Just like yesterday, the second day of their vacation was still spent on leisure. But because of the arrival of the unexpected visitor Natasha, the four of them could now do some fun activities.
Such as beach volleyball which could make people’s face turn red and heart pump faster.
Ayesha and Xia Shiyu were okay – one of them hadn’t completely matured yet while the other possessed the slim figure unique to Asians. Aside from her beauty, there was nothing that could make him “nosebleed.”
But Natasha was different.
Jiang Chen felt his nose becoming warm because of the two balls jiggling from her jumps.
The only person who could compare to her would probably be Liu Yao. Speaking of her, he hadn’t seen her for a while. Although they had been in contact through WeChat, Jiang Chen still missed her.
In the evening, they still enjoyed delicious BBQ. Natasha’s Russian style BBQ and Ayesha’s Chinese style BBQ all had their bright spots. The two seemed to be in a silent competition in the field of BBQ.
It was a fantastic experience for Jiang Chen because he was the judge, so his stomach was treated well.
After going through a long day, the gang all felt tired, and even the resilient Ayesha was tired as well. But since they were leaving tomorrow, the girls still dragged their weary bodies and spent two more hours in the beach hot spring.
Jiang Chen sensed that the three seemed to be getting along better. Even Ayesha showed less hostility when she looked at Natasha…
As long as Natasha maintained a “safe distance” with Jiang Chen.
The morning of the third day.
Jiang Chen did some simple cleaning before he took the three women onto a boat. The garbage left on the island would be cleaned up by servants; they didn’t need to worry about it.
The boat docked at a private port on the south coast of Coro Island because Xia Shiyu needed to catch a flight at 3 in the afternoon. The three of them still needed to return to the mansion to pack up, so Natasha said goodbye to them. Before she left, she thanked Jiang Chen for hosting her and said she would visit often.
After blowing a kiss to Jiang Chen under two pairs of eyes filled with hostility, she turned around before quickly disappearing at the end of the street.
After spending half a month together, Jiang Chen and Ayesha were accustomed to Xia Shiyu’s presence. The idea of returning to a private life with Ayesha made Jiang Chen feel joyful and melancholic at the same time.
Was this what it meant to: “Eat the food in the bowl while looking at the food in the pot?” Sometimes Jiang Chen felt he was a terrible person… Mm, that might be too harsh; maybe he was just honest about his own desires?
All in all, when he helped Xia Shiyu pack her things, he felt dismayed.
At the airport terminal.
Ayesha and Jiang Chen both sent her off at the airport.
“When I head back, I’ll start the selection process of internal test users as soon as possible and initiate the marketing campaign preparing for the release of the game. I’ll have to count on you for establishing the server and preparing accommodations for the internal test users.” Before she boarded, Xia Shiyu reminded Jiang Chen of this multiple times.
Because of issues with privacy, before the game helmet could be released officially, internal tests had to be conducted on Pannu Island. It was all part of their plan which could be immediately executed once Xia Shiyu returned to Xiangjiang.
“Don’t worry, leave it to me.” Jiang Chen smiled confidently.
“Mhm.”
Xia Shiyu suddenly lowered her head.
Just as Jiang Chen was puzzled by this sudden change, Xia Shiyu dropped her luggage, walked up two steps and pecked him on the cheek.
“Thank you.”
Just as Jiang Chen was still processing what happened, Xia Shiyu stiffly turned around, took her luggage, and walked away briskly.
He touched his cheek. A wetness still lingered on that spot.
“You got kissed.” Ayesha, standing beside Jiang Chen, had a smile on her face as she spoke in a low voice.
“Mhm, I got kissed.”
Jiang Chen watched Xia Shiyu’s back and shook his head as he watched the plane take off.
…
When they left the gate, they walked to their car at the airport entrance.
Ayesha helped Jiang Chen open the car door then sat in the driver seat.
“Let’s head home?”
“Mhm.” Sinking into his soft seat, Jiang Chen closed his eyes.
With his free time, he wanted to set a plan to prioritize the next steps.
But then a call came through.
Jiang Chen took out his phone and when he saw the name, he laughed and picked up.
“Hello?” Jiang Chen said with a grin.
He already knew who it was.
“It’s me, the Kremlin agreed,” Natasha said concisely.
[Nice acting, they already agreed last night.] Jiang Chen mocked her in his mind.
“Do you sell nuclear submarines?” Jiang Chen said jokingly.
“Don’t even think about it.” She rejected it without hesitation.
[Fu*k, you’re so heartless in your rejection. I didn’t even want it.]
Jiang Chen thought in his mind.
[Once I replace the engine with a nuclear fusion engine, who would want your nuclear fission engine?]
[Weak!]
Jiang Chen had a rough idea of what arms he wanted to buy already. He didn’t care about the weapons and equipment on board since they would all have to be modified and replaced anyway, so he chose a type that was relatively agile and easily hidden.
“‘Guardian’ class frigate, Type-636 ‘Kilo’ class submarine,” Jiang Chen requested.
“Kilo” class was a submarine with the highest displacement that Russia exported. It was renowned for its strong firepower and quietness. Type-636 was its improved modern version, known as the “Song of Warsaw.” It was considered the leader in diesel power submarines, one of the quietest diesel submarines in the world.
And the “Guardian” class frigate was one of the best multipurpose frigates Russia possessed. It was equipped with a helicopter pad. Its compact weapon configuration and agile mobility was the reason why Jiang Chen choose it. The 100 mm A-190 cannon in the front could easily be replaced with a Type-50 electromagnetic pulse cannon.
After a brief silence, the noise of paper flipping was heard through the phone.
“‘Guardian’ class frigate, 130 million USD. Type 636 ‘Kilo’ class submarine, 250 million USD,” Natasha replied.
[So expensive.]
“Could you give me a discount?” Jiang Chen tried to bargain.
Although he didn’t lack money, a single submarine close to 300 million still made him feel pained.
“If you can buy eight at once, I can sell them to you for 200 million.”
[Eight…]
If Jiang Chen remembered correctly, a single submarine required a crew of 50-60 sailors. Even if he wanted to buy eight to build a massive nuclear fleet, he didn’t have enough crew to man them.
“Two ‘Guardian’ class frigates, two Type 636 ‘Kilo’ class submarines – 650 million USD.” Jiang Chen made a counter-offer.
“700 million USD with ammunition, training, and two K-27 ‘Snail’ anti-submarine helicopters.”
“Do they include a warranty?” Jiang Chen proposed without shame.
“No,” Natasha answered with eyes narrowed.
“Okay, deal,” Jiang Chen said, sensing that he had no option but to accept.
To be honest, he was never good at bargaining.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen became alert.
Ayesha sensed something too as she cautiously narrowed her eyes.
At the same time, the small truck in front of them suddenly decelerated and the trunk jerked open.
Staring inside the container, Jiang Chen’s pupils suddenly contracted.