Chapter 155 - 152: Dawn Branch
For France, the greatest gain from this trilateral exchange was naturally the detailed information on Evolvers.
Setting aside how much private information China and the United States might have withheld, the current data at least filled a major gap for France. This was especially true when Kodell learned that, including his own, only five countries in the world were aware of this. Even the United Kingdom was still in the dark.
This gave him a subtle sense of superiority. Although he estimated that the United Kingdom would soon learn about it from the United States after this, France was still a small step ahead.
From what they had gathered about Evolvers, one of the more obvious characteristics was an increased need for food.
Not all Evolvers fit this profile—the one from Russia and Huang Jiutian didn’t have exaggerated appetites. However, those with a high demand for food were very likely in the initial stages of evolution, their type leaning more toward the physical.
After learning about Evolvers, Kodell immediately recalled a report on binge-eating he had seen before. When he tried to follow up on it, he discovered someone had already beaten him to it.
The feeling was truly awful.
But on second thought, this meant there might be other groups within the country who knew about Evolvers. It could even be the Dawn Association or the previous group that had reached the reservoir.
He would just have to investigate slowly. While it wasn’t impossible that China and the United States were simply poaching people, he couldn’t just ask them about it. If they weren’t involved, he would have revealed his new lead for nothing.
Compared to Kodell’s troubles, Brown felt like he had entered paradise.
The small yacht was like a treasure chest, with an endless supply of food. He was already stuffed after eating three whole turkeys, but he couldn’t resist the various desserts and delicacies, so he ate until he couldn’t move.
At this moment, just having a full stomach filled him with bliss. Having lost everything, his predominant feelings were inferiority and anxiety, coupled with a willingness to follow anyone who could feed him.
’Would anyone really be kind enough to help someone like me? Whatever! As long as I can eat my fill, I’ll do anything!’
He had no sense of mission or honor, nor could he comprehend the glory that might await him in the future.
...
In the Los Angeles River Suburbs, a property spanning several thousand square meters—complete with a walled-off small garden and a three-story building for both office and lab use—was being shown to a new group of prospective tenants.
The real estate agency employee, Levin, enthusiastically led the group—a mix of two Chinese individuals and three or four young white people—to view the property.
"Everyone, this is a garden-style property with a seventy-year history. Over a dozen groups of scientists and scholars have studied and worked here. Have you ever heard of the Jumpy-Scent Box? Its inventor got their inspiration right here."
Levin looked at the group. No one reacted.
"It’s very famous! It’s really convenient for packing camping lunches!"
Still, no one responded. They were either looking at their documents or playing on their phones.
"Uh, you haven’t heard of it...? No problem. Anyway, the environment here is beautiful and the space is ample. It has plenty of areas for research and office work, as well as a dormitory, a bathhouse, and a small cafeteria. It’s the perfect private research environment!"
Zhao Chen looked at the informational pamphlet for the building in his hand.
"I see here it says no one has occupied this place for over twenty years. What about the natural gas and utility lines? The electrical systems? The network equipment? And are the internal furnishings and living facilities outdated? How much renovation would be needed to accommodate modern research?"
Zhao Chen’s personal female translator immediately relayed these questions.
Levin was a bit embarrassed; he wasn’t very clear on many of the details himself.
"Some of it can still be used normally!"
"Oh, ’some’ of it. And the cafeteria and bathhouse are in separate, detached buildings? This used to be a factory, didn’t it? If they aren’t functional, we’d need to go out for those things. But the surrounding area is very desolate, with no shops or amenities. Does that mean we’d have to drive to the commercial district five kilometers away?"
The translator once again conveyed this series of questions to Levin.
He took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, feeling a bit hot under the collar.
"We can, we can reduce the rent accordingly for these things. Let’s go inside and take a look, let’s go inside!"
Nodding, Zhao Chen glanced at Jenny and the others, then said,
"Let’s go, we’ll take a look inside. Two hundred thousand USD a year is cheap for a big city, but this area is worse than the countryside. I’m already losing interest."
The translator quietly relayed the gist of it to Jenny and the others, making Levin, who was standing nearby, feel extremely awkward.
Levin took out a key and unlocked the large, special-made lock on the rusty iron gate.
"Hmm, no electronic gate. The lock is outdated and insecure, the walls have no electric fencing, and the doorbell is a physical buzzer... Are we here to tour a historic town?"
