White armor

Chapter 782 A Cloud Made of Rain in the Wind
Soon, the surgery began in silence.

No one explained to Ma Zhuang; "Xiao Meng" simply stood beside him with a smile, saying nothing.

The surgeon on the operating table cut open the "patient's" forehead and inserted something inside.

"Xiao Meng, what is that?" Ma Zhuang didn't understand and thought it was some kind of high-tech equipment, so he asked.

"It's an airbag, Manager Ma, you can think of it as a balloon."

balloon?

"What's the point of stuffing this thing in?" Ma Zhuang asked, puzzled.

The surgery was over just like that, taking less than 3 minutes.

Ma Zhuang stared blankly as a screen of light appeared in front of him, feeling a void in his heart.

The difference in social status becomes extremely obvious after going abroad. Ma Zhuang guessed that if Boss Lou came to see Professor Luo, Professor Luo probably wouldn't be so evasive.

Before he could even feel melancholy, he saw the timer numbers begin to appear on the screen in front of him.

"Manager Ma, this surgery will take about a month. We will try to shorten the time as much as possible and show you the general process of the surgery," "Xiao Meng" explained.

A month?

Ma Zhuang then saw that two days had passed on the screen, and the surgeon began injecting something into the "patient's" forehead.

A three-dimensional image of the structure appeared on the screen, and liquid entered the balloon left inside the patient's forehead during the previous surgery, inflating the balloon.

Um? What does it mean?
The display on the screen was straightforward and easy to understand; "Xiao Meng" didn't explain, and Ma Zhuang didn't ask either.

As time goes by, every 2-3 days the practitioner will inject liquid into the balloon on the patient's forehead to inflate it.

This?
Ma Zhuang was completely dazed.

About a month later, a large lump appeared on the patient's forehead, which looked quite strange.

Ma Zhuang wanted to cry but had no tears.

If I were to take this surgical video to that damned Frenchman in West Africa, I'm afraid I'd lose all my business dealings.

"Manager Ma, the actual surgery is about to begin." "Xiao Meng" seemed to see through Ma Zhuang's psychological reaction and explained in a gentle voice.

The real surgery?
what is that?
Ma Zhuang then saw the surgeon begin the operation again, removing the balloon from inside his forehead.

The tension from the balloon caused the skin to sag.

The surgeon then removed a portion of the skin, pulled down the upper part of the skin, and connected it with cosmetic sutures.

The hairline was also pulled down to its normal position.

I am!

So that's how it is. Ma Zhuang was stunned.

He stared blankly at the incision on the patient's forehead in the operating room, completely stunned.

"If my hair is a little longer, it can cover the area of ​​the facial lines on my forehead. Even if it can't, it's not a problem. You can't even see it unless you look closely," Xiao Meng explained.

Ma Zhuang understood the principle behind it and became very excited.

So that’s it!
The damage wasn't significant, it just took a long time, which seems to align with that damned Frenchman's ideas and demands!

The surgery ended quickly. There was nothing special about the entire surgery, and the difficulty was extremely low. It was said that Luo Hao was performing remote surgery, but Ma Zhuang did not find any remote surgery equipment.

Professor Luo Haoluo never appeared; everything was done under the control of the AI ​​robot.

Such a simple minor surgery didn't require Professor Luo's involvement at all, and Ma Zhuang subconsciously tried to defend Luo Hao.

"Manager Ma, is it alright?" "Xiao Meng" asked gently.

Looking at the patient's hairline that had been pulled down after the surgery, and how his hair had been styled slightly, making him look more than ten years younger, Ma Zhuang's face beamed with joy.

There's such a simple way.

Ma Zhuang knew it was just a coincidence; the person he was going to lobby was simply looking old because of a receding hairline. But Ma Zhuang was certain that if it were any other situation, Professor Luo would definitely have a solution.

This is just one of the weapons in Professor Luo's arsenal.

"Xiao Meng, thank you, thank you." Ma Zhuang didn't treat "Xiao Meng" as an AI robot, but rather as a real person.

"You're welcome, Manager Ma."

"Is Professor Luo busy? Can I say a word to Professor Luo?"

