People in America: My Uncle Don Quixote

Early December, late at night, on the road to New Jersey in the suburbs of New York.

The windows of the Escalade were fogged up, and the air conditioning was on full blast. Li Wei leaned back in the back seat, looking bored, playing on his phone while occasionally glancing out the window.

"We should be there in about 15 minutes," Chen Haisheng said, glancing at the rearview mirror every now and then as he drove. "The person in charge said they're waiting for you at the lab entrance."

Li Wei hummed in agreement, then suddenly asked:

"They signed a confidentiality agreement, right?" He looked at Chen Haisheng. "Has it been shown to a lawyer?"

"Yes, it's already signed," Chen Haisheng replied cautiously. "I showed it to Mr. Don Quixote, and he said the lawyer said there were no problems."

"Okay," Li Wei looked out the window at the view of Lower Manhattan, passing a Chinese restaurant that was still open late at night, and casually asked, "How's Chinatown doing lately? It seems like I haven't heard you mention it in a while."

Chen Haisheng paused for a moment. When the topic came up, his brows relaxed slightly, the tension on his face from being alone with Li Wei eased a little, and even a smile appeared on his lips.

I didn't feel it when I was with Don Quixote, but for some reason, when he was alone with Livy, I felt a lot of pressure, as if I was afraid of doing something wrong or saying something wrong.

He didn't feel that way when he was with Don Quixote; Don Quixote seemed more like an elder than a superior.

"It's the same as always, boss," he said. "The traditional archway, the clan association rules are still there, and most of the neighbors are still working from dawn till dusk for those few dollars in profit."

"But everyone's life is indeed a bit better than before," he said with a touch of emotion, glancing at Li Wei who was looking out the window. "Before, when I was doing business in Flushing or Chinatown, what I feared most wasn't the gangsters, but those in uniforms."

"The NYPD, the Department of Health, and the Fire Department used to come and conduct all sorts of surprise inspections every few days," he said, shaking his head. "If they found even the slightest problem, they'd issue a hefty fine or shut down the business. Everyone had to grovel and offer bribes. But now, at least no one dares to cause trouble. The former precinct chief even sent someone to the neighborhood to make arrangements."

After Chen Haisheng finished speaking, his gaze unconsciously moved upwards and glanced at a metal object hanging next to the rearview mirror of the Cadillac Escalade.

This is a badge/shield made of pure copper—a donor privilege certificate from the New York City Police Patrol Mutual Aid Association.

Just like private schools openly soliciting money through their "Winter Family Day," the police also openly and legitimately collect money.

Once you donate a certain amount of US dollars—usually over $5—the Police Patrol Mutual Aid Association will give you such a certificate.

Hang this shield on your rearview mirror. For ordinary speeding, illegal lane changing, or illegal parking, the patrol officer will often pretend nothing happened after just one glance from his camera, and may even warmly remind you to be careful.

If this sign is displayed prominently in a shop, then fire department surprise inspections and health department tricky fines will miraculously bypass your neighborhood.

Li Wei had this receipt on every one of his cars, and he didn't spend a single penny on it.

On one occasion, a deputy commissioner of the New York City Police Department invited Li Wei to dinner alone. Li Wei simply gave him a football signed by all the officers, and in return, he received 10 such vouchers. Li Wei has 5 more in a drawer at home, specifically for use in his new car.

Chen Haisheng knew very well that the good life in Chinatown was not because the New York bureaucracy had suddenly shown mercy, but because the young man sitting in the back row had now become a prominent figure who could get the governor to take a photo with him and some minor bureaucrats had to make reservations to invite him to dinner.

Even if the umbrella of power tilts slightly and carelessly, the sliver of shadow that falls through is enough to protect these people at the bottom from the wind and rain.

Upon hearing Chen Haisheng's description, Li Wei nodded but did not say anything further.

Fifteen minutes later, the Escalade drove off the main road into the darkness and turned into a private lane lined with barbed wire fences on both sides.

Ahead, a low-rise gray-white building came into view. It looked like an inconspicuous industrial warehouse, but the high level of security around it highlighted its special nature.

The car came to a smooth stop at the main entrance of the laboratory.

