Demons Beside You - Chapter 201
Chapter 201: A Killer Whale's Diet
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
If it was just the irresponsible couple Dell and Tsura, Chen Zhao would not really care.
However, they had a kid now. Even if they did not bother about their own lives, they should at least think about the kid.
Next, Chen Zhao went to conduct the delightful task of torturing another person, that is, the slimming session.
"Mr. Doman, I apologize for not showing up yesterday without telling you. I promise it won't happen again."
"Mr. Chen, I know what happened. You don't need to feel sorry."
"Oh, do you know already?"
"Yes. Mr. Rasfa and I are good friends. I'm happy that you and Manny returned safely."
Chen Zhao smiled. Actually, before Mr. Doman asked him to help his daughter lose weight, Mr. Doman must have checked his background.
"Is Normans ready for today?"
"Haha... she's never ready," Mr. Doman laughed. "I'll leave everything to you."
When Chen Zhao pushed Normans' door open, she was lying on the floor like a dead fish.
"Is this your way of welcoming me?"
"Asshole."
"Eat this. Then we'll start the session today."
Normans took the apple and wolfed it down.
Then, she stood up lazily. Knowing that she could not resist Chen Zhao, she could only listen to his instructions.
"Where are we going?" Normans realized that Chen Zhao had brought her out of the manor, although she did not say that she wanted to train outside. She had an ominous feeling about it.
"I'll bring you to a fun place," Chen Zhao answered with a bright smile.
Normans clearly did not believe that Chen Zhao would bring her out to play.
"Isn't this Mr. Rasfa's manor? Why are we here?"
"Chen, how can I help you?" Paul was surprised by their arrival.
"I've told Rasfa that I'm bringing someone here today. We'll be using his beach for a while," Chen Zhao said.
"Of course," Paul nodded. Chen Zhao was a frequent guest here so he did not need to do much. "Do you need me to bring you there?"
"No, I know the way."
Normans followed Chen Zhao to the beach. "Do you want me to run here? Or maybe swim in the sea?"
"Here, your swimsuit."
"When did you keep it? You pervert!"
Chen Zhao rolled his eyes. "Before you call me a pervert, you better look at yourself."
Normans gritted her teeth at Chen Zhao's merciless humiliation.
Even though she was already used to Chen Zhao's mocking, she still could not stop being angry.
After Normans changed to her swimsuit, Chen Zhao snapped his fingers. "Into the sea."
Normans could not remember what was the last time she played in the sea.
Seawater was denser than pure water, so it was easier to swim in the sea.
Nevertheless, the raging waves in the sea could easily cause accidents.
Soon, Normans realized that she was already in the deepwater zone.
She was about to return to the shore when she saw a black shadow approach her in the sea.
Moreover, it was on her return path. Shocked out of her wits, she swam towards the deeper part of the sea at once.
"Ah! There's something underwater. Asshole, come and save me!"
However, Chen Zhao continued to float along the currents, unhurried. Normans turned her head and saw the huge thing again, as well as its dorsal fin.
Killer Whale! Normans' head went blank. Killer whales were true killers.
Nothing in the sea could beat them. The prey they targeted was dead for sure.
"Swim fast. Do you want to die?" Chen Zhao urged.
"You asshole! This is murder! You knew that there's a killer whale here and you still asked me to come..."
"Swim faster... A killer whale's favorite food is seal, because they contain large amounts of fats in their bodies, just like you. Killer whales are very sensitive to the smell of fats."
"Asshole, asshole, asshole..."
Terrestrial creatures would never be able to outswim marine creatures. This was the result of billions of years of evolution.
The distance swum by Normans in a minute with all her strength could be covered by a killer whale by simply waving its tail.
"Master, I'm so tired. Can I rest for today?"
Listening to Amon's message, Chen Zhao's face darkened.
Both of you, just go and f**king die...
"If you dare to stop, I'll make you die of exhaustion."
"Tired... Tired... Tired... I wanna die..."
Finally, Normans also stopped. "Just let me die here..."
Normans turned around and saw Chen Zhao standing on the surface of the sea. "You... what..."
Then, she discovered the killer whale Chen Zhao was standing on.
"You... It..."
"Forgot to introduce to you. He's Amon."
"Did you tame him?"
"That depends on your definition of tame."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Normans roared, slapping the surface of the sea furiously.
Just now, she really thought she was about to be eaten.
"You swam too fast. I couldn't find a chance to tell you."
"Bullshit! You even told me a killer whale's diet!"
"Did I? Can't remember."
"It's deliberate! You did it on purpose, you bastard! Asshole!"
"Relax. Do you want to come up?"
After Normans calmed down, she was still rather scared. "Are you sure that he won't eat me?"
"Definitely not. Don't worry."
"Can I really go up?"
"Come." Chen Zhao pulled Normans up to Amon's back, after which he patted Amon. "Amon, let's go."
Normans felt somewhat uneasy. Amon brought her and Chen Zhao further and further away from the coastline.
Finally, Amon stopped. From their position, they could no longer see the coastline. The entire Beverly Hills had been reduced to a mere outline.
"Why did we stop here?"
Just then, Amon dived into the sea. Normans fell into the water again.
"Where's Amon?"
"He went to the toilet. It's urgent."
"..." Normans looked at Chen Zhao with her face darkening. "Are you going to ask me to swim back?"
"Or you can wait for Amon to finish and bring you back."
"When I return to the shore, I'll kill you! I'll definitely, f**king kill you!!"
Normans started to swim. She had no other choices.
In the sea, staying afloat at the same spot was even more tiring than swimming.
Chen Zhao slowly followed behind Normans. While Normans was already exhausted, she actually still had the energy to speak.
The entire journey was filled with her incessant cursing.
However, Chen Zhao was long immune to Normans' cussing. Instead, he kept provoking her further.
"Faster, faster! We can't make it in time for dinner... Do you still want dinner? I don't think so."
When Normans stood on land again, she almost cried out in excitement.
Nevertheless, there was a more pressing issue to settle. Normans leaped at Chen Zhao and pressed him into the water.
Chapter 202: Coincidental Meeting With Vincent
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
After throwing a tantrum, Normans lay onto the sofa to rest.
Chen Zhao massaged his face. "Next time you use your nails, I'll toss you to Hawai'i and you can swim back."
"I'll use a knife next time."
"Where will you hide your knife? In your saggy meat?"
After these days of hard work, Normans had lost a lot of fat. Her skin was now loose and saggy. When she was done with the weight loss plan, she would definitely need plastic surgery.
"Get up and put the shirt on. We'll run back."
Normans put on the shirt and started running behind Chen Zhao. "Hey, *sshole. What do I have to do to get skinny faster?"
"Oh?" Chen Zhao turned around to look at her. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I want to hurry up. I don't want to keep getting tortured by you pervert."
"Then I'll change the schedule starting tomorrow."
"No, today."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
"The two most effective ways to lose weight is just dieting and exercise. The food should be nutritious with low carbs. Exercise should be consistent."
