Chapter 634 - 364: The First Pass Crossed, the Road Is Still Long

Chapter 634: Chapter 364: The First Pass Crossed, the Road Is Still Long

The sun sank low in the west.

Hues of pink from the evening clouds mingled with the sun’s afterglow, painting the azure sea into a magnificent oil canvas.

A stylish convertible cruised along the island’s circumferential highway. Its speed, however, was anything but fast; it crawled along as its driver took in the sights.

Whenever he came across a scenic lookout, Lin Chu would stop for a look. The wind whipped his hair into a mess, feeling like a hard slap from the sea itself—it even stung a little.

And yet, it brought a unique kind of thrill.

"The more storms I weather, the stronger my will becomes! But this is only the first mountain pass; the road ahead is long!"

Lin Chu shouted towards the endless expanse.

If a storm is coming, then so be it. Let it come—let the storm rage on!

A person goes through so much in a lifetime. The world is fickle, life and death are fleeting. The only thing you can truly hold onto is your own heart.

’All the facilities on this island are top-notch, but deep down, I can’t help feeling it’s just a turtle’s shell.’

Willingly choosing seclusion and being forced into it were, naturally, two completely different concepts.

Not the same.

Not the same at all.

’I’m not afraid of being cut off from the world. After all, with enough money, I can step out at any time and seamlessly reconnect with society.’

But a lyric echoed in his mind right now—’The person I hate most in the world still hasn’t died right in front of me!’

...

"How are things over there right now?"

As night fell, Lin Chu was chatting with Tang Qiang via an encrypted communication line.

He was now in the Solomon Islands, undercover for more than two months. He hadn’t even returned for the New Year and seemed to have grown accustomed to his current identity and lifestyle.

"Everything’s normal. Nothing unusual to report."

"But I can now confirm the specific location of the old man’s research base here. It’s on a pretty big island at the southwestern tip of the archipelago. There are regular ferry trips every day, and people come ashore from it. You need ID verification to get in and out."

"They sometimes look for women. I sent two in, but there’s been no word from them yet."

Tang Qiang had never had any scruples, so he was perfectly capable of using such methods.

Lin Chu didn’t say much in response.

’That method is so damn old-fashioned. But the world has always been a ramshackle operation. No matter how far technology advances, the most primitive desires will always remain.’

’It’s like my own island—who can say what methods people might use if they wanted to sneak in?’

’Those eight young, beautiful Filipina maids Da Xiong arranged for me... are they really all clean?’

It was hard to say.

"Alright. Then just wait for more news."

Lin Chu said, lost in thought.

’Deep down, I know it too. The winning move might come in a single instant, but everything before that will be an incredibly long process of preparation.’

Patience.

One of humanity’s finest virtues.

’And in my current state, patience is one thing I don’t lack.’

"Brother Chu, I have a bold idea. I’m thinking, what if we grab one or two of their researchers and interrogate them? I’ve been mulling it over for a while, and I even have targets in mind, but I’m worried something might go wrong, so I still haven’t made up my mind."

Tang Qiang added.

"You can."

"Just treat this as a war. Nothing is off the table."

"If you’re really that awesome and can blow up his entire research base for me, then I’ll give you whatever you want."

Lin Chu said, his voice calm and cruel.

A person’s room to maneuver exists between their ambitions and their morals.

The higher your ambitions and the lower your moral floor, the more room you have to survive.

"Okay, I understand."

"That takes the pressure off."

"I don’t think I can go as far as destroying it; I’m not that capable, haha. Besides, Brother Chu, once you’re the head of the club, this will all be our own asset."

Tang Qiang replied with a laugh.

Lin Chu’s blessing put his mind at ease.

The two then discussed various other details before Lin Chu hung up.

The wind outside was indeed fierce, causing the whole house to howl.

He went back to checking his email.

There was a confidential email from Liu Junfeng with a letter of recommendation attached.

The recommendation letter was from a professor at Harvard University’s Kennedy School. In effect, it was a free pass—an acceptance letter.

Harvard University.

The Kennedy School of Political Economy.

A two-year master’s program for advanced studies.

Student: Liu Junfeng.

"Brother Chu, I got my hands on this. Fuck, I’m going back to college. The alumni network here is way more powerful than I ever imagined. I have to get in on that."

Reading the email, Lin Chu felt a stir in his heart, and a smile touched his lips.

’Looks like Old Liu is thriving on the other side of the pond, a real fish in water. He even managed to get a recommendation letter like this. Then again, it’s not that surprising. The money I gave him, while not limitless, is enough to put him in the top tier of the ultra-rich.’

Even for an Ivy League school, a donation of tens of millions of USD would be enough to secure an acceptance letter.

’I just wonder... does he have other ideas in mind?’

But... it was hard to say.

The system panel, for its part, showed no notifications about a drop in affinity or anything of the sort.

’I don’t think this counts as a backstab, a betrayal, or him using me as a stepping stone... or anything like that.’

’And even if it were, when I think about it... that would be pretty normal, too.’

People always have free will.

’They’re my friends, not my slaves.’

After a moment of thought, Lin Chu made a call. The other end connected quickly, and Liu Junfeng’s hearty laughter rang out.