The old man briefly indulges in youthful exuberance, leading the yellow, holding up the vast blue.
Crowned in a golden cap, draped in fur, a thousand steeds sweep across the plains.
What a magnificent sight! What reckless abandon!
With the yellow led and the blue held high, how far off can the thousand steeds be?
Such is life—seeking sustenance in hunger, searching for joy after being well-fed, and indulging in happiness to make oneself even more content.
A few fierce dogs, two raptors, without the weight of life's worries, made Zhao Lun feel at ease, indulging in a flavor of youthful vigor, bringing him immense satisfaction.
He eagerly awaited the grand scene of a thousand steeds.
In high spirits, Zhao Lun took a stroll, returning just in time for breakfast.
The breakfast was light and refreshing, with the savory aroma of meats just right, plentifully spread across the table.
His mood lifted even further.
Waking up in the morning, taking a walk, and then returning to a sumptuous breakfast waiting for him.
And with a beautiful woman by his side, her gentle voice accompanying his meal, life seemed so comfortable, and he savored every moment of it.
"Brother!"
Maria approached, serving Zhao Lun his favorite dish.
During their time together, Zhao Lun often served her food, and the young girl had learned to do the same.
"Maria."
Zhao Lun patted her little head, calling the other women who had been waiting for him to join the meal, and they sat together, engaging in lively conversation, naturally enhancing the atmosphere.
After the meal, Zhao Lun returned to his laboratory.
"Long time no see, sir."
Only Athena, the housekeeper, came out to greet him.
"Long time no see, Athena."
Zhao Lun responded as if greeting a friend, while instructing her to handle various tasks.
"Open the task log."
The holographic projection unfolded, displaying a series of daily items for his review.
Zhao Lun carefully examined the information, finding no issues. He quickly passed over routine tasks and reached those requiring his decisions.
These tasks concerned future plans, which Monica and the others could manage, but for some key decisions, they dared not act on their own. As such, these important matters had piled up, waiting for him to handle.
"Future communication, the future of human connection will no longer be limited to landlines... upgrade of communication devices..."
This referred to a mobile phone upgrade plan, with the proposers suggesting that he increase his investment in the communication sector.
The project had yet to take off, as ordinary people were still living in a communications desert. The potential for development was immense, and it was clear that the future would be inseparable from this.
Zhao Lun confirmed the idea, pulling up an important plan, marking it with five stars to indicate its significance, and sent it to Monica.
"Television upgrade plan..."
Television had been around for many years, with black-and-white TVs dominating the market for half a century, until color TVs quickly took over. Now, the market was expanding further.
Zhao Lun owned a color TV at home, with a black casing, bulky and heavy, equipped with an antenna, and lacking a remote control, which made it inconvenient to use.
Since he created his own private television system, his home now had ultra-thin TVs, connected to the internet and controllable by Athena. The screen quality was far superior to anything available on the market.
The old, outdated television had long been relegated to the corner.
Given this, the new crystal-transistor color TVs, liquid crystal TVs... the television market had great potential...
He reviewed the materials, confirmed the plan, and sent it to Monica for execution.
"Clean energy plan..."
Atmospheric pollution, non-renewable resources... natural energy...
"Information plan, instant communication..."
"Bounty Hunter Guild update..."
"Satellite... aviation..."
"Superweapon plan..."
These plans intrigued Zhao Lun, but unfortunately, they exceeded their current capabilities, lacking in both talent and resources.
Given their current conditions, if outsiders learned of their plans, they would undoubtedly ridicule their naive ambitions.
These proposals had come from clever individuals, and handling them was a bit troublesome. He could not let their enthusiasm be crushed, nor could he demoralize them.
Their talent pool was already scarce; they couldn't afford to lose any, so he had to be careful with his decisions.
Luckily, Zhao Lun had his own resources and intelligent assistance, which helped him make decisions quickly or, if necessary, steer them in a way that would satisfy everyone.
He had been working for the entire morning and still wasn't finished.
Maria couldn't resist checking on him several times, leaving quietly without disturbing him.
It wasn't until noon that she came back.
"Brother, it's time for lunch."
"It's already noon?"
Zhao Lun felt time had passed quickly.
When he entered the living room, the table was already laden with food.
"Aaron, come quickly, see the special meal Angela had Mulan prepare for you," Nicole said.
"Really?" He hadn't noticed before, but once she mentioned it, he realized the special significance of the food.
In Chinese tradition, food is believed to supplement the body, and these dishes were meant to aid in both physical and mental recovery.
"Mm, excellent!"
