The country entrusted me to buy an aircraft carrier, Hou Liangping, do you dare to investigate?

He kneaded the dough into a ball, put it in a bowl, covered the bowl with old newspaper, and set it aside to ferment. The aroma of yeast filled the air, and Huang Feipeng involuntarily closed his eyes, savoring the faint sweet fragrance. His mood gradually relaxed, as if everything could stop for a moment.

However, he knew this was only temporary peace. Fermentation needed time, and he couldn't afford to waste that time. Huang Feipeng turned back, his gaze sweeping over Lu Feng, his mind still filled with endless questions. What, then, was the purpose of that mysterious man, the one who had brought him into this strange world?

Huang Feipeng didn't ask him directly. Instead, he turned and found a small knife, gently cutting open the bag of ham and beginning to slice it. His movements were practiced and mechanical, but his heart remained restless. Each slice of ham felt like a rhythm, helping him find a sense of order in the tense environment. At this moment, even he couldn't fully explain why doing these things made him feel calm, but at least it provided him with a way to escape.

Time passed slowly, the aroma of bread gradually filled the air, and Huang Feipeng's mood also changed. He was no longer so tense or anxious. Even though the bread wasn't fully fermented, he could at least feel a sense of control.

"Is this a form of escapism?" Huang Feipeng couldn't help but ask himself, a faint bitter smile appearing on his lips.

He was used to dealing with all challenges through logic and reason, but today, he discovered that even the simplest actions could offer immense comfort. While this didn't mean he could completely escape this vortex, at least the aroma of bread could help him temporarily forget his unfathomable fear.

Lu Feng didn't bother him anymore, but just stood aside, silently watching everything, his eyes seeming to hold something profound.

Huang Feipeng put the ham slice into his mouth, and immediately felt a wave of greasiness wash over him. He frowned slightly, swallowing with some difficulty, a lingering, unpleasant oily sensation on his tongue. The aroma that had once warmed him suddenly felt so unfamiliar. Chewing was no longer easy; each bite felt like a torment of his inner unease.

He raised his head and looked at Lu Feng, who remained silent. The latter stood ramrod straight, still calm, like an observer watching Huang Feipeng's every move, not even missing the moment he frowned. That gaze seemed to penetrate Huang Feipeng, reaching straight to the deepest part of his heart.

Huang Feipeng stopped eating and put the ham slices aside. He didn't want to stay in this uneasy state any longer, and even had an urge to escape—to escape from here, to escape Lu Feng, to escape this suffocating situation.

"What do you think?" Huang Feipeng finally broke the silence, looking directly at Lu Feng. His voice was low and filled with probing and dissatisfaction. "Is continuing like this really the best option for us?"

Lu Feng didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gave him a deep look, as if assessing the meaning behind his words. Huang Feipeng's heart suddenly raced. He began to wonder if he was being too hasty, or if he might have missed some crucial clue. Lu Feng's silence made him feel a sense of pressure, as if every second of waiting made him feel endless tension.

"You don't believe me?" Lu Feng finally spoke, his voice still calm, as if asking an unimportant question. But Huang Feipeng felt an unspeakable pressure behind those words.

“Whether you believe it or not is no longer important.” Huang Feipeng lowered his head, his voice low and tinged with disappointment. “What’s important is that this all seems wrong. You brought me here without saying anything, without explaining anything, just to have me do some trivial things in this place. I don’t understand what you’re after.”

His tone grew increasingly urgent, and the unease and doubts that had been suppressed in his heart for so long finally erupted. Huang Feipeng stared wide-eyed at Lu Feng, his mind filled with a complex mix of emotions. He knew that his attitude at this moment might be somewhat intense, even irrational, but he could no longer tolerate this situation shrouded in suspicion.

Lu Feng remained unhurried, as if Huang Feipeng's anger and doubts were insignificant details to him. "You may not believe me," a deep glint flashed in Lu Feng's eyes, "but you must know that no matter what you choose, the outcome will be the same. You want to escape, you want to turn back, but there is no turning back now."

Huang Feipeng's heart sank. In that instant, he felt as if an invisible force had pushed him into an abyss. There was no escape, no turning back. From the very beginning, this path was destined to have no exit. Huang Feipeng subconsciously clenched his fists, his heart filled with resentment, yet he couldn't find the words to refute it. He had always thought he could control everything, that he could rely on his wisdom to break free from the predicament before him, but reality had repeatedly told him that he was merely a pawn in this game, while the true manipulator remained behind the scenes, coldly observing.

“You don’t need to be so agitated.” Lu Feng’s tone gradually softened. He frowned slightly, seemingly a little impatient. “Calm down. I didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s just that the situation is complicated right now. Everything has its timing.” His tone remained calm, but every word seemed to come from the depths of his heart, carrying an irresistible rationality.

Huang Feipeng gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. He knew that his emotions were out of control and he might have made a fatal mistake. He instinctively raised his head and stared at Lu Feng, trying to find a flaw in that calm face. Unfortunately, Lu Feng's gaze remained unchanged, calm and indifferent, as if all the turmoil and struggle could not affect him in the slightest.

"Timing?" Huang Feipeng repeated the word in a low voice, his tone somewhat mocking, as if talking to himself, or perhaps trying to understand this seemingly mundane puzzle. "So, what am I waiting for? Do you think waiting is really meaningful?"

"The meaning lies not in waiting, but in choosing." Lu Feng's words carried an undeniable firmness. "The process of waiting is your choice, and the result of that choice is your most important decision."

Huang Feipeng frowned deeply, as if trapped in a vicious cycle. Every time he tried to unravel the mystery, a new fog would descend upon him. Waiting, choosing—these seemingly ordinary words had become the reality he could no longer escape.