In a few days, Mulan will return to Hong Kong to fight for what is hers.
Zhao Lun was grateful for her preparing their meals for the past few days, so he decided to gift her a set of kitchenware.
This set of kitchenware, crafted with Zhao Lun's considerable efforts, is not just ordinary utensils. When separated, they serve as kitchen tools; when combined, they form a weapon of protection.
Mulan is not merely a chef; she possesses remarkable combat abilities, and Zhao Lun is confident that she will appreciate this gift.
"Does Mulan have a gift too?"
"I believe she will certainly like it."
Angela paused for a moment before breaking into a bright smile, sincerely happy for Zhao Lun and for Mulan as well.
"And starting in August, the culinary competition will take place. With this kitchenware, I believe it will be of great help."
She mentioned the upcoming Chef's Competition in Hong Kong.
"The competition sounds interesting; you can taste many kinds of food. Are you going?"
"Brother, are we going?"
"Hmm? If you want to go, then go. We can also see if there have been any changes there."
Zhao Lun initially had no interest in attending the competition. He would rather stay at home and work on new things. However, he couldn't resist the pleading looks of the ladies. Halfway through his refusal, his tone shifted, and he agreed.
The culinary competition would be a good opportunity to accompany them and let them relax.
The next day, Mulan, carrying the kitchenware Zhao Lun gave her, and under Angela's arrangement, boarded a flight back to Hong Kong to prepare for the competition in mid-August.
To accompany them, Zhao Lun planned to finish some of his work within the next few days, so he returned to the laboratory, increasing his workload.
With the new knowledge, the quantum brain calculations, and the components processed by the divine kingdom, the initial tasks were simple, repetitive, but fulfilling.
Maria and the others, having received new weapons, were reluctant to let them go. They spent a considerable amount of time familiarizing themselves with them.
Recently, they had made great progress, their steps now exuding a newfound confidence.
Their combat abilities had reached the level of top-tier human soldiers.
For petty criminals, there was no need for bodyguards to take care of them; they could easily deal with them themselves.
Their enhanced strength piqued their interest in combat even more, and every day, they sought opponents to spar with.
The sparring partners were the bodyguards at the estate. At first, the ladies struggled to hold their own. Within two days, however, they were evenly matched with the bodyguards. A day later, they could easily defeat them.
The bodyguards were deeply shaken. Seeing them was like seeing a ghost.
They had never encountered such exceptional learners, especially three of them, each so outstanding. Within half a month, they had mastered skills that had taken the bodyguards years to perfect. In just a few days, they could easily overpower them. This left the bodyguards feeling obsolete.
Was the world advancing too quickly, or had they fallen behind?
Being determined soldiers, this thought quickly dissipated.
"We took the company's new strength-enhancing agent."
"This product can make people stronger."
"However, resources are limited. Only core personnel of the company have access to this product."
"Of course, the employees will also have opportunities to get them."
"To obtain it, you need to make enough contributions. This is a company secret. Please don't disclose it."
Seeing the bodyguards' reactions, Monica seized the opportunity to promote the new product, strengthening their sense of belonging to the company.
With tangible evidence of its effectiveness, the bodyguards began to look forward to the future, regaining their confidence even after being defeated in sparring.
"Yse! Sir!"
The bodyguards were in high spirits.
Monica and the others had made swift progress, and Zhao Lun had finally completed his task and left the laboratory.
"Wow! You all look so cool!"
Seeing Monica and the others dressed in special forces outfits, Zhao Lun couldn't help but be amazed.
Before this, they were office ladies in the city, but their roles at Zhao Lun's company had transformed them into strong, powerful women.
By taking on important positions, their presence became even more formidable, much like domineering CEOs who could overwhelm any man in the room.
Now, after several days of combat training and shooting practice, their confidence had grown even more. Their aura had once again shifted.
They were well-versed in both the arts and combat, exuding powerful confidence and natural beauty. In an instant, their strong-woman experience had fully evolved into that of a goddess.
"You actually created the 'Beauty Special Forces' equipment! This is such a brilliant idea!"
"It's beautiful, and it suits you perfectly."
"Thank you. We think so too."
Zhao Lun couldn't stop admiring them, scanning them up and down.
