After letting go of the hug, he turned towards Rita.
"I told you I can bring you here." said Robin.
"How did you persuade the State Government to approve a replacement for my clinic? That is practically impossible." Rita was forced to inquire. Naturally, Robin didn't need to do anything. Sigret went and threatened a politician with corruption evidence in lieu of bringing another doctor to her position from a different place. And a doctor was brought from outside the state.
Robin grinned at her but didn't respond to her question.
"Be quiet. Not that I am dying to know anyways. Humph!"
After exchanging brief words with Rita, Robin shook hands properly with Sauvik. He hadn't seen his friend in flesh in more than a year and only talked over phone. He was happy that he was here.
"You've changed considerably. Got tall. What made you grow so tall?" Sauvik was compelled to inquire.
"The water from Europe may have altered me. Hahaha.." Robin chuckled at his friend's perplexity.
"Are you kidding me? No one can be changed by water." quoted Rita.
"Come, let's go to my penthouse." As he assisted in loading his own stuff into the car, Robin said. Since he would be carrying a lot of bags, JARVIS despatched a SUV to go with him. They placed the bags inside and then departed.
"Why did you bring all of us here? Are you two planning a wedding?" Rita asked bluntly and without any hesitation. Cathrin, who was sitting next to him, blushed as a result. She unintentionally squeezed Robin's hand.
Robin just rolled his eyes and looked at her. It was a long shot to propose to Cathrin, especially because their lives would soon alter.
"No. You will soon learn what I do have to say to you. You both already know of the miracle drug. Right?" Robin questioned Sauvik and Rita. His relatives and acquaintances have never heard him talk about his business. Since the initial trials took place in Malaysia, only Cathrin was aware of it. Cathrin purposefully avoided discussing Robin's company with his family since she was aware that doing business with the CIA was risky. She never discussed his company as a result.
Sauvik and Rita nodded. Although Robin had described how large this item was, they both initially struggled to comprehend how a person like Robin could have come up with it. Rita even questioned him on this, but Robin was very enigmatic.
"Yes."
"Umm.. hmm.."
"That is just one of the things I possess. I brought you here to show more." said Robin.
"Are there any additional items you wish to sell?" Sauvik enquired. He felt at ease around Robin, which allowed him to express himself more.
"You'll find out soon. Just savor the city for the time being." Until they got home, Robin wouldn't say anything more. All three of them agreed to wait because the journey had been long. Robin spoke about the city and how big it was. They were fascinated because this was their first time to the United States.
After reaching the penthouse, each of them went to their rooms to freshen up. They needed to sleep because they were a little jet lagged. Robin simply left them to it as he played with his Switch in his room. The first to fall asleep were Sauvik and Rita, but Cathrin arrived and cuddled up next to him.
They both missed one another and found it difficult to keep their hands apart. They finally met after so many days, thus it was only natural that they would have "fun." And the fun was quite loud to be honest but all the more satisfying.
She eventually fell asleep after being exhausted, leaving Robin to take a nice, long bath.
---
The three emerged from their nap at night. All three of them slept soundly because the penthouse was designed to block out all light.
"I gotta admit, I have never slept in such a comfy bed before." Rita stated as she devoured an actual American burger. The three liked these burgers better since they were sweeter than the ones in their home nations.
"Then it's your fault for not buying one for yourself." Robin responded back.
"I won't be living in that rundown location for very long; why would I purchase such an expensive mattress when the size of the bed will change shortly after I move to a new location?" Rita queried.
"Then you can ask from me. You know that you can live a lavish life if you want. It's you who has refused my help." said Robin.
"That's not how I want to live. I have a life of my own." In this sense, Rita almost caved in to her own pride and refused to accept money from Robin. She said she wanted to live her life her way while they argued about how her life could be better.
They both ate while arguing like children. Robin discussed the new One Piece chapters with Sauvik during their conversation. One Piece manga had gone crazy with chaos happening all around and other recent animes that was coming out.
They concluded the dinner with those impromptu conversations, and everyone gathered in the living room.
"So tell us why you brought us here. All the way from Asia?" Rita enquired. Cathrin was happy to be here but Rita had to ask for leave from her work and Sauvik left his job altogether from his current job. Though now Sauvik would be stuck with Robin, he too was curious about what his friend was planning.
"I want to say that after knowing everything, whatever decision you take will be respected by me, but since you all are my best friends, I want you to respect my decision," the speaker said before explaining why he had brought the group here.
"Decision? What decision?" Cathrin was interested.
"I am about to show you something that will definitely change your life so what I am about to show you should be kept secret now and forever." Robin spoke, taking every word quite seriously. All three of them sat up straight and paid more attention to Robin as a result.
"Is it something dangerous?" Cathrin questioned as she recalled her previous visit to the island with the berries and what transpired then.
"Dangerous? That is up for debate. The only thing I can guarantee is that you will always be safe. However, I can also guarantee that if you accompany me, you will embark on a lifetime experience." said Robin.
"So you are taking us to a hike? That's nothing new." said Rita.
"It's not a hike." Robin answered. Everyone fell silent as a result. They had no idea why Robin out of nowhere came up with this sudden serious conditions and didn't give any hint it might be. However, all three of them put up their hands in agreement with what Robin was about to tell them because they all had faith in him.
"Good."
Robin offered them three empty paper bags that he had packed.
"What are we supposed to do with this?" After Robin gave each of them a sack, Sauvik was perplexed.
"You'll find out soon," As he raised his hand, Robin commanded them to tightly grip his arm with both hands. They were puzzled and Rita was even accused of practicing witchcraft because of what she had learned from dubious and ridiculous beliefs on YouTube. Robin just rolled his eyes at this accusation.
"All ready?" Robin asked.
"Ready for what?"
And before they could receive any response, they felt their surroundings alter. The floor's ground disappeared, and in its stead was a sensation of being pushed and stretched. All three that arrived had to tighten their grips on Robin's hand because this feeling was so strange and perilous.
It just lasted for a split second before they were back on solid ground. And, like the others who had made such journeys before, the experience made them throw up. They immediately took out the bag given to them before and puked on it.
Their knees were on the ground for a minute as the dizziness persisted. They began to breathe deeply, and their eyes slowly adjusted to their surroundings.
The three were completely floored by what they witnessed next. They realized they were on a marble-filled terrace from which they could view a city. A city that has just one word to describe it.
Futuristic.
Or, if just two words were required to describe the metropolis, they would unquestionably be "science fiction."
"Welcome to Pyongyang of DPRK, or as we know it, North Korea."
"What the actual flying fuck?"
"What is this?"
"Is this real?"
The city was filled with tall buildings which had walls made of glass and walls of these buildings which were non-glass looked like they were made of white marble. There were vertical trees grown in the buildings attached to the walls. The roads were large and on them cars which looked like they came out of science fictions were gliding upon the roads while levitating a little high up.
They could also see solar panels of weird helical shape placed in different parts of the city. In addition to the gliding cars on the road, there were also cars that were moving in the air too. Though they were few but they were still there.
In addition tall and small houses, there were also gran monuments around from which people went in and came out. This was a city that none of the three could even accept that could exist in reality.
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Read 25 more chapters on my p@treoncom/thelightedghost