A middle-aged white man wearing a white lab coat and a down jacket had been waiting for a long time in the cold wind, rubbing his hands together.

Li Wei pushed open the car door, and as soon as he got out, the cold wind tried to get into his coat, but for Li Wei's current physical condition, it was just a gentle breeze.

Despite it being late at night, Li Wei's eyesight remained sharp. He keenly noticed that the high-definition cameras above the gate and around the perimeter, which should have been flashing their work lights, were all now off.

Despite it being late at night, Li Wei's eyesight remained sharp. He keenly noticed that the high-definition cameras above the gate and around the perimeter, which should have been flashing their work lights, were all now off.

Two others were even physically reversed, forcing them to face the wall in repentance.

It seems that the $200 million was well spent, at least in terms of privacy, it was done flawlessly.

"Good evening," the person in charge said without asking why Li Wei was visiting so late at night, and immediately greeted him. "New York winters are really cold, aren't they? Let's go inside and talk."

He gestured for Li Wei to proceed, leading him through the heavy airlock while proactively reporting, "Mr. Li Wei, please rest assured, starting an hour ago, all monitoring in non-core areas has been shut down. We have also undertaken experimental data analysis and synthesis projects for many well-known companies."

After passing through the disinfection corridor, the three arrived at the observation window on the outside of the core laboratory.

"Let's get down to business." Li Wei took off his coat and handed it to Chen Haisheng, looking through the glass at a precision centrifuge and several specially made constant-temperature incubators inside.

"We have synthesized the special solution you requested exactly according to the formula," he said, his expression turning serious. "The entire synthesis process was carried out strictly according to the formula and patented procedure you provided. From the derivation of the molecular formula to the application of the underlying logic, and even the temperature control and the ratio of the polypeptide chain catalyst, there has not been the slightest deviation."

He handed a thick quality inspection report to Li Wei with both hands, "This is the final product. Its physicochemical properties, molecular structure, and basic reactions in some animal experiments are completely consistent with the theoretical effects marked on the materials you provided."

"You even conducted live experiments?" Li Wei asked without looking up as he flipped through the report. "How were the results?"

"Since this needs to be perfectly reproduced, we definitely need to conduct multi-dimensional comparisons," the person in charge quickly explained, afraid that Li Wei would think they were creating unnecessary trouble.

"Besides molecular-level comparisons, the most intuitive method is the basic in vivo mouse test, which is mainly to verify whether its biological activity is consistent with the original data you provided. Rest assured, this is an extremely basic and compliant procedure."

Chen Haisheng stepped forward somewhat nervously to explain, "I was watching the inspection from outside the whole time, and it seems there are no problems."

"You can understand it?" Li Wei looked at Chen Haisheng with some surprise, and joked with a smile, "I remember you didn't even go to college, brother."

"I found that the graphics and curves on the computer matched up."

Chen Haisheng scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.

"Very good," Li Wei patted him on the shoulder, "Well done."

"Just take the report out and show it to me," he said, closing the thick test report and handing it to Chen Haisheng. "If there are no problems, I'll take it."

"No problem, please wait a moment."

The person in charge immediately walked to the specially made constant temperature chamber. After double authentication by fingerprint and iris, the sealed door of the constant temperature chamber slowly opened with a soft "hiss" sound, and a white cold air overflowed out.

He put several test tubes filled with pale blue liquid into a sealed box and took them out.

Li Wei took out a test tube and examined it carefully.

Almost the instant his hand touched the test tube, a dialog box popped up in front of him.

[Series Quest: Completion of Ancient Potion]

[Quest Reward: Ancient Magic Potion *1]

You have obtained: Ancient Potion (Alchemy Replica) *1

[Ancient Potion: A lost recipe replicated by an alchemist. In an era before magic disappeared, a high-ranking mage of a certain wizarding tower invented this potion to give his apprentices the mental strength to cast spells and the basic physical strength to move materials. Without the addition of magical ingredients, its effects are slightly diminished.]

[Effects (for first use only): Spirit +1, Constitution +0.2, Strength +0.2, Agility +0.2.]

I grass!

Li Wei's eyes nearly widened in surprise.