"Then I won't eat and I'll increase the exercise."
"No, you still have to eat. If you exercise without replenishing sugar. It'll lead to low blood sugar. That's why I have you eat an apple before starting. When you exercise, you truly start to burn fat after around 30 minutes. You first start to burn glucose, which moves fat. Without glucose, you won't even be able to move."
"What did you add in the water you gave me yesterday?"
"Sugar. Enough sugar can speed up the burning of fat and act as a stimulant."
"Only sugar?"
"What do you think?"
"You better not give me any drugs. Otherwise, I'll make life unbearable for you in L.A."
"How old are you? You still like playing make pretend." Chen Zhao rolled his eyes.
This was Normans' first time requesting to add more exercise. It was a big improvement. This also lessened Chen Zhao's workload.
Normans suspected that Chen Zhao put something in her water. It was actually a tiny bit of a strength potion. It was a very small amount, but it could make Normans stronger.
It also used up more energy though. It was like how Chen Zhao and David now ate two or three times more than regular people.
Normans couldn't eat that much though, so she had to digest herself and turn fat into energy.
Chen Zhao always had Normans do aerobic exercise. Jogging and swimming were the most common aerobic sports.
Non-aerobic exercise was mostly used for building muscle, which Normans didn't need. It could also cause muscle fatigue and produce more lactic acid. This wasn't suitable for Normans to continue exercising, so aerobic sports were the best for her.
After returning to the manor, Normans weighed herself. She was now 258 pounds, more than 20 pounds lighter than yesterday.
Even Normans was shocked at this weight loss speed. Thinking a bit, she started running around Carrie's lawn. She kept running even without Chen Zhao beside her.
Doman was surprised at his daughter's changes in both mind and body. She was like a new person each day. Doman kind of regretted not calling Chen Zhao earlier.
...
A taxi stopped before Chen Zhao and a familiar guy poked his head out.
"Hi, Chen."
"Vincent, how come you're still driving taxis?"
"I do it occasionally." Vincent smiled brightly. "Going home?"
Chen Zhao got in the car. "How's everything? How's being an actor?"
"Because of Mr. Steven's recommendation, I acted in four movies and one TV show. They haven't aired yet though. The TV show is Deep Sea. It's airing next week on BBC. I'm a scientist in there. Chen, remember to tune in."
"Sure." Chen Zhao nodded with a smile.
With Vincent's current status, he probably could only have roles that lived for two episodes. It wasn't that Chen Zhao looked down on Vincent. It was just the reality of the film and TV industry.
"Do you have a management company now?"
"Not yet."
"You should find one as soon as possible. That way, you can get even better resources."
"I want to, but no company wants me."
Chen Zhao thought for a moment. "If you don't mind, I can help you ask, but I can't promise anything."
"Chen, you even know people from management companies?"
"One of my patients."
Vincent brought Chen Zhao to his house and didn't take his money.
When Chen Zhao went in, he saw that Fali had already cooked dinner as if she was a good wife.
Fali kissed Chen Zhao lightly. "Wash your hands. Eat dinner."
They were both used to sitting on the couch or ground in the living room to eat. It was the same even when David and the others were here.
"Fali, I need to tell you something."
"What? Don't tell me you cheated on our first day."
"Oh, please. I wanted to tell you that I bought the land around Mirror Lake."
"You really bought it?"
"Yes."
"How much?"
"Four hundred thousand dollars. I already paid a $100,000 deposit."
"So you plan on settling down here?"
"Yeah, I plan on building a house next to Mirror Lake. A big house, so White Ma and Black Ma can run freely and play in the water."
"Oh, Robio studies architecture. You can have him help design."
Chen Zhao's eyes brightened. If that was the case, he could save on the design cost. He was counting his pennies now because he really didn't have much cash left.
He had $200,000 at most. Plus, he had to pave an asphalt road before building a house. Mirror Lake was two kilometers from the road outside. It wasn't far, but if he wanted to build a house, the construction trucks had to go in. He would need a road if he wanted to live there too.
Two kilometers of an asphalt road along with the manpower would cost around $200,000.
Asphalt was twice as expensive, but it had better plasticity. Of course, Chen Zhao would also earn more money after a while.
He actually could start the construction now. It wasn't like he had to pay everything upfront
He could start paving the road first, so when he started building the house, things wouldn't drag along. Since he wanted to do this, it had to be good. Chen Zhao planned on building the best house he could within his current financial abilities.
Chapter 203: Reporter
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
"Robio, can you help me with something?" Chen Zhao called Robio.
"What?"
"Help me to design a house."
"Yes. What price are you looking at?" Robio asked.
"Within a million dollars, including the workers."
Robio gasped, "Are you building a palace?"
What did it mean for the building cost of a house to be a million?
Even the bungalow that Chen Zhao and Fali were staying at would only cost tens of thousands to build.
Of course, their current house was very old. The houses of most middle class people cost about two hundred thousand to build.
In many TV shows, luxurious houses could easily cost tens or hundreds of millions, but it was only because they had the best locations and facilities. Sometimes, a golf course alone would cost more than ten million.
The house itself in fact cost far less than tens of million dollars.
Therefore, a house that cost a million to build was truly deluxe.
"Oh, how much does it cost to build a palace?"
"..." Robio kind of disliked rich people like Chen Zhao, especially when he had earned so much after just half a year in America. Anyway, Robio was Chen Zhao's friend and also owed him a favor, so he could not reject Chen Zhao's request.
"When are you free? Bring me to the place. I need to take some photos before being able to design the house."
Architecture is much more complicated than merely drawing a diagram on a sheet.
The basics include mechanics and material science. In addition, the environment has to be a foil to the building.
In particular, villas and manors need ingenious designs.
An architect without sufficient imagination is not a good architect.
After making an appointment with Robio, Chen Zhao hung up.
However, he immediately received a call from Dell.
"Chen, do you know Rufford? The winner of the Elite League this year. He ran 9.7 seconds for three consecutive 100m sprints."
"How do you know that I know him?" Chen Zhao was puzzled.
"It's everywhere on the media, including photos of you entering Rufford's apartment. Even your identity as an illegal doctor has been exposed."
"What?!" Chen Zhao was flabbergasted. He did not know about it at all.
"Rufford has no agency or agent now, right?" Dell asked something else.
"Why?"
"Can you help me to make an appointment between Rufford and my company?"
"Your company? Aren't you just one of the shareholders of CAA? Also, you don't really manage your company, am I right?"
"It's not that I don't want to manage my company, but rather I don't have sufficient power. If I can get Rufford, my influence in CAA will increase significantly."
"I can help you to make an appointment with Rufford, but you need to help me too."
"What?"
"I know a new actor. He's played some small roles in several films, but he has no agency too. Help me to attach him to your company."
"What's his name?"
"Vincent. A TV series called Deep Sea is about to be shown on BBC. He's the scientist inside."
"Alright, I'll pay attention to him. As long as he's suitable, I can sign him under my company. Do you have his number?"
"I'll give it to you."
...
