UAAG CH70

Early the next morning, just after Fu Cheng finished washing up, the phone rang.

He picked up the phone, looked at the name flashing on the screen, and pressed the answer button. “Lina?”

From the other end of the line came the gentle laughter of the blonde woman: “Bonjour, good morning, Fu.”

Fu Cheng walked out of the bathroom while asking, “I remember you posted a tweet last week. You should be vacationing in Hawaii right now, right? Los Angeles is three hours ahead of Hawaii, so where you are…” He looked up at the clock on the wall, “It’s 5 AM?”

Lina laughed softly: “You’re always more caring, Fu. Before calling you, I just finished talking to Reid. He wouldn’t know I should be in Hawaii right now, let alone care why I got up so early.”

Hearing that name, Fu Cheng lowered his eyes slightly, opened the wardrobe, his voice calm: “Calling at 5 AM, Lina, is something wrong?”

“Heard you guys made a 13-million-dollar deal yesterday.”

“What?”

“That Pagani supercar,” Lina laughed brilliantly, “Such a big commotion, the whole West Coast knows. Last night in the underground parking lot of the Waldorf Astoria in Los Angeles, a top-spec Pagani was crashed.”

Fu Cheng: “I didn’t know it was worth 13 million dollars.”

Lina: “Don’t worry, I’m already on a plane back to Los Angeles. Fu, I’ve only been gone for a month, and such a big thing happened. But don’t worry, I’m coming back soon. It’s been hard on you dealing with Reid during this time. I know he’s not an easy person to get along with. By the way, I’ve arranged a car to pick you and Reid up to go to the McFly factory today. Still 10 AM, hotel lobby, you know.”

Fu Cheng: “Thank you.”

After changing clothes and eating a casual breakfast, at 9:50 AM, Fu Cheng went downstairs.

Lina was always more punctual than punctual. If she said ten o’clock, the car must be waiting downstairs by nine-thirty. Fu Cheng got into the car first. After waiting for more than ten minutes, the hotel doorman opened the car door, and Zhuo Huan bent down and walked in. He raised his eyes, and his gaze met Fu Cheng’s.

Eye contact; neither spoke.

The car started.

Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the McFly factory. The two got out of the car together. Johnny had been waiting at the door for a long time. With a face full of smiles, he took Zhuo Huan and Fu Cheng to swipe their cards to enter the laboratory. Zhuo Huan scoffed at McFly’s never-relaxing precautions, not hiding his sneer at all. Johnny was extremely thick-skinned, as if he hadn’t heard Zhuo Huan’s ridicule.

He ran forward to swipe his ID badge to open the access control.

The tall, middle-aged blond man ran to the glass door, bent down, and pressed the ID badge hanging around his neck against the sensor.

Fu Cheng watched Johnny’s back from a distance. Westerners seemed to sweat easily. Under the hot June sun, after running for just a few dozen seconds, the back of Johnny’s suit was soaked with a round sweat stain.

“How’s the injury?”

The indifferent, casual male voice brought Fu Cheng back to his senses. He turned to look at that man: “It’s fine.”

Zhuo Huan had his hands in his pockets, looking down at him: “Oh, didn’t twist it?”

“Just bumped it a bit.”

Soon, Johnny ran back: “Alright, Mr. Patrick, Mr. Fu, please follow me.”

After entering the laboratory, everyone changed into white lab coats.

Fu Cheng went to do the flight simulation reproduction. He worked with the computer simulation experimenter almost every day to reproduce the specific data and flight status of his every test flight. Zhuo Huan would conduct laboratory experiments on the newly improved landing gear repeatedly with Renner and others.

Only when the laboratory successfully simulated the landing would it be time for the real test flight.

At noon, Fu Cheng casually bought a sandwich at the western restaurant inside the factory. He sat by the window, checking his phone while tearing open the plastic bag of the sandwich. Looking down to take a bite, his movement paused slightly; looking at the sandwich in his hand for a few seconds, he continued eating.

At this time, Su Fei sent a message.

A familiar scene, six dots again.

Fu Cheng calmly replied to him: [What is it exactly?]

[Su Fei: I really can’t hold it back!]

[Su Fei: Fu Ge, I want to tell you a big secret, you have to be mentally prepared!]

[Fu Cheng: Mn?]

[Su Fei: Actually… actually I didn’t go on vacation! You thought I left Los Angeles and didn’t work every day to play? Not at all!]