Zhao Chen let out a dry laugh.
Even without the translator’s help, Levin knew this was sarcasm. He sighed internally, wondering if this deal was going to fall through again.
"Wow, it’s so beautiful!"
Jenny exclaimed in admiration. Mark and Joey’s spirits lifted as well.
Setting aside the old building in the distance, the garden was shaded by lush green trees, many wildflowers were in full bloom, and there was even a small pond.
Amid waves of floral fragrance, the environment was undoubtedly gorgeous.
However, even though the garden was a pleasant surprise, Zhao Chen’s sharp tongue didn’t stop.
"It’s passable, but there are too many weeds, the landscaping hasn’t been trimmed in years, and we haven’t checked for snakes, insects, rats, or ants. We’d probably have to hire an exterminator for a full sweep. It looks pretty, but it would take a lot of work to clean up. I’d rather just rip it all out and build a basketball court. If you want to see green, you can just go to a park."
Levin really wanted to refute him, but remembering that his last rebuttal only led to more problems, he held his tongue.
Over the course of the tour, a place that Levin had described as beautiful and full of history was torn apart by Zhao Chen, who found dozens of faults and listed a huge bill for renovation costs.
Bad location, old facilities, high renovation costs, low potential for appreciation...
He even made the agent, Levin, begin to doubt the property’s actual value.
Jenny could only think that this inspector from the Sun Clan’s aid foundation was not only overly enthusiastic but also overly capable. He hadn’t just directly signed the aid contract for their research project; he was even helping them scout for a suitable location.
For a foundation, this level of assistance was indeed a bit much.
Could their project really be that valuable?
In the afternoon, after two phone calls with the original owner, Levin finally agreed to lease the place for the price Zhao Chen had named: 100,000 USD a year.
"Mr. Zhao, it’s unbelievable that you managed to rent such a large piece of land in Los Angeles for this price!"
Levin said this, but he was still happy to sign the contract. After all, it was his employer taking the loss, and he would still get his commission.
"Heh, in my opinion, this is just a desolate corner of Los Angeles. Getting 100,000 dollars in rent is better than letting it sit empty for another twenty years until it collapses, right?"
"I can’t win an argument with you... I’ll have the contract amended as soon as possible. The owner can come by tomorrow to sign it. I’m heading back to my office now!"
Once Levin drove away, Jenny and the others could no longer hold back their cheers.
This huge place would be theirs from now on! The future site of the Dawn Branch...
Even though they were the ones actually renting the place, they had been nothing but followers and onlookers today.
The next day, after the contract was formally signed and the keys were handed over, Jenny and the others would have the right to use the property for the next five years, provided the rent was paid continuously.
Outside the real estate agency, Zhao Chen shook hands with Jenny and the others one by one.
"Alright, everything is settled. I’m preparing to return to my country now. The first year’s rent has been paid, and your research funding will be allocated soon. I wish you success in your work!"
The young people, who had felt rather invisible for the past two days, gratefully said their goodbyes to Zhao Chen. As for the future results of their research, they could only apologize to him in their hearts.
After Zhao Chen also left, the young people, filled with intense excitement, began to prepare the subsidiary components for the Shaping Material their Mentor required. Before long, this place would become a true Secret Place for the Dawn Branch.
...
At the airport, the accompanying translator couldn’t help but voice her confusion.
"President Zhao, I really don’t see any investment value in their crappy project. The Hefekli limit isn’t something they can just break through because they want to, is it? This isn’t the movie *Anaconda*! And you even made the trip here personally..."
Seeing that no one was paying attention, Zhao Chen gave the translator’s alluring bottom a pat, eliciting a soft, coquettish "Stop it."
"My brother-in-law never makes a losing deal. Since he told me I had to invest in this little team, there must be a good reason. Besides, haven’t you noticed...?"
"It’s been days. Whether they were moving things or running around, in this hot weather, I never once saw any of them sweat. Even that girl barely seemed out of breath. It shows that their physical conditioning is far beyond that of ordinary people. I’m afraid there’s really something to that biology project of theirs!"
"This, my dear, is called foresight. The Sun Clan didn’t get to where it is today through luck!"
The female translator was startled. She hadn’t noticed any of that and didn’t know if it was true, as Zhao Chen claimed.
PS: First Chapter for Sunday.