entering the suite and taking their seats, Hong Fei asked, "Dr. Cho, you invited me here—is it because your affairs are mostly handled?"
"That's right. It's reached the final stage, but with Christmas right around the corner, some things can only be delayed for now, but I believe everything can be completed by mid-January."
Hong Fei beamed with a wide laugh, "Very good, I'm very much looking forward to your joining."
Dr. Helen Cho smoothed a strand of hair by her temple and said with a smile, "I am also very much looking forward to our future cooperation. If possible, I think we can now have an in-depth talk about the specific cooperation plan."
"No problem."
Subsequently, the two talked from noon until dusk. The deeper they went, the more excited Dr. Helen Cho became. Because Hong Fei gave her enough autonomy, much of which would be completely impossible to achieve elsewhere.
The reason for this was also because Hong Fei knew she would inevitably succeed.
The Regeneration Cradle project was a self-manufacturing technology that integrated regeneration and self-generation. Based on autologous tissue cells and merging cutting-edge technologies such as gene technology, nanotechnology, and smart technology, it was comprehensively applied in the medical field. Its direct effect was the ability to repair trauma, reconstruct tissues and organs, and even reconstruct the human body.
From a certain perspective, the Regeneration Cradle was no different from giving a person an extra life. However, the funds required for such top-tier scientific research were also massive. Hong Fei's five hundred million U.S. dollars was only enough to transform this project from written theory to realistic research—for instance, for the construction of the laboratory, the procurement of various instruments and equipment, and the initial research. Dr. Helen Cho was mainly worried about the subsequent addition of funds. Scientific research burns money.
Hong Fei merely waved his hand at this and gave a solemn guarantee.
On one hand, the two had discussed before that Dr. Helen Cho's theoretical research was already complete, and all that remained was hands-on practice.
Thinking backward from future reality, Hong Fei believed she could complete this project very quickly.
On the other hand, now that the person was already secured, could he let things get messed up because of money?
Master Hong resolutely refused to allow that!