When Chen Zhao returned to his house, he heard Fali making a call.
"Dad, I need money, two hundred thousand. Can you lend me?"
"Yes... I know... Okay."
Chen Zhao opened the room door and Fali immediately hung up.
"Chen."
"Fali, you were borrowing money from your family?"
"Chen, you're building a new house, our home. I want to make some contributions too."
"Fali, I have enough money, except that I have yet to receive it. You don't need to borrow from your family."
"Chen..."
"Believe me, will you?"
"But my dad has already agreed."
"Then call him again."
Chen Zhao felt that as a man, he should contribute more. It was only the first day that Fali and he were officially dating, and Fali was already borrowing money from her family. Chen Zhao thought it was a blow to his self-esteem.
He hoped that he could build a house with his own hard work and ability, not with the help of his girlfriend.
In that case, they might as well stay at the current place.
"Regardless of how much we each pay, it'll still our new home, together."
"Alright, Chen."
That night, Fali seemed to be exceptionally passionate. Her endurance had also increased decently.
After a tiring workout, the two slept in each other's arms.
The next morning, Chen Zhao went to Ethan's motel directly.
Because of what Fali had done the previous day, Chen Zhao was even more eager to make money.
"Caprice? What a surprise to see you here so early." Chen Zhao was clearly surprised by Caprice's presence.
Caprice looked rather energetic and casual. "Chen, I came here to thank you."
Chen Zhao grabbed the burgers from the counter and started eating.
"For what?"
"I went to see Phillip Quinn just now. From afar, I could already hear his hysterical screams." Caprice looked rejuvenated, as if she had just slept with ten strong men the previous night. "Chen, half of his body seems to be rotting away. How did you do it?"
"Eh, I didn't do it. It must be God's will."
"Fine. I won't ask anymore." Caprice smiled.
Just then, Ethan walked out from the inside and glanced at Caprice. "Why are you still here?"
The last time they met each other, they had the same enemy. However, once it was over, they became completely hostile towards each other again.
"Chen, work with me. I know more people and can offer you more clients." Caprice tried to steal Chen Zhao away right before Ethan.
"You mean those people from the prison? You sure they won't cut Chen into slices?"
This former couple started arguing again. Chen Zhao admired the humiliations and curses from the two as he enjoyed his free breakfast.
The cuss words they used were always new, innovative, and never repeating.
Even their son, Robio, became the weapon they used to attack each other.
The innocent Robio was involved for no reason. Chen Zhao wondered how Robio would feel if he knew what was happening.
"Looks like there's nothing for me here. I'm going to the fitness center."
After listening to the duo performance for an hour, Chen Zhao already felt rather bored.
However, the moment he left the motel, he saw a woman walk towards him.
"Hi, Mr. Chen, can I interview you please?"
"Are you a reporter?"
"I'm a reporter for the Los Angeles Times."
"Sorry, I'm busy."
Chen Zhao turned around and flagged a cab.
However, he realized that the reporter was still following him in her car.
Chapter 204: Boxing Class
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
When Chen Zhao reached the gym, that reporter appeared before him again.
"Mr. Chen, you're an illegal doctor, right? Did you give Rufford illegal drugs? His improvement is shocking. Does this have anything to do with the medicine you gave him?"
In this country, reporters were the true kings. They could twist any sentence to fit their goal.
"Who told you I'm a doctor? I'm not."
If Chen Zhao admitted that he was a doctor, the Public Health Department wouldn't be the first to find him. It would be the IRS.
How scary is the American IRS?
There was a rumor that the IRS got their eyes on a drug lord for tax evasion. When he finally got arrested, it was because the IRS found evidence while even the FBI couldn't. One could imagine how frightening the IRS was.
"Mr. Chen, Mr. Rufford admitted it himself."
"Admit what? I know Rufford, but that doesn't mean I gave him treatment."
"Mr. Chen, are you doing this to hide the fact that you gave Mr. Rufford steroids?"
"If Rufford used steroids, the IAAF and Anti-Doping Organization can come for me. If you have evidence, please take it out. Otherwise, wait for my lawyer's message."
A lawyer's message didn't actually have any legal effect. It was basically just a threat to attack if the other kept going.
Kate gritted her teeth at Chen Zhao. This Chinese man was more troublesome than she'd expected. His answers were seamless.
"Mr. Chen, if you're worried about your identity being exposed, I can ensure to keep your identity hidden..."
"What identity? I'm just a Chinese man working in America on a green card. If you keep making harmful guesses, I'll report you for harassment, defamation, and racism."
"When did I act racist?"
Anybody would be in trouble if they were found to be racist. Even the godly reporters didn't dare to touch that line. If she was sued for this crime, she would lose her job even if she wasn't found guilty.
Chen Zhao was just showing off. If Kate wanted to make his life hard, he would do the same.
"I just feel like you're being racist," Chen Zhao said matter-of-factly.
Racism was a true problem, but some minorities also felt that any offenses toward them was racism.
Kate stared at Chen Zhao's back and clenched her fists.
Chen Zhao entered the gym. He waved to all the people he was familiar with. He was well-known here too. After all, not many dared to have Gaia be their coach.
Gaia was currently teaching a student in the ring. That student was six feet tall, like Chen Zhao. His weight was similar too. However, he was much weaker. Gaia held up a pad with one hand and didn't even budge when the student's fist hit it.
If it was Chen Zhao, Gaia would need to hold the pad with both hands.
"Harder, harder. Too weak, Anderson. Did you eat breakfast? Or did you use all your energy on girls?" Gaia pushed the student's fists away with the pad. The student took two unsteady steps back.
"Okay, Anderson. Go take a rest." Gaia patted his shoulders.
"Chen, put on your gear and come practice."
When Gaia and Chen Zhao practiced, Chen Zhao was the defense. He took the pad and put on protective gear.
"Up, down, up, down, left, right, right, left, up..."
Gaia would tell Chen Zhao where she was attacking before she did so. Then Chen Zhao would do the appropriate defense. After 15 minutes of training, they were both sweating.
Anderson offered them water and patted Chen Zhao's arm. "Chen, how come we have similar build but our strength and speed are so different?" He wanted to learn Chen Zhao's ways.
"Maybe it's because I exercise often," Chen Zhao said. "I'm a coach too, so maybe I'm more familiar with how to make myself stronger."
Similar build didn't mean that they had the same power. There was still the problem of fat ratio.
A regular person had around 10% to 12% body fat. Athletes had around five percent, while the top athletes could reach three or four percent.
The lower the fat, the stronger the bursts of movement. According to biology, fat was for preserving energy. This way, the animal wouldn't die of starvation from lack of food. On the other hand, muscle represented an animal's status in the food chain. The stronger and faster they were, the more advantageous they were.
When civilizations appeared and society turned from hunter-gatherers to agrarian cultures, fat no longer had a survival advantage. Instead, it got in the way of labor.
However, thousands of years later, the human body still hadn't become completely removed from the primitive state. Being overly strong could actually shorten the lifespan.
