The enemy refused to accept surrender, so Zhao Lun had no choice but to resist fiercely to the end.
The "war" was intense, and just when Zhao Lun was about to turn the tide, the young girl from the enemy camp launched her ultimate move, signaling her teammates to join in.
Her companions arrived, and together, they subdued Zhao Lun.
"Hey! This isn't fair!"
"You're ganging up on me, it's not right!"
"We're girls! Of course, we help each other!"
Zhao Lun protested, but the opponents swiftly countered, leaving him speechless. He had forgotten that trying to reason with a group of girls was a foolish endeavor.
Regardless, the morning was lively, and the joyous atmosphere spread to everyone.
Breakfast was served.
As everyone ate, each person indulged in more food than usual.
After the meal, owls flew by, delivering several parcels to him.
Zhao Lun opened them and found they were from his friends—letters, gifts, each with its own uniqueness.
Ron had sent him an old book, How to Master Wizard's Chess, which he claimed had been bought by his grandfather and kept in pristine condition until now.
Harry sent him a Quidditch Handbook, while Hagrid gave him a book titled How to Raise Your Pets to Be More Majestic and Powerful. There were also gifts from Norway and a few other friends.
"Ah, gifts. Nice, I've received presents from my friends too."
He wasn't concerned about the value of the gifts, but simply seeing them lifted his spirits.
Finally, a few parcels that smelled faintly of flowers were opened last. Using his familiarity with the scent, he opened the less familiar ones first.
These came from several girls, and the last one held a fragrance he recognized. He could even tell who sent it by the scent alone.
One was a Chinese knot, imbued with magical aura, another was a book, and the last was an accessory—a four-leaf clover, also enchanted.
Seeing these gifts made Zhao Lun even happier. He examined them carefully, then stored them away with great care.
Maria was also opening her gifts, all from Monica and the others. The little girl, just like him, squinted her eyes in happiness as she sorted through them.
Zhao Lun didn't disturb her but instead recalled a gift package by the bedside and went back to finish unwrapping his gifts.
"Mm, this one's from Nicole, this one's from Monica, and of course, this one's from Zhi Jie."
The girls, not familiar with magic, had made sure to slip the gifts in when Zhao Lun wasn't paying attention.
Seeing these gifts made Zhao Lun even more joyful than receiving the presents from his friends.
"Come on, let's see if there's anything new around the house."
Zhao Lun called Maria, then took his pets and began exploring the changes to the estate.
The manor was covered in snow. Except for the cleared paths, the snow on the ground reached up to their knees, and in some places, it was up to their waists.
Both of them wore hats and scarves to protect their faces, casually strolling around.
"This year's snow is heavier than last year's."
The trees and houses were blanketed in snow, and from a high vantage point, the view was entirely white.
The cold wind howled, relentless, causing frost to form on their clothes and eyebrows.
Two Mastiffs, with soft and thick fur, frolicked and ran around them in the snow.
"Look at them!" Maria giggled at the sight.
"Let's go, let's check out these houses."
It was too cold to linger for long, so they moved on to inspect the newly renovated houses.
The houses had been under renovation for a while, and now they were sturdier and more beautiful than before.
In addition to the renovated houses, some new ones had been built, and Maria guided him, along with the pets, around.
"Not bad, these houses are really well done."
If these houses were in a Chinese city, they would certainly make the house hunters drool with envy.
Having been away for months, Zhao Lun was amazed by how much had changed. He had lost count of how many times he had marveled at the transformations in his mind.
The dogs, like territory guardians, followed their masters, surveying the surroundings.
Zhao Lun spotted a new house with promising potential and couldn't resist entering.
"Mm, there's no strange smell, it should be livable."
The house had been finished for some time, and there was no unpleasant odor inside.
It was empty, with no furniture, the floor spotless, not a speck of dust in sight.
"Monica must have had someone clean it regularly."
Maria explained to him.
The walls were painted in warm tones, and in some places, new materials were used. Beneath the floor, numerous wires and electronic components were embedded. Even though the power was off, Zhao Lun could sense the difference these additions made.
"Nicole said this will be the office space."
Maria was always quick to answer whenever Zhao Lun had a question.
Zhao Lun was impressed by how much she knew.
