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Fortunately, before leaving, Kerr had picked up the satellite phone Jack had thrown from his bag onto the ground. At four in the afternoon after daybreak, the rescue team found them in two speedboats. By the time they returned to the city, it was noon the next day.

Gordon was sent to the hospital for treatment after being bitten by a Stone Spider, while Gale called the company to report on the operation, truthfully telling them everything Jack had done and that the Blood Orchid had been destroyed.

Gordon had originally handled the finances, but since he now needed treatment, Gale made the decision to pay Bill one hundred thousand dollars. In truth, they had encountered that waterfall because Jack and Bill had made a private deal. Jack wanted to find the Blood Orchid sooner, so he had agreed to pay Bill an extra fifty thousand dollars to secretly alter their route.

But now that this had happened and Jack was dead, Bill certainly could not reveal it. Naturally, he could not get that money either. Fortunately, his boat was not worth much, so he still came out ahead overall. Moreover, Bill and Sam had grown quite close after returning. It seemed Bill had made an unexpected gain from this operation.

The hired mission had been to protect Jack and his group as they safely returned from the jungle. Although Jack had died, it had entirely been the result of his own actions, so Gale still paid Meng Zu one hundred thousand dollars. Overall, both Bill and Meng Zu had made money from the operation. Only Byron-Mitch Biological Company had lost out. Not only had it failed to achieve its goal, but all the equipment it had brought had been destroyed, and even Jack, the company's chief scientist, had died.

None of that had anything to do with Meng Zu. After receiving the money, he washed up, changed into clean clothes, and took a car to the airport. By the time he returned to his home in New York, it was already ten the next morning.

Meng Zu did not take the Blood Orchid out of his storage space. After all, he knew nothing about medicine. He would let experts in the field study it when he had the chance.

Moreover, the Blood Orchid only bloomed once every seven years, and its flowering period lasted just half a year. Items in his storage space remained in a state of frozen time. He did not know when he would find an expert capable of studying the Blood Orchid, so keeping it there meant he did not have to worry about it withering.

As for why he had destroyed the Blood Orchid, it had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. Once he considered that it could extend a person's lifespan, he realized it would be an irresistible temptation to many wealthy and powerful people. Houghton had once obtained a Blood Orchid by chance, but no one had found another one in all the years since.

Yet this time, they had found where the Blood Orchids grew. Once those rich people learned of it, their first thought would certainly be to secretly monopolize the Blood Orchids for themselves. Then they would surely find a way to silence people like Meng Zu, who knew about it. Meng Zu was not afraid of ordinary people, but Hydra existed in this world. One day, he might be driving only to get surrounded by a group of people and gunned down.

Sam and the others had seen the backpack containing the Blood Orchid fall into the deep pit. Now that place had been destroyed, neither Hydra nor anyone else could obtain the Blood Orchid. As for why Meng Zu was so certain that Blood Orchids grew in only that one location, it was because Sam had told him about the giant pythons and Blood Orchid carvings they had discovered among the Lopa Tribe.

The Lopa Tribe had lived there for generations, so they naturally understood everything around them well. Since they had left by boat, it was clear that they knew the giant pythons would come there during mating season, which was why they had hurriedly abandoned their home. The carvings depicted only Blood Orchids and giant pythons, which was enough to prove that Blood Orchids grew only there. Otherwise, they would certainly have carved other animals as well.

The trip had taken eight days, so after driving out for a meal, Meng Zu went to the company. He found Frank, Uncle Yang, and Yang Hai all there. "Frank, how have you been feeling these past few days?"

"I've been feeling pretty good." Frank stood with a broad smile and gave Meng Zu a hug.

"That's good."

Uncle Yang asked with concern, "A-Zu, this hired job of yours really took a long time. We couldn't reach you by phone. I thought something had happened to you."

Meng Zu sat down and said, "No choice. There was no phone signal in the rainforest."

Yang Hai spoke up. "Brother Zu, Stark Industries' stock has fallen to its lowest point these past few days. As you asked, I used all your money to buy Stark Industries shares."

Yang Hai had already told Uncle Yang about buying Stark Industries stock, but Uncle Yang did not think highly of Stark Industries at all. He sighed. "A-Zu, spending so much money on Stark Industries stock is too risky. You might lose a huge sum in the future."

Frank spoke up with a puzzled expression. "Evan, were you speaking Chinese? What were you talking about?"

Meng Zu had been speaking Mandarin with Uncle Yang and the others, so Frank, who had never learned Mandarin, naturally could not understand what the three of them were saying. Feeling as though he had been left out, he could not help asking.

Hearing that, Meng Zu switched to English. "Frank, here's the situation. I had Xiao Hai buy Stark Industries stock for me over the past few days, but Uncle Yang doesn't think highly of Stark Industries. He thinks I'll lose money in the future."

Frank curled his lip. "I think Uncle Yang's right. Several friends I know used to own Stark Industries stock. After Tony Stark shut down the company's weapons division, they were all cursing Stark and selling every share they had. Even then, they still lost quite a bit of money."

Meng Zu pinched the bridge of his nose and smiled helplessly. "You don't understand. Stark Industries stock has always been expensive. Even though it's doing terribly now, it'll definitely rise in the future. This is the only chance to buy it cheaply."

Meng Zu asked Yang Hai, "Xiao Hai, how much did you buy?"

Yang Hai glanced at Uncle Yang and answered somewhat helplessly, "Brother Zu, I originally wanted to invest all the money I had left, but my dad wouldn't let me. In the end, I only bought two hundred thousand dollars' worth of stock."

"Uncle Yang, I'm telling you, now really is the best opportunity. Stark Industries stock will become very valuable in the future." Meng Zu naturally did not want those close to him to miss this opportunity. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Let me put it this way. Tony Stark actually invented something new. It's very important—I saw it myself. He said it would take one or two years, but once he reveals it, Stark Industries stock will definitely soar like crazy. By then, it'll be too late to buy."

Yang Hai's eyes immediately lit up. "Brother Zu, so Tony Stark really did tell you insider information."

Uncle Yang became curious about what could be so important and asked, "A-Zu, what is it?"

He really could not tell them. If the three of them accidentally let it slip, then Tony Stark would surely face major trouble when he tried to use the Ark Reactor to power new energy. If it affected Stark Industries stock, that would be disastrous. Without even blinking, Meng Zu lied, "I can't say. I promised him I'd keep it confidential."

Uncle Yang fell into thought. Based on everything he knew about Meng Zu, Meng Zu was not someone who made wild claims. That meant what he said was most likely true.

Uncle Yang made his decision and told Yang Hai, "In that case, Xiao Hai, use all the money you have left to buy Stark Industries stock."

"Mm. Dad, aren't you buying any?"

"Me? Of course I am. Other than enough money for us to live on, I'll use all the rest to buy it. I trust A-Zu." Uncle Yang chuckled.

Meng Zu smiled at Frank. "Frank, you can buy Stark Industries stock now too."

Hearing their conversation, Frank asked with a face full of disbelief, "Evan, are you serious?"

"Of course, Frank."

"Frank, Evan wouldn't joke about something like this. This is an opportunity to become a millionaire."

"Fine. Evan, if you trick me into bankruptcy, I'm going to cling to you for the rest of my life. I'll eat and live at your place."

"No problem!"

After work that evening, Meng Zu headed to the Continental Hotel. After all, he had not been there for eight days. "Charon, are there any bounties suitable for me?"

Charon replied with a smile, "There is one bounty suitable for you."