For example, many athletes were talented, but the talent was only for unleashing potential. Throughout their career, they could become faster and stronger, but after their golden age, their bodies would deteriorate quickly.
The injuries and ailments accumulated throughout their career would start attacking their bodies.
Anderson and Chen Zhao chatted for a while. Chen Zhao learned that Anderson was an amateur hobbyist. His goal seemed to be to join an official competition, but his potential was so-so.
"Anderson, go against Chen and feel his power," Gaia said.
They both put on protective gear and Anderson felt the entirety of Chen Zhao's heavy fist. Even though Chen Zhao had held back, he was still forced back each time.
"Anderson, Chen, switch. Anderson attack, Chen defend."
The two switched positions. Anderson's feeling changed again. Rather than fighting against a human, it was like he was facing an unmoving wall.
Gaia was both of their coaches, so she obviously knew their differences.
Chen Zhao's fitness was too amazing. Even Gaia might not be able to win against him for pure strength-let alone someone average like Anderson.
Getting off the ring, the three rested and drank water at the window. "Gaia," Anderson said. "How can I become like Chen Zhao?"
Gaia glanced at Chen Zhao. "In terms of fitness, there's barely any way of surpassing Chen. You can only go from technique."
"Is there any way of improving in technique?"
"Keep practicing," Gaia said. "There's no cheating method. Even geniuses have to keep working hard. You're not a genius, so if you want to become a professional fighter, you have to work even harder. My suggestion is that you find a professional boxing coach."
Chapter 205: Normans Down-And-Out?
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
"Let's go and have lunch together." After changing to their own clothes, Chen Zhao and Anderson walked out of the fitness center together.
"I can't. I still have to go and fetch my son."
"Alright. See you."
Eating alone was the most boring thing ever. Chen Zhao called Fali and they had a romantic chat. Then, he went to buy a few burgers.
Because Normans wanted more exercise, Chen Zhao had to go there earlier.
Today, Normans was actually already in her sportswear, but she also had a jacket outside.
The slimming sessions over the last few days had consumed much of her fats. As a result, the skin on her belly looked extremely shriveled.
It would be very ugly to leave it exposed, so she had to hide it.
"Today's exercise is cycling. We'll go along the road by the sea, and then come back. The whole journey should take five hours," Chen Zhao said. "Eat this apple first."
When the two cycled out of the manor, Chen Zhao received a call.
"Chen, business for you." It was Ethan.
"I'm at Mr. Doman's place. I'm busy."
"Big client."
"How big?"
"Thirty thousand."
Chen Zhao raised his eyebrows. Turning his head, he said, "Normans, we're changing the route."
"Asshole." Normans had heard everything.
Given that the client could pay thirty thousand dollars, he or she was certainly quite wealthy.
Chen Zhao stopped before a magnificent villa and rang the doorbell.
The door opened slightly. Chen Zhao could tell from the gap through the door that it was a very beautiful lady.
The lady saw an Asian, a fat woman, and a dog outside her door.
"Who are you?"
"I'm the doctor from Ethan."
"Then how about her?"
"She's my assistant."
"Bullshit. When did I become your assistant?" Normans did not cooperate with Chen Zhao at all.
"It's her first day of work. She's not used to it yet," Chen Zhao said with a smile.
"Selena? You're Selena Gofi?" Suddenly, Normans recognized the lady before her.
Chen Zhao was clearly stunned. "Do you know each other?"
"Normans?" Selena looked at the incredibly inflated woman before her, uncertain.
Selena did not know what Normans looked like a few days ago. If she did, she would be surprised at why Normans was so thin instead.
"Why are you..."
Selena and Normans were from the same college. She knew how wealthy Normans' family was.
But why would the previously white, rich, and beautiful girl become so fat?
And she's now an assistant for an illegal doctor?
Is her family bankrupt?
A smile appeared on Selena's face. The golden phoenix had fallen, but she had become famous. Such an enormous twist in their lives made Selena excited for some reason.
"Come in." Selena opened the door, displaying her luxurious house before the two. "Don't walk around unnecessarily. My house is big and has many valuable items. If anything goes missing, I'll call the police."
Normans and Chen Zhao rolled their eyes at the same time. Glancing at Selena, Chen Zhao asked Normans softly, "Who's she?"
"A small star in Hollywood. Acted in two movies before and only half-famous, but compared to most women in Hollywood, she's already considered successful."
Chen Zhao nodded and more or less understood what was going on.
"Ms. Selena, where's my patient?"
Selena brought Chen Zhao and Normans to a room and pushed the door open.
Chen Zhao saw a maid covered in blood. It seemed like she had been bitten by some kind of beast in the abdomen.
Frowning, Chen Zhao walked up to check the maid's injury.
The maid was indeed gravely injured and had signs of shock.
"What was she bitten by?" Chen Zhao inspected the wound on the maid's abdomen. The flesh on her wound had almost been torn away completely.
Apart from treating the maid, Chen Zhao had to confirm what she had been bitten by, as well as whether the animal carried any bacteria or infections.
Many wild animals carried a multitude of pathogens because of their habits or environment.
Once they bit someone, the person might develop many complications or syndromes.
Inflammation was the weakest of them. The problem would be much more severe if there was a viral infection.
"Do you have ice?"
"Yes, I'll go and take it."
Selena took some ice cubes. Chen Zhao wrapped them with a piece of cloth and placed it on the maid's forehead.
Then, he started cleaning the maid's wound. Meanwhile, he turned his head and looked at Selena, "So what bit her?"
Selena remained silent, unwilling to talk about it.
Chen Zhao looked at Selena again. "Your maid will probably die. I suggest sending her to the hospital. Her body temperature is abnormally high. Maybe it's because the animal that bit her has some disease and transmitted it to her."
"No! You can't send her to the hospital," Selena rejected at once. "If the media finds out that my pet has caused my maid to be injured, I'll be defamed by them."
Selena was rather selfish. Of course, most people were like this.
Anyway, because her maid was bitten by her own pet, she could not run away from the responsibility.
Chen Zhao recalled the woman called Daily Simpson. She and her adopted daughter had been in a similar situation.
Nevertheless, her daughter had injured herself, so it was not really Daily's fault.
Selena's case was different. Her pet had bitten someone and hence, she was legally responsible.
"Now, either show me the pet that bit her and let me check if your pet has any diseases, or I'll send your maid to the hospital," Chen Zhao said.
"I can give you more money. Don't tell anyone about it."
Chen Zhao glanced at the Selena.
He indeed needed money, but if he kept this a secret, the maid would probably die, unless he could confirm that she had no viral infections.
"Wouter's in the backyard," Selena finally said very reluctantly.
Normans followed Chen Zhao to the backyard. They saw a near-adultray wolf which was apparently over forty kilograms in weight. He was fairly large.
Chen Zhao took a step forward. The wolf called Wouter stood near a corner, looking rather scared.
Standing behind them, Selena reminded, "Wouter doesn't like strangers."
Chen Zhao looked at Wouter and waved his hand gently.