A one-time increase of 1.6 points in attributes, and this is still considered a weakened version?

How powerful would it be if it were the full version?

Moreover, even this weakened version of the potion can provide an attribute boost that is almost equivalent to the attribute points he would gain in 17 games during a regular season.

As expected of someone who's been doing this series of tasks for so long, the rewards are truly generous.

If four or five more of them come, they'll be at the peak of Silver Knight, practically half a step into Gold Knight.

Li Wei has released the skull of the "Chatty Court Jester" to see if it has any insightful observations.

The skull of the jester flew out and fluttered up and down right in front of Li Wei's eyes.

Its eyes gleamed with golden light, and it unleashed a gold-level probe on the potion in Li Wei's hand.

Let me see... How many years has it been since I last saw this? 5000 years? Or 8000 years? That's too long, too long.

Look at this Silver Knight before me, so naive and inexperienced. A mere bottle of potion used by apprentices to build their foundation has made his heart race.

The skull mocked Li Wei without restraint, but before Li Wei could mentally shut it up, the red light in the skull's eye sockets suddenly changed, instantly transforming into an extremely fawning expression:

But! Those so-called gods and demons have now turned to withered bones and dust in the wind! And you, my great, valiant, and invincible master! In this age of depleted magic, you have actually forged a path to transcendence! Without a doubt, you will ascend to the supreme throne and become the only true god on this barren land! Hehehe!

This series of horse attacks caught Li Wei off guard. Originally, this skull would mock Li Wei every time it appeared, but for some reason, it had recently started fawning over him, which made Li Wei feel a little uncomfortable at times.

Shut up.

Li Wei suppressed his inner joy and put the test tube back into the shock-absorbing foam.

"Well done," Li Wei nodded, closing his briefcase. "We'll cooperate again if there's an opportunity or need."

"It's our pleasure," the person in charge said with a sigh of relief. "I'll see you out now."

Li Wei picked up the suitcase and turned to leave. As he walked out of the main building, his gaze inadvertently swept over the rows of gilded plaques hanging in the exterior display corridor, which densely listed the laboratory's collaborations with major international pharmaceutical brands and top biotechnology companies.

He nodded to himself, quite satisfied with how reliable Chen Haisheng had been this time.

With tight security, strict adherence to rules, and excellent facilities, the $200 million was definitely well spent.

I got back into the Escalade, and the car smoothly drove into the deep night, speeding back towards Battery City in Manhattan.

When I got back to the apartment, the clock had already struck 4 a.m.

In December, New York City was still asleep in the deep winter night, the skyline outside the window was still an impenetrable darkness, and there was still a long time before sunrise.

Li Wei returned to his bedroom, climbed into the bathroom bathtub, and filled it with water.

Lying in the water, without any hesitation, he unsealed the test tube, tilted his head back, and drank the entire vial of the [Ancient Magic Potion].

As the pale blue liquid slid down his throat, the panel representing the four attributes in front of Li Wei visibly jumped forward.

[Strength: 7.1] - [Strength: 7.3]

[Spirit: 4.0] — [Spirit: 5.0]

Agility: 4.0 - Agility: 4.2

[Constitution: 5.0] - [Constitution: 5.2]

The physical sensations brought about by the improvement in strength, agility, and physique were relatively weak; what he truly felt was his brain.

With his mental attribute jumping from 4.0 to 5.0, he felt that his hearing range, body control, and long-term memory had all improved significantly.

He can now recall not only how many gears Chen Haisheng shifted while driving today, but also the running routes of the opposing team's 22 players on each down in every offensive play during last week's game against the Los Angeles Lightning.

"At this rate of improvement," he muttered optimistically, "it seems I really will eventually become a human supercomputer."

Just as Li Wei was immersed in the wonderful experience of his attribute boost, the [Jester's Skull] not far away flashed red again, automatically triggering a dialogue:

The knight before them consumed the hard-won, low-quality potion.

What a pity, it's such a shame.

Li Wei glared at it with displeasure.

"What's there to regret?" Li Wei asked inwardly.

He was already quite satisfied with the effects of the ancient potion, so he didn't know why the [Jester's Skull] would say it was a pity.