Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, was packed with luxury cars, and the palm trees on both sides stood straighter than telephone poles, as if welcoming distinguished guests with the utmost sincerity.
Among a row of luxury cars, there was an inconspicuous Cadillac, squeezed in the middle of the convoy, crawling forward slowly like a tortoise.
Hou Biao drove carefully, observing the situation at each intersection and the nearby vehicles.
The Wolf Family wielded considerable influence in Los Angeles, and with Hong Kui's instructions, the professor and his party received an exceptionally warm welcome. They had originally arranged a Rolls-Royce for Professor Mei, but Hou Biao felt the car was too conspicuous and requested a different one. The professor didn't mind, saying that any car he could use for a nap would suffice. He used to drive an old Cadillac in the United States and found it very comfortable, so his wish was granted.
This car might easily blend into the ordinary traffic on the streets of Los Angeles, but in Beverly Hills, especially at this particular time, it became extremely conspicuous.
Hou Biao knew that the cars around him were filled with wealthy people and celebrities on their way to tonight's charity gala, along with their convoys of bodyguards. He was fine with the wealthy and celebrities driving luxury cars, but what puzzled him was that their bodyguards were also driving supercars. Did that make their owners seem wealthy? Or was it just for speed in case of danger? But in Hou Biao's opinion, whether it was escaping or chasing, a 150 pickup truck was definitely more practical than any sports car.
Professor Mei was dozing in the back seat of the car. The social engagements of the past two days had left him dizzy and disoriented. In his own words, talking to a politician was more tiring than talking to a fool. A fool certainly wouldn't know what you were talking about, but a politician would know exactly what you were saying but pretend not to, and then say things that only he himself understood, things you could never guess.
Mei Ziqing, on the other hand, was quite energetic. She stared wide-eyed at the scenery outside the car, then guessed which celebrity was sitting in which car. Although she could be considered a scientist, a woman's nature always made her curious about what the handsome men and beautiful women in movies looked like in real life.
The car stopped in front of a large building that looked like a post office from decades ago. Hou Biao got out of the car, opened the door, and helped the professor out. A receptionist who recognized the professor warmly greeted them and walked forward together.
Hou Biao used his Mental Power to lightly scan him, then consciously lagged behind a few steps, following behind the professor.
Other tycoons and celebrities also got out of their cars one after another and left, leaving behind many people in suits wearing spy earpieces in the square. Hou Biao knew that most of these were bodyguards brought by the tycoons, who could not enter the main venue and could only wait on the outside.
Police and security personnel were maintaining order, directing drivers to park their vehicles in designated areas. They exchanged polite smiles, but their eyes betrayed their disdain. The police probably considered these people superfluous; Beverly Hills is one of the world's safest havens for the wealthy. The bodyguards, on the other hand, likely lacked confidence in the competence and responsibility of government officials, hence their disdain and cold smiles.
Hou Biao spotted a familiar face in the crowd—it was one of his own men whom he had arranged in advance. They weren't allowed inside, but the perimeter checks and security still needed to be in place. Of course, this was thanks to the Wolf Family's assistance; otherwise, it would have been extremely troublesome for him to arrange a large number of people to come to a place like this.
The man nodded to him, then looked down and said something into his headset. Hou Biao also said something, looked around, and then followed the professor and Mei Ziqing.
The Wallis Annenberg Performing Arts Center boasts a distinctive architecture, blending tradition and modernity. It possesses both contemporary grandeur and retro elegance. Inside the Dali lobby, you can see eight murals depicting hungry children and people queuing for food.
Hou Biao tensed up immediately upon seeing the painting. He remembered what Qingmu had said: Xia Wenyuan was parasitized because he bought a Picasso painting from Ronald Cohen. Although the specific method of parasitism was still unclear, the possibility of parasitizing or activating some kind of consciousness energy through a painting was extremely high.
Fortunately, Professor Mei did not look at the murals. Hou Biao overheard someone explaining that it was a project of the Federal Works Progress Administration, depicting scenes from the Great Depression, with the aim of reminding people not to forget the past tragedies and not to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Hou Biao relaxed and stopped paying attention to the murals.
Several tall men, also wearing headphones, were walking around the lobby. Hou Biao knew they were plainclothes officers specially arranged by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. As he walked up the steps to the main theater, the detector beeped. Two security personnel asked him to show his identification and hand over his service weapon and any other metal objects he was carrying.
Hou Biao didn't say anything, handed over his documents to them for registration, and then quickly scanned the two men with his Mental Power. His hypnotic abilities weren't as powerful as Qingmu's, but they had improved by leaps and bounds over the past year, so getting past this checkpoint wouldn't be difficult.
The two men seemed to sense something was amiss, staring at Hou Biao for a moment before returning his identification. By then, he was already behind the security scanner, so the alarm wouldn't go off.
Once inside the main theater, there is virtually no immediate danger. In such a prestigious setting, it's highly unlikely that an armed attack would occur; otherwise, the federal government would have to consider cutting government spending.
But Hou Biao dared not let his guard down. If he could bring a gun into the venue, then others could too, whether through special abilities or power. Besides, not all the security personnel and federal agents were necessarily reliable. Who knew if any of them were Parasites, or if they would take any action against the professor? Even if it wasn't the professor, but some other important figure, there was still a possibility of being caught in the crossfire.
Typically, events ostensibly charitable but actually social gatherings like this are dominated by heavyweight capitalists or politicians, with even top entertainment stars relegated to mere accompaniment. Scientists like Mei Yiqiu rarely appear in such settings, usually just making a perfunctory appearance. This time, however, is different. It was a charity event combining technology and entertainment, specifically organized by several capitalists who wanted to participate in the Space Box project. Most of the guests today are also players of " Dream Guide." If it weren't for this reason, Mei Yiqiu would never have bothered to attend.
As soon as the host introduced Professor Mei, the atmosphere became lively, and everyone rushed forward to shake hands and take photos with him. He had clearly become the central figure of the event.
Hou Biao stood in a corner of the meeting room, carefully observing everyone and their every move. He heard someone say:
"Is this old geezer the mastermind behind the Space Box project?"
"Yes, he's not some old codger; he's now the chief scientific advisor to the United Nations Space Management Committee!"
"Isn't China all about knockoffs? How come top-notch products are all made in China now? What about our Apple? Are they all rotten? If Steve Jobs were alive, he certainly wouldn't let these China people steal the spotlight!"
"Don't the China still learn from us? This Professor Mei used to be at Princeton too."
"I suspect that federal government officials have been parasitized by aliens. Look at what they've done these past two years—far worse than China's leaders!"
"I don't think the federal government is at fault. It would be strange if they could make any wise decisions! I think the China have been parasitized; the aliens taught them advanced technology. Otherwise, how could they make something like Space Box?"
Those around him wholeheartedly agreed and nodded in agreement. Their gazes toward Mei Yiqiu changed, as if they could see a large-headed, small-bodied alien living in his mind, emitting an evil laugh.