Wouter stared hesitantly at Chen Zhao, after which he carefully walked towards Chen Zhao.
Normans was surprised. She knew that Chen Zhao had a high affinity for pets, but it was the first time she saw it at work. He was able to get close to a wolf the first time they met.
Selena was rather amazed too. Usually, nobody would dare to go close to Wouter like this.
As a result, Wouter had become somewhat aloof. He was very fierce towards anyone but her. However, Chen Zhao managed to easily friend Wouter.
Chapter 206: Reporter's Imagination
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
It wasn't hard to determine whether a canine had rabies. The symptoms were pretty obvious, so after Chen Zhao was mostly sure after contact that Wouter didn't have rabies.
Wouter might have bitten the maid because she did something unfriendly. Wolves and dogs didn't actually have that big of a difference, but humans instinctively feared wolves.
Wouter felt this fear and distrust. It hadn't interacted with the outside world yet, so it didn't know how to act with others and felt lonely.
Of course, for safety precautions, Chen Zhao still extracted some of Wouter's saliva to test.
Just then, Normans suddenly said, "Selena, how about you sell me Wouter?"
"Can you afford it?" Selena looked at her arrogantly.
"Ten thousand dollars."
"You think that's enough for me?"
"Twenty thousand...30,000!" Normans kept raising the price. "Still not satisfied? Fifty thousand is my last price." She narrowed her eyes. "If you don't agree, I'll make sure you can't survive in Hollywood."
Selena furrowed her brows at Normans. "Your family didn't go bankrupt?"
"Ha...*sshole, you tell her," Normans said, pointing at Chen Zhao.
"She's my temporary assistant. Most of the time, I'm her coach. Weight loss coach."
Selena's expression turned awkward. She realized that her previous words had offended Normans.
Normans' family wasn't a simple wealthy family. If she really wanted to make Selena's life hard, she'd be unable to do anything other than being a porn star in San Fernando Valley.
With Normans' family's abilities, they could definitely force her there.
"Do you promise you'll treat Wouter well?"
"I don't need to promise you anything. What right do you have to demand anything?" Normans was like an aggressive diva now.
Americans were materialistic. Rich people could do anything here, but Selena wasn't rich at all. Even this house was a rental. She wasn't indispensable in Hollywood either.
Countless girls would come to Hollywood with their dreams every day. Selena could be replaced at any time. Her current success was fragile too. People merely remembered the role that she played.
This role could be played by any girl. It was the role that gave life to her, rather than the other way around. Normans' one word could shatter Selena's success.
Normans successfully received ownership of Wouter, but...
"Why do I have to carry your pet? And why are you riding while I'm running?"
"I want you to train it for me. Make it as smart as White Ma and Black Ma, or like Amon. I don't want my family to get hurt by it."
"I'm your weight loss coach, not your family's pet trainer."
"One hundred thousand."
"You can afford that?"
"No, but my dad can."
Chen Zhao was troubled. He really wanted to yell at Normans that he didn't want to serve her anymore, but he needed money more. Between going against his motives and money, he chose to go against his motives in the end.
Plus, it wasn't really going against his motives. Making money was his motive, after all.
"How long do you need to train it?"
"Not sure. Keep it at my house first."
"Do you need money really badly?" Normans suddenly asked.
"Why are you asking me that? You want to insult me with your money?"
"I'm not that bored."
"No, I actually don't mind if you insult me with your money," Chen Zhao said shamelessly.
Wouter was very friendly with Chen Zhao, probably because he had Black Ma and White Ma's scent on him.
Wolves couldn't use dog leashes, but it hadn't been trained yet, so Chen Zhao didn't dare place it on the ground. If it started running, he might not be able to catch it.
If it hurt someone, it would be even more troublesome.
Because of today's accident, Normans' training intensity was lower than a few days ago. However, Chen Zhao still planned some exercises for her. If she was determined, she would train by herself even if he wasn't with her.
When Chen Zhao walked out of Beverly Hills, a police car cruised by. It stopped in front of him.
"Chen, where you going?" David poked his head out.
"Home. You want to bring me back?"
"Sorry, I have to go meet an informer." David noticed Wouter in Chen Zhao's arms. "You have another new pet?"
"It's not mine. I'm helping take care of it. I have to return it in a few days." Chen Zhao patted Wouter's head. Wouter obviously liked it and made happy rumbles. "Go work."
"How about you get in and I drive you back after work?"
"Are you sure? Didn't you say you're meeting an informer? Would it be bad if I go?"
"No, it's not some mafia mole. It's just someone who provided information for a case."
"Okay, let's go."
...
Neither of them discovered the car following them.
Kate followed the police car closely while talking to a recording pen. "It is 3:55 p.m. The target has gotten onto a police car. He seems to be connected to the police. This might explain why the target hasn't been subject to legal sanctions after being an illegal doctor for so long."
"Four-fifteen p.m. They got off at a Harry Bank. They seem to be meeting with someone." Kate sat in the car and filmed with a high definition camera.
"Four-twenty, they entered the bank."
Kate also followed them inside, hiding the camera in her jacket. She held the recording pen in her other hand, constantly describing the situation.
"That person must be a bank employee. He walked into his own office and took out a roll of film. Are they undergoing some unspeakable exchange? Perhaps the justice department should investigate the police for corrupt officers."
Just then, an incident occurred...
A string of gunshots came from the hall. Four masked robbers charged into the bank. Kate felt someone yank her neck back. Heavy breaths sounded in her ears. Something pressed against her temple.
I'm held captive? Kate's mind was completely blank.
The bank's security guard fell into a puddle of blood right before her.
This evil group was robbing the bank!
Chapter 207: David's Heroic Rescue
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
Chen Zhao was somewhat unhappy, because he had been held as a hostage too.
More importantly, he was carrying Wouter in his arms.
He did not whether he should let Wouter go at the moment.
"Kid, don't move, or I'll make a hole in your head."
Actually, Chen Zhao would not dare to move even without the robber's reminder.
Even though it was not the first time someone pointed a gun at his head already, it still felt terrifying.
Courage was entirely meaningless in such a situation.
It did not matter whether Chen Zhao had superb fighting tactics.
Maybe Gaia could resolve the danger, but Chen Zhao could not. He was simply not strong enough.
David had been treated as an ordinary bank customer and forced to stay with the other customers.
He was not wearing his police uniform, so the robbers had no idea that he was a cop.
The robbers who were holding Chen Zhao and Kate captive stood before the other customers.
David kept peeking around. There were five robbers in total.
He did not attack immediately. It was not difficult to kill the robber threatening Chen Zhao, but there was no way he could kill all of them at once.
Three of the robbers were holding hostages, namely Chen Zhao, Kate, and the lobby manager.
The manager was forced to open the vault. After the vault was opened, a gunshot was heard from the inside.
Soon, three robbers came out with three bags of money, but the lobby manager was nowhere to be seen.
It was not hard to imagine what had happened to him.
Suddenly, Chen Zhao saw David make a hand signal at him.
