Chapter 196: Character

The attitude of his son was getting out of hand at the table. It finally made Lavin succinctly howl out his entire name. “Randy Lavin!”

This was the full display of a New York detective when he was in the midst of boiling anger.

At the same time, Zhang Lisheng thought about it, and suddenly said, “Don’t think of going to the supernatural realm to become a new cowboy or what, Randy! The danger there is beyond your imagination.”

“Of course I know it’s dangerous there! The TV says so every day!”

“It’s not the kind of danger the TV says! It’s like a desperate situation in the horror movie Cannibal. At present, the supernatural realm humans could reach is just a very large and pristine island. There are dwarves who have thick and tough wrinkled skin, like an old codger in his seventies but possess powerful strength, living in the jungle. They would catch intruders and peel off their skins bit by bit using a stone knife before eating them…”

Listening to Zhang Lisheng’s vivid description with his quiet voice, everyone on the table froze. Curiously, Randy asked, “H-How did you know this, Lisheng?”

“I heard it from some of the survivors who have been there before. Two days ago, I also had the same mindset as you and intended to go to the supernatural realm to take a look. However, in the end, a partner of mine who is staying in the Upper West Side of New York took me to a guy who is staying in a mental health center to dispel that plan of mine,” Zhang Lisheng answered as he put the last piece of sandwich into his mouth voraciously.

“B-But, isn’t the supernatural realm just newly opened to the public? Not only that, if it’s really that dangerous…”

“Randy, that madman I spoke with is not an ordinary civilian but a professional soldier. Perhaps the current situation of the supernatural realm has improved a lot and that’s why the government decided to open it to the public. However, it doesn’t mean that it’s safe there.” Swallowing his sandwich and finishing his juice in one gulp, Zhang Lisheng stood up. “I still have work in the factory, so I’ll see you guys again.”

Watching the disappearing silhouette of the young man who quickly walked out of the door, his half-brother Harry suddenly said, “Why do I feel as though Lisheng seems to have more, erm character now…”

“What?”

“Character! You don’t even know what character is? Oh Gill, you’re becoming one of those antiques that only know how to study! A person of character is like those who have style. Like those people in the TV and movies! Do you think I’ll become a person who is full of character as well in the future? Perhaps the current situation of the supernatural realm has improved a lot, but it doesn’t mean it’s entirely safe there! I’ll see you guys again!'” The boy looked at his own sister and imitated Zhang Lisheng’s movement and accents as he asked.

“You will, but if you’re not a billionaire and have a successful career that matches his kind of character, you’d only be as ridiculous as a narcissistic idiot, just like what you are now…”

As Lavin’s twins bickered with each other, Zhang Lisheng drove his Explorer out of the parking lot. Both sides of the streets were full of strangers from other states who had just awakened from their tired sleep.

Most of them were young people ranging from age 18 to 30. After they woke up, they packed their tents and lined up to the water drawing point in the community park to wash up before discussing with one another in great enthusiasm. Rushing to the newly established office of the US Department of Interior in New York, they went to register for the pass heading to the supernatural realm.

Watching these travel-worn people who came from other states walking tiredly on the New York streets with their big backpacks, Zhang Lisheng, who was enjoying the breeze of the air-conditioner in his car, could not help but mutter to himself, “There’s no online registration, so they have to come all the way to New York personally and exhaust themselves. There are, indeed, many brainless people in this world…”

After driving for several dozens of minutes with a pensive look, the young man finally came to an expensive parking lot in the Upper West Side to park his car. He bought a few cans of cold Coke and walked into Goose Pond Restaurant.

This most famous breakfast restaurant in New York had a long queuing line just like usual. Zhang Lisheng walked past the crowds and came to the front of an old doorman whose hair was entirely white, who was wearing a blue round hat with a serious expression. He asked with a smile, “Good morning, Mr. Arthur. Is Tina here already?”

“Mr. Lisheng, Ms. Douglin is not here yet but, Ms. Steg is already inside the restaurant.”

“Oh, Trish is here already? That’s good too! Thank you,” Zhang Lisheng replied and pushed open the door to enter the restaurant.

A cool breeze swept across him right away. Feeling comfortable, the young man asked the waitress who came to welcome him. “Tiffany, where’s Trish?”

“Please follow me, Mr. Lisheng.” The waitress who was already familiar with Zhang Lisheng greeted him with her smile as she showed her bright teeth before bringing him to a table next to the window.

The beautiful redhead was holding up her chin on her hand. She was staring at the crowds of people who had been sleeping in the Central Park in New York for a night through the French casement window in a daze.

The young man coughed lightly before sitting down opposite her. “Tiffany, please give me two plates of tomato sirloin pasta.”

“Please wait for a while.” The waitress smiled and walked away.

“You’re here, Lisheng.” Trish, who snapped back to reality, waved a hand at Zhang Lisheng, “Good morning! Well, actually, it’s no longer morning now, but Tina and Sheila are not here yet. They didn’t even pick up the call. I really don’t know what’s going on with them.”

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“Tina was with me yesterday the entire night and went back to her home pretty late. Perhaps she’s too tired and still hasn’t woken up yet.” The young man stood up for Tina.

