Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

What he was holding was a hollow tin boat, at least in appearance. Zhang Renfeng had never seen a completely closed boat before; in his mind, a "boat" was still a small, flat-bottomed boat.

The small boat in Tao's hand was not only made of metal, but also sealed like a can, with two strange metal rods attached to it, which were about thinner than a finger.

Meanwhile, on the shore, there was a table and a chair, and on the table was a strangely shaped machine, just like the engine from before.

Zhang Renfeng couldn't find any words to describe it. It looked like an ordinary wooden box with two metal rods at the top, wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, resembling coils of yarn, only made of metal, wound around the rods in circles. Besides that, there were two control wrenches, and that was all.

No wonder he dared to leave this thing out in the open. Even a thief passing by might not bother to steal this heavy and strange object.

"You look like a toy salesman," he couldn't help but remark.

“Essentially, I’m no different from a toy manufacturer. If no one wants to buy, I’ll just lose money.”

Tao sighed and said softly, "Well then, Mr. Hongzhong, please allow me to introduce my second invention to you."

"Electromagnetic waves."

"No wires or complicated pulley systems are needed; I can control this small metal boat simply by relying on the invisible waves in the air. Perhaps you would like to experience its magic for yourself."

“Me?” Zhang Renfeng watched as he placed the model in the water and was immediately astonished. “But… I don’t know anything about it.”

"It's okay, you don't need to understand it. That's the charm of it. The principle can be complex, but the finished product application must be simple. Even if you know nothing about it, you can still operate it."

Tao slightly turned the knob on the side of the box and said, "Okay, this lever is for forward and backward, this lever is for left and right, this button is a bit unreliable, you need to press it down hard to launch a torpedo."

"torpedo?!"

“An underwater bomb.” Tao’s tone remained calm. “You’ll know once you try it; it’s very simple.”

"See those small boats floating on the water? Those are the targets I set up. There were also magnetic mines, but I didn't set them up so as not to ruin your experience... The mission is simple: maneuver this small boat and destroy all the targets."

……

It turns out that no matter how old you get, your interest and passion for novel toys will never fade.

During his childhood, Zhang Renfeng played with toys mostly like spinning tops and kites. Compared to them, this small metal boat seemed to come from another dimension.

At first, he was quite nervous, afraid that he might use too much strength and accidentally break this precious contraption. But as he gradually became more skilled at operating it, and saw that the small boat could actually follow his commands, glide freely across the water, launch torpedoes, and sink targets, Old Zhang started having a blast.

With each target sunk, the satisfying positive feedback filled every pore of my body, making me want to shout out.

----

……

"Bang---!!"

The last target was smashed.

"Whoosh!" Zhang Renfeng couldn't help but stomp his foot, making the small boat circle in the center of the lake. His eyebrows almost flew up as he shouted happily, "All shots hit the target! I am the king of the near seas!"

"Very good, bring the ship model back."

"That's amazing," Zhang Renfeng muttered. "How did they manage that?"

“Electromagnetic waves, Mr. Hongzhong, all of this is not a miracle, but the work of electromagnetic waves. These invisible waves will generate enormous value.” Tao remained calm as he pulled the model boat out of the lake, wiped it clean, and then turned off the machine that had been placed on the shore.

"However, what you see now is just a newborn baby, full of all sorts of possibilities."

“Babies don’t grow up on their own; they need the care of their parents and the guidance of their teachers. The same goes for this technology. Perhaps, decades from now… it will completely change people’s lifestyles.”

Decades later.

Decades later?

Zhang Renfeng had mixed feelings, wondering if he would still be around decades later.

On second thought, this young man in front of me is thinking about things decades in the future all day long. Just thinking about it makes me feel exhausted for him.

"This..." After handling it himself, Zhang Renfeng's tone was quite regretful, "Are you also planning to sell it for money?"

"Unfortunately, this is the kind of product that can't be sold at all. Electromagnetic waves haven't yet produced any decent products in the field of applied science, so naturally no one will buy them. As a gimmick to attract attention at an exhibition, it might not be bad."

Tao said in a deep voice, "I hope you can understand that, as I just said, every step from infancy to adulthood requires money."

……

"Let's go, Mr. Hongzhong, this is over."

The next moment, Tao made a surprising statement, dropping a rather weighty line: "Let's go look at the next project."

Chapter 465: Zeta-Meryl Krenchikov

"Ten thousand dollars?!" Ren's eyes widened instantly, looking at Tito with the eyes of someone looking at a monster. After confirming that she was not joking, she exclaimed, "So, he carried such a large sum of money with him the whole time he was traveling with us?"

"It's incredible that it wasn't stolen..." Silver Frost yawned and stretched, clearly still half asleep.

She said it casually, but it made Tito and Vivian exchange a glance, both of them seeming to laugh awkwardly.

With the purchasing team returning from the neighboring town, the laboratory finally began to bustle with activity again. Renhe and Yinshuang, who had slept all day, also got up one after another. Tuden and her daughter went to their home in town to pack up some essentials and bring them with them. Faced with her daughter's newfound life, Mrs. Tuden finally decided to keep her promise and take her away from here.