The ladies graciously turned around to show him, smiling as they accepted his praise.
At that moment, they radiated with joy, like older sisters, making both Zhao Lun and Maria feel very close to them.
Especially Maria, who at that moment felt that Nicole and the others were the most beautiful women in the world, gazing at them with admiration.
"Here, this is your gift!"
Beautiful things always lift one's spirits, and seeing such beautiful women made Zhao Lun's heart lighter and happier.
In a good mood, Zhao Lun quickly pulled out the prepared items, eagerly offering them to the ladies.
The gifts were placed in exquisite boxes, two different boxes for each lady.
"Lady's watch? Communication phone?"
Upon opening the boxes, the ladies immediately recognized the items inside.
These were the multifunctional phones and watches Zhao Lun had designed the previous year. They had seen the introduction of these items and had long desired them. Now, seeing the real thing, they were pleasantly surprised.
Inside the boxes, there was also a set of exquisite headphones, even more convenient than the professional spy headphones Zhao Lun had developed earlier.
The ladies eagerly opened them, and like children, they couldn't stop playing with the watches, admiring them nonstop.
The settings were already configured, so there was no need for further adjustments.
The watch faces were made of controllable pure crystal steel, and when they tapped the screen, a page appeared with several options: communication, unlimited network, scanning, photography, and anesthetic attack.
If the screen seemed small, they could switch to projection mode for full holographic display.
The watch case and band were stunning, resembling a bracelet. They were also adjustable to be inconspicuous, easily overlooked if not noticed.
Powerful beyond belief!
They played with the watch, then the phones.
The phone not only had the same functions as the watch but could also double as a computer expert, equipped with hacker software and more.
"You can set your own passwords on these devices. With these passwords, only you can use them. Even if someone else picks them up, they won't be able to open them."
"With these, your work will be much easier."
"They are waterproof, explosion-proof, and impervious to EMP. Truly top-notch devices—the fighter jets of phones."
"…"
Just as Zhao Lun was ready to boast, he realized no one was listening to him. They were all engrossed in their new gadgets.
"Hmm? You'll need to experience the details yourselves. I won't say more."
Realizing this, Zhao Lun wisely left them to explore the devices on their own.
Woof!
Seeing that Zhao Lun had free time, the dogs ran over, wagging their tails and begging for treats.
"You want some too? This won't work for you—you wouldn't know how to use it. Here, take this and go eat."
Zhao Lun gave them some large beef bones soaked in divine kingdom spring water and sent them off.
Zhao Lun then checked the recent happenings in the town.
The attack on the town had been downplayed, and reports about counterterrorism efforts had dwindled.
The British military had spent over half a month 'getting revenge,' delivering a devastating blow to the 'terrorists.' The situation had now calmed, and the public's anger had dissipated.
"Athena, open the war zone surveillance."
He opened a video to check the records from his surveillance network.
The 'terrorist' activity zone.
Charred land, withered limbs, shattered old vehicles, dead children, women, and elderly people, flies swarming, maggots wriggling… the harshness of life's end.
Aside from the flies, there was no sign of life.
The cruel scene made Zhao Lun frown. The British had gone too far.
"Has it ended?"
"Why did they go to such extremes here?"
"Or is there another secret?"
These so-called 'terrorists' were just a fabricated excuse made up by politicians to deceive the ignorant public.
Zhao Lun knew that without some benefit, these people wouldn't have acted.
"Increase the search!"
The surveillance system expanded its range, finally spotting some concealed drapes.
These drapes blended with the scorched earth, making them nearly invisible unless detected by Zhao Lun's system.
The area was surrounded by a military exclusion zone.
Through the gaps, he could see individuals in gas masks and tight biochemical suits, scanning the ground with tools.
Nearby, there was a cart filled with items, each marked with a dangerous black skull symbol.
Zhao Lun speculated that these might be what they were looking for.
"What is this?"
"Could it be a biological weapon?"
After a long inspection, he couldn't figure out what it was.
"Athena, has anything unusual happened in the town recently?"
Unable to discern anything for now, he set it aside.
"Sir, recently, there has been a homicide in the town. Three people have been murdered."
"The victims were all women."