Chen Zhao's face was filled with question marks. What do you mean??
He tried to communicate with David using his eyes. What are you saying?
However, David seemed to have misunderstood something. He secretly made a hand gesture. Ok.
Ok what? David, what do you want to do??
David moved. He suddenly pounced towards the robber holding Kate.
Kate was still in shock. She just heard a crack beside her and then felt someone pull her away.
David tweaked the robber's arm upwards, breaking his arm directly. Then, he pulled Kate behind him.
At the same time, the robber who had been holding Chen Zhao pointed his gun at David.
Chen Zhao had to do something. He extended his hand and lifted the robber's gun-holding arm.
Bang!
The robber missed the shot. Chen Zhao threw the robber over his shoulder and then gave him a heavy kick.
When the three robbers carrying the money saw their fellows under attack, none came to help. Instead, they charged out through the door.
Bang, bang!
David fired his gun twice. One of the robbers collapsed onto the ground, but the other two had already escaped from the bank.
He wanted to chase the last two robbers, but Kate held onto his body tightly like an octopus.
"Miss, are you alright?" David asked.
Kate remained in David's arms like an obedient little bird. She did not speak and kept her head lowered.
"Miss, can you stand by yourself?"
"My legs feel soft," Kate said gently.
Chen Zhao walked up and pulled Kate's head away from David. "Why is it you?"
"Do you know each other?"
"She's a reporter. She accused me..."
"Wait... Mr. Chen, that's only my job. Don't target me like this..." Kate interrupted Chen Zhao. "Mr. Police, I can't breathe..."
"Chen, you're a doctor. Come and see what's happened to this lady."
"I'm not a doctor. Also, her condition is incurable."
"Miss, do you have a terminal illness?"
"Estrus." Chen Zhao twitched his lips.
Soon, the police came. They were all David's colleagues.
After getting questioned by the police, Kate approached David carefully, "David, can I interview you please?"
"Err... I'm busy now."
"I can wait for you." Kate's cheeks flushed and she did not even dare to look at David in his eyes.
"David, I'm going home first." Chen Zhao had finished the interview. He glanced at Kate and David, not wanting to interfere with their business.
Kate clearly liked David. Chen Zhao did not want to be the bad guy.
"Let me send you back."
"Don't you have an interview later?"
"I don't really want to." David was rather slow and actually could not see Kate's intention.
Chen Zhao glanced at Kate. Actually, she was quite pretty.
Normally, whenever David saw a beautiful lady, he would act like a mad dog, although it would often fail.
Now a lady was chasing him herself, and yet he did not realize it.
"I can interview you on your car." Kate stared at David, her eyes glittering brightly. "Tomorrow, the entire Los Angeles will know your heroic deed!"
Her look was filled with admiration. Chen Zhao had not even seen such a look on Fali's face.
...
Chen Zhao sat on the back seat, while Kate sat on the front passenger seat.
Kate had been continuously asking David questions, from his age to his birthday, whether he had a girlfriend, and whom the people in his family were. She asked whatever she could.
After David sent Chen Zhao to his house, he drove away with Kate.
"Kate, can I call you like this?"
"Of course."
"Kate, what happened between you and Chen?"
"Nothing... It's just a misunderstanding during work."
"Chen's my best friend." David was not stupid. He was just concerned about Chen Zhao's feelings.
"Alright, I get it. I promise I won't have another conflict with him again... David, let's date?"
"You sure there won't be another misunderstanding?"
"I can do anything for you. Your friend is my friend."
Kate had always been a very rational person. She did not believe in love at first sight.
However, the instant David saved her, she fell in love with him.
Even when she looked at David, her eyes were only filled with wonder.
The more rational a person was, the crazier she would get when she fell in love.
...
Fali realized that Chen Zhao had brought another wolf back.
Although Wouter was already an adult wolf, he was much smaller than Black-Ma and White-Ma. Indeed, he was only half their size.
When Black-Ma and White-Ma appeared before Wouter, he curled up in fear.
Even Walter was 1.5 times as big as Wouter. Walter was really a giant dog at the moment.
Moreover, he was still growing. With the current rate, he would probably at some point be bigger than Black-Ma and White-Ma.
Apart from Black-Ma, White-Ma and Walter, Beelzebub, Carrie, Obitos and Raymond were all putting Wouter under much stress.
In addition to the difference in their sizes, Chen Zhao's pets also had a special demonic smell. Wouter felt as though he was a lamb which had fallen into a wolf den.
"Is this your new pet again?"
"Not mine. It's my friend's. I'm helping to look after him for a few days."
Fali was about to reach out to Wouter when Chen Zhao stopped her. "He hasn't been domesticated yet. Also, he's only an ordinary wolf, unlike Black-Ma and White-Ma, so try not to touch him."
Chapter 208: Intelligence Potion
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
At night, Chen Zhao gave Fali the Banshee's Charm so she could sleep peacefully. Then he took Wouter to the basement and entered Blackie's den.
Chen Zhao had to create an intelligence potion for Wouter. It couldn't turn idiots into geniuses, but it could help make idiots less idiotic. It was mainly used on wild animals.
However, in order to do so, he needed intelligence fruits. These fruits were only available in Hell, so Chen Zhao had to summon the evil trader Raz.
When Raz was summoned before Chen Zhao, he seemed more terrified than last time.
"Raz." Chen Zhao looked at him.
"Living Lord." Raz knelt down and bowed submissively.
He was afraid that Chen Zhao still held a grudge and would kill him. After all, there was no one kind beside Chen Zhao right now. To demons, they would never give up once a conflict was born.
Of course, Chen Zhao wasn't that petty. At least, Raz was still useful.
"I'm not going to mess with you. I want to trade. Don't be so scared." Chen Zhao smiled brightly.
"Living Lord, tell me whatever you need. Your lowly servant is willing to give you everything."
Only an idiot would believe that a demon was willing to give up everything, especially a demon that was a true profiteer. Plus, Chen Zhao didn't want to end the business.
A trade had to have ins and outs. If he only gained without giving, that was robbery.
"What's the price of an intelligence fruit?"
"One...one soul." Raz instinctively wanted to set a high price, but he quickly remembered that Chen Zhao wasn't like before. He had other channels and he wasn't completely clueless about the prices. Plus, Chen Zhao still had Raz's demonic ritual implement.
If Chen Zhao learned that he'd been scammed again, Raz would be dead. He was just a low-level demon trying to make a living in Beelzebub's territory while Chen Zhao was Beelzebub's master. He was also great lord Beelzebub Zofee's esteemed guest.
If Raz offended Chen Zhao again, he really would have no way of surviving.
Chen Zhao looked at him. "I don't have any souls right now. I'll pay you back later. Give me ten intelligence fruits."
"No need, no need. It's just a few souls. You don't have to worry about it."
After sending Raz off, Chen Zhao started concocting the intelligence potion. Since he was making it, he couldn't only make one serving.
As Chen Zhao's one and only favorite and Fali's darling, Walter had to have a serving too.
...
"Chen!"