[Su Fei: Whatever, RIP told me not to say, but I can’t hold it back. Actually, I have been secretly colluding with RIP; we want to get McFly’s design secrets! Last month, I contacted Tsuna Teiichi’s laboratory as RIP said and secretly did experiments for RIP! Let me tell you, Tsuna Teiichi has personal issues; he actually changed his email address and computer! But he’s obviously a computer novice. What’s the use of changing computers? He still uses the University of Tokyo network; I found him immediately.]

[Su Fei: Ah, right, don’t tell RIP. He said this is a secret mission for me. I work quietly like a spy every day. It’s killing me, holding it in for a month; he told me not to tell anyone!]

The hand holding the sandwich froze in mid-air. Fu Cheng looked at the words flashing on the phone screen, staring silently.

[Su Fei: Fu Ge?]

[Su Fei: Fu Cheng?]

[Fu Cheng: Teacher Zhuo told you this? Told you not to tell anyone else?]

[Su Fei: Yeah.]

[Fu Cheng: I think perhaps he said the same thing to many other people too.]

[Su Fei: ???]

Fu Cheng created a group chat and pulled Old Joseph in. Old Joseph sent a question mark emoji. Fu Cheng got straight to the point: [Old Joseph, Su Fei just said that for over a month, he didn’t actually take a vacation. He has been secretly helping Teacher Zhuo with experiments. Teacher Zhuo asked him to keep it a secret and not tell anyone.]

[Old Joseph: Hahaha, sure enough, Reid didn’t just assign work to me alone. Last month, he also asked me to help him query some landing gear information. The day before yesterday, I sent him an email about a paper on oleo-pneumatic shock struts. He also asked me to keep it a secret, but he said at the time, the fewer people know, the harder it is for McFly to discover. So at that time, I realized he let it slip; he might not have just secretly found me alone.]

[Su Fei: …]

[Su Fei: Fuck, how can RIP be like this! I thought I was doing an amazing spy mission. Turns out everyone is playing Infernal Affairs?]

[Old Joseph: I actually think this fits Reid’s style very well.]

[Su Fei: What?]

[Old Joseph: Arrogant, likes to work alone, doesn’t like teamwork… In short, low EQ.]

[Su Fei: Count me in for scolding RIP!]

In the group chat, Su Fei began to curse Zhuo Huan for being double-faced and actually deceiving him. He decided never to care about Zhuo Huan’s affairs again, let alone help. Old Joseph seemed to persuade him but was actually fanning the flames, enjoying the chaos. Just looking at the text on the screen, one could imagine Old Joseph behind the phone laughing back and forth.

[Fu Cheng: There seems to be progress in the McFly laboratory this morning.]

Su Fei and Old Joseph asked together: [What?]

Fu Cheng thought for a moment, recalling the conversation he had heard between Zhuo Huan and Mr. Renner. He put the cold sandwich aside and began typing: [The landing gear used by the McFly F475 is currently the most popular design. Because McFly has always refused to reveal what improvements they made to the wings, our consultation help here is actually proceeding blindly, not asking for reasons, only seeking results.]

[Fu Cheng: Teacher Zhuo guessed McFly’s improvement direction last month, but still doesn’t know how they did it.]

[Su Fei: Yes, I am in Tokyo now, doing experiments with Tsuna Teiichi and the others, just wanting to know how to break through this difficulty.]

[Fu Cheng: Setting aside the reason for now, the method to solve this problem still has to start with the oleo-pneumatic shock strut…]

Meanwhile, in the laboratory, McFly’s experimenters were inputting data into the computer, establishing an industrial model.

Zhuo Huan: “The moment the rear tires touch the ground, conventionally speaking, the impact force of the McFly F475 shouldn’t be greater than the F485. But the actual situation is not so. The data from the four test flights obtained so far is that the instantaneous impact force is greater than the F485, but as long as stability can be maintained within 0.34 seconds, the tire pressure will plummet, lower than the ordinary F475. So what needs to be done is to create a large enough buffer space.”

Renner looked at him: “So, double orifice, two-layer buffer?”

Zhuo Huan heard the skepticism in his words: “Why not?”

Renner: “Then why not just enlarge the diameter of the orifice directly?”

Zhuo Huan looked at the stern, old-fashioned face of the white-haired old man, and he smiled: “Trade secret.”

Renner was stunned.

Zhuo Huan said indifferently: “You tell me your improvements, I tell you for what purpose and how to calculate the appropriate double orifice numbers… Wow, truly a very reasonable exchange.”