“So the one whom she went to see last night was actually you!” To his surprise, after Trish heard his reply, she stared at him with a gaping mouth as she said angrily, “Oh, no wonder she kept insisting on going back before 9 o’clock! She actually lied to us and said it’s because the semester is starting soon, so she wanted to accompany her parents more! This is really…”

“Is that so? Perhaps it’s me who has remembered the wrong thing! Oh yeah, that’s right! She was with me the day before yesterday instead.”

“Oh, come on, Lisheng! I’m a sophomore student at Harvard University, not a kindergartener, okay?!”

“But I’m a graduate student at Stanford, so what I said is right.”

“You really have become more cheerful now, especially after coming back from Africa.” Trish was stunned for a moment before bursting into a chuckle. “Oh yeah, that’s right! I haven’t heard about you mentioning your story in Africa for the past few months. I guess, from your bad luck and your ability to incur problems, don’t tell me you actually went to South Africa to live in seclusion there?”

Zhang Lisheng smiled speechlessly and turned his eyes to the window. “You’ve guessed correctly, Trish! I’ve indeed lived in Johannesburg for a few months.”

“Oh my God! Then you were indeed in South Africa when those invaders from the supernatural realm attacked Cape Town?”

“Not only that I was in South Africa, I actually went to Cape Town on the day when the people from the supernatural realm launched the general attack…” When the young man was speaking, the waitress walked towards them with two plates of attractive-looking tomato sirloin filled with green and red colors. “Mr. Lisheng, your pasta.”

“Thank you, Tiffany,” Zhang Lisheng took a deep breath of the fragrant smell that greeted him and opened a can of cold Coke. Without saying anything more, he began to chow down on his food.

“Just how hungry are you? We’re halfway in our conversation and you’ve already started gobbling down the pasta! Hurry up and tell me, did you get to see those supernatural realm’s people personally?”

“No, but I did see their war chariots, armed steam vehicles, and their self-propelled missiles.” Zhang Lisheng rolled a fork of pasta and put it into his mouth. “The tomato sirloin pasta in Goose Pond is really delicious.”

“I’ve seen those supernatural realm’s war chariots and steam vehicles from the TV and Internet. The styles are very punk and it’s said that they’re the product of ‘steam civilization’. However, what is a self-propelled missile? By the way, why were you so unlucky enough to go to Cape Town from Johannesburg during that fateful day anyway? How did you manage to get out of danger?”

“It’s a very long story, I’m afraid I won’t be able to finish it even after you’ve gotten into your afternoon flight…”

“What long story is it that needs to be told for such a long time?” As Zhang Lisheng was speaking, a clear familiar female voice suddenly resonated from behind him.

“Oh, Tina! You’re finally here! Trish wanted me to tell her about the thrilling story when I was in South Africa. You know about the story so you can use it to kill time on the plane too.”

“That’s quite a good idea, baby!” Tina kissed the young man’s tomato sauce-filled mouth and extended her head to her best friend trying to kiss her cheeks.

“Don’t even think about it, Tina! Your mouth is covered with tomato sauce!” Trish hurriedly moved her body away and shouted as she dodged.

“How could you think so badly of me? You really hurt my feelings, dear.” Tina put on a sad facade and sat beside Zhang Lisheng.

“You two are really, really… I really don’t know how to describe it! To think that you two can actually kiss when one of you is eating pasta…” Trish said with a grin.

At this moment, a hoarse female sound interrupted the girl’s sentence. “Oh, Trish! A devout Catholic girl like you would not know at all that when a man and a woman who are very intimate with each other get some alone time together, they sometimes put an even more ‘disgusting’ thing in their mouths. Just like what I saw in a restaurant in the blue-collar district of Manhattan last Tuesday…”

“Oh shut up, Sheila!” This time, it was Tina and Trish who hissed together under their breath at the same time.

Now that the three girls finally gathered together, they started to order food and chat together. Zhang Lisheng remained silent as he looked at the pedestrians outside the window while eating spaghetti without saying a word.

It was only until he heard Trish mentioning the news that the government had already opened a direct route to the island in the supernatural realm, and even allowed private funds to join in the operation to completely privatize the route after completing it within a year did he start speaking again. He could not help but ask, “Completely privatizing it? Don’t tell me that going to that big f*cking island doesn’t need the escort of any warships at all?”

“Oh! The companies that operate the route can order weapons escorts on their own. I heard that the government has already planned to sign a decree recently to allow companies under the US jurisdiction to buy some of the warships and miniature armed helicopters from the General Dynamics Corporation and Boeing dedicated to being used in the development of the supernatural realm.”

Zhang Lisheng was stunned for a moment before asking in a dumbfounded manner, “Allowing private companies to buy warships and armed helicopters? From the General Dynamics Corporation and Boeing on top of that? What the hell! Aren’t these companies private too? Don’t tell me they are also producing weapons now?”

“Of course! Is this very strange, Lisheng? The few largest military factories in the US are all private enterprises. Otherwise, how would they be able to compete with each other for the orders from the Department of Defense and continue to produce weapons that are more advanced and more powerful?”