"I invited three top chefs to try many times. One recipe followed the description from Dream of the Red Chamber, another one added a Western twist, and the third combined other sources. All three versions tasted great. Madam, please try them. Actually, 'Eggplant with Dried Shrimp' is a dried dish, suitable for breakfast with porridge, but it's not meant to be eaten in large quantities. In the last two days, I've prepared all the local specialties from Guangxi, and I'm sure you'll love them."
"Mmm... very nice. Now I'm really looking forward to lunch. What will we eat?"
"I'll show you the menu after breakfast, Madam. There are dozens of dishes for you to choose from. However, we've already started preparing one dish, the 'Bama Roasted Scented Pig.' Bama is a place known for its special kind of scented pig—it's truly exceptional. By the way, Bama is also one of China's famous longevity regions, where many people live past 100."
"Really?"
"Yes, there's official data on it. In the Bama area, there are 30 centenarians for every 100,000 people, and even more people live well into their 80s and 90s. It's said that the environment there is very nourishing, so many people move there to retire."
On the terrace of the mountain villa in Dongling, Yangshuo.
Janet seemed very interested in this topic brought up by Chen Qing, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Simon.
Simon skillfully picked up a piece of the eggplant dish prepared according to the Dream of the Red Chamber recipe, and oddly enough, he found himself preferring the version with added cream. When he noticed Janet looking at him, he casually said, "I think it's mainly due to regional longevity genes, rather than the environment. More and more studies are showing that lifespan is hereditary. But if you're interested, we can go check it out together."
Janet was a sharp woman. Upon hearing Simon's explanation, her interest waned a little, but she couldn't help asking, "How long do you think we'll live?"
"For now, I'd say at least 90 should be no problem, based on your father and grandfather. After that, who knows?"
Raymond Johnston was already 79 this year. Nearing 80, the old man could still ride horses and hunt without showing the typical signs of aging. Janet's grandfather, Nicholas Johnston, lived exactly to 90 and passed away peacefully. It was safe to say that Simon and Janet's genes in terms of longevity were quite impressive.
Janet, however, looked a bit distressed. "But I don't want to become a 90-year-old lady."
Simon smiled. "Then let's hope we make some breakthroughs in human life sciences. If we start now, maybe in 30 years, we'll see results."
Janet blinked, feeling that Simon was teasing her on purpose.
Thirty years from now, given modern lifespans and Simon's position, he'd still be in his prime, not yet 60.
She didn't want to wait that long.
Suddenly, she remembered something and said to Simon, "Didn't you have Jenny setting up the Solvay Academy in Malibu, looking for talented young people? I want at least half of them to focus on this. Twenty years, tops."
Simon nodded. "Sure, but you should also be more hands-on. Don't be so lazy all the time."
Janet protested again, "I'm not going to work myself into wrinkles."
Chen Qing quietly ate her breakfast, listening to the couple's conversation. She keenly picked up on the odd connection between Janet's question about their lifespan and Simon's response. However, certain secrets of the Johnston family were beyond her understanding. As the conversation shifted to human life sciences research, her ears perked up.
Immortality.
This had been humanity's obsession for thousands of years.
With her modern knowledge, Chen Qing knew that the ancient emperors' search for immortality was nothing more than a futile joke. But now, with the advancements in modern science and the seemingly limitless wealth of the Westeros family, perhaps they might indeed achieve some breakthroughs.
Immortality was still a fantasy—nothing in the world is eternal. But extending life by a few decades, or preserving youth for longer, seemed within reach.
This temptation of living longer was hard for anyone to resist.
As the couple paused their conversation, Chen Qing took the opportunity to say, "Madam, I've recently found 176 exceptionally gifted children between the ages of 6 and 12 across China. Initial tests show their IQs are all above 140. I was planning to bring this up to the boss today."
Before Janet could respond, Simon was already surprised. "You found so many in such a short time?"
