Los Angeles, Malibu Beach, No. 10879.
The bright sunshine fell on the lawn, and the grass, which had been slightly yellow due to the season, seemed to have regained its vitality, appearing a bit greener than a few days ago.
The little girl, Kanna, wearing a green dinosaur costume, was sprawled ungracefully on the grass, her big, sparkling eyes fixed on an alligator snapping turtle half a meter away, excitedly playing a game of 'who blinks first'.
Shi Xiaolei, Bayonetta, and 2B sat on the balcony about ten meters away from the little girl, chatting over tea and sunbathing.
If an outsider were to see this, they would surely be scared out of their wits. One must know that alligator snapping turtles are very dangerous pets; their bite force is strong enough to snap an adult's arm in one go. To have a fair-skinned, tender little girl interact so closely with an alligator snapping turtle, as they were doing, was as perilous as standing blindfolded in the middle of a highway.
Why was Shi Xiaolei so careless, not taking it seriously at all? Knowing Kanna's true strength was only one reason; the key was that he was currently embroiled in legal troubles and couldn't bother with other trivial matters.
"Sister Bei, you've really given me a huge problem," Shi Xiaolei said, taking a sip of coffee and looking at the calm and composed Bayonetta. The bitterness in his heart was even more intense than the espresso he had just drunk.
Why such a troubled expression?
The reason was simple: after Bayonetta's shopping spree in Las Vegas, she had bought too many things.
Clothes, shoes, and bags, of course, went without saying. Items that fit Bayonetta's figure, suitable for 2B's physique, and even children's clothing for Kanna—all sorts of miscellaneous items added up to fill two panel vans.
Adding to that were the high-end luxury household items and various custom-made appliances and furniture... It was obvious, even without thinking too hard, that there was no way they would fit in the newly renovated house in New York.
And that wasn't all.
What truly gave Shi Xiaolei a headache were the two sports cars and a small yacht that Bayonetta had ordered.
There were only two parking spaces at home. A used car for commuting and grocery shopping, and a heavily modified SUV by Stark, already occupied all the available space. It wasn't hard to imagine that when the two sports cars Bayonetta ordered arrived, parking alone would cause a lot of trouble for the household.
The yacht, of course, was even more out of the question.
Living in Chinatown, quite a distance from the waterways on both sides of Manhattan Island... A multi-million dollar item, not only not in their own yard but not even within sight. Not yet accustomed to the life of the wealthy, Shi Xiaolei, with his current habits, simply couldn't adapt to this situation.
Moreover, finding a long-term berth at a marina was also a troublesome matter.
"Anyway, I've already paid," Bayonetta said, looking quite relaxed and completely unfazed by the trouble. "If you're willing to give up the ten million deposit, it's fine to cancel it."
..." Feeling even more conflicted and depressed, Shi Xiaolei could only let out a long sigh: "Alas, I'm truly impressed with you."
"Worst case, contact the bank, or ask Stark for help," Bayonetta smiled, pulling out the supplementary card Shi Xiaolei had specially left for her from her cleavage. "Here, the remaining money, I had them transfer it to this card. If all goes well, it should arrive in about two hours. With this deposit, the bank's attitude... you know."
"When we get back, I'll get a bank card for you and transfer it out," not intending to rely on Sister Bei's money, Shi Xiaolei took the card and handed it to 2B. "Sylvia, you hold onto it for now, and remember to remind me later."
"No need for such trouble," giving 2B a smile first, Bayonetta waved her hand, rejecting Shi Xiaolei's suggestion. "Just open another supplementary card for me then, and it doesn't need too high a limit, a million or two will be enough."
"Don't..."
Before he could finish, Bayonetta cut him off: "I just like spending money; managing finances isn't my hobby. Besides... if I handle everything, aren't you afraid I'll buy a whole bunch of things again?"
..." Recalling the several vans he had seen just an hour ago, Shi Xiaolei's spirit sharpened: "You're right, I do need to be wary of you."
With a slight smirk, a look of 'I knew you'd react this way,' Bayonetta smiled as she picked up the delicate cup, her red lips parting seductively as she took a small sip.
As they were chatting, Shi Xiaolei's phone, which he kept in his pocket, rang.
"I'm going next door," Shi Xiaolei said, making a few sounds of acknowledgement before hanging up and standing. "What about you all? Are you coming along, or staying here?"
"Too lazy to move, I want to sunbathe," Bayonetta leaned back, resting against the chair.
"I'll stay and cook," 2B replied, meeting Shi Xiaolei's questioning gaze.
As for Kanna, she was having too much fun, so there was clearly no need to ask her.
"Alright then, you all stay here, I'll go by myself," Shi Xiaolei nodded, smiling apologetically at 2B. "Sylvia, I'll try to be back early."
"Mhm."
Saying 'try' indicated that Shi Xiaolei didn't expect the matter to conclude quickly.
To ensure he wouldn't be disturbed by any external interference during the surgery, Stark not only set the location at his most familiar home but also spent a large sum of money to buy the surrounding neighbors' houses.
Given how seriously he took this matter, how could this pre-operative meeting possibly end quickly?
That's right, the call Shi Xiaolei received was from Jarvis, on Stark's behalf.
Just as an anesthesiologist must participate in pre-operative discussions, Shi Xiaolei also had to attend the meeting... It didn't matter if he didn't understand the procedures; his role was to answer the head surgeon's questions regarding the 'efficacy of the agents.' As the provider of the agents, only Shi Xiaolei could answer questions in that area.
"Hi, Pepper."
He greeted Pepper, who was preparing coffee inside, and helped her carry a plate of fruit. Going upstairs to the observation deck, Shi Xiaolei finally saw Stark.
"Locke, you're here, have a seat," Stark said, motioning for Shi Xiaolei to sit down while introducing him to the others present: "This is Dr. Strange, and his partner Ms. Palmer. Dr. Wu and his assistant Ms. Wu from China. This is Dr. Zhao, from South Korea."
"This is my good friend, Locke. Dr. Wu, he's also Chinese, just like you."
"Hi," he first greeted Strange and the others, then turned his gaze to his two compatriots, switching back to authentic and fluent Mandarin: "Dr. Wu, Ms. Wu, nice to meet you~."
It's normal for countrymen to switch to their mother tongue when they meet.
But what puzzled several people present was that Shi Xiaolei's gaze remained focused on Ms. Wu, and there was a hint of familiarity in his eyes, as if they had known each other for a long time.