Not long after Xia Lei had left the stage, Folsom too did the same.
“Madam Folsom, can we interview you?” A reporter held up his recording pen as he approached her.
Folsom paused her footsteps with a smile. “Of course, but I’ve got not much time to spare. I’ll spare you five minutes.”
“Madam Folsom, were you speaking of the truth?”
“Madam Folsom, does the AE Research Centre exist in America? Are they really manufacturing medicine to advance human evolution?”
“Is Xia Lei an experimental subject?”
“Did Xia Lei really kill up to one hundred people? Do you hold any evidence to support the statement?”
“Will America bring Xia Lei to court? And if they are, what will he be charged with?”
“Madam Folsom, will the Thunder Horse Organization be severely impacted by this incident? Is this something Lockheed Martin is eager to see?”
Folsom was calm and collected as the vast bombardment of questions went on. Nonchalantly, she spoke, “I can’t answer each of your questions but I’ll give you a simple statement on the current situation. What I said was the truth. Xia Lei’s father had stolen pills from the American AE Research Centre and made Xia Lei invincible. He is currently the world’s most evolved Homosapien and the height of his evolution is beyond our imagination. This has also allowed him to be ambitious. All my accusations against him are true and he should take responsibility for it…”
Following that, Folsom pushed the reporters apart and quickly made her way into a special path.
There was a woman waiting for her at the end of the path silently. She was Hattori Mei, dressed in a smart yet feminine business suit that accentuated her lovely body. The fullness of her breasts and behind was the peak epitome of enticement.
“The car is ready for you, Madam Folsom.” Hattori Mei was respectful around her superior.
“Let’s return to the hotel.” Folsom headed towards the parking lot.
Hattori Mei trailed behind her closely. “Madam Folsom, will Xia Lei visit you?”
“I’d say the possibility for that is at a mere twenty per cent,” replied Folsom.
“Ah, that’s equivalent to not showing up.” Hattori Mei seemed a little disappointed.
Folsom uttered, “There’s no need to rush. We’re not only ones he’s going against. It’s alright if he doesn’t come, we’ll just let him perish in his own battle.”
“What if the internal battle we anticipated doesn’t come to fruition?”
“Do you think that’s possible? You know how Chinese people are and you should know that it’ll definitely happen.” Folsom’s smirk was booming with confidence.
Two minutes later, a Mercedes-Benz S Class sedan left the Boao Forum under the escort of a few Chevrolet Suburban off-road vans.
At the same time, a room in a well-decorated isolated villa was gloomy.
Fan Fan and Liang Siyao eyed Xia Lei nervously. They were both worried about his current condition. There were no words exchanged between the three of them.
Since his return from the Boao Forum, Xia Lei has been completely silent, looking absolutely burdened. The trouble Folsom had triggered was severe and the fuss it was bound to bring was just in its budding stage. It was literally a ticking bomb!
Fan Fan couldn’t stand the tension any longer. She went and brought Xia Lei a glass of water, nestling the glass securely between his palms. “Hubby? Come, drink some water.”
“Thank you.” Xia Lei made no move to drink its contents. But he knew this was Fan Fan's effort to halt his wild array of thoughts.
“That Folsom must be working under the orders of the American government. Without their support, she wouldn’t have been so bold,” theorized Liang Siyao. Out of all his lovers, Liang Siyao was the only one who knew Xia Lei’s secret. Hence, her relatively calm response compared to Fan Fan. The woman was not surprised.
“Hubby, is Folsom…?” Fan Fan attempted to probe. Her mind involuntarily showing her memories of them under the rain and the peculiar trivia of Xia Lei’s 998 IQ score. Those were numbers that she had obtained personally from the experiment and it fuelled her suspicion that Folsom’s accusations were true.
Xia Lei’s smile was painful. “You want to know if Folsom was telling the truth, right?”
The question made Fan Fan anxious. “No, no. I’m not that curious. There’s no need to tell me if you don’t want to.”
The woman was afraid of hurting Xia Lei. The fetus in her stomach was Xia Lei’s child. The truth of the matter was less important than her future. This had much to do with her incoming child, her family and her happiness. If her curiosity were to get in the way of these, she would rather abandon the thought.
There was a brief moment of silence before Xia Lei spoke, “We’re a family now and it’s only fair for you to know the truth. It’s all true.”
Fan Fan was shocked, but quickly calmed herself down to feigned nonchalance and shrugged. “Truth or not, I don’t really care.”
