Li Wenkang, carrying his fishing gear, walked past Lin Ying's house, through the streets, and arrived at the self-built house in Changxi Town where Su Qiyuan and Bai Tao once rented. He took out the key, opened the big iron door, and entered.
He threw the fishing gear into the front yard and went straight to the second-floor living room, placing the teapot on the electric ceramic stove, sitting quietly on the sofa waiting for Lin Zhe to arrive.
No...
Saying it's Lin Zhe isn't quite right, Li Wenkang was waiting for the Spiritual Particles, which through grafting technology, were implanted in Lin Zhe, carrying Lin Qi's memories and thinking logic, to come over.
"Lin Qi..."
Li Wenkang muttered the name of Lin Qi, a smile gradually appeared on his lips.
The smile wasn't because he was happy to see Grandmaster Lin, Lin Qi, but because he recalled something very, very distant—his first meeting with Lin Qi at a so-called elite banquet.
Back then, Li Wenkang was just a student, showing an extraordinary talent in biology.
At that time, a saying was widely circulated, everyone was saying: [Biology is the era of the 21st century]
He received an invitation from an academic society, as long as he graduated and stayed in America to work, salary, luxury cars, and beauties were not a problem. What he needed to focus on was not the salary but how to spend the funding at hand.
Li Wenkang did not refuse; he gladly agreed.
Until, during his joining, the members of the academic society organized a grand banquet for him.
The content of the banquet was beauty, and it was top-tier actresses who were all the rage back then. All Li Wenkang needed to do was publicly have her then he could get the job offer.
At first, Li Wenkang did not care much, but afterward, he gradually realized that those people were using him to shoot AV!
This was an initiation.
Meeting Lin Qi was after starting the job, at his promotion banquet.
This time, it wasn't any top-tier actress, but one of his female assistants.
Li Wenkang could never forget, that female assistant leaned over the table exposing a hideous devil's eye posture.
That night, if Lin Qi hadn't helped him out, there would not be a Li Wenkang. Only the news of a foreigner dying from drunk driving hitting a wall, would have amused others.
That academic society falls under the Longevity Club, serving as a pool for cultivating talent.
The 21st century was called the era of biology, but when the so-called biological era arrived, the biotechnology imagined in science fiction did not appear, such as editing genes to eliminate diseases, extending human life, or incredibly cool biological implants, none appeared.
The 21st century, said to be the era of biology, completely turned into a joke.
But Li Wenkang was very clear.
It didn't fail to appear.
But it was monopolized by a group of "emerging feudal landlords".
The ultimate form of monopoly was landlords collecting rent and comprehensive biological isolation.
"What, thinking about French street lamp decorations?" Lin Zhe walked up the stairs, seeing Li Wenkang sitting on the sofa with one leg crossed, seeming deep in thought.
Lin Zhe teased him with a remark, hitting the nail on the head regarding Li Wenkang's hidden thoughts.
Li Wenkang already knew about Lin Qi's arrival; he spoke without turning his head:
"You know my character. Thinking doesn't break the law. Sit down! Tell me, why you sneaked back into Xia Country. Abroad, I might not bother you, but your current location is Xia Country."
"I'm back for three things."
Lin Qi, temporarily borrowing Lin Zhe's body, sat across from Li Wenkang, smiling faintly, casually picked up the cooled teacup from the table, and spoke.
"One is a family matter, a test for Lin Ying, the other is also a family affair, to clean up the Lin family traitors."
Lin Qi lightly tapped the leather sofa armrest, revealing a strange smile: "Those so-called familiar club members dared to stretch their hands into my family."
"You shouldn't just focus on the fact that I sneaked back. You should check them for trying to subvert my family descendants."
Li Wenkang did not speak, just raised an eyebrow, signaling Lin Qi to finish with the last task before he responded.
"As for the final reason I'm back," Lin Qi began, "you might have guessed it: we, the Lin family, are planning to gradually abandon overseas assets and come home."
"I don't understand."
Li Wenkang was stunned by his words, furrowed his brows, and asked Lin Qi: "You mean... the Lin family is returning to Xia Country? Are you joking, Lin Qi the old ghost? A landlord like you, learning to love the country now?"
"You don't have a national ID or household register like us!"
Judging by actions, not intentions, the Lin family is quite revolutionary, almost wielding the sickle and hammer.
If we don't discuss the old days, but focus on the post-millennium period, the overseas Lin family contributed many talents to Xia Country; Li Wenkang himself was one such individual, and they invested heavily.
But regarding true intent.
The overseas Lin family's illusionary contributions were actually for arranging friends across fields, just like how Li Wenkang appeared here now.
He was sent by the Security Bureau elders to make contact.
Lin Qi's identity is complex; if not for him constantly staying behind the scenes, he'd be king to several countries and high priest to certain warlike native tribes.
Should Lin Qi desire and face no loss, he could incite a financial crisis through connections and resources, turning a country into a living hell.
He is inherently one of the great landlords of capital, a modernized armed group king.
His network spans globally.
For such a grand landlord and king to claim he wants to abandon current power, reverting to a mere commoner?
Exactly as Lin Qi understands Li Wenkang.
Li Wenkang also understands Lin Qi's behavior.
Lin Qi couldn't possibly say such things, nor would he.
"Human energy is limited."
Lin Qi did not directly answer; instead, before Li Wenkang, he slowly raised his arm, the arm of a seventeen-year-old, fair and firm. As his fingers moved, the muscles inside his forearm even showed clear movement.
Lin Qi looked at Li Wenkang and said: "When we met you were in your twenties, I was nearly fifty, and my vitality has long since waned... You understand me but simultaneously don't. People become rigid and conventional not because they fancy tradition, but due to inevitable abandonment by the age and greed for power."
"Now, position editing technology is very mature, with a ninety-seven percent success rate. Even with a three percent failure rate, I can hide in a nutrient cabin, barely surviving."
As Lin Qi spoke, the entire living room fell into a bizarre silence.
Before Li Wenkang could fall into deep thought, he deliberately picked up the teacup on Lin Qi's table, poured the cooled tea out, and filled it with seven parts hot tea from the communal cup.
"Buzz buzz buzz—"
Just then, Li Wenkang's phone rang, seeing the screen and hesitatingly raising his head, glancing at Lin Qi who sat waiting for him to speak, he silently cursed inwardly: what bloody luck.
The screen showed the call: Master Fortune.
Li Wenkang walked out to answer the phone.
Roughly five minutes later, he returned to the living room, extinguishing the cigarette butt in the ashtray, smiling and saying:
"Alright, let's return to the main topic! But before that I want to ask you, how's your swimming ability?"
"Swimming ability? Should be okay, I served as a sailor for three years when young, though it's been over seventy years since I last swam," Lin Qi was a bit taken aback, replying without much thought.