"That's huge, and the sofa's really comfortable!" Han Feng from the group of four walked over to it and flopped down. The soft cushions practically swallowed him up.
"Now that's nice!"
"It also has a fully automated outdoor surveillance system." Kong Ping walked up to a white stone pillar in the corner and tapped it.
A colorful screen appeared on the pillar. It was actually a concealed control panel.
Gu Fu wandered around the first floor, clicking his tongue in admiration, then went up to look around the second and third floors.
The villa had eight rooms in all, more than enough for the four of them. It also had a full complement of security systems and everyday appliances. There was no need to add anything.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell suddenly rang downstairs.
Gu Fu hurried down and opened the door with a click.
A mustached man stood outside, holding a silver-white briefcase and smiling.
"Here are the Third-Grade Energy Blocks you requested." He held out the briefcase with both hands.
Click.
The case popped open automatically.
Inside were rows of neatly arranged silver-white energy blocks.
"...That's a lot... We only need twelve..." Gu Fu was startled and hurried to explain.
"It's all right. On Minister Wang's instructions, you and Mr. Kong Ping each have a supply allowance of ten million Federation Coins. Please use these energy blocks as you wish." The mustached man smiled.
"W-wait, how much?!" Gu Fu froze, then asked in a trembling voice.
"An allowance of ten million for each of you." The smile on the mustached man's face never changed.
"Ten million?!"
Gu Fu fell silent, warmth surging through his chest. His blood was pounding as he exchanged a look with Kong Ping, who had just walked over.
They both remembered how they used to wash dishes to earn energy blocks.
Ten million...!
How many dishes would they have had to wash to earn that much?
Even Kong Ping, who was usually calm, couldn't suppress his excitement.
He reached out and gently ran a trembling hand over one of the silver-white energy blocks.
"Ten million each? We can buy anything we want?" he asked again.
"Yes. As allies, this is a small show of support from the minister. The situation has changed, and there's only so much we can provide. Please understand."
The mustached man bowed, left them a phone number so they could contact him whenever they needed anything purchased, then departed.
Gu Fu, Kong Ping, and the others crowded around the case of energy blocks, staring at it in a daze.
"Damn, they're loaded!" Gu Fu couldn't help muttering.
"It's great to be rich!" He Yuntao said, looking thoroughly content.
"And they're calling this a small show of support? Looks like Minister Wang Yiyang really wants us to grow stronger. Otherwise, he wouldn't be spending this much.
Ten million each... How many pancakes would we have to sell to make that much?" Han Feng murmured, his eyes reddening as he stroked the case.
He'd once tried to earn money by selling pancakes, using a family recipe. It had taken him ages just to save up enough for five Third-Grade Energy Blocks.
But now an entire case of them sat right in front of him.
It was like a mountain of pancakes, resting quietly before him.
"Since they've invested so much in us, we can't let them down." Kong Ping rarely spoke at such length. His voice was still cool, but there was a trace of excitement in it.
"Ping's right! Don't hold back on using the energy blocks. The sooner we activate Limit Mode, the better." Han Feng nodded solemnly.
"Don't worry! With this many energy blocks, we could even force a pig into Limit Mode!" Gu Fu said through gritted teeth.
He Yuntao nodded, his eyes resolute.
"Let's work hard!"
He held out a hand.
"Let's work hard!"
The other three each placed a hand on top of his.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang again.
The men quickly put away the energy blocks, and Gu Fu went to answer the door once more.
A pretty blonde young woman stood outside in a maid outfit, her hair tied into twin tails.
"Hello. The minister sent me to help with the housework. My name is Xie Yuwei."
Her fair arms were as white as lotus roots, her features delicate, her skin smooth and pale, and her long, straight legs were clad in black thigh-high stockings.
Gu Fu's gaze was instantly drawn to her like a magnet.
Xie Yuwei was exactly the kind of girl he'd once admired as his dream girl back in school.
After leaving the Yanhu Sect, Wang Yiyang had gained another group of allies. With the Yanhu Sect's connections and the Avengers' cooperation, he had temporarily dealt with the urgent crisis hanging over him.
His main concern now was how to handle the unknown trouble that the Hypnotist Finn would bring.
Finn's trouble would arrive in just five days.
What puzzled him was that Finn wasn't one of his identities in the reality he lived in.
So how would Finn's trouble manifest?
The first identity, Director Mister, faced trouble from hostile forces within the board.
The second identity, Doctor Twist, faced trouble from his trembling hands, which made surgery impossible.
Both of those problems could affect his real life.
So Wang Yiyang was curious to see how the third identity's trouble would take shape.
To prepare in advance, he had ordered an ultrathin bulletproof suit, a stab-resistant vest, a ballistic force-field generator, and a whole range of other protective equipment from the Federation's largest arms and equipment conglomerate, Meixing Group.
