Chapter 1788: Many Places to Spend Money
Because Xu Huo had specifically instructed, tonight's dinner was very sumptuous. Not only were there specialty dishes from District 011, but separate meals had also been prepared according to each person's taste, including for the three guests.
Beside the long table in the dining room, the Painting Woman and the two children were already seated. Dr. Deng had also made a rare appearance. The four of them sat to the left and right of the head seat. The three guests' positions were slightly further back. The tall man and the short man sat next to Dr. Deng, while the bespectacled man sat next to Tan Qi.
The lavish food had already been laid out on the table. The rich aroma of the dishes mixed with the scent of wine, making one want to indulge. However, the master of the castle had not yet arrived, so no one touched their chopsticks, and no one spoke.
There was certainly no cheerful pre-dinner conversation. Dr. Deng had recently been obsessed with developing Meng Cun's brain and only wanted to finish eating and leave quickly. The Painting Woman was playing a game. The two children sat obediently, their eyes fixed on the food in front of them.
After enduring it for a while, the tall man couldn't help but say, "We've been waiting for a long time. They don't know the first thing about hospitality."
The four people at the table all looked up at him. The tall man had originally wanted to sit next to the Painting Woman, but his earlier hint for Dr. Deng to switch seats had gone unanswered. Now, with a hint of anger, he stared at the person beside him. "What are you looking at? Am I wrong?"
Dr. Deng didn't say much and withdrew his gaze. Just then, Xu Huo came down from upstairs. Although he was wearing loose casual clothes, the bandages wrapped around various parts of his body were still visible beneath the fabric. Additionally, while his legs weren't seriously injured, he walked very slowly. The three men, including the bespectacled one, exchanged glances and stood up one after another.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Xu Huo said, gesturing for them to sit down after he reached his seat. He then said to the three men, "I've been ill for a long time, and my hospitality has been lacking these past few days. Today, I specifically asked the kitchen to prepare a feast according to the Duke's specifications. Please, make yourselves at home."
He wasn't really planning to chat with these people. After speaking, he signaled for the Painting Woman, Xiao Yuan, and the others to start eating.
Dr. Deng had expertise in pharmacology but was not skilled in treating external injuries, so Xu Huo hadn't sought him out after returning. Seeing his current state, Dr. Deng remarked, "Getting yourself into this shape, it looks like that trip wasn't easy."
"It was alright," Xu Huo said with a smile. "The gains were pretty good too."
Having lived in District 011 for so long, and although Xu Huo didn't return often, Dr. Deng knew a bit about his modus operandi. "Then it must have been very good."
Xu Huo put a piece of meat into his mouth. "How is Meng Cun doing? Can he start working yet?"
Dr. Deng looked at him in surprise. "In such a hurry?"
"Deciphering the chips is a huge workload. The sooner we start, the sooner we might succeed. There will be a lot more work like this in the future." Xu Huo finished speaking and glanced at him. "You have nothing to do lately?"
Dr. Deng waved his hand repeatedly. "I haven't even figured out the potions you gave me yet."
Every time Xu Huo returned, he would give Dr. Deng some potions and poisonous mushrooms, mainly for him to analyze the ingredients, formulate better poisons or antidotes, and classify them by toxicity and detoxification speed. Some were extracted solely from poisonous mushrooms, while others were mixed with various pathogens and infectious agents—these things were also evolving. Sometimes, with luck, he could even concoct a potent potion where the effects of several poisons combined and doubled.
These things were, of course, very dangerous, especially some highly contagious pathogens and fast-growing poisonous mushrooms. So, he had repeatedly proposed building a higher-specification laboratory.
"Without a laboratory and good enough equipment, I can't do much," Dr. Deng brought up the old issue again.
This time, however, Xu Huo was very agreeable. "Make a list of what you need and give it to Mr. Dong. As long as it's not too outrageous, it should be fine. I've already spoken with Mr. Dong. We'll build an above-ground laboratory next to the annex. The blueprints are with Mr. Dong. Look them over and add anything you need."
The surprise came so suddenly that Dr. Deng wanted to ask Mr. Dong for the blueprints right away, forgetting about dinner.
Mr. Dong took the folded blueprints from his coat pocket and handed them to him. "Tonight's dinner is excellent, Dr. Deng. Please finish your meal first."
"Of course, of course. I mustn't waste the kitchen's hard work." Dr. Dong's face lit up as he looked over the blueprints. He quickly finished his meal and left the table.
"I want a laboratory too," the Painting Woman said, pulling out her communicator and showing it to Xu Huo.
"No money for now. Next time," Xu Huo didn't refuse outright. Medical laboratories were inherently expensive, and the required equipment was like burning money.
The Painting Woman looked a bit disappointed. Xiao Yuan, sitting across from her, asked, "Sister Li Chun, what do you need a laboratory for?"
"I want to see if human skin can fly like paper," the Painting Woman shared her spur-of-the-moment idea. "Dr. Deng's lab is full of potions. I want my lab to be full of hanging human skins."
The table fell silent for a moment. Not just Xiao Yuan, but even the three players were stunned.
"Human skin is a bit difficult. Try animal skin first; the cost is lower." Xu Huo turned to Mr. Dong. "Please have the slaughterhouse send some over."
Mr. Dong nodded.
The Painting Woman didn't have much concept of cost. She turned her head to look at the three living people beside her.
The three men's hearts skipped a beat. Then they heard Xu Huo speak again. "As you can see, my health isn't great, and the castle is about to get busy. I'm afraid I won't be able to entertain you any longer. After dinner, Mr. Dong will see you off."
The bespectacled man's expression darkened, and he was about to speak, but Xu Huo had already put down his chopsticks and was smiling at them. "It didn't rain today. It's a good day for travel."
With that, he got up and left the dining room. Xiao Yuan and Tan Qi followed him, leaving only the Painting Woman sitting nearby, her eyes gleaming as she stared at the three men.
The tall man wanted to say something, but the bespectacled man stopped him. The latter told Mr. Dong they needed to pack their bags and returned to their guest room with his companions.
About half an hour later, they came down with their luggage and politely walked out of the castle.
The Painting Woman stood at the door, watching their retreating backs with some regret. Tan Qi, who was helping with the cleaning, suddenly chimed in, "They'll be back anyway. Forget human skin, you could even make jerky out of them. But making a bloody mess isn't very nice."
The Painting Woman was happy to hear the first half, but after hearing the second half, she became a bit hesitant.
However, Tan Qi quickly comforted her again. "What's so fun about human skin? Why not just make them fly around like kites? It's fun and saves effort."
The Painting Woman nodded repeatedly, patted his head, and, imitating Xu Huo, took out a candy and gave it to him.
Around midnight, when everyone was presumed to be fast asleep, the three men indeed sneaked back. But before they could even get through the door, they were blocked by the Painting Woman, who had been waiting for them. What followed was a series of screams that echoed through the entire castle, lasting for about an hour before the Painting Woman lost interest. Then, the three men disappeared into some corner of the castle, as if they had never existed.