“Let me finish this.” Xia Lei continued, “I think it’s about ten years since then, I don’t even remember what day it was but my father passed me some pills to treat my illness. Back then, I had a brain tumour and its growth had threatened my life. I thought I was going to die but after consuming those pills, the tumour was gone without a trace. After that, my father went missing. I took care of my sister and life was difficult. Truthfully, I still have no idea what those pills are. I refer to it as the AE capsules but it could have another name. The only thing that I’m certain about these capsules was that it gave me abilities beyond my comprehension. I had been trying to investigate the source of these AE capsules but sadly, there’s not much progress till this day.”
“What have you found so far?” Fan Fan was eager to know.
To her surprise, Xia Lei shook his head. “This is only as much as I can tell you. I can’t reveal anything more.”
Fan Fan’s expression darkened. “You still don’t trust me fully?”
“Sister Fan Fan, please don’t misunderstand him,” said Liang Siyao.
Fan Fan was sulking, feeling as if his love towards her was lacking.
In a swift motion, Xia Lei grasped her hand and pulled her into his lap. Fan Fan’s buttocks were meaty and his thighs were firm and muscular, it acted as a sturdy stool that supported his lover.
The passionate display of intimacy had her insecurity dissipated. However, she still kept her pout on and continued to throw her silent tantrum.
Xia Lei pinched her pouting cherry lips between his fingers. “Since when have you become so petty? I’m not telling you the full story not out of distrust. You’re my lover and the mother to my child. We’re a family, would I hide things that I could tell you? The reason behind it is simple. Those who know become my enemies targets. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Fan Fan and Liang Siyao’s eyes met. They were silent but they were both no regular women. Particularly Fan Fan, she was the head of Station ZN and that position made her important to China. Who would dare to threaten her?
“You mean the American government?” Fan Fan had no fear.
Xia Lei returned her a bitter smile. “The American government? No, what I’m talking about is an existence that is more dangerous than that.”
“What?” Fan Fan and Liang Siyao gasped in unison.
An existence more terrifying and stronger than the American government? Clearly, this was something beyond the comprehension of Fan Fan and Liang Siyao. It was only natural for them to be in shock and in a state of disbelief.
“Liang Siyao, come.” Xia Lei beckoned her over.
“What for?” She seemed a little hesitant.
Xia Lei responded, “Just come over already. I’ve got something to say to both of you.”
It was only then that Liang Siyao heeded his request. As soon as she approached him, Xia Lei separated his joined thighs and plopped her down on the unoccupied thigh. Now Xia Lei’s thighs were two stools that were respectively seated on by Fan Fan and Liang Siyao.
The awkwardness between them had dissipated. After all, they both had slept together last night. What was there left to fret about sitting on the legs of their shared husband?
Xia Lei circled his arms around their slim waists. With a heavy tone, he said, “One day, If… If I’m gone, please live on and take good care of our children.”
“What are you bullshitting about?!” Fan Fan glared at him. “Do not say anything like that!”
Liang Siyao too punched his side. “If you say another word like this, I’m going to ignore you.”
Xia Lei smiled wryly. “I’m just talking about what-ifs.”
“What-ifs are not allowed too,” insisted Fan Fan.
“I will not allow that to happen,” said Liang Siyao.
Though the two women’s responses were evidently rude, their actions and words had come from their overflowing love.
Xia Lei could feel his heart melt into mush. “Let me finish this, okay? I could never bear to leave you and the children but we must face the fact that some things are out of my control. I’ll draw a will when we’re home and leave all my property to you and the children. As for the Thunder Horse Organization, I’ll be leaving it to the hands of the country. If there are any more arrangements to be made, I’ll tell you when I’m reminded of it later.”
The two women were now silent, eyes moist with unspilled tears.
All the talk about wills and inheritance made them realize how severe the problem was.
“What’s the matter?” Xia Lei chuckled lightly. “It’s only best if I prepare myself for it.”
The two women continued to stare at him with tears in their eyes. They just couldn’t find it in themselves to mutter anything.
Xia Lei reached his arms to spank their bottoms lightly. “You’re both pregnant. Crying isn’t going to do good to the babies’ health. You need to smile. Please smile or I’ll need to spank your asses again.”
Liang Siyao and Fan Fan crouched over to bury their faces into the crook of his shoulder. They let their tears fall helplessly, but they were determined to hide it from him.
Silently, he hugged them tighter. Lockheed Martin’s attack was bound to give him trouble but the man had no care for that. His true threat was the mysterious black-robed man who had only given him three years to live. It was even more saddening that he had less than three years time now. Time was running out.
Not to mention Zhu Xuanyue. She too was an existence that could endanger his life. It was just that her time for action hadn’t arrived yet.
Xia Lei continued to think about his demise until when Liang Siyao abruptly removed her face from his shoulder and grabbed his cheeks. Without another word, she kissed him intensely.
Fan Fan was a little dazed but quickly joined them.
If love could conquer fear, it could conquer sorrow too.