"Professor Luo is observing this surgery. Although he didn't perform the surgery, he's been watching the whole time," "Xiao Meng" replied.

"Ma Zhuang, he looks alright." Luo Hao's voice came from the speaker.

"Professor Luo, thank you." Ma Zhuang didn't know where Luo Hao was, but he bowed to express his gratitude.

"You're too kind. If you think it's alright, I'll send you the whole process. The relevant AI robot... Oh, and send me that person's temperament and hobbies too."

"???"

"The more detailed the information, the better. For a person, just having a receding hairline might not be enough; other information is needed to make things easier."

Ma Zhuang's eyes lit up!
Professor Luo will definitely design a robot wife; Ma Zhuang knows all too well what the situation is like on the French side.

He even consulted an expert about this.

It is said that during World War I, French men were all fighting on the front lines, and as a result, they received countless breakup letters. At that time, Parisian women launched a movement called the White Feather Movement, hoping to send all the men to the front lines.

The result was France's crushing defeat in World War II. After that, the French have become less inclined to marry, and now the entire country is almost predominantly Black.

Ma Zhuang didn't know the specifics of what had happened, but he knew that France had a huge shortage of robot girlfriends.

If I had a custom-made AI robot girlfriend, my life would definitely have the best possible outcome.

"Professor Luo, thank you, thank you."

"Don't mention it, I still need to ask about some details," Luo Hao said with a smile. "Then let's meet at your Western restaurant tonight."

"Good good."

Ma Zhuang readily agreed.

With his haul, Ma Zhuang was in high spirits, but since "Xiao Meng" was an AI robot, he felt something was missing.

Accompanied by "Xiao Meng", Ma Zhuang left the community hospital. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Wang Xiaoshuai sitting in a chair, looking at the gate.

Professor Luo's rank is simply too high; to have Wang Xiaoshuai guard the gate, Ma Zhuang thought to himself with admiration.

"I'm leaving." Wang Xiaoshuai got up to see the guest off.

“Handsome, if you find this place boring, you can come and play anytime,” Ma Zhuang said to Wang Xiaoshuai.

"Oh, okay." Wang Xiaoshuai remained noncommittal, appearing just like an ordinary doorman.

Ma Zhuang didn't try to provoke Wang Xiaoshuai. Although he felt it was a pity that Wang Xiaoshuai stayed in China, he was more afraid that the man in front of him would turn against him.

Through the mercenaries' descriptions, Ma Zhuang learned some legends about the mercenary world; Wang Xiaoshuai was no ordinary person.

Since they're willing to retire with Professor Luo, I can't say too much.

The day passed quickly, and Ma Zhuang was at the restaurant preparing to thank Professor Luo Haoluo.

Whenever he needed something, Professor Luo always provided a satisfactory answer, and Ma Zhuang admired Luo Hao immensely.

Around 6 p.m., Ma Zhuang stood by the window, looking at the road conditions.

Someone from next door left in a hurry, driving away without anyone knowing what they were going to do. For a fleeting moment, a parking space became empty in the crowded area, and Ma Zhuang's eyes unconsciously narrowed.

Just as he had imagined, the familiar Peugeot 307 appeared in his field of vision as soon as the car in front left. He reversed into the parking space and parked.

Professor Luo... your luck is just too good.

These things couldn't be explained by the benefits of the newbie protection period. Ma Zhuang smacked his lips and immediately went out to greet them.

"Manager Ma, please wait a moment." Luo Hao shook hands with Ma Zhuang after getting out of the car. "My daughter wants to eat the cotton candy from that side."

"Professor Luo, please come upstairs, I'll go buy it."

Ma Zhuang asked his cousin to go across the street to buy cotton candy, and then accompanied Luo Hao and his group upstairs.

"Business here doesn't look too good," Luo Hao said with a smile, looking at the somewhat empty restaurant.

“Hey, it’s the same abroad.” Ma Zhuang didn’t seem to care much. “The Great Depression, huh? I’ve read some information. Didn’t it say that during the Great Depression in the United States, experts and professors were homeless, trying to find food?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he realized what he meant and quickly explained, "Professor Luo, I wasn't talking about you."

