bdsm-fiction Chapter 104: Success! My intelligence has once again hit the mark precisely.
Chapter 104: Success! My intelligence has once again hit the mark precisely.
Chapter 103: Success! My intelligence has once again hit the mark precisely.
Villa at No. 169 Jing'an Road, British Concession, Shanghai.
As night fell, the city lights shone brightly. The villa was brightly lit, a stark contrast to the relatively quiet night scene of the concession area outside the window.
Tonight, a small family banquet is being held here. The atmosphere is warm and lively. It is the first time that Han Zhenhua, who has been away from home for nearly half a year, has returned to his home. He is hosting a banquet to entertain his relatives and friends who came to the pier to welcome him on the day of his return.
A pristine white linen tablecloth covered the long dining table, and silver cutlery and crystal glasses gleamed under the chandelier. Han Zhenhua, as the host, sat in the main seat, a composed and polite smile on his face.
Sitting next to him was Feng Chengcheng, who looked incredibly happy!
On the left sat Feng Jingyao, his mother, and two elegantly dressed concubines; on the right sat Professor Cole, Susan, and Captain Wayne, who had been specially invited.
The atmosphere at the banquet was extremely harmonious. After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Han Zhenhua felt the time was right. He clapped his hands lightly, signaling the Filipino maid standing to the side to present the gifts that had been prepared in advance.
First, a series of jewelry boxes specially prepared for the ladies were presented to Feng Chengcheng, Susan, Feng's mother, and the two aunts in turn.
The moment they opened the box with curiosity and anticipation, a chorus of suppressed gasps erupted in the living room.
The gift given to Feng Chengcheng was a set of platinum jewelry inlaid with jade, themed "Butterflies in Love with Flowers".
The main stone of the necklace is a crystal-clear, evenly green teardrop-shaped jadeite, surrounded by delicate diamonds that outline the shape of butterfly wings, making it lifelike.
The matching earrings and bracelet were equally exquisite, the warmth of the jade complementing the brilliance of the diamonds, exuding both nobility and youthful charm. Feng Chengcheng's pretty face flushed, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and her gaze towards Han Zhenhua was almost overflowing with affection.
What was given to Susan was a set of more modern gold jewelry inlaid with rubies, the design of which was inspired by the classic panther series of a certain international brand in later years.
A lithe golden cheetah encircles a pigeon blood ruby, its eyes adorned with emeralds, exuding a wild yet luxurious charm that perfectly matches Susan's passionate and unrestrained personality.
Susan covered her mouth in delight, exclaiming repeatedly in English, "Oh my God! Han! It's so beautiful! It's almost like it's alive!"
The gift given to Feng's mother was a set of serene and elegant violet jadeite bead necklaces. Each bead was round and full, with a uniform and rich color, exuding a sense of dignified luxury that had been refined over the years.
The two concubines each received a set of icy jadeite bracelets with floating flowers and an elegant gold suit inlaid with pearls.
Each piece is incredibly valuable, uniquely designed, and unparalleled in this era. They were clearly meticulously crafted in the United States by Han Zhenhua based on their individual personalities (and were entirely based on classic designs from later generations provided by mobile phone AI).
"It's just a small gift, nothing special. I hope Aunt, Auntie, Chengcheng, and Senior Sister Susan like it," Han Zhenhua said with a smile, his tone gentle.
"Zhenhua, you're going to such lengths! This... this is too much for us to bear..." Mother Feng said politely, but the smile in her eyes was undisguised as she stroked the string of violet jade beads, clearly delighted.
The two aunts were overjoyed, and their impression of Han Zhenhua was immediately positive.
Before the ladies' laughter had subsided, Han Zhenhua took out gifts for the men.
The gift given to Feng Jingyao was a simple and elegant rosewood cigar box, inside which were neatly arranged top-quality Cuban cigars. What caught Feng Jingyao's eye even more was that an exquisite Rolex gold pocket watch was inlaid inside the cigar box, with the traditional Chinese character "冯" (Feng) engraved on the watch cover.
"Zhenhua is very thoughtful." Feng Jingyao stroked the smooth surface of the cigar box, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes. This gift was both valuable and thoughtful, and he was very pleased with it.
