The best result for Hattori Masao was to have his daughter conquer Xia Lei, body and mind, and for them to get Thunder Horse Group’s technologies without needing to hand over their AI technology. However, it now looked like this Chinese punk had been played dumb to take advantage of them. He had bedded his daughter, and he wanted their AI technology too! 

Hattori Masao wanted to fling all of the filthiest curses at Xia Lei, but what Xia Lei said had been right. Business was business, and love was love. Wouldn’t he be alerting Xia Lei to this honeyed trap he’d set if he used the relationship between Xia Lei and Hattori Mei to get his hands on the technologies he wanted? 

“It pains me, but what you say is right.” Hattori Masao held tight to the reins of his anger and deliberately kept his tone calm. “All right, Xia Lei. I can trade our AI technology with you at any time. When can you give me what I want?” 

“I’m already prepared.” Xia Lei reached into his clothing and pulled out a USB stick. He put it on the table. “This USB stick contains the relevant blueprints and control procedures. Follow this blueprint and you can build the XL2500 sniper rifle, Gust assault rifle, Hellhound production lines, and the Thunder Dragon intelligent lathe too.” 

Hattori Mei abruptly reached out to grab the USB stick on the table. 

Xia Lei flicked his hand and had the USB stick in his grasp once again. 

“You say that you love me and tell me sweet words.” Hattori Mei was angry at last. “But I don’t see an ounce of sincerity from you. You’re lying to me. You’re a liar!” 

Xia Lei put on an innocent face. “You wound my heart, Mei. I love you. I can swear to the Heavens that…” 

“Enough!” Hattori Mei stabbed her dining knife into the table. “What are you capable of other than swearing? I won’t believe you again! You’re breaking my heart!” 

Xia Lei was not one bit angry. “Mei, how do I know if you’re not lying to me, then? How can I be sure that you and I are not together because of my technologies?” 

Hattori Mei’s flames of anger were doused, like a pail of water had been poured on it. It was only at this moment that she say her opponent clearly. This man had built his empire from scratch. He’d used his own two hands to build Thunder Horse Group up. He was not just the Father of Rifles but also a fellow of the Academy of Science of China. Even Europe and America were jealous of the technologies he owned. Would a man like this be a fool who could have the wool pulled over his eyes after sleeping with him once? 

“I’ve told you that I am a man of principles. Business is business and love is love. Mei, I did not use our love to cheat you of the AI technology, did I?” Xia Lei looked at Hattori Masao next. “Uncle, I did not ask this of you either, right? Why are you people linking love with business? Isn’t this an affront to love?” 

If there was a machine in the world which could stop time, then Hattori Masao wanted to use it then, and freeze that stupid face of Xia Lei’s so he could stab his dining knife into his forehead. Maybe he would carve a turtle onto his forehead, or maybe a pile of shit. 

“Ahem.” He wanted nothing more than to grind him under his shoe, but Hattori Masao put an amiable smile on his face. “You are right, Xia Lei. Mei and I were too anxious. Since you’re brought the blueprints over, then let’s make exchange.” He stood. “I will make a call to our engineers to get them to come here. We can complete the exchange once we confirm that what you have is genuine.” 

“Where are your engineers, Uncle?” asked Xia Lei probingly. 

“They are in the nearby hotel. They can be here in a few minutes.” 

“Okay. Please tell them to come over,” said Xia Lei. 

Hattori Masao left the dining room. 

“How are you going to verify it?” asked Hattori Mei. 

“I can assess it on my own,” said Xia Lei. 

This was not a lie. AI technology was much more complicated than intelligent lathe technology, but some of the basics were the same. He was the world’s best electrical engineer, and his brain could solve equations at the drop of a hat. How could he not be able to tell if the thing Hattori Masao was going to give him was real or fake? 

Hattori Mei stared at Xia Lei, her gaze odd. 

“Mei, why are you looking at me like that?” asked Xia Lei. 

“I suddenly remembered something you said.” 

“What did I say?” 

“You said that your wealth comes not from your company but from yourself. I believe what you said. You are probably the smartest person I’ve met in this world.” 

Xia Lei smiled. “Everything I told you is true. You are just not willing to believe it.” 

A sneer appeared in the corners of Hattori Mei’s mouth. Xia Lei had not even let her touch the USB stick. Believe his pillow talk? When hell freezes over! 

As she looked at the man before her, she couldn’t help recalling the shameful things she’d done last night to please him, and his perverted demands. Her heart filled with hate. 

‘Just you wait, you pervert! Sex maniac! Shameless pig! You’ll go down to hell once this deal is done. I will make you kneel before me then, and you will lick the soles of my shoes clean!’ thought Beryl heatedly. 