In the morning, Fali woke up and realized she'd overslept. Her first thought was that Chen Zhao had done something to her. Otherwise, with her biological clock, she definitely wouldn't oversleep.
Every time Chen Zhao used the Banshee's Charm on her, she would sleep 12 straight hours.
Fali grabbed Chen Zhao's arm on her and shook him awake.
"Ah...Fali, morning." Chen Zhao rubbed his puffy eyes.
"Morning your *ss. What did you do yesterday? Why did I sleep 12 hours again?"
"I didn't do anything."
"Liar!" Fali glared at him.
"Fine, I went to save the world."
It was a stupid reply, but Fali still believed him. "No matter what you do in the future, you can't use a spell to make me sleep."
"Fine."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Look at my eyes and say it."
"I promise that whether I go out to save the world or find another woman, I'll never make you fall asleep."
"You *sshole. We've only been dating for how many days? And you're thinking of messing around outside. I'm going to make sure you never have the energy to do that."
Reality proved that it was quite hard to make Chen Zhao not have the energy to go outside. After more than an hour, Fali gave up first.
"Aren't you going to work?" Chen Zhao asked.
"I forgot to tell you that Robio's coming today."
"Ah, you didn't tell me. I have to call the gym for a day off. Otherwise, that female dragon is going to torture me."
"To be honest, I really want to see what kind of woman can make you so scared."
Chen Zhao and Fali had another round in the bathroom and wasted another half hour.
Robio seemed to have calculated the right timing. He showed up when the two were mostly tidied up.
"Chen, Fali, I didn't disturb you guys, right?" Robio stood in the doorway.
To be honest, if Robio wasn't gay, Chen Zhao would be worried about Fali working with him. He was excellent in practically every aspect. He had a high education, was cultured, friendly, loving, liked exercising, had a tall and fit body, and was handsome.
Chen Zhao couldn't think of any flaws. Robio was practically a perfect man.
Robio knew early on that Fali and Chen Zhao were together. When Fali went to work that day, he'd suspected something and got an answer after asking. He supported them dating.
To him, there were only two types of people. The first were those that felt right, like Chen Zhao and Fali. They could become your friends and won't hurt you.
The other type were his parents. They just didn't feel right. Ever since Robio could remember, he disapproved of the couple. After he grew up, it became worse and he practically cut all ties with him.
He really didn't know when his parents would drag him down. However, he actually received his mother and father's call a few days ago. It was hard to believe that they would call him on the same day.
After all, even on his birthday, only Wright would call him to send blessings. Caprice and Ethan never called him.
That day, Ethan and Caprice said that if Chen Zhao ever needed help, he had to help no matter what. His parents had never agreed on something like this before. Robio couldn't figure out why.
No, maybe something had happened that made them fall into accord.
"Robio, want some milk?"
"No, I ate breakfast before coming."
Walter ran to Robio. He stood up, grabbed Robio and licked his face.
"Chen, did Walter grow again?"
"He's just a kid. There's nothing strange about kids growing." Fali poured milk into Walter's bowl-an entire 2.5-liter carton of milk.
Robio was speechless. In dog years, Walter was definitely ancient. But after White Ma and Black Ma came over, he didn't find Robio big anymore. Compared to the Silly Twins, Walter was a tiny puppy.
Chapter 209: Design For The New House
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
Chen Zhao and Fali brought Robio to Mirror Lake. Robio took in a deep breath.
"It's beautiful."
"From this mountain, to this lake, and then the land here and the road outside. All these are mine," Chen Zhao said proudly.
"Why did you buy such a large piece of land? I don't think the land here is suitable for agriculture or grazing. It's completely useless," Robio remarked.
Chen Zhao's face darkened. "I don't want to hear such a depressing comment. I only want to hear something nice."
"This place has a pleasant scenery and fresh air."
"And then?"
"And then what?" Robio rolled his eyes and continued to walk forward. "Do you want to build your house here?"
"Yes."
"This place is near the lake and there's even a waterfall at the side, so the humidity is rather high. When building the house, you have to use moisture resistant materials, which also cost more," Robio said. "Tell me your requirements."
"Chen, I hope that our new house will be more modern. I don't like those classic European styles. I'm firm about this."
"Agreed. I also like modern designs," Chen Zhao nodded.
"It's great that the two of you have the same taste. I'm most scared of those families where every person has his or her own idea," Robio said.
"Can we incorporate the waterfall somewhere?" Chen Zhao asked.
Robio shook his head. "Best not to. I've studied the environment here. When it rains, the waterfall becomes much larger. Also, the soil here is rather soft, which encourages debris flow. If you build your house under the waterfall, it'll probably be buried at some point."
"Alright. Forget about it then."
Robio added, "However, if you really want to include the water somewhere, we can create an underground pond connected to the lake. We can use a ring of glass to separate the basement from the water and add some fish to the lake as an ornament."
Chen Zhao's and Fali's eyes brightened. They had to admit that as a professional designer, Robio indeed had better ideas.
"I already have a preliminary concept. The main building will be round, with three floors above the ground and one floor in the basement. The side facing the lake will be built with fully tempered glass, slightly slanted to withstand any hurricane from that direction. This can ensure the safety of the structure..."
As Robio spoke, he drew a design diagram.
Of course, it was only a preliminary design. He still had to change it according to what Chen Zhao and Fali wanted.
"I want another floor in the basement. I need it for something."
"Of course."
Chen Zhao and Fali began to bring forward their requests. Robio kept changing the drawing.
"That should be all."
"Great. When the diagram is finished, I'll show it to you. Then, you can look at the rendering and I'll also tell you the estimated cost of the house."
"How long will that take?"
"Very soon."
"How about the construction company? I don't know any."
"I can recommend you an engineering company. It's owned by my ex-schoolmate." Robio said.
"Alright."
At noon, Robio stayed for lunch, after which he left.
Chen Zhao also went out to conduct Normans' daily slimming session.
...
140 kilograms and 100 kilograms were two entirely different concepts!
Normans' weight changed every day. Usually, the only thing that could achieve such an effect was liposuction.
However, liposuction was very harmful to the body, and it might not even be as effective as Chen Zhao's slimming plan, because it would not drain all the fats at once. Instead, there would also be several sessions.
Maybe a person would have her first session on the belly. After resting for some period, she would have it again on the hips. A few sessions later, when the entire process was completed, her whole body would be filled with scars.
The biggest disadvantage of liposuction was that it could not be carried out on blood vessels. Fats would accumulate there too.
Despite being able to slim down, there would be greater problems.
Another method was to take weight loss pills.
However, this was actually even more harmful. Most weight loss pills on the market would either induce severe diarrhea, reduce the appetite, or destroy a person's digestive system totally.
Many people developed anorexia because of them. In the end, they only looked withered.
Normans' physical fitness had already improved significantly. Now, she could easily run two or three kilometers.
She could even swim two thousand meters. Normans realized that her body was in a perfect state.
In fact, she felt that if she could slim down for another 30 or 40 kilograms and reach her best state, she could even become a professional swimmer.