"Hey," Luo Hao chuckled, "Manager Ma, have you been reading some books lately?"

"It was the eldest brother's idea. He said knowledge is power, and we should read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles."

"That's true."

"Domestic business is pretty much the same whether it's good or bad, but it's a different story overseas. I heard there's a base in West Africa that extracts renin," Ma Zhuang added, gossiping.

"Renin? The one from Lolita Island?" Chen Yong asked.

"It seems so, but I don't know for sure. They won't say." Ma Zhuang led the way to the small private room, opened the door, and bowed to invite Luo Hao in first.

"They say they've discovered a way to extend lifespan through human experiments. Professor Luo, do you think that's true or false?" Ma Zhuang asked.

"It should be true, I've heard about it too. Li Ka-shing wants to sell the port. Money is one thing, but the main thing is that the terms they're offering include a clause extending its lifespan by 20 years."

"Holy crap! 20 years of lifespan?!" Ma Zhuang was stunned.

"It was just a casual remark; I don't think it's true. But some people in the group are spreading the word that cancer can now be cured in American research institutes."

Ma Zhuang's eyes widened as he stared blankly at Luo Hao.

"I don't know if it's true or not, so let's not think about it." Luo Hao sat down casually. "But the research institute in Nanjing, China, extracts chlorophyll and injects it into cells to reverse cell age. I asked a senior colleague about this, and it's true."

What Luo Hao said sounded like a fairy tale, making Ma Zhuang feel like his ears were failing him.

"However, it's still in the animal testing phase. If it's to be used on humans, it will be at least a decade or more later," Luo Hao said.

"Professor Luo, chlorophyll, does that mean we can photosynthesize in the future? Will we not get hungry if we go out and sunbathe?" Ma Zhuang asked.

"What are you saying?" Chen Yong said. "What's the point of living if you don't eat?"

Luo Hao smiled. The trauma Chen Yong had developed in England during his youth still lingered. He truly didn't know how bad the food served to white people in England was, which was why Chen Yong kept rehashing similar stories. It was like a wound that hadn't healed; mentioning related information was like reopening that wound.

"Coming, coming." Ma Zhuang's cousin, holding cotton candy, pushed the door open with his back and walked in.

Luo Hao took a cotton candy and handed it to Wang Jiani.

"Hehe, I loved eating this when I was little." Wang Jianni took a sip of the marshmallow.

Seeing that Ma Zhuang's cousin had bought a lot of cotton candy, Luo Hao was worried that there wouldn't be enough, so he thought for a moment and said, "Make me a cup of coffee."

"Okay."

"What time is it? You're still drinking coffee?" Chen Yong asked.

“There’s nowhere to put the cotton candy,” Luo Hao said. “I saw a coffee shop in Beijing that made its own cotton candy and put it on top of the coffee cups.”

"Oh? And then?"

"No, a lot of young professionals like it. They sit there for a long time, and business is pretty good."

The coffee arrived quickly, and Luo Hao placed a marshmallow about 10cm above the coffee cup.

As the first wisp of steam rises, the bottom of the clouds begins to become transparent.

The framework of those sugar crystals is crumbling, like a glacier quietly collapsing in a warm breeze. Fine sugar strands hang down, some straight like harp strings, creating circular ripples on the surface of the coffee; others curl and fall, like dandelion fluff scattered by the wind.

Melting is a slow sacrifice.

The moment the sugar strands break, they leave behind shimmering, fine lines, like the trajectory of a shooting star across the night sky. Occasionally, bubbles rise from the abyss-like bottom of the cup, carrying sweetness as they pass through the dense forest of sugar strands, bursting into tiny caramel-colored fireworks.

A few amber-colored dewdrops clung to the rim of the white porcelain cup, teetering precariously.

The marshmallow rested on the rim of the cup, like a cloud dyed by the sunset, its fluffy edges gilded with a fuzzy golden halo like the morning light.

The marshmallow's body gradually collapsed, like a paper lantern soaked by rain.

The last wisp of cloud curled up, trembling and dissolving at the center of the vortex, like the contorted neck of a dying swan. Hot air carried a few unmelted sugar crystals, swirling and dancing like fireflies after a storm.