Xia Lei pretended to be guilty and he avoided Hattori Mei’s gaze. He turned his eyes to Hattori Masao’s direction. His left eye twitched and the wall in the way disappeared soundlessly. 

Hattori Masao was on the phone with someone in the room behind the wall. 

He was speaking in Japanese, but that was not a setback for Xia Lei. He focused his left eye on Hattori Masao’s lips and used lip-reading to decipher his conversation. 

“That Chinese punk has put the blueprints and control procedures for the XL2500, Gust, Hellhound production lines, and Thunder Dragon intelligent lathe, in a USB stick. You guys hurry over. I need you to verify if the contents of the USB stick is genuine.” 

The lip-reading ability was a very useful ability, but it also had one obvious flaw — he could not lip-read the other end of the conversation over the phone. 

“There is no need to inform the embassy! You guys remember that you belong to the Hattori family. You only need to do as I say, and not bother about other things. I will handle those myself. All right, come here immediately!” Hattori Masao hung up. 

He had not been able to “listen in” on the other end of the conversation but Xia Lei could guess at what had been said based on what Hattori Masao’s end. The person on the other end of the line was possible a person working for the Hattori family company, and had a high-ranking position. The person had asked if Hattori Masao wanted to notify the Japanese embassy and he had rejected the proposal. Hattori Masao’s thoughts were as clear as day — he wanted to embezzle the technologies of Thunder Horse Group!

Every man for himself, and the devil take the hindmost. 

If the Hattori family got their hands on the technologies of Thunder Horse Group, with their wealth, resources and manpower, it would be a very probable thing for them to build a behemoth which could challenge Lockheed Martin! 

‘He’s really planned it all out,’ thought Xia Lei, and he scoffed to himself. ‘But it’s no use.’

Hattori Masao would not be able to produce a single Gust assault rifle which would pass a quality check without Xia Lei’s personally processed high-precision parts, even if he’d given him all the blueprints and control procedures. 

What had happened to the Germans was one such example. He had built the XL 2500 sniper rifle and Gust assault rifle production lines, and also completed the Thunder Dragon intelligent lathe, and he had made all of that scrap metal by just damaging a few core parts. The Germans had been unable to fix it with their expertise, so would the Japanese fare any better? 

The Germans would never talk about something like this, though, so the Japanese would never know. If one thought about this exchange like a normal person, it looked like a one-time exchange because Xia Lei had brought the blueprints and the control procedures. The Japanese had confidence in building the machines from the blueprints, and then use those machines to create even more powerful weapons. 

However, whether it was the Germans, the French or the Japanese now, they had all overlooked a very big problem, and that was that Xia Lei’s greatest technology was not a lathe or any weapon, but his brain, his left eye and his two hands. 

Hattori Masao stayed in the room for some dozens of seconds more, then picked up his phone again to dial a number. 

Who was he calling? 

Xia Lei abruptly thought of a person and his gaze focused on Hattori Masao’s lips once again. 

“It’s me. He’s in my home. The plan is going smoothly, but your subordinates have to time your capture of him well… Why? My daughter got her hands on very important information. He has something called Plan X. I am guessing that it has something to do with Thunder Horse Group’s large-scale expansion. I need some time to find out more about this Plan X… He’s very cunning? I know he’s cunning, but it is no use even if he is the most cunning fox on Earth. He is here, and I can take him down at any time.” 

Xia Lei had been guessing that it was Gu Kewen, and Hattori Masao’s end of the conversation confirmed it. 

“How much time?” Hattori Masao looked at the watch on his wrist. “I estimate six hours from now. You can come take him away in six hours, regardless of whether I’ve found out more about Plan X… I am not negotiating with you. I will definitely not change any… You and your men had better not spoil my plan. That’s it, then. Six hours. Not one minute earlier.” 

Hattori Masao hung up. 

Xia Lei stopped using his eye. 

Gu Kewen was close by, waiting to dash in and capture him at any time. The non-existent Plan X, however, made Hattori Masao push this plan of hers back by six hours. He was firm about it too, and not one minute earlier. 

‘Six hours. The exchange would have been long complete by then. What method will he use to pry the secret of Plan X from my lips, then?’ Xia Lei couldn’t help thinking. 

Hattori Masao returned to the dining room. “Come with me to the study, Xia Lei. Our experts are almost here.” 

Xia Lei stood up with a smile on his face. “No problem, Uncle. I’ll do as you’ve arranged.” 

“Hold on,” said Hattori Mei.

“What is it?” asked Xia Lei, puzzled. 

Hattori Mei went around the table and to Xia Lei’s side. She said sweetly, “The corner of your mouth is a little dirty. I don’t want outsiders to say that I don’t know how to take care of my man.” She dabbed delicately at Xia Lei’s mouth with the napkin as she spoke with a voice so tender it could melt a man into a puddle. 

Japanese women really were gentle. 

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