What Professor Cole received was a men's Patek Philippe watch and a case of Scotch whisky aged for fifty years!
What was presented to Captain Wayne was a beautifully crafted brass Longines vintage marine chronometer, as well as a case of Scotch whisky aged for fifty years.
Captain Wayne laughed heartily, patting Han Zhenhua on the shoulder forcefully: "My dear brother! Cole! You always know what I love most! Cheers to our friendship and our fortune!"
Looking back, I've been in this world for almost a year now, and my network of connections is truly "incredibly simple"! Even if I invited everyone, the table wouldn't be full!
The room was filled with laughter and joy, and the atmosphere reached its peak.
Outside the door, several sailors under Wayne's command and mercenaries employed by the Umbrella Corporation could be vaguely seen (Han Zhenhua felt 169 after returning to China).
Villa No. 168 was not enough, so they bought the two adjacent villas No. 168 and No. 175 at a high price to house "King Kong" Mike Thornton and his men, while the Green Gang members brought by Feng Jingyao were on guard.
Just as the banquet was reaching its climax, a newsboy's shrill cry suddenly pierced the stillness of the night, growing louder as it approached from outside the window: "Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale! Breaking news! A major battle has broken out at the Battle of Gufeng! The Japanese army has suffered a crushing defeat, with over four thousand killed!"
"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale! The Kwantung Army and the Korean Army have arbitrarily started the war; the Polar Bear has launched a thunderous counterattack; Zhanggufeng has become a graveyard for Japanese soldiers!"
The sudden news brought the laughter and chatter in the restaurant to an abrupt halt. Everyone was stunned, their faces showing astonishment.
Han Zhenhua was shocked, and a surge of joy coursed through his body like an electric current... He succeeded!
爽.
His intelligence had hit the mark again! But he quickly composed himself, replacing his expression with perfectly measured surprise, and immediately ordered Ah Qiang, who was standing beside him, "Ah Qiang, quick, go and buy ten copies of every kind of extravagant edition outside!"
"Yes, Mr. Han!" Ah Qiang accepted the order and quickly led his men out.
Soon, a stack of extra edition newspapers, still smelling of ink, was brought in. Everyone practically swarmed forward, grabbing the newspapers and eagerly starting to read them.
The newspaper headline was shocking, detailing how the Soviet army, with its superior tank force, launched a well-prepared counterattack, nearly annihilating two rashly attacking Japanese regiments.
Feng Jingyao put down the newspaper, his brows furrowed, and broke the silence first. He twirled his cigar and said in a deep voice, "Those shrewd people in the Japanese cabinet would never provoke both the Republic of China and the Soviet Union at the same time. They're already overwhelmed by the battlefield in the Republic of China."
This must be the arrogant and fierce generals of the Kwantung Army and the Korean Army trying to pull off their "insubordination" trick again! They've kicked a hornet's nest and suffered a crushing defeat! Foolish! How utterly foolish!
"Hanhwa, you were absolutely right! I said back then that if Japan hadn't suddenly clashed with the Russians, or if the Japanese Combined Fleet hadn't suddenly engaged the US Great White Fleet in a massive conflict—a truly earth-shattering development—the gap in strength would only have widened. And unexpectedly, this incredible event actually happened!"
Professor Cole, also temporarily detached from the physical world, shook his head and sighed, "War... is always filled with irrational madness."
Captain Wayne whistled: "Wow, the polar bear is angry! I never expected that the polar bear would start fighting the German bears first, but instead started fighting the Japanese. It seems that the Japanese are in big trouble."
The polar bear of today is not comparable to Tsarist Russia during the Russo-Japanese War. They have already achieved initial industrialization by desperately developing industry despite the starvation of a large number of farmers!
"Our country is, to put it bluntly, only half an industrialized nation. While it's much better than your Republic of China, a purely agricultural country, it's nowhere near the size and strength of the polar bear!"
Listening to the crowd's discussion, Han Zhenhua nodded inwardly; Feng Jingyao's judgment was almost identical to the facts. Just as he was about to say something, "King Kong" Mike Thornton walked in and whispered a few words in his ear.