The boys engaged in a heated debate, while a few girls covered their mouths, giggling and egging them on. Huang Xuan, the prankster patriarch of the Huang family and an authority in mischief, quietly asked Lorin for some prank supplies as the group chattered.
A barbecue that could disgust someone for a year? None available.
A cola that could make someone sick for a year? Still nothing.
Beer that could cause misery for a year? No such luck.
So, what could disgust someone for a year? Chinese football.
Huang Xuan gave up and decided to find something that could maximize the disgust, like a laxative that could cause dehydration… maybe by doubling the dose…
"One million kilowatt-hours," Huang Xuan offered, trying to bribe Lorin to help with his mischief.
Lorin didn't even acknowledge him. There wasn't even a vibration in the air. Huang Xuan had to raise the stakes. "Two million kilowatt-hours."
"Three million kilowatt-hours, Lorin. That's as high as I can go; I don't want to starve."
"If you could offer 10 million kilowatt-hours, I might consider it," Lorin replied, leaving Huang Xuan feeling exasperated.
The group was in the middle of their discussion, and seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Huang Xuan whispered, "Ten million kilowatt-hours is over a million dollars. I could hire a hitman for that much." Huang Xuan remembered when Triangle Eye calculated the cost for him—it was over 1.6 dollars per kilowatt-hour. He growled, "Five million kilowatt-hours, but it has to make them miserable for at least six months."
"They'll remember it in six months," Lorin said, with a touch of artistic flair, before explaining the plan. He ended with, "If you're willing to provide 10 million kilowatt-hours, I could consider helping you eliminate an average target." Before Huang Xuan could react, Lorin added, "And make it undetectable by the technology of this era."
"Have you killed someone before?" Huang Xuan asked, but he realized it was a silly question. The first time he encountered Lorin, he was almost eradicated in another dimension. He shivered involuntarily and asked, "Why do you need so much energy, and why kill?"
"I need more energy," Lorin replied calmly, then continued, "If you can provide enough energy, you'll understand why."
By this time, the boys were arguing loudly, so Huang Xuan silenced them with a shout and started assigning tasks.
The barbecue couldn't be spared, and the cola and beer needed to be tampered with in large quantities. Huang Zhi and Huang Ling led a group of younger kids to carry out their missions, but Huang Xuan wasn't optimistic about their chances. The boys on the other side of the pond, like Huang Liming, had been pranked so many times they were surely on guard. The real action would come later.
Huang Xuan motioned for Huang Song and Huang Shunwei, the second grandson of his fourth granduncle, to join him. Leaving the girls in the garden, the three boys sneaked out.
When each child in the family comes of age, the family deposits a sum of money into their account—some more, some less. The amount is decided at the anniversary celebration before they turn 18, and those in good circumstances often buy a car.
They can live with their parents, and there's no worry about food and clothing, so a good car becomes a basic necessity. Huang Xuan knew that his older cousins, like Huang Liming, all had several cars, but today, they'd definitely bring out their best one to show off.
The younger generation's cars were all parked in the underground garage, which had a dozen guards on duty today for the anniversary celebration. Huang Xuan and his two younger cousins hid in a corner, with Huang Song whispering, "How about I lure them away?"
"How would you do that?" Huang Shunwei asked softly. "I heard there are electronic surveillance systems in there."
"I'll just tell them to leave," Huang Song said naturally. "If they don't listen, I'll scream for help."
Huang Xuan flicked his forehead. "Idiot. Did you forget how you got beaten up last time? If they listened to you, Huang Liming would have had them screaming for help."
"So, what do you suggest?" Huang Song shrugged, signaling that his job was done.
Huang Xuan, frustrated, flicked his forehead again. "Wait here for me. If anything happens, run fast. Got it?"
"Got it," the two boys nodded vigorously, showing no signs of worry. Huang Xuan sighed and stood up, heading toward the entrance.
Huang Song and Huang Shunwei watched with wide eyes as Huang Xuan approached the mysterious garage. To their surprise, the guards were still chatting, and the security officer was still playing with his baton, while Huang Xuan simply vanished.
They had no idea that a future base was helping Huang Xuan with his prank and could only rub their eyes in disbelief at the unchanging concrete ground.
Human eyes perceive objects through light reflection, so as Lorin manipulated the light reflections around Huang Xuan's movements, he effectively became invisible. However, such large-scale and precise work consumed a lot of Lorin's energy.
In the past, Huang Xuan and his cousins had targeted the cars before, puncturing tires and playing other minor pranks, but security had since tightened, and they hadn't succeeded again. Huang Zhi had even been caught and beaten up once. Huang Xuan remembered clearly that it was his sixth brother (counting only within the four branches of the family) who had first laid hands on him. So, naturally, he targeted his sixth brother's car first.
It was a Lamborghini Murcielago, rumored to cost over 300,000 dollars. With import taxes, it was around 600,000 dollars. The car supposedly had 571 horsepower and could reach speeds of 208 kilometers per hour. But Huang Xuan doubted his cowardly sixth brother would dare push it to its limit.
Since he wouldn't dare to drive it at top speed, he shouldn't drive it at all. Thinking this, Huang Xuan approached the convertible, following Lorin's instructions.
The need to get closer was due to Lorin's energy-saving measures. Huang Xuan acted as a receiver, significantly reducing Lorin's unnecessary energy consumption nearby. As for why, Lorin had been vague, and Huang Xuan wasn't interested in delving deeper—such complex matters were best left to others.
Lorin made minor adjustments to the car's electronic systems, such as the brakes, transmission, and steering, causing the car to veer sharply when started. Next was his seventh brother's Ferrari Enzo. According to the current trend, Lamborghinis were now considered common cars—everyone and their brother had one. Ferraris had been the "it" car five years ago, and those who hadn't yet figured out whether they were "someone" or not were still declaring them a "famous car."
Since it was a famous car, it needed a skilled driver. What was the point of owning a car capable of 350 kilometers per hour if the driver never dared to get on the highway?
Unleashing a thoroughbred was a meaningful task.
Bugatti, Aston Martin, Porsche, and even the rare Saleen S7—Huang Xuan, under Lorin's guidance, made adjustments to all of them. Imagine what would happen when they started up.
The thought of the scene made Huang Xuan smile like a weasel, and with a string of silent chuckles, he vanished into the night.