Looking at Zhuo Huan’s proud and conceited appearance, Renner was first stunned, then soon sneered: “Have you already calculated the laboratory results?”

Zhuo Huan stopped laughing.

Mr. Renner imitated his arrogant manner, or rather, didn’t need to imitate at all; he was naturally more arrogant than his student: “Wow, Reid, you are not the only genius in the world. You really want to know what improvements Neo made to achieve such amazing low energy loss, right?”

Zhuo Huan looked at him coldly.

Renner laughed mockingly: “I can solve your problem, but you will never solve this problem.”

Zhuo Huan slowly smiled. He turned and left the McFly laboratory. Just out of the laboratory, the next moment, he took out his phone and called Lina, raging: “I want to leave Los Angeles! Fuck, book me a ticket back to China!”

Lina had just landed at Los Angeles International Airport. Listening to her friend’s furious voice on the phone, she smiled gently: “My friend, what happened? Your anger is about to explode my phone. What, McFly’s request for help is finished? To be honest with you, the consultation fee McFly gave this time is very high. Currently, they have only paid half the deposit.” Pausing, she added, “Sorry, I just remembered you totaled a 13-million Pagani last night. Fine, in your view, McFly probably didn’t give much money; their consultation fee is only six million US dollars.”

Zhuo Huan: “…”

Hanging up directly, Zhuo Huan was in a terrible mood.

Quarrels with Thor Renner actually happened every day after Zhuo Huan entered McFly.

He graduated from university at sixteen, got a PhD, and entered McFly through his teacher’s introduction. At that time, he met Thor Renner.

Thor Renner was a legend in the American aviation industry. He had won the Von Karman Award three times, and the President personally awarded him the National Security Medal. It was said that in Thor Renner’s home, the most abundant items were not furniture, but medals.

Daniel Guggenheim Medal, Bernt Balchen Award…

Zhuo Huan knew these weren’t “it is said.” This old man had a room specifically for displaying various medals, trophies, and plaques he had won. And the reason he knew was because this old man personally took him in for a tour. That old man picked up the Von Karman Award medal like a rock and asked him arrogantly: “Reid, do you have this? Oh, you seem to have just been nominated, not yet. Then take a few more looks; I have three of these.”

…Shit!

Nine years ago, Thor Renner suddenly stopped serving as McFly’s chief designer. Actually, he retired voluntarily. Not forced, nor because of old age, but one day he suddenly looked at Zhuo Huan and said to him: “Leave it to you.” Then the next day, he submitted his resignation and handed over the position of McFly’s chief designer.

Thor Renner’s decision was too sudden; no one could accept it.

Zhuo Huan was not surprised. He sneered and asked back in the laboratory: “Because on the F485, your design can’t compare to mine.”

Then, this old man who had been conceited all his life didn’t refute his words for the first and only time. Instead, he looked at him deeply and said: “Yes, I can’t compare to you.”

Recalling this scene, Zhuo Huan regretted infinitely every time why he didn’t take a video then, record it to admire every day. And now, this lousy old man had become that annoying appearance again.

Really annoying.

Zhuo Huan took out a cigarette case from his pocket, wanting to go to the smoking room. Halfway there, he suddenly stopped.

Under the huge floor-to-ceiling window, the lean and handsome young man lowered his head slightly. Warm sunlight shone from behind him, reflecting on the marble floor tiles, casting a cold color. He sat there quietly and gently, holding a phone in one hand and a sandwich in the other, eating slowly.

Each time, just a small bite, then mechanically chewed seven times, followed by swallowing.

Zhuo Huan’s gaze fell on those thin lips, then slowly descended.

He seemed to become the food eaten by Fu Cheng. In the mouth, crushed by teeth, licked by tongue. Then, entering the esophagus, warmly squeezed by him. The prominent Adam’s apple rolled on the slender neck, finally… he was bitten into the body by this person.

Opening the cigarette case, taking out a cigarette. Biting the cigarette holder without lighting it, Zhuo Huan leaned against the door, just watching that young man eat the sandwich bite by bite.

Zhuo Huan licked his dry lips. His body reacted very honestly, but his irritable brain calmed down.

Under the floor-to-ceiling window, Fu Cheng was still typing in the group, telling Su Fei and Old Joseph about the current research progress.

By the door in the distance, Zhuo Huan watched him closely.

