Gravitational waves had directly proven the existence of black holes, so I thought there was no problem with them winning the 2017 Nobel Prize.
But this year's discovery—that an invisible, extremely massive object at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy controlled the orbits of stars and was suspected to be a black hole—winning a Nobel Prize was something I truly hadn't expected.
I remembered science fiction web novels on Qidian writing about this many years ago. Besides, this was only indirect proof. That was enough to win an award?
Still, it was good for me. In the past, writing it like this could only be called the author's own speculation. Now it had been validated by the scientific community—and with a Nobel Prize, at that.
Usually, the boss was the last to arrive at a meeting. But Bai Jing had barely been a boss for a few days. He immediately headed out to go downstairs, only to be stopped by a low-ranking lackey.
"Mr. Combat Advisor, is the meeting being held in the newly built conference room?" The speaker wore a black-and-gray striped suit and gold-rimmed glasses, somehow carrying the air of an office professional.
"And you are?" Bai Jing asked.
"Hello, my name is William Pearson, Legal Department Assistant!" the man said carefully.
"Oh, right!" Bai Jing nodded. He knew Matt had been recruiting people.
"There's a new conference room?"
"Yes, please follow me!"
The new conference rooms were above Banner's house. One large room had been divided into four conference rooms.
The largest one was on the left, furnished with an enormous oval conference table that could seat thirty-six people. The three rooms on the right were smaller and could each seat twelve.
Naturally, they went to the largest one.
William pulled out a chair at the head of the table for him. Bai Jing sat down and looked around. So this was what it felt like to be a big boss?
"This conference room is completely soundproof, and its outer walls use a special alloy that can withstand a Tomahawk Missile strike and resist a magnitude 9.2 earthquake. It also has its own generator and food supplies, enough to handle ordinary emergencies!" William said.
Bai Jing nodded and looked at a painting hanging on the wall. It was a landscape painting of the Celestial Empire, with four large characters written across it: great virtue carries all things!
The signature read: Mo Defang.
"We invited a master calligrapher from Chinatown to write it. If you don't like it, we can replace it immediately?" William asked.
"Mm, it's quite good!" Bai Jing nodded. How should he put it?
Being fawned over by white people actually felt pretty good!
What superior people or noble bloodlines were there? Whoever had the bigger fist and more money was the daddy.
"Mr. Bai!" Matt was actually the first to arrive.
For a blind man to stay up so late and run here so quickly was really hard on him.
"Mm, sit." Bai Jing pointed to the empty seat beside him. Matt tapped the floor lightly with his cane, then pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Did Professor Keanu examine your eyes? What did he say?" Bai Jing asked.
"The lenses and retinas in my eyes were both destroyed by radiation, but my optic nerves still retain some activity," Matt said. "Professor Banner said that if there's ever a surgery capable of replacing eyeballs, I may still have hope of regaining my sight!"
There was neither sorrow nor joy in his voice. After all, no one knew when such a surgery would become possible.
"Oh..." Bai Jing nodded. What a pity there was no healing magic in magic. Otherwise, wouldn't a single healing spell solve everything?
The second person to enter was Frank Castle.
"My Mr. Combat Advisor, how is the training of those people going?" Bai Jing asked.
At that, Frank frowned. "I have never seen soldiers with such poor discipline. There hasn't been enough time. They've only just learned how to form ranks, but at least they no longer fire into the sky during combat!"
When they had fought the Viper Gang before, those people had all been aiming their guns at the sky. It had annoyed Bai Jing so much he could have laughed.
"That'll do." Bai Jing did not have high expectations for them. It was enough if they could bolster their numbers. If a real fight broke out, he would still have to do it himself.
"Your training methods are too cruel. I heard you've already killed more than sixty people!" Matt bluntly challenged Frank.
"Some people's crimes are unforgivable. They can no longer be saved!" Frank snorted coldly. "Put away that pointless compassion of yours. I spend every day with them. I know far better than you whether they deserve to die!"
Matt fell silent, then turned his head toward Bai Jing.
Even though he was blind.
"Only sixty?" Bai Jing asked Frank. "Weren't there more than three hundred people?"
"You had already screened out some of the most heinous ones earlier. These sixty were simply better at hiding it!" Seeing that Bai Jing did not object to his actions, Frank immediately gained a little more approval for him. "As for the rest, they're merely low-level lackeys who used to make up the gang's numbers."
"Oh, I see!" Bai Jing even found it a little regrettable. "Harsh punishment is needed in troubled times. If someone is guilty, they must be punished. Don't spare them just because they have talent or special skills. When capable people commit evil, it's even more terrifying!"
He still remembered a certain temple. If ordinary people died, they died. But if they were masters, the temple would definitely tell them to lay down their butcher's knives and attain Buddhahood on the spot.
Masters did not have to die? Why?
Frank nodded. He deeply agreed with that. Whenever he encountered a formidable opponent, he always felt heartbroken. Why were they so strong if they were not going to join the military?
Then he would beat them to death without mercy.
Seeing that Matt's expression was a little off, Bai Jing became somewhat flustered. He had to comfort him. Matt was still quite useful, handling company registration and such in perfect order.
"Matt, we agreed on this when you joined us. Your way won't work. Even if you want to object, you should wait until we've carried it out for a while and seen the results!" Bai Jing said.
Matt hesitated for a moment, but ultimately nodded. "I just find it regrettable..."
After all, they were human lives!
"To kill is to protect life; to sever karma is not to sever people. Killing some people may look like doing evil, but our purpose is to carry out a greater good!" Bai Jing said seriously. "Time will prove all of this!"
"I hope so!" Matt nodded, accepting the explanation.
Ryan Daling hurried in, followed by Denny Roberts and Lumira Iro Pavlichenko, whose hair was slightly disheveled.
When Lumira entered, Frank's expression actually flickered with panic for an instant.
Though it was faint, Bai Jing's field of vision was so broad now that he naturally noticed it.
He looked suspiciously at the two of them. That glance was enough to make them even more nervous.
No way, no way. Frank, you were already over fifty, and you were making a move on a fourteen-year-old girl?
And Lumira, your father may have died early, but hadn't I adopted you?
Were you really that lacking in fatherly love?
Bai Jing's mind was a mess. Should he stop them?
But from what position? He was neither Lumira's brother nor her father. They were freely in love...
"Ahem, well..." Bai Jing thought it over and felt that he should still give them a reminder.
"Frank!" Bai Jing said. "Lumira is still underage. Watch yourself!"
"You don't object to us?" Before Frank could say anything, Lumira spoke excitedly.
"Uh..." Bai Jing's heart ached. I'm obviously very charming. Which girl who passed by didn't look at me twice? Even Ancient One favored me. Were you blind? You were seducing me yesterday, and today you had your eye on this old man?
Women really were fickle.
Still, he reluctantly nodded. "Right..."
"Yay!" Lumira excitedly pulled out the chair beside Frank, lightly hopped onto it on her knees, and let her white-stockinged calves dangle from the chair. "Master, he's agreed already. Teach me your skills!"
"Huh?" Bai Jing blinked and looked at Frank. "Skills?"
"That's right!" Lumira nodded excitedly. "Do you remember the sniper rifle you left in the room? It was actually left behind by my grandmother. I love it so much. I used to want my father to teach me, but I never dared ask. Now I want Frank to teach me, but he refuses no matter what!"
"Uh..." Bai Jing blinked. "May I ask who your grandmother is?"
"Ludmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko!"
Before you continue