"Normans, after you finish the swim, remove your shirt. I need to perform acupuncture on you."
"What?!" Normans immediately covered her chest with her hands. "Why didn't I know that acupuncture can help in weight loss?"
Chen Zhao was speechless. "Before you even suspect me, can you look at yourself first? Do you think I'll have any unclean thoughts about you?"
"Asshole!" Normans' face flushed as she widened her eyes at Chen Zhao and gritted her teeth.
Actually, Chen Zhao planned to use acupuncture to increase the metabolism in Normans' body.
Because her body was filled with fats, Chen Zhao had to carefully find the correct spots.
"Before dinner, have another 1km slow run. Your dinner is two eggs, an apple, and a glass of water."
Normans had already stopped complaining. Instead, she would very seriously listen to Chen Zhao's instructions on both exercising and eating.
Today, Normans lost about 2.5 kilograms of weight. It was already becoming very slow.
Fortunately, however, she had managed to go below 100 kilograms.
"Asshole, the fats in my arms hasn't reduced at all. Do you need to revise my training schedule?"
"Yup, I've noticed it. I'll make some changes tomorrow."
Then, Chen Zhao went to Steven's house. He had promised Steven that he would be his private doctor and health consultant.
As a result, Chen Zhao had to perform a monthly check-up on Steven. Although Steven was a very famous director in Hollywood, his house was not that luxurious. It was also in Beverly Hills, but it was not as deluxe as Rasfa's house.
He was single at the moment, having divorced three times already. There were only a few servants there.
Steven's body was in good condition and he also seemed to be in a good mood. After the check-up, he asked Chen Zhao to stay for dinner.
Chen Zhao agreed. He did not mind eating here first and then eating again when he got home.
Chapter 210: Sienna Asks For Help
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
When he got home, Fali had already prepared dinner.
She wasn't a traditional housewife though. They interacted just like before, but more casual and relaxed... Of course, when others weren't there, they were more intimate too.
After dinner, the two grabbed beers and sat in the backyard. They enjoyed the peace and quiet.
White Ma's injuries were much better. Chen Zhao had taken off the gauze, but there was still a glaring wound on his stomach. He couldn't do any intense exercise or else the wound would tear.
Wouter grew familiar with them these days. He followed behind them all day like a lackey. However, the yard was a bit small while they were all big.
Before when there was only Beelzebub, Carrie and Walter, it felt okay. Now, the three huge guys Obitos, Black Ma, and White Ma were here and they could barely run.
At that moment, Bant and Ken came over. They also had an Alaskan with them. Instead of going through the front door, they came in from the backyard.
"Chen, Fali."
"You guys have a dog too now? Can you take care of it?"
"We couldn't help it," Bant said, smiling. "We saw your dogs and wanted one too."
"What's its name?"
"Bobby," Ken replied. "But he's kind of scared of your dogs."
"Maybe they aren't familiar with each other yet."
Bobby was smaller than Wouter, but he was still a big dog. If he was by himself, he would look huge, but next to Black Ma and White Ma, he was just okay.
"Chen, I came to thank you for finding a good job for Mary."
"Please don't thank me every time you see me."
"I heard you bought the land at Mirror Lake, right?"
"Yeah."
Bant had been the first to know when Chen Zhao got this idea. He'd asked Bant to help get information for it.
"You're going to build a house there?"
"Yes."
"What about the furniture after that? Are you going to buy ready-made ones?"
"Bant, do you have any suggestions?"
"My old friend and I plan on opening a wood workshop. If you need help, I can give you the best price."
"Of course, no problem."
Since it was a new home, he would definitely have most of his furniture custom-made instead of buying those generic brands.
Just then, his phone rang in the living room. Chen Zhao got up. "I'll go get the call."
When he picked up, he realized it was Sienna.
"Chen, come help. I'm at UCLA."
"What's wrong?"
"Didn't I tell you? My client is here and I've been here getting rid of evil spirits these days, but there are more now. They're much stronger than I'd expected. My client and I are stuck here."
"Okay, send me the exact location and I'll go right now." Putting down his phone, he went outside. "Fali, give me a ride. Bant, I'm sorry but a client is looking for me. I need to go."
"Okay, then we'll go too. Bye."
...
Chen Zhao got onto Fali's car. He didn't bring any pets because Blackie was enough.
"What's wrong?" Fali asked.
"Sienna might be in trouble. It's dangerous."
"What's it this time? Demons? Or evil spirits?"
Fali had suffered from the ghost ship last time, but she wasn't traumatized. She was still enthusiastic about paranormal activity-if it had nothing to do with her, of course.
Outside the school, Chen Zhao grew worried for Fali. "How about you stay inside the car?"
"It's okay. I'm more worried if I'm alone in the car. If I'm with you, you can protect me."
"Okay."
Chen Zhao and Fali went into campus. There weren't many people walking around at this time.
When they reached the older part, they saw someone standing at the entrance.
"What are you here for? This is the forbidden zone."
"Are you the administrator here?" Chen Zhao studied the man. Chen Zhao found him familiar, but he couldn't place where they'd met.
Smith looked at Chen Zhao with a similar look and feeling. They'd met somewhere before.
"I'm a lecturer here. Many things had happened in the old campus, so it's been sealed off for a while."
"Then why are you here?" Chen Zhao asked, looking at Smith.
"I just passed by." Smith often came to and from this place. He would occasionally meet students or other teachers and could deal with them easily.
"Ah, I remember!"
Smith was taken aback by Chen Zhao's sudden exclamation.
"We've met before!" Chen Zhao cried.
"Where did we meet?"
"Crossing the road a few days ago. Did you forget? You lost a coin."
Smith furrowed his brows. He remembered after Chen Zhao pointed it out. He'd wanted to toss the gold coin that day, but Chen Zhao put it back into his hands.
"Oh, it's you... How have you been?"
Chen Zhao was confused. He didn't know this man, so why was he asking?
"My friend is in there. I think she's in trouble, so we're going to look."
"Your friend? In trouble?" Smith frowned. "What trouble?"
"I think she fell and hurt herself," Chen Zhao said. "We're here to help."
"Uh, okay... Be careful when you go in."
Smith didn't stop them. Fali turned around to look at him. "That guy feels weird."
"You think so too?"
"I can't place it." Fali shook her head.
"Blackie, do you think that man's strange?" Chen Zhao asked.
"Yes, strange." Blackie's answer was the same as Fali's.
"Where?"Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com
"I can't place it."
"How come your answer is the same as Fali?"
"You can't say what's strange about him either and me too. Nothing's weird about that."
"Let's go. We can't make Sienna wait too long."
The two humans and Blackie came before an old building. Glancing at it, Blackie said, "There are so many evil spirits and they're all strange."
"How so?"
"Evil spirits stay in the human world because of some obsession, but these evil spirits don't have any. They're trapped here; they didn't stay because of their own will."
"Someone killed them?"
Blackie shook his head. "No, it looks like they died natural deaths."