Machine Spiders

Hu Gang asked, "How much did you make? Heh, with a big job like that, it must've been over a hundred thousand, right? If you land one job like that each year, you can take it easy the rest of the time!"

Zhang Hao rolled his eyes. "A hundred thousand is nothing. It doesn't count unless you make a few hundred million..." He wasn't exaggerating; if anything, he was understating it by a lot.

Hu Gang spat and said, "Quit joking around. There's something I want to discuss with you."

Zhang Hao smiled. Sure enough, no one believed him when he told the truth. Of course, that was exactly what he wanted. It was better if they didn't believe him. He pulled out another wooden chair and sat down. There was only one wooden table and two wooden chairs in the living room; there wasn't room for another person.

"What is it?"

Hu Gang glanced at Zhang Hao. "Relax, I'm not asking to borrow money. I know how you are—you don't borrow money from people, and you don't lend it to them either... I just don't get it. Why have you saved so much money?"

Zhang Hao said, "If a friend's in trouble, I can help them out, but I'm not going to bail them out of poverty. You know what I mean... What, do you need help with something urgent?"

Hu Gang spat. "Don't jinx me. I'm doing great. Nothing urgent, and I'm not going to borrow money just because I'm broke."

"Okay, okay, quit messing around and tell me what you want to discuss."

Hu Gang smiled. "All right. There's a small real estate conference in Ningcheng, and I managed to get two spots. I was thinking of taking you along... The meeting's at nine tomorrow morning. From what I hear, a lot of company bosses will be there. Some of their companies have advertising and promotional work to offer, maybe even major projects. We could go together. What do you think?"

Zhang Hao suddenly laughed. "Have you got your eye on one of those bosses?"

Hu Gang grinned. "I can't hide anything from you, can I? You know I'm not confident when it comes to design. I want you there to back me up. If I don't understand something, you can keep the conversation going."

Before, Zhang Hao would definitely have gone. At conferences like this, he could eat and drink for free, pick up a few little souvenirs, and meet some big shots. Those bosses always had a little work to spare, and even if he didn't get a job, it was still good to get his face known. But now, Zhang Hao didn't need money at all. He had so much that he didn't even know how to spend it, so he had no interest in this kind of event.

"Gang, sorry. I just got home, and I don't feel like going anywhere!" Zhang Hao refused without hesitation. He had thought it through. Now that he no longer had to bend to money, why put himself through all that groveling? If he couldn't keep his temper in check and ended up picking a fight with someone, it was better not to go at all. He knew perfectly well that ever since he'd become a billionaire, his attitude would have gone completely off the rails if he hadn't kept it in check.

Hu Gang was a little annoyed. "Damn it, you won't even go for an opportunity like this? There's a big project up for grabs. If it works out, you'll make at least a hundred thousand!"

"I'm not interested. Lately, money just doesn't do anything for me..."

Hu Gang was nearly choked speechless. After a long pause, he said, "You're something else! Fine, I'll find someone else. The economy's been rough lately, and there aren't many opportunities. Are you planning to quit design altogether?"

Zhang Hao smiled. "As a matter of fact, I am. What's wrong, Gang? Are you mad?"

Hu Gang stared at him in disbelief. "Holy crap, you're really quitting? Are you planning to get a nine-to-five job?"

"I'm not planning to get a job. Anyway, I'll treat you to dinner and drinks later to make up for it."

Hu Gang could take or leave most things, but he loved stuffing himself. He could easily put away at least three cases of beer in one sitting, and more than that was anyone's guess. He wouldn't touch red wine or huangjiu, and no one knew how many bottles of baijiu he could drink; three or four bottles was just the starting point. Anyone who knew him usually didn't want to treat him, since he was basically a human liquor barrel. Even a meal at a little restaurant could cost over a thousand yuan.

"Oh, really?"

Hu Gang's eyes lit up. Ever since he'd made a name for himself, hardly anyone treated him to a meal anymore. He didn't blame them; he knew he ate and drank too much, and most people simply couldn't afford it.

Zhang Hao grinned. "Of course. It's just one dinner and drinks. Do you think I'd lie?"

Hu Gang said, "The food's no big deal. The important thing is the booze. What are we drinking?"

"Don't worry about what kind. There'll be plenty. Besides, you know how much I can drink—I won't pressure you."

Hu Gang smiled so broadly that the fat on his face jiggled. "Of course, of course! I know how little you can drink. Don't worry, I definitely won't pressure you. I just need to enjoy a few drinks myself!"

Zhang Hao wanted to relax, too. His nerves had been stretched tight for months. He'd made a fortune, but he hadn't felt all that happy.

After Zhang Hao left the villa, the "ugly big spider" began to move. The machines connected to the power supply in the basement began to vibrate softly.

The big spider started manufacturing and assembling all sorts of things. It worked incredibly fast, and before long, it had assembled another "big spider," which crouched in a corner and began charging.

This machine spider was far better than the one Zhang Hao had assembled, both in appearance and flexibility. It outclassed the first one in every way.

Soon, there were four of these strange machine spiders. They all looked much the same, except for the tools embedded in their front limbs. Once all four robots began moving, the basement came alive. The things Zhang Hao had bought earlier—the ones whose purpose he didn't know—were carried over to the workbench.

The basement was spacious, covering more than six hundred square meters and divided into many areas, all of them packed with the items he'd bought.

The four machine spiders quickly assembled a strange, giant beetle. Once it had finished charging, it dragged a long power cable behind it and burrowed into the ground in a corner of the basement. In a matter of moments, it had dug a hole.

A forklift was quickly modified and then brought to the entrance.

When the security guard delivered a package, it could be placed directly on the forklift.

Zhang Hao knew nothing about any of this.

Zhang Hao and Hu Gang went to an ordinary restaurant and asked for a private room. Hu Gang knew the owner, so there was no problem getting one. The owner knew how much Hu Gang could eat—at least as much as five or six people—so giving them a private room was no trouble at all.

A server came over with a menu. Zhang Hao said, "Gang, you order."

Hu Gang was all smiles. It wasn't often he got to order whatever he wanted!

"This one, this one, and this one..." After ordering six dishes, Hu Gang said, "We don't want those six. Bring us everything else..."

The server looked baffled. So the six dishes you just ordered were the ones you didn't want! Hesitantly, the server asked, "You don't want those six, but you want everything else?" He was inwardly stunned. Could two people really eat that much?