As the last wisp of sweet mist dissipated, the dark brown liquid in the glass was transformed—an iridescent film floated on the surface, like a puddle reflecting a fragmented rainbow after a downpour. At the bottom of the glass settled star-like sugar granules, each one holding a memory of a cloud.

This cup of coffee now has a story: once, a wandering cloud sent down a fleeting shower of sugary rain here.

Although some sugar fell around the coffee cup, it didn't affect anything.

Chen Yong was dumbfounded. "People in big cities really know how to have fun."

Wang Jianni's fingertips were still holding the cotton candy stick, with a few strands of sugar remaining on the thin bamboo stick, like wisps of cloud torn by the wind.

She stared at the gradually collapsing white mass at the rim of the cup and suddenly felt a strange sense of melancholy—as if she were witnessing a fairy tale evaporate before her eyes.

Chen Yong shifted his mask, but didn't speak.

He saw the fluffy body of the marshmallow visibly wither away, as if its soul had been ripped away.

The sugar strands broke almost silently, yet they stirred a faint buzzing in his mind. It felt like watching soap bubbles burst as a child, knowing full well it was just sugar and water, yet a strange emptiness welled up in his chest.

The steam from the coffee distorted the air, and the reflection of the marshmallow on the cup wall swelled and shrank, like a dying jellyfish convulsing in deep water.

Wang Jianni unconsciously reached out to try and save it, but stopped in mid-air—this sweet cloud was destined to perish, just like all beautiful but useless things.

As the last strand of sugar disappeared into the brown swirl, the sugar residue remaining on the rim of the cup resembled dried tear stains. Chen Yong suddenly remembered the silkworms he had seen on television; after they spun all their silk, they became transparent and fragile, then vanished silently.

“It’s gone,” Wang Jianni said softly.

A glistening sugar dregs clung to the tip of the bamboo skewer, like a dying star in the sunlight. The two stared at the now-calm coffee, neither taking the first sip—as if drinking this liquid would swallow a fragile dream.

"Is it artsy?" Luo Hao asked with a smile.

"Tsk." Chen Yong clicked his tongue, while Wang Jianni moved closer to Luo Hao, as if she had realized something.

Ma Zhuang didn't understand why this was a big deal, but his cousin's eyes lit up.

"Brother, I can do it!"

"Why are you doing this?" Ma Zhuang asked.

“After the Ice and Snow Festival, we have more tourists here, and they will definitely like it!” Ma Zhuang’s cousin said as if he had discovered a new continent.

Luo Hao smiled and said, "Sure, if you get it running, I'll come take a look when I have time."

"Good good."

Luo Hao didn't drink the coffee; he just left it aside.

For Luo Hao, this little scheme was just a casual fling; he had serious business to attend to today.

After he sat down, he began to ask Ma Zhuang about the details, from the man's past experiences to his first love and his current family.

Ma Zhuang wasn't the kind of reckless person who, even after getting hyaluronic acid injections and suffering from a pulmonary embolism, would still grab the doctors and nurses and ask if they thought he was big enough.

Overseas, a single misstep can be fatal, and Ma Zhuang matured quickly under such high pressure.

He had prepared all the necessary information, and Luo Hao entered it into the computer one by one.

For anything unclear, Luo Hao would tell Ma Zhuang what to ask and what kind of information he needed.

Wang Jianni stared blankly, and during the pause between Luo Hao and Ma Zhuang's conversation, she pulled Luo Hao aside and asked, "Luo Hao, what are you doing?"

"Make an AI robot girlfriend for someone."

"how is it like?"

“Uh…” Luo Hao hesitated for a moment, then leaned close to Wang Jianni’s ear and said, “It’s the kind of thing where I suddenly feel like asking you to wear a sexy maid outfit, and you call me an old pervert, then rummage through your drawers and pull out a pair of black stockings saying that wearing these is the only way to make it exciting.”

"Bah~~~"

Wang Jianni's face flushed instantly, and she spat lightly.

Ma Zhuang looked on with envy.

Professor Luo and his girlfriend look so harmonious, like a perfect couple.

But what were they talking about? Ma Zhuang was a little curious.

