Yuri, a seasoned arms dealer, stared at Hong Fei in stunned silence, his mouth hanging open. "No, Hong," he finally managed, "I think I must have misheard. Would you repeat that?"
Hong Fei's eyes narrowed with amusement. "You heard correctly. I want one of each, except for marked ones. Separate ammunition orders."
"But—"
"Yuri!" Hong Fei cut him off sharply. "No 'buts.' If I say I want them, I mean it. You sell, I buy. Any questions?"
Yuri blinked, then shook his head slowly.
"Good," Hong Fei said, patting his shoulder. "Send me the deposit amount. I'll arrange the transfer immediately. Tell the captain to turn around—I need to head back."
On the return trip, Yuri seemed distracted. He hesitated before speaking again. "Hong, tell me honestly—are you planning to start a war? If so, I'd rather disappear as far as possible."
"War?" Hong Fei chuckled. "Of course not. I hate war. My greatest wish is world peace. Those weapons are purely for self-defense. Don't talk nonsense like that again."
Self-defense? Yuri wasn't buying it. Who buys heavy machine guns, mortars, rocket launchers, and even missiles for self-defense? If Hong Fei had access to nuclear bombs, Yuri suspected he'd have asked for those too. As they parted ways, Hong Fei's smile was as bright as ever, but there was something unsettling in his eyes.
Yuri decided it was best to keep their relationship strictly professional—buyer and seller, nothing more.
After disembarking, Hong Fei returned to his hotel, packed his belongings, and headed straight to the airport. Seven hours later, he landed in New York. As he stepped out of the terminal, Dr. Helen Cho hurried toward him, and Hong Fei opened his arms for a brief embrace.
When they pulled apart, he noticed the look of concern in her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked immediately.
"I… I've spent your investment," she admitted hesitantly.
"Is that all?" Hong Fei shrugged. "Small matter. I'll add more—fifty enough?"
"That's more than enough!"
"Well, this trip was a waste," he muttered under his breath. "And I ended up paying an extra forty-five. If it's enough, get in the car."
As he slid into the back seat, Hong Fei noticed Big Head behind the wheel. "Why are you here?"
Big Head turned awkwardly, his head brushing against the car's roof. "Boss, I came to pick you up," he said, his tone tinged with hurt.
"Do I need you to pick me up?" Hong Fei shot back. "What if a thief breaks into the house while you're gone?"
"Mr. Frank is at home."
"That's fine then. Drive."
Big Head turned again, his head scraping the roof once more.
"Just give up on driving," Hong Fei said dryly.
Big Head looked like he might cry.
When they arrived at the manor, Big Head parked and turned off the engine. He reclined his seat, twisted his body carefully to extract his long head, and then began to move his legs.
Hong Fei shook his head as he watched. Dr. Helen Cho tapped his arm lightly. "Don't mock him. Mr. Samuel has been working very hard lately."
"I'm not mocking him," Hong Fei replied. "I just think his enormous head is wasted. He should get a doctor's note and drive a convertible. Why make it so complicated?"
Entering the house, Frank was sitting by the window reading a book. Hong Fei glanced at him. "When are you leaving?"
Frank didn't look up. "You're back, so I'll leave tomorrow."
"Remember to receive the goods for me when you get there. Yuri will contact you."
"Mhm."
Hong Fei nodded and glanced at the book's title. "War and Peace." He raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning to lay down your butcher's knife and become a Buddha?"
Frank shot him a look. "Mind your own business."
"Just showing concern," the man retorted, pulling Dr. Helen Cho away. Under his breath, he muttered, "No good deed goes unpunished."
In the living room, Frank gestured to Big Head. "Come here."
"Boss, what do you need?"
"Helen mentioned you've been working hard lately. Care to elaborate?"
Big Head's eyes flicked to Dr. Helen Cho, gratitude shining in his gaze. "Boss, Dr. Cho's right. I've been putting in a lot of effort on something. It all started with your initial actions..."
He launched into an explanation, summarizing after a moment. "So, to prevent past accidents from happening again, to make your operations smoother, and to keep your identity hidden, I've been working on creating a powerful artificial intelligence."
Hong Fei raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And have you succeeded?"
Big Head's smile faltered. "Uh, not quite yet."
"How close are we talking? A little? Or a lot?"
"A tiny bit," Big Head insisted, holding up his thumb and forefinger for emphasis. "I swear, it's just the final stretch!"
Hong Fei clicked his tongue, thinking for a moment. "It's not that I don't believe you. But you're telling me you're holding a laptop—expensive as it may be—and claiming you're going to create a strong AI. If you said that out loud, how many people would take you seriously?"
Big Head straightened, puffing out his chest. He tapped his temple. "Boss, even if you don't believe me, believe in this head of mine. My brain capacity is massive, and I know I'm nowhere near my limit. After all the work I've put in, I'm confident I'm the world's top hacker—no contest."
"Impressive," Hong Fei said, his tone flat.
Big Head opened his mouth to argue further, but Hong Fei raised a hand to cut him off. "I know you're working hard. If you're determined to do this, then do it properly. You've got a billion to work with. Use whatever you need. Come to me when you've made it—otherwise, drop it. Got it?"
For a moment, Big Head's expression shifted through a range of emotions. What struck him most was Hong Fei's willingness to invest in a project he didn't fully believe in—and to invest big.
In an instant, Big Head stood tall, his confidence restored. "Understood, Boss. Just wait for the good news!"
Once he'd left, Dr. Helen Cho leaned in, resting her chin on Hong Fei's shoulder. Her breath brushed his ear as she murmured, "You really think he can pull it off, don't you?"
Hong Fei nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. Big Head's oversized skull wasn't just for show. He was sharper than he gave himself credit for—far sharper. While he might not rival the likes of Stark, he was undoubtedly among the brightest minds humanity had to offer. If Tony could do it, so could he. At the very least, his chances were far better than most.
"Then why not tell him outright?" Helen asked.
"I'm afraid he'll get arrogant, and arrogance leads to death."
"So domineering?" Her warm breath tickled his ear again, followed by the soft press of her lips against his earlobe.
Hong Fei smirked. Playing with fire? You'll regret it. Activating a certain skill card, he turned, scooped her up, and headed straight for the bedroom.