After a long time, Zhuo Huan turned and walked into the smoking room. He sat on the sofa, looked up at the sky, and gently blew a smoke ring. The fingers holding the cigarette trembled slightly. He suddenly felt just now that he seemed to be able to watch for a long time. Watch for a day, watch for a month, watch for a year.

However, the next second, the scene in the underground parking lot suddenly flashed in his mind, that person’s calm and indifferent eyes when looking back.

In an instant, all desires to rush out immediately, grab this person’s hand, press him down, and fuck him vanished at this moment.

“So fucking boring.”

When returning to the hotel at night, Fu Cheng got into the car and found Zhuo Huan already sitting in the back seat.

He didn’t sit with Zhuo Huan but sat opposite him.

After the car drove for a while, Zhuo Huan, “Back to Shen City next week.”

Fu Cheng looked up: “Is the landing gear improved?”

Zhuo Huan: “Have an improvement direction. In three more days, laboratory conclusions can be directly obtained.”

Fu Cheng: “Mn.”

Then, a long silence.

Fu Cheng: “Su Fei told me today that he is in Tokyo doing experiments for you now.”

Zhuo Huan’s cold face finally had an expression. He let out a strange “Ha” and asked: “He told you?”

Fu Cheng: “Mn.”

“Heh, what happened to the promised secrecy.”

“You seemed to say the same to me.”

Zhuo Huan raised his head, looking at the young man.

Fu Cheng lowered his eyes, voice calm: “A month ago, you said you wanted to figure out the improvement direction of McFly’s new model and asked me not to tell anyone else.”

Zhuo Huan gazed at him quietly. After a few seconds, he dragged out his tone: “Oh, right, there was such a thing.”

“So Su Fei doesn’t count as not keeping a secret; you lied to him first.”

Zhuo Huan laughed: “The more people know, the less safe it is, and it will be discovered by McFly. Fu Cheng, don’t you understand even this?”

Fu Cheng glanced at him: “Mn.”

Back at the hotel, they entered the elevator. Along the way was a silent stillness; no one spoke.

Arriving at the twenty-third floor, the elevator door opened, and Zhuo Huan strode out first. Fu Cheng watched his back, suddenly losing the strength to follow. He just watched Zhuo Huan walking forward until the elevator door closed. Fu Cheng quickly pressed the elevator door button. He raised his eyes, struggling with a thread of hope, watching the slowly opening elevator door gap.

The gap grew larger and larger.

That beam of light also became brighter and brighter…

But no one was waiting there.

Still, that back view, Zhuo Huan with hands in pockets, almost reaching his room at the end of the corridor. He didn’t look back, didn’t even glance once.

Fu Cheng was silent, stepping out of the elevator.

Neither spoke. Each took out their room card, opened the door, and entered the room.

Shortly after returning to the room, Fu Cheng received a call from Lina.

“Fu, I’m in the western restaurant on the third floor. Just back in Los Angeles. You guys have arrived at the hotel, right? Had dinner yet? Do you want to come down with Reid and dine with me? I asked the restaurant to save three excellent steaks; there are portions for you and Reid.”

Fu Cheng smiled: “No thanks, I’m not hungry.”

Lina was surprised: “Really not coming?”

“No thanks, thank you.”

“Alright then, see you tomorrow. Have a good dream, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

After simply washing up, Fu Cheng wiped his hair. His stomach growled in the quiet room. He vaguely remembered he didn’t seem to have eaten dinner. Opening the small refrigerator in the hotel suite, which had various foods, Fu Cheng took out a piece of bread. He quietly tore the bread into small pieces and put them in his mouth.

Chewing seriously seven times each time, then swallowing.

After eating a whole piece of bread silently, he stood up and turned off the light.

Hotel, third floor, Western Restaurant.

Zhuo Huan walked into the restaurant and found Lina. The waiter pulled out a chair for him.

Lina looked at her friend: “The western restaurant should have closed already, but I guessed you hadn’t eaten yet, so I asked the chef to wait a while. I’ve already decided on the main course. Look at the others, Reid, what do you want to eat?”

Zhuo Huan didn’t look at the menu handed by the waiter. He spoke a few sentences in French, directly confirming the meal he wanted.

Lina: “What a pity, Fu seems sleepy. I especially saved a steak for him, too.”

Zhuo Huan didn’t even lift his eyelids, just emitting a light laugh from his throat.

Just as the appetizer was served, Lina looked up and saw someone. She exclaimed in surprise: “Uncle Patrick.”

Zhuo Huan’s hand holding the knife and fork paused, and he turned around. Seeing that man, he tsked directly.