"Okay, that's settled then." Luo Hao closed his laptop. "Send me the rest of the information."

"Good, good, good." Ma Zhuang smiled broadly.

"Ma Zhuang, I didn't expect you to be so much more capable than before," Luo Hao praised.

"Me? Hahaha." Ma Zhuang said smugly, "Professor Luo, to be honest, it's not just you who said that about me; Boss Lou said something similar too."

"It's really tough to be abroad."

"Yeah, I was clueless when I first went abroad. After hitting a few walls and getting hurt a few times, I matured quickly. You can't be immature, the pressure is immense."

“Let me tell you, when I first went abroad, I was under so much pressure that I couldn’t sleep well every day. My boss said that if I couldn’t do the job, we would replace me and only gave me three months.”

Ma Zhuang talked on and on, initially quite proud, but as he talked about the pressures overseas, his voice gradually grew weary.

He asked his cousin to get a new cup of hot water and casually placed a cotton candy on top of it.

As he watched the cotton candy melt away little by little, the clouds turn into rain, and fall into the white water, Ma Zhuang's voice gradually lowered.

"Thank you for your hard work." Luo Hao smiled.

"Hey, it's not hard work, it's about making money." Ma Zhuang waved his hand, then realized that Luo Hao was talking to him, and immediately said with a serious expression, "Professor Luo, I'm lucky, after all, I have Boss Lou with me. It's not easy out there, but as long as I can make money, it doesn't matter where I work."

"That's true."

After they had finished chatting, Ma Zhuang gave a wink, and his cousin invited the chef in to serve freshly grilled steaks.

"We're very familiar with each other," Ma Zhuang remembered.

"Professor Luo, after going abroad, I discovered a pattern: the vast majority of Russians abroad have mild intellectual disabilities, but they are able to take care of themselves and no one has noticed it."

After observing them carefully for a period of time, I discovered that they have many human weaknesses.

For example, selfishness, shortsightedness, laziness, jealousy, comparison, hypocrisy, prejudice, vanity, bullying the weak and fearing the strong, emotional behavior, lack of independence, etc.

Even if they are aware of their shortcomings, their first thought isn't to improve themselves, but rather to find ways to compensate and rationalize their weaknesses.

"Manager Ma, what's this?" Luo Hao was slightly taken aback.

“Uh…” Ma Zhuang was also stunned for a moment. He quickly said to his cousin, “Take this away.”

The cotton candy had almost melted, but the cloud made of sugar was gradually melting away, exuding an artistic vibe that even assimilated Ma Zhuang.

"I'm sorry, Professor Luo, I don't know what came over me, but seeing the marshmallow melt made me feel a little off," Ma Zhuang explained. "Actually, those foreigners are just damn annoying, they're not civilized at all."

“Yes!” Chen Yong echoed, “When I was in England, I often had to fight on the spot to solve problems.”

Luo Hao sighed. He couldn't understand it, nor did he want to.

"I later realized that they thought they were the Celestials, so they didn't think things through. For example, a few years ago, Yin Paopao cut the special forces' food allowance while launching a coup, making it seem like a joke."

"Do you think they're stupid? No, they're not stupid, but some things are just conventional and they just don't understand very simple principles."

Ma Zhuang and Chen Yong found common ground and began to talk at length about their respective experiences.

Luo Hao didn't care about this.

What the Celestial Dragons are thinking is—give me money, whatever money, it's all my money. I'm doing you a favor by letting you do this job, and you dare to even think about my money.

This world is a makeshift operation, and Luo Hao has never overestimated it.

However, Ma Zhuang had indeed put in effort, and the steak suited Da Nizi's taste. Seeing that Da Nizi was enjoying her meal, Luo Hao asked in a low voice, "Can I wear a maid outfit today?"

"Do I have to rummage through drawers to find black stockings?" Wang Jianni chuckled and whispered in Luo Hao's ear.

"Okay."

Wang Jianni reached out and pinched the flesh on Luo Hao's leg, which Luo Hao knew was a sign that he had agreed.

Life is quite interesting, and not so boring.

As for makeshift troupes, aren't they everywhere?

(End of this chapter)