Meixing Group's top-of-the-line bulletproof suits were not only ultrathin, but could even stop small-caliber bullets fired at close range.
Apart from high-powered anti-materiel rifles, the suit offered excellent protection against other types of firearms and even energy weapons.
It could also automatically repair damaged areas.
Its performance was excellent, and so was its price.
One custom bulletproof suit had cost Wang Yiyang eight million. If he hadn't made another large batch of Source Silver and given it to the hospitals under his control to treat people from the Yanhu Sect, his earlier savings wouldn't have been enough.
The bulletproof suit, high-strength stab-resistant vest, and various other wearable devices and equipment.
The whole set had cost Wang Yiyang a total of sixteen million.
Of course, its protection was impressive, too.
At the very least, both close-range and long-range assassination attempts would have little effect on him now.
At long range, he had various jammers and deflection force-field generators.
These devices could deflect long-range targeting systems, making it impossible to aim precisely at him.
In short, anyone who wanted to assassinate him now would first have to get past the layers of Meixing Group's protective systems on his body.
In truth, Wang Yiyang hadn't previously been qualified to buy such a complete set of protective equipment.
Even as a director at Mister, he hadn't met the requirements.
The equipment was military-grade and tightly controlled.
But with help from the Yanhu Sect, he'd obtained the entire set through special channels. It was now being shipped to him.
That had greatly increased his sense of security.
The equipment would take several days to arrive.
While sending his people to keep a close eye on Gewen's movements, Wang Yiyang repeatedly combed through the dark forces throughout Yingxing City to stay on top of the situation.
At the same time, he began assigning people to take control of Mister's industries in Yingxing City and the surrounding cities.
Since they'd already fallen out, he might as well go all the way and seize all the surrounding industries.
He also started sending people to the Federal Patent Office and to countries abroad to register patents, making sure to patent Source Silver as soon as possible.
That way, even if someone figured out how to make Source Silver, they wouldn't be able to produce it on a large scale.
Any commercial operation that produced it on a large scale would have to pay him patent fees.
It was a money tree that would keep on giving!
Once the patents were approved, he could leave behind his identity as a director at Mister and still secure a place for himself in the medical world.
Finally, Wang Yiyang had used the detailed reports he'd gathered on the Avengers to pick out a girl who perfectly matched Gu Fu's ideal type. She would go and live with them.
The girl was just a college student working her way through school. She was kindhearted and innocent.
Wang Yiyang had paid for the surgery her seriously ill mother needed. In exchange, she would work as a live-in housekeeper for Gu Fu and the others.
He had done Xie Yuwei a favor, then used a little hypnosis to make her take meticulous care of the four men.
Xie Yuwei was already exactly Gu Fu's type.
And her attentive care might remind Kong Ping of the sister he'd lost long ago.
With that, Xie Yuwei might become the bond that held the Avengers team together.
People grew softhearted when they had someone to care about.
Gu Fu and the others were as close as brothers. If Gu Fu had a soft spot, the rest would be easy to manage.
This was Wang Yiyang's open scheme. Whether Xie Yuwei succeeded or not, he had nothing to lose.
One thing was certain.
People were emotional creatures. After spending enough time together, the kind and beautiful Xie Yuwei would surely win their affection.
Then, as long as he had Xie Yuwei under his control, he could easily keep the Avengers in line.
After taking care of these odds and ends, Wang Yiyang finally had time to focus on strengthening himself.
No matter how thorough his defenses were, he might still end up facing an enemy directly.
So he needed to practice some self-defense. He could ask Zhong Can, the Limit Martial Artists around him, and the elite special forces soldiers for guidance.
Also, although he was a company director, his management skills were a mess.
So he signed himself up for a management training course organized by the School of Economics and Management at Yingxing Industrial University.
The memories that came with his identity were far too brief.
Now that he had so many subordinates, Wang Yiyang was starting to feel overwhelmed. He couldn't just dump everything on his assistants and staff.
The morning after returning from the Yanhu Sect, he went with Zhong Can to a small nearby martial arts club.
Wang Yiyang had rented out the entire club. It wasn't expensive; the place wasn't popular, so renting it all cost only a hundred thousand a day.
Thump.
The car door shut. Wang Yiyang glanced at the quiet surroundings, then at the sign hanging in front of him.
"Storm Defense Gym."
The defense gym had three floors, each covering five hundred square meters, with plenty of large rooms for different activities.
Through the front entrance and floor-to-ceiling windows, he could see thick mats covering the floors inside.
"This is the place?" Wang Yiyang asked Jian, who had also just gotten out of the car.
"Yes, boss. It's quiet around here, and not many people come. We can rent it privately for a few days without affecting anyone. The guys often come here to train, too. We need to stay in shape, after all. The place is well equipped, and there's plenty of room." Jian shrugged.
"Mm. Let's go in." Wang Yiyang nodded and headed for the entrance.
Zhong Can followed close behind in silence.
Before you continue