The waiter pulled out a chair for him, and Mr. Zhuo sat down directly. He didn’t pay attention to his son but said to Lina first: “Heard from the chef that a beautiful and generous lady asked him to save three steaks. I thought, who else in this hotel could be praised by him like this? Sure enough, it’s you, Lina.”

Lina smiled: “Thank you for your praise, Uncle Patrick.”

Zhuo Jing: “Mind if I taste that extra steak of yours?”

Lina: “Of course not.”

Lina instructed the waiter a few words, asking the chef to cook the steak specially reserved for Fu Cheng and serve it to Zhuo Jing.

The three dined together for a while. Mr. Zhuo and Lina chatted and laughed. Lord Zhuo treated these two as nonexistent, eating his own food with a sneer.

Suddenly, Mr. Zhuo turned to look at his son and sighed: “Heard you crashed that Pagani Papa gave you yesterday, Reid?”

Zhuo Huan asked back with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile: “The whole of America knows this. Asking what you already know?”

Zhuo Jing frowned elegantly, helpless: “You, really know how to spend money. Did your mother say anything to you yesterday?”

Zhuo Huan said indifferently: “Oh, I’m done eating.” Saying so, he stood up and turned to leave.

Lina called him: “Reid, several dishes haven’t been served yet.”

Mr. Zhuo didn’t plan to call his son again because he knew even if he called, his son wouldn’t come back. He directly said to the waiter: “Take away all his tableware. I’ve long felt the table is too small, not enough space.”

Sitting directly in the seat Zhuo Huan just sat in, Mr. Zhuo started talking to Lina again.

After the two finished the main course, the chef came to them. Mr. Zhuo never stingy with his praise, expressed his love for today’s dishes to this chef in French.

After that chef left, before dessert was served, Lina wiped the corner of her mouth and asked: “Uncle Patrick, was Aunt Kelly also in the underground parking lot yesterday?”

Everyone in America only knew that a Pagani worth tens of millions had been crashed by a rich second-generation in the Waldorf Astoria parking lot, but didn’t know why it was crashed. After this happened, Zhuo Jing got the news and quickly blocked all information. Even Lina couldn’t find out the reason.

Mr. Zhuo looked at the blonde woman across the table and smiled gentlemanly: “Yes, Reid’s mother was also there.”

Lina: “What was Aunt Kelly doing there?”

Mr. Zhuo smiled: “Why not ask Reid?”

Lina blinked helplessly, asking no more.

Obviously, Lord Zhuo didn’t want to mention what happened that night at all. Of course, she wouldn’t ask.

Chatting and laughing, they finished this expensive French meal. Mr. Zhuo: “By the way, Lina, I have asked someone to rebook a hotel. Before leaving Los Angeles, you guys should change hotels.”

Lina wondered: “Uncle Patrick?”

“Reid’s mother already knows this place. Better change to another hotel.”

“Uncle Patrick, you make me want to know the reason so much.”

Mr. Zhuo thought for a moment and winked gently: “Although you and Kelly probably don’t have many chances to contact each other, I also advise you not to have any dealings with her. Trust me, staying away from her is an incredibly correct decision.”

Lina slowly straightened her expression, looking at the man across the table. After a moment of silence, she said: “Uncle Patrick, you are my elder, but I don’t agree with you evaluating your wife with such words in front of a junior. Aunt Kelly, she is your wife.”

Mr. Zhuo: “Oh?”

Lina smiled slightly: “I’m going back to my room first, Uncle Patrick, goodbye.”

Mr. Zhuo said helplessly, “Wait a moment, Lina. I don’t want a beautiful lady to misunderstand me. Trust me, I’m just telling the truth. Mn… do you still remember six years ago, when I wanted to divorce Reid’s mother?”

Lina frowned slightly: “Of course.”

“We didn’t divorce then.”

“Because Aunt Kelly called Reid back, and Reid persuaded you guys.”

Mr. Zhuo rarely revealed such a sarcastic smile. He hooked his thin lips, his tone full of ridicule: “Yes, yes, she called Reid home, but she didn’t let Reid persuade me.”

Lina realized something was wrong; she hesitated: “Uncle Patrick?”

Mr. Zhuo said calmly: “She just held a knife to her son’s neck, and then told me, if I abandoned her…”

“She would kill my son.”

—

Author’s Note:
Zhuo Rest-In-Peace: First day of falling out, missing Fu Cheng’s body.

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