Brooklyn, New York.
In the industrial district, hardworking Chinese laborers were busy hauling crates and materials back and forth.
Watching the bustling crowd, Liu Ren turned his head and said, "Chao-ge, have someone brew a pot of mung bean soup. It's sweltering today, and I'm worried the men won't hold up."
Without a second thought, A Chao turned and gave the order to a nearby worker. Once the matter was settled, he stepped forward and asked, "That chubby fellow who arrived with you back then... is he really from the Astor family?"
"What do you think?"
Liu Ren looked at him with an amused smile, a cigarette pinched between his fingers. After all, he had personally arranged Vincent Astor's funeral in advance! Never mind how he arranged it—the only question that mattered was whether the funeral had taken place.
Vincent: *So I'm supposed to thank you?*
Liu Ren: *Don't mention it. Just doing my duty!*
*Beep, beep, beep!*
A chorus of car horns sounded as a convoy of luxury automobiles approached from down the road. A Chao's expression instantly turned serious.
The vehicles pulled to a stop, and a chauffeur hurried around to open the rear door. A portly Lauren stepped out, threw his arms wide, and boomed with laughter. "Hahaha! Liu, my friend!"
"Lauren, what brings you here?" Liu Ren asked in mild surprise.
"To bring you a gift, of course! My partner!" Lauren clapped Liu Ren on the shoulder and gestured toward his companion. "This is Robert, assistant to the mayor! He's the one who secured this parcel of land for us!"
With a broad grin, Lauren made the introduction: "Hey, Robert, this is Liu, my friend! Back on the Titanic, he was the one who pulled me out alive!"
"Pleased to meet you, Liu!"
Robert promptly extended his hand. As a mayoral assistant, building connections with influential figures was second nature. Lauren needed muscle and leverage, Robert needed political backing, and the two had quickly hit it off as "friends." Introducing Liu Ren now was an obvious effort to bind their circle even tighter. After all, nobody knew what kind of man Liu Ren was better than Lauren.
Liu Ren took Robert's hand in a firm grip, offering warm praise. "Robert, you look so young. I wouldn't be surprised if you ran for office one day!"
Surprise flickered across Robert's face. "Really? I've never even considered that!"
Lauren shot Liu Ren a knowing look.
Flashing a smile, Liu Ren nodded. "Come, it's far too chaotic here. Let's find somewhere quiet to talk properly."
They made their way to a restaurant not far away, another holding of the Astor family. Before they had even arrived, the butler had already cleared the entire establishment.
Once they were settled in a private room, Robert produced several documents. "The paperwork for the munitions factory has all been taken care of. However, there remains one crucial question, Liu. Are you certain you can manufacture viable weapons?"
Liu Ren smiled calmly. "I already have a clear blueprint. Right now, most firearms on the market are manual, single-shot designs. I believe the world is ready for self-loading weapons."
Robert's brow furrowed. "Self-loading? Has there been a technological breakthrough?" Catching himself a moment later, he quickly added, "My apologies, I didn't mean to pry into trade secrets."
"It's quite all right, Robert. We're friends here," Liu Ren said smoothly. "I can assure you with absolute certainty that we already hold the core principles of this technology. Once we demonstrate it before the public, the impact will be enormous."
He pointed toward Robert. "And I will be reserving a portion of the original founder shares for you."
Stunned, Robert looked at Lauren. "Is this true?"
"Trust him, Robert. Liu never makes a move without absolute certainty," Lauren said with an easy laugh.
In truth, Lauren had no idea whether Liu Ren possessed such technology, nor did he care. Unlike his profligate elder brother, Lauren believed that as long as he refrained from squandering his inheritance, his assets would guarantee the continued glory of the Astor name.
Recognizing who held the real authority behind the venture, Robert smiled. "Liu, I believe we'll have many opportunities to collaborate in the future."
"Naturally!" Liu Ren raised his glass with a warm smile.
An hour later, the lunch concluded.
Once Robert had departed, Lauren took a seat beside Liu Ren. "That man is not short on ambition."
"I can tell. Nobody enjoys staying in one place forever," Liu Ren replied, casually brushing his hair back with an air of swagger.
Swirling the wine in his glass, Lauren looked at him. "The initial capital injection of five hundred thousand has already been deposited into the account."
"Thank you, Lauren."
"No need for thanks, Liu. As you say back in your homeland, we've walked through life and death together!" Lauren burst into hearty laughter.
***
Standing at the street corner, watching the Astor family cars drive away, A Chao was left utterly dumbfounded.
That was the Astor family of New York—a financial titan worth hundreds of millions! Yet here they were, sharing drinks and discussing an armory with Liu Ren, with the mayoral assistant in attendance no less!
Noticing his bewildered stare, Liu Ren asked, "What's with that look?"
"Ah Ren, you must have been a saint in your past life! How else could you rub shoulders with big shots like that?" A Chao stammered, his excitement palpable.
Dark lines creased Liu Ren's forehead. "In my past life, I suffered like hell!"
Whenever he thought back to that previous world, he felt an urge to curse. He had been studying spirit possession under Master Xiong when out of nowhere, that bastard Zhang showed up, raised a hand, and blasted him into oblivion with a bolt of lightning! A bolt as thick as a tree trunk, coming down with a deafening crash right onto him. He hadn't mastered the spirit art, hadn't finished his quest—it was an absolute catastrophe!
While Liu Ren had never tested his lightning resistance, he figured it was bound to be higher than normal. After all, two hundred and twenty volts couldn't kill a complete lunatic!
A Chao asked sheepishly, "How could you possibly know what happened in your past life?"
"Because when I crossed the Naihe Bridge, I didn't drink Meng Po's watered-down soup. Got it?"
Feeling thoroughly annoyed, Liu Ren turned and walked off.
***
New York, the Waldorf Hotel.
This too belonged to the Astor family, though not to Lauren's immediate branch—it had been built by his cousin's branch. In fact, the Astoria Hotel had originally been constructed just to compete with the Waldorf.
Liu Ren had not come here to enjoy luxury accommodations, however. He was here to find someone.
Knocking softly on the door, Liu Ren waited respectfully outside.
A minute later, an irritated voice drifted from within. "I told you, I do not wish to be disturbed when I am thinking!"
The door swung open to reveal an elderly man of about sixty, glaring suspiciously at Liu Ren. "Who are you?"
Liu Ren offered a polite bow. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Nikola Tesla—the man closest to God!"
At those words, Tesla slammed the door shut. "I have no need for disciples, nor do I need flatterers! Good day!"
Blinking at the closed door, Liu Ren stood frozen in place. He hadn't come to be a disciple—he was here to ask for help!
Chapter 24