Of course, objectively speaking, this place is no longer suitable for them to live in—after the inn was destroyed, all remaining order was gone, and the crowds on the streets were restless. Before long, this place will become a hellish place, and anyone with a brain should try to leave Dover Hill before things explode.

The good news is that after all that, no one dared to come to the lab to cause trouble, making it one of the few safe places within a hundred miles.

……

“He’s most likely gone to that stagnant lake behind the mountain.” Tito shrugged, seemingly having anticipated Tao’s modus operandi. “Tao set up an electromagnetic signal device there and spent quite a while refining it. Our original plan was to unveil the toy boat at the exhibition, give it a little packaging, and attract one or two investors willing to fund it. Now…”

She glanced at the handbag, which was stuffed full of US dollars and looked reassuring. "Being able to skip all the twists and turns and directly secure investment from a major investor in one step is a pretty good outcome."

"In that case, I guess my mission can be considered complete."

“Miss Tito,” Aurora sensed a hint of relief in the girl’s voice, and asked cautiously, “Will you leave here?”

"It's hard to say. It might be a while later, after everything has settled down. By then, you'll be all grown up, and you'll have to take care of this guy." Tito said half-jokingly. "Taking care of someone who has almost zero self-care ability is going to be tough, right? If you don't bring him water, he'll probably die of thirst."

"Aren't you planning to stay here forever?" Ren glanced at her. He always felt that there was something strange about this tall girl, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. When they first met, he hid behind the fireplace and concealed all his presence. The first person to notice him was not Hong Zhong, but her. "The salary this scientist is offering must be in a league of its own. Where else can you find such a good job?"

“There’s no other way. I left home without telling my family. I thought I’d try my luck here…” Tito sighed, shook his head helplessly, and said as if he had something else in mind, “My grandfather has always been against it. He thinks that this era is too dangerous for me.”

indeed.

This era is hardly friendly to women.

Those with strong self-defense capabilities, like Silverfrost and Wolf, are a minority. Most women's jobs are probably like Mrs. Tuden's, doing work as textile workers or tavern waitresses to earn a living. The pay is meager, and there's not much security. Professions like "laboratory assistant," which might involve being in the public eye, are indeed not very suitable for a woman.

"Stop talking about me, what about you?" Tito didn't use the corkscrew, but instead used just two fingers to unscrew the cap on the bottle, took a sip of cherry liqueur, and said, "You said before... you were going to meet someone at the exhibition, right?"

"It's all in such a mess, what's the point of seeing a ghost? They're not stupid, they must have left long ago." Ren was happy to have some peace and quiet, so he put his hands behind his head and leaned against the wall. "That guy's life is precious. He'll retreat immediately if he senses anything amiss."

"People from the government?" Tito frowned.

"Not exactly. I heard from Istavo that these people do have some kind of connection with the government. What's their name again..."

……

"Boom boom boom——"

He bent his fingers and knocked three times on the door.

Even though the laboratory's main door was wide open, the visitor still did this, revealing his excellent upbringing and politeness, and in a very short time, he attracted the attention of everyone in the room.

He gave off a straightforward and capable impression, wearing a dark fine-woven overcoat over a dark green paisley waistcoat. His lower body was dressed in classic Cumberland attire: trousers and cavalry boots, speckled with mud, clearly indicating he wasn't the type to live a life of leisure indoors. The man appeared to be in his forties, with a neat, slicked-back hairstyle and round glasses perched on his nose.

Behind him followed a woman whose age was hard to guess from her appearance; she looked to be in her early twenties, yet her eyes and brows exuded a maturity far beyond her years. She carried a briefcase in her left hand and an umbrella in her right, standing quietly behind the man, like a silent backdrop.

"...May I come in?" the man asked with a smile.

"Who is it?" Tao wasn't there, so Tito was the owner of the laboratory. She stood up instinctively and suddenly realized that the woman with the umbrella was almost as tall as her. "Did you make an appointment with Tao?"

“No, I guess you could say I came uninvited.” The man’s gaze lingered on everyone, as if judging whether they were the people he was looking for. Finally, he noticed the only Asian person in the group and nodded slightly to Ren. “You can just call me Zeta.”

“Zeta Meryl Krenzikov, this is my assistant. She will not react except in cases that threaten my life. You can pretend she doesn’t exist for the rest of the conversation, so I won’t introduce her.”

Despite being told this, the woman remained unresponsive, staring straight ahead, making one wonder if she was even alive.

"You're Zeta?!" Ren jumped to his feet, dumbfounded. "How did you find your way here?"

"..." Tito's gaze was complicated. He fell silent for a moment, staring intently at the man who had suddenly appeared and seemed to be handling everything with ease.

“It is my honor to see the War Demon of the Reaper in person. Please give my regards to Captain Istavo.” Zeta responded with an impeccable smile. “We were supposed to meet and talk in detail at the exhibition, but unfortunately, due to this unexpected situation, we have to cancel.”

“I happen to be going to Lagras next month, so let’s discuss this further there. I hope you can pass this message on to Captain Istavo.”

