If Wall Street, Manhattan was where the rich in the U.S. earned money, Fifth Avenue was where they spent it. Not only were there famous tourist spots like the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and the St. Patrick Chapel, but there were also stores and shops that were highly regarded on an international scale and the most prestigious private clubs in the world.
Leila Fox looked confident when she stepped out of the car, head held high and chest puffed as she walked toward an ordinary-looking building that appeared to be of some age. Before she had even reached it, the gates to the building opened automatically, and a silver-haired, enthusiastic old man walked out from inside.
The old man walked up to Leila, bowed down, and said with a laugh, “Welcome, Miss Fox. I had only learned of your escape just now. I wasn’t able to provide you with any assistance when you faced some difficulties, and I apologize for that. Please do give me a chance to make up for it.”
Leila Fox had already been under torture for two days. She looked wrung out but her aura was still otherworldly. She walked into the building with a smile on her face, saying, “Right on time, Mr Patrick. I need your help now. Please help me contact my lawyer and my PR team. I want to open a press conference.
“Of course, before you do that, please notify my butler. Have him bring my makeup artist, chef, assistant, and all my private possessions here.
“Oh, right, Mr Hugo here is now my safety consultant. He’s in some trouble. Before we finish dealing with the police, I don’t want to be interrupted by any unwelcome visitors.”
The old Mr Patrick nodded slightly. He glanced at Zhou Qingfeng, who was tagging along behind. He waved his hand casually, and a young servant walked up to listen to his orders.
“Prepare a room for Mr Hugo. He’ll probably need a change of clothes.”
With blood all over his body and his chilling glare, Zhou Qingfeng looked deranged to the average person. The young servant dared not approach him, so he could only raise his hand, gesturing for Zhou Qingfeng to follow him.
Leila Fox told Zhou Qingfeng, “Relax. It’s safe here.”
Zhou Qingfeng could not be bothered to shoot her a retort at this moment. He said to Mr Patrick, “Remember to deal with that car outside. I stole it. The police will be here any time now and they’ll bring us trouble.”
The silver-haired old man seemed to not care about it. He agreed to do so quickly.
He had already come all the way here, so he might as well get comfortable. Zhou Qingfeng did not bother to overthink it. He followed the servant into an elevator, and then into a spacious suite.
“Sir, what kind of clothing do you prefer?” The servant asked.
“I want an outfit suited for killing. Prepare a few extra sets for me. Next, bring me a huge backpack. I need some food and water. Get me some lunch too. I want a sumptuous meal.” Zhou Qingfeng asked for a lot in one go.
The young servant was somewhat bemused, but he acquiesced immediately and left for the preparations. Zhou Qingfeng, on his part, took off his clothes and took a quick shower in the suite’s bathroom, rinsing all the blood and sweat off his body.
When he was finished with his shower, his lunch had already been delivered to him in advance. There was steak, truffle, and caviar. All kinds of expensive ingredients were cooked into a delicious meal and laid out in front of him. There was also an expensive bottle of red wine of which he could not name.
“Starting tomorrow getting to eat food this delicious will be a difficult task.” Zhou Qingfeng sipped a little wine as his thoughts wandered, and then he started to stuff food into his belly. His appetite was now extremely huge, and so he bulldozed through this delicious meal without tasting the finer details.
Halfway through lunch, the clothes he had asked for were sent to him. There were a few sets of urban camouflage military garments that came with water bags, combat vests, weapons, and military equipment. They were indeed suited for murder. He had asked for several sets, so the club prepared five sets of the latest American military outfits and equipment for him.
While he changed, he asked the servant about what Leila Fox was doing. The servant told him that Miss Fox was busy. Her kidnapping had stirred up the whole country. Although she was safe for now, anyone who knew about what went on behind the scenes also knew that things would not end on this note.
Zhou Qingfeng looked at the time. He had no time to be entangled in Miss Fox’s affairs. He asked the servant, “Can you help investigate someone? His name’s Tony Parker, aged nineteen. I want to know where this man is now.”
This club chosen by Leila Fox was indeed powerful. Ten minutes later, a pile of documents was sent to him. Zhou Qingfeng cursed after he read them.
Tony Parker was quite an ordinary person, but this brat had managed to land himself a part-time job working as an intern in Babylonian Intelligence Lab, Columbia University. What could that illiterate brat learn interning there?
That was why Tony Parker was so confident that he could get his hands on that robot dog. He must have stolen it that day. Coincidentally the army and the police would disappear, and so he would naturally be rid of all his crimes. He was indeed a lucky man.
After eating and drinking his fill and getting himself ready, Zhou Qingfeng felt like he had returned to his best, both physically and mentally. Now he had to prepare for the arrival of the Catastrophe, a few hours later.
The acquisition of Dog Meat was a goal he must reach within the next few hours, but his goal in the long term was to survive. His friendship with David Lawrence was completely down the drain by now, so he would have to form a new party.
Leila Fox was a good choice. Zhou Qingfeng was thinking if he could find a better way to survive with the help of the person controlling a fortune of trillions. This club, for example, was not bad.
The building was sturdy, there was enough security around, a solid team was in charge of running this place, there was an abundant supply of food and drinking water, and helicopters ready in case of an emergency departure. The cherry on top was the chefs here; they were amazing. Although Leila Fox, as a member of the conglomerate, would disappear soon, not everyone in the club would vanish with her. They could stay and become Zhou Qingfeng’s assistants during the first three months of the Catastrophe.
The only problem was that Manhattan would become the most blood-soaked and chaotic area in New York. He would need to have tons of weapons ready to counter the millions of thugs that would flock here.
While Zhou Qingfeng was thinking about how he could bring this up to Leila Fox, the woman had already come in search of him. Her expression was one that spoke of bad news.
Leila Fox collapsed on the sofa immediately after entering the room. She said coldly, “That lab you were after, my friend has already transported everything here with cargo trucks. They’re in the basement.”
“They’re so fast! Thank you so much!” Zhou Qingfeng noticed her bad mood. He asked gingerly, “What’s up?”
“My lawyer told me that I can’t regain my control over the conglomerate. That bastard uncle of mine forged my father’s will, saying that I no longer have the right to join the conglomerate’s board of directors.”
Leila Fox was so furious she looked green in the face. She said viciously, “My uncle took away everything I have. My credit card, my villas, my landline, my employees. My assistant told me that he no longer works for me.
“That’s not the worst, though. I have lost all my social networks. No one can protect me now. The NYPD has issued a wanted poster, listing both you and me as suspects. The police coming after us are already on the way.”
When it came to this, Leila Fox stared at Zhou Qingfeng intently, saying, “Please prepare for the worst. You and I will have to run for our lives…”