The bright sunlight shone on the grass at 10879 Malibu Beach, Los Angeles.
The previously yellowish grass, affected by the season, seemed to regain its vitality, appearing greener than it had in the previous days.
Little Kanna, dressed in a green dinosaur costume, was sprawled rather inelegantly on the lawn.
With her sparkling bright eyes, she stared intently at an alligator snapping turtle half a meter away, enthusiastically playing a game of "who blinks first."
Shi Xiaolei, Bayonetta, and 2B sat on the terrace about ten meters away from the little girl, drinking tea, chatting, and enjoying the sunshine.
If an outsider were to see this scene, they would certainly be terrified.
Alligator snapping turtles are extremely dangerous pets, with biting force strong enough to sever an adult arm in one bite.
Allowing a delicate little girl to interact with such a creature at such close proximity was as risky as standing blindfolded in the middle of a highway.
Why was Shi Xiaolei so careless, showing no concern at all? Knowing Kanna true abilities was just one reason; more importantly, his mind was currently preoccupied with other troubles, leaving little attention for such minor matters.
"Bayonetta, you've really presented me with a huge problem."
Shi Xiaolei took a sip of coffee and looked at the composed Bayonetta sitting before him.
The bitterness in his heart exceeded that of the espresso in his mouth.
Why did he wear such a troubled expression?
The reason was simple. Bayonetta had bought far too many things during her shopping spree in Las Vegas.
Clothes, shoes, bags, and so forth were just the beginning.
Items fitting Bayonetta figure, suitable for 2B body type, and children clothes for little Kanna—all together, they filled two entire cargo vans.
Add to that the luxury high-end household items and various custom-made home appliances and furniture.
Anyone could guess that their newly renovated home in New York would certainly not have enough space for everything.
But that wasn't all.
What truly gave Shi Xiaolei a headache were the two sports cars and a small yacht that Bayonetta had ordered.
Their home had only two parking spaces.
One was occupied by a second-hand car used for commuting to the store and grocery shopping, and the other by an SUV modified by Stark.
It wasn't hard to imagine the parking troubles that would arise when Bayonetta two sports cars arrived.
The yacht was even more problematic.
Living in Chinatown, they were quite far from the waterways on either side of Manhattan Island.
Having something worth tens of millions not only outside their home but even beyond their line of sight was difficult.
Not yet accustomed to the wealthy lifestyle, Shi Xiaolei simply couldn't adapt to this situation.
Moreover, finding a dock for long-term mooring was also troublesome.
"I've already paid for everything."
"If you're willing to forfeit the ten million deposit, we can cancel the orders."
Bayonetta remained relaxed, showing no concern about the complications.
"..."
"Sigh, I give up trying to reason with you."
Feeling increasingly conflicted and depressed, Shi Xiaolei could only let out a long sigh.
"Worst case, we can contact the bank or ask Stark for help."
"Here, I had them transfer the remaining money to this card. If nothing goes wrong, it should be credited within the next two hours. With this deposit, the bank attitude... you know what I mean."
Bayonetta smiled and pulled out the supplementary card Shi Xiaolei had specifically left for her from her deep cleavage.
"Once we get back, I'll set up a bank card for you and transfer it to you."
"Sylvia, hold onto this for now, and remind me about it later."
Never intending to live off Bayonetta, Shi Xiaolei took the card and handed it to 2B.
"No need to be so complicated."
"Just issue me another supplementary card when the time comes. It doesn't need a high limit—one or two million will be enough."
After giving 2B a smile, Bayonetta waved her hand, rejecting Shi Xiaolei proposal.
"Don't—"
Before he could finish, Bayonetta cut him off.
"I just enjoy spending money, but accounting isn't my hobby. Besides... if I handled everything, aren't you afraid I'd buy another pile of things?"
"..."
"You're right, I do need to be cautious around you."
Recalling the cargo vans he had seen just an hour ago, Shi Xiaolei became alert.
With a slight curl of her lips, wearing an expression that said 'I knew you'd react this way' Bayonetta smiled contentedly as she picked up her elegant cup and seductively parted her red lips to take a delicate sip.
As they were chatting, the phone in Shi Xiaolei pocket rang.
"I'm going next door."
"What about you all? Are you coming along or staying here?"
After a brief conversation, Shi Xiaolei hung up and stood.
"Too lazy to move, I want to sunbathe."
Bayonetta leaned back, reclining in her chair.
"I'll stay and prepare the meal."
2B answered, meeting Shi Xiaolei questioning gaze.
As for Kanna, she was clearly too engrossed in her game to be asked.
"Alright then, you all stay here, I'll go by myself."
"Sylvia, I'll try to come back early."
Nodding, Shi Xiaolei gave 2B an apologetic smile.
"Mm."
By saying he would "try" Shi Xiaolei indicated that he didn't expect the matter to be resolved quickly.
To ensure he wouldn't face any external interference during the surgery, Stark had not only chosen his own home as the location but had also spent a fortune buying up all the neighboring houses.
Given how seriously he took this matter, there was no way this pre-surgery meeting would end quickly.
Indeed, the phone call Shi Xiaolei received was from JARVIS, calling on Stark behalf.
Just as an anesthesiologist must participate in pre-surgery discussions, Shi Xiaolei also needed to attend the meeting.
It didn't matter if he didn't understand the procedure; his role was to answer questions from the surgeon about the "medicinal effects"
After all, as the provider of the medication, only Shi Xiaolei could answer such questions.
"Hey, Pepper."
Greeting Pepper, who was preparing coffee in the house, and helping her carry a plate of fruit, Shi Xiaolei went up to the viewing terrace where he finally saw Stark.
"Rock, you're here. Have a seat."
"This is Dr. Strange and his colleague Ms. Palmer. Dr. Wu from China and his assistant Ms. Wu. And this is Dr. Cho from South Korea."
While gesturing for Shi Xiaolei to sit down, Stark introduced him to the others present
"This is my good friend, Rock. Dr. Wu, he's also from China, just like you."
"Hi."
First greeting Dr. Strange and the others, Shi Xiaolei then turned his attention to his two compatriots, switching to fluent and authentic Mandarin.
"Dr. Wu, Dr. Wu, pleased to meet you."
It was natural for compatriots to switch to their mother tongue when meeting.
But what puzzled those present was that Shi Xiaolei focus remained fixed on Ms. Wu, with a hint of familiarity in his eyes, as if they had known each other for a long time.
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist?you can read 20 chapters ahead on my P@treon [[email protected]/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)