"As for this place... it was purely accidental, like gold prospectors who, after a heavy rain, unexpectedly discovered grains of gold hidden in a vein. Following the direction, we found our way here." He clapped his hands, revealing a cold smile. "I'm quite adept at finding real gold."

"And what about Mr. Tao?"

Chapter 466: Recruiting the Generals...

"Zeta Industries..."

This is Zhang Renfeng. After Jimmy, he's only the second person I've seen to pull out a piece of paper during self-introduction. Look at his attire—so formal, so sophisticated, he even founded a company using his own name! Compared to him, I suddenly feel like a country bumpkin… My only advantage is that I'm rich.

Fortunately, in this material world, his only advantage is that he is still quite popular.

Tao held the business card in his hand, remaining silent for a long time, as if his soul had left his body.

Titor, on the other hand, gritted his teeth slightly and, contrary to his usual behavior, shrank into a corner, staring at Zeta with a somewhat strange look.

It was clear she had tried her best, but this girl was really not good at suppressing her emotions. Zhang Renfeng, who had just entered, could clearly feel that restless resentment. The others must have noticed it to some extent as well, but no one called her out. Zeta herself was all smiles, busy chatting with Tao.

It's strange that two people who should be meeting for the first time today would have such feelings.

no one knows.

In the end, it was Aurora, as the lab's second assistant, who poured them two cups of hot water.

It's worth mentioning that Zeta's assistant, who was standing behind her, didn't react at all to the cup that Aurora handed her.

She stood slightly to the side, facing Tito in the corner, her gaze still unfocused, yet subtly wary of her movements. Only when Zeta gave a clear command did she, like a robot, squat down, take the cup from the little girl's hand, tilt her head back, and drink it all in one gulp! It gave the impression that she didn't allow her attention to be distracted even for a moment, compressing all unnecessary action time to the minimum.

"Judging from your name, you must be the boss of this company, right?" Silver Frost muttered. "The boss actually does this kind of work himself..."

“Unfortunately, our company is not as large as you might imagine, and many things are still in their infancy,” Zeta said with a smile. “However, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a manager personally going to the site.”

"Doesn't this Mr. Hongzhong always come to the scene in person every time?"

……

Zhang Renfeng's forehead twitched, and he looked up at him.

“Don’t misunderstand. In the end, when you were wreaking havoc in the town, you were using the name Hongzhong. You didn’t mean to hide it at all, did you?” Zeta waved his hands at him repeatedly and said with a smile, “Being stared at like that by you is enough to make me wet myself.”

"I hope you can understand that what I'm about to say is not flattery. Personally, I have the utmost respect for your actions. Few people act like you; at least I've never seen anyone do it before."

"Robbing the rich to help the poor and eliminating evil to promote good, you're just like Robin Hood in the story. I've heard that in some places in the south, they worship your name as a god. I've always been puzzled by this, but after seeing you in person, I understand it a little better now."

……

"But?" Zhang Renfeng understood the subtext in his words and spoke for him.

“However,” Zeta said with a smile, not embarrassed by his words, but rather with a generous gesture, “theoretical research, assembly line production, and how to monetize scientific ideas in the shortest time are not your areas of expertise.”

“I don’t discriminate against your skin color, but you are, after all, a foreigner, right? There are inherent barriers and obstacles in reading, not to mention in the field of scientific research, where many words are quite unfamiliar to native speakers. Moreover, considering more practical factors, the research environment that the south can offer can never compare to that of the north, can it?”

Like a stage actor, he stretched out his right arm and gently pressed it against his heart, as if he were about to recite a poem.

"Thanks to this exhibition, I had the privilege of seeing some of your designs. After that, I was certain that you are like a rough gem! Zeta Industries will provide you with the best treatment: the best laboratory, the best assistants, the most professional research environment, and the most complete logistical system."

"Of course, with Mr. Hongzhong's generous offer, I really dare not say that I can offer you the highest salary in a short period of time."

"But I can guarantee that the salary we pay you will go entirely into your own pocket. You won't need to waste any more energy worrying about the operation and maintenance of the lab. You can just devote yourself wholeheartedly to your own..."

"You're with the government, aren't you?" Tao suddenly asked.

"..."

Tao's long speech seemed to be silenced, and he fell silent.

"Environment, laboratory, assistants, production line, raw materials, consumables, salary..." Tao counted on his fingers, listing the tempting conditions Zeta had just presented one by one. Each one felt like a boomerang hitting Zeta's face. "Whether in the south or the north, to gather all these things you just mentioned, and not just any 'high-end' laboratory, 'professional' assistants, 'excellent' environment, and 'generous' salary, how could a small startup company possibly manage that? What you've said is completely contradictory, Mr. Zeta."

"Unless you work for the government, then everything makes sense."

“Our company did receive some basic government funding,” Zeta added, hoping to make up for it a little, “but you can rest assured, I will guarantee your…”

“What’s done is done.” Tao no longer hesitated. Or rather, once he made a decision, he was unlikely to change it. “Please go back.”

……

……

……