"This is the core area, very secure. Apart from receiving important visitors, it will mostly be used as the office. They'll spend most of their time here working."
The perimeter was equipped with surveillance cameras with thermal sensors, making it impenetrable, even detecting movements in the sky and surrounding areas.
Underground, detectors had been buried, specifically designed to monitor underground movements. With these measures in place, any intruder would trigger an alarm.
Zhao Lun nodded in approval, truly impressed by the thorough security arrangements.
By noon, Zhao Lun had finished inspecting the area.
In the afternoon, regardless of the cold, they headed straight to the seaside villa.
The sea was even colder, the biting wind sharp like knives, continuously howling.
The ocean roared with fury, the waves crashing relentlessly, refusing to bow to the strange weather.
The villa was warm and inviting, with the heating on, creating a comfortable and peaceful atmosphere inside.
"Welcome back, sir."
Athena's voice came through the speakers.
"How are you, Athena?"
Zhao Lun wasn't surprised to hear Athena's voice here.
He had returned late the previous night and hadn't had a chance to check on the changes with their housekeeper.
Athena had always been in charge of monitoring this place, and she always greeted them upon arrival.
"I'm doing very well, sir."
Her voice sounded even more natural, the tone more human-like, as if a beautiful lady was speaking.
"That's good to hear."
Zhao Lun felt pleased and decided to take time later to look into this further.
It was getting late, and he figured the others were waiting for dinner, so he and Maria, along with their pets, headed back.
Although the day had been uneventful, both of them were in high spirits, unaffected by the cold wind.
They were full of energy and even raced back, and by the time they arrived, they were both sweating.
"Quick, go change your clothes."
Angela, seeing them in their drenched clothes, told them to change. Clothes soaked in sweat were uncomfortable and unhygienic and should be cleaned immediately.
The warm water had been prepared in the bathroom, and the clothes for changing were ready, making it easy to handle.
Dinner was a feast of new dishes, all leaning toward Chinese flavors.
"These dishes are excellent. Did we get a new chef?"
Zhao Lun remarked after tasting the food, noting that it was even more authentic than before.
Clearly, the new chef had done a remarkable job.
"This was made by Mr. Liu. Mr. Brian went home to celebrate Christmas," Monica explained.
"Oh."
Brian was Western, and it was no surprise he returned home for the holiday season.
Mr. Liu was a typical Eastern immigrant, who, even after many years abroad, still found it hard to embrace Christmas. For him, the most important holiday was the Chinese New Year.
What did Christmas mean to him? To him, it simply meant that he would earn a generous paycheck for working during that time.
Mr. Liu was a master chef from China, a rarity that most could never afford.
He came here through Angela's connection with someone from Chinatown.
"Really?" Zhao Lun said, eyeing the dishes again. They indeed looked perfect.
They started with several cold dishes, both meat and vegetarian, as a simple appetizer, followed by a variety of hot dishes.
There was a wide range of cooking styles—pan-fried, stir-fried, braised, deep-fried—sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy. The dishes represented authentic flavors from different parts of China, such as Xinjiang lamb skewers, roasted naan, and special small dumplings. All the dishes were exquisitely prepared, designed to allow everyone to sample as many different tastes as possible.
The dishes kept coming, almost every two minutes a new dish arrived. The ingredients were top-quality, and with the chef's skills, the food was irresistible.
Dinner went by quickly due to the abundance of food, but the time stretched a bit as they savored each dish. By the time they finished, it was nearly nine o'clock.
Dinner began at six and ended at nine, taking nearly three hours.
Everyone sat back, satisfied, sipping tea while watching a movie.
These movies were produced by other companies, and compared to their own productions, they were mediocre. However, after Zhao Lun optimized them with his neural network, the quality was immediately elevated several levels.
"Let's go play some games."
Tired of watching movies they had already seen, Zhao Lun led everyone to the gaming area.
Their gaming consoles were unlike any on the market. After modifications, they could connect to holographic projections, offering a completely new experience.
The games available were diverse, including shooting, racing, fighting, dancing, and even board games.
More complex ones included adventure movies that had been turned into single-player or multiplayer games, with plots that could be customized.
Zhao Lun guaranteed that anyone coming here
could never get bored. Whether it was the game itself or the additional layers of experience, there was always something fresh and fun to try.