The Solvay project had only been finalized in February, and it was now just over two months later. Even though Chen Qing took her duties seriously, it seemed unlikely that she'd spent all her time on this task.
Facing Simon's curiosity, Chen Qing explained, "Boss, there are already many classes and schools in China specifically for gifted children. They're easy to find. Plus, China has 1.2 billion people. With such a large base, 176 is not that many. If you lowered the requirements a bit, we could easily find thousands with IQs above 130."
In truth, the world has never lacked naturally intelligent people.
But due to various external factors, many end up being overlooked.
They fade into obscurity.
Simon wasn't interested in lowering the bar. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Then go ahead and arrange for these children to study abroad. As for the details..." He turned to Janet. "Didn't you just say you wanted people? You can handle settling them, right?"
Janet quickly forgot her earlier desire for eternal youth and immediately refused. "I'm not taking care of children. I don't even take care of my own."
"..."
How honest.
A true mother.
Chen Qing kindly offered, "Boss, I've already given this some thought. How about I handle it?"
Simon hesitated briefly but nodded. "You heard earlier, the school in Los Angeles is being built to accommodate these gifted children. Jenny is in charge over there. You can discuss with her and get the kids over as soon as possible so they can start receiving a better education."
As breakfast came to an end, the mountain mist gradually lifted with the rising sun, revealing the breathtaking natural landscape.
This stunning scenery deserved to be accompanied by beauty.
So there was beauty.
One hundred members of the National Style Art Troupe, carefully selected from 260,000 candidates, had already arrived before Simon and his wife.
The spacious cliffside terrace had become the perfect stage for their performance.
This was Simon's first time meeting the girls.
The first performance was a dance to a song Simon had chosen long ago based on information from his memory: Picking Vetch.
Not only were the performers a delight, but Chen Qing had also assembled an all-female classical music ensemble for the accompaniment, evoking a vibe similar to the Twelve Girls Band from memory.
As the melodious guqin prelude echoed on the terrace, the maids and guards gathered to watch. With the music turning light and lively, sixteen young girls, dressed in pale green classical gowns, gracefully stepped onto the terrace and began their dance.
A chorus began.
This was provided by another group of dancers who were not performing but standing beside the classical orchestra to sing live.
...
When I left, the willows were green.
Now that I return, snow is falling.
...
These four simple lines, sung repeatedly with feeling, accompanied the dancers' graceful and sometimes playful movements. The blend of nature, beauty, and music created a scene that few would experience in a lifetime—like something out of a fairyland.
At first, Janet had thought that Simon's idea of forming a 'National Style Art Troupe' was just another of his whimsical plans. But now, watching the girls' elegant dance and listening to the enchanting music, she found herself deeply immersed in the moment. Beautiful things, like fine wine, have a way of making people lose themselves. The maids and guards watching felt a similar sense of awe.
When the performance ended, the dancers drifted gracefully off the terrace, and the applause was unanimous.
Still wearing his traditional Chinese robe, Simon clapped lightly and looked at Janet. "What do you think?"
Janet shot him a look but admitted, "This is art. The finest Eastern art."
"Their names are beautiful too."
"I know, you had Chen make many jade name tags for them. But don't think I can't tell, just because my Chinese isn't as good as yours—some of those names are quite cliché, like Xiaoming. And some are strange—'Uneven'? Can that be a name?"
"All names were once not names. When enough people use them, they become names. Like Simon Westeros. At first, people thought it was odd, but after seeing it a thousand or ten thousand times, they get used to it. Some might even think it has personality and start copying it. You know, in recent years, many people have changed their last name to Westeros. 'Uneven' is the same." Simon turned to Chen Qing and asked, "Who's called 'Uneven'?"
Chen Qing quickly called out one of the girls, who had just performed in the Picking Vetch dance.
Despite being a recent immigrant, the slender, fair-faced girl with an oval face was clearly nervous. After all, this was the man who had made such a splash in the media just a few days ago.