Zhao Lun took a bite, thoroughly enjoying the taste, and began eating heartily.
Seeing him working so hard, the women served him more dishes, encouraging him to eat more.
In a good mood, Zhao Lun ate even more. After a brief rest, he returned to his laboratory to continue addressing the issues. He hoped to finish quickly so he could use the remaining time for things he truly wanted to do.
There were many decisions to be made, and some were difficult to judge. Some seemed absurd, and Zhao Lun had to figure out which ones were truly worth pursuing.
Before nightfall, Zhao Lun finally finished dealing with the accumulated files and let out a sigh of relief as he exited the laboratory.
Before dinner, Ada, who had been absent all day, finally showed up and joined them at the table for the evening meal.
"Did you take care of the flies?"
After dinner, Zhao Lun asked her.
"Except for their leader, everything else has been cleaned up," Ada said, instructing Athena to display the town's security footage for Zhao Lun to view. The footage showed the security soldiers efficiently dealing with the "flies."
No casualties—Zhao Lun was satisfied with the results.
"Who is their leader?"
"The King of Fists. That guy has returned."
Ada displayed a photo of the King of Fists, a man in a jacket, looking significantly more muscular than when he had left. It appeared his strength had increased.
"He dares to come back?"
"This time, his strength seems to have grown, and he probably feels confident enough to return," Ada remarked casually.
The King of Fists, no matter how powerful, was no match for them on their turf. They could easily handle him if necessary.
"The real trouble is, it seems the King of Fists has some backup."
This was the reason they hadn't taken more severe action against him.
"Backup? What about Hodal and the others? Are they alright?"
"This is our territory. No one can threaten us here."
"That's good. But this time, the King of Fists has become smarter—he's found himself some backing."
Even the strongest dragon cannot dominate in a land where the locals are already firmly established.
The King of Fists, as an outsider, had no wealth or wisdom—just raw strength—and was far from being a real dragon. He could never hope to take advantage here.
Even if they didn't act, the King of Fists would be restrained by other forces, unable to fully exert his strength.
Previously, he had failed to rise precisely because of this.
But now that he had backing, things were different. It could help him overcome many of his shortcomings. They knew they could easily handle him, but had to exercise caution nonetheless.
"Has he attracted attention?"
Zhao Lun was certain that someone had been pulling strings behind the scenes.
The "flies" were only a test, and there were likely more challenges ahead.
But this didn't affect Zhao Lun's mood. After finishing his work, he took Maria to the game room to play.
"Brother, let's compete!"
Maria felt she had become familiar with the games, so she challenged Zhao Lun to a match, eager to redeem herself for her previous defeat.
"What's this? Still not satisfied?" Zhao Lun said with a smile, amused by the girl's competitive spirit.
"Maria is very strong!"
She waved her small fists and turned on the console, showing Zhao Lun the leaderboard.
The top spot was all hers, with scores far surpassing his previous records.
"Wow! Impressive!"
Zhao Lun gave her a thumbs-up, ready for the challenge.
Maria selected a dancing game, and the countdown began.
"Three, two, one, start."
The pulsating drumbeat surged through the air, exciting Zhao Lun and giving him an adrenaline rush.
The dynamic dance visuals appeared before them, guiding their movements.
As the music played, Zhao Lun was too engrossed to think about anything else. He followed the rhythm, matching the projected moves.
The wild, primal howls echoed as they danced, immersing them in the rhythm of the hunt.
When the music reached its peak, it abruptly stopped, transitioning into a soft melody.
The fast-paced dance slowed to a graceful pace, reminiscent of an elderly woman crossing the street, unhurried, as the cars patiently waited.
The two of them paid no mind, listening to the music as if they had entered a tranquil night sky, the gentle sound of a babbling brook easing their hearts.
Then, a roar shattered the calm, a wave of sound crashing through the room.
The two of them became absorbed in the music, gradually forgetting the competition, simply enjoying the beautiful experience.
As they completed their moves, their scores soared, rising along with the difficulty.
This game, more than just a game, functioned as a new kind of fitness equipment. To meet its requirements, they had to work hard, and by the time they finished, their clothes were drenched in sweat.
The two of them kept going, seamlessly moving to another game.
Their intense focus created quite a commotion, which eventually drew Nicole and the others to the room.
So engrossed were they that they didn't even notice their audience.
Their progress was rapid, and their precision near perfect, completing levels at lightning speed.
The others watched, captivated, as if attending a thrilling visual feast.
"Impressive!"
"We should join in too!"
The others quickly grabbed controllers and joined the fun.