Even without that, Simon
Westeros—the richest person in the world—was a household name.
Originally, the girls were a bit apprehensive about being brought here, worried that something unsavory might happen. Seeing Simon and Janet together had eased one concern.
Now, only the tension remained.
Brought to stand in front of Simon and Janet, the girl named Uneven didn't know what to do for a moment.
The two prominent figures were sitting cross-legged or leaning casually on the low stone table in front of her. At 170 cm tall, she stood upright, but it felt awkward as the two had to look up to see her.
This didn't seem appropriate.
Fortunately, Chen Qing quickly solved the problem by spreading a soft cushion in front of Simon and Janet and gently signaling the girl to kneel.
Kneeling was an ancient etiquette, but here, there was undeniably a subtle difference in status. Yet, none of the people present seemed to find it inappropriate. In fact, some of the other girls from the National Style Art Troupe even envied the one called forward by Simon Westeros.
The faint fragrance of the girl filled the air. As Simon examined her, he absentmindedly asked, "Where's your jade?"
The girl quickly raised her hand to her neck and gently removed the jade pendant she wore, handing it to Simon. Seeing him gently rubbing it, she remembered where it had been just moments ago and blushed, lowering her head slightly.
Janet leaned over to admire it too, cupping Simon's hand. "It's beautiful."
The design of the 'Uneven' jade was a bundle of flowing, delicate water plants. The choice of jade and its intricate carving clearly reflected careful thought and artistic flair.
Hearing Janet's praise, Simon smiled. "Didn't Chen give you several of these? If you like, we can make more."
Janet perked up. "What do you think I should be called? I want a Chinese name too."
"Well, most of the good names from the Book of Songs have already been taken. You'll have to look through other ancient texts." Seeing Janet release the jade, Simon handed it back to the girl in front of him and asked, "By the way, what's your surname?"
"My surname is Wei."
"Wei Uneven. Wei Uneven. Very nice." Simon repeated it twice and then said to Chen Qing, "You did a good job."
Chen Qing smiled and said, "Actually, the names you came up with are great. The key is to match them with the surname. For example, 'Uneven' works well with 'Wei,' but if it were 'Wang Uneven' or 'Li Uneven,' it would sound odd."
Simon nodded and looked over at some of the other dancers from the Picking Vetch performance. He didn't ask the girl in front of him about her previous name because he wasn't interested. After moving to the USA, the girls' documents would bear the new names Simon had given them. However, two other girls from the Picking Vetch group were different.
Because he knew them.
These two were the only ones out of the hundred girls that Simon had personally selected, having known them in his previous life.
At first, Simon hadn't intended to make a point of it. But since they made it onto the final list, he let them through.
After some thought, Simon gestured for the girls to come over and said to Chen Qing, "That's enough for today. Too much beauty all at once can overwhelm. Let them come over and join us for tea as a reward."
Chen Qing had planned to introduce another dance called Echoes of Chu, but hearing Simon's decision, she nodded and called over the girls from Picking Vetch. She also told the second group of dancers to take a break for now.
Soon, all 16 girls were gathered around Simon and Janet.
Amusingly, the two girls Simon recognized seemed to have deliberately seated themselves closest to him.
As the maids served tea, Simon held his cup and looked around.
Because he knew them, he had memorized the two girls' backgrounds. Both came from China's famous Oriental Song and Dance Troupe and had earlier attended the affiliated high school of the Beijing Dance Academy. Their new names were also beautiful: one was Chen Xingwei, taken from The Great Hymns in the Book of Songs, and the other was Li Youhu, from Fox in the Airs of the States.
Before, both had achieved some fame in their respective fields.
The former's original name was Shu, a rare character that she later changed to 'Shu,' becoming famous for her role in Iron Pear Blossom. The latter was also well-known as Xiao Ran, and Simon particularly liked her performance in Man of the House.
...
...
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