Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

But as for older men dating younger women...

Did she just ask for my identity?

Tsk.....

Kal'tsit gritted her teeth and clicked her tongue. After all that talk, it turns out that the old bull was actually herself?

She knew the noble ladies around her meant no harm, but the words, once they entered Kal'tsit's mind, increasingly sounded like veiled insults and sarcastic remarks. However, it didn't matter. Her pure Riddler blood allowed her to remain calm and composed in the face of anything; a few unintentional words couldn't disturb her clear and unwavering mind!

not to mention.....

"No, no, no, you've misunderstood. My... cough cough... he's not as bad as you say." But he was right about being a womanizer. "He's very young, only in his early twenties, even a tiny bit younger than me..."

Kal'tsit feigned a standard, gossipy smile, her masterful facial control even allowing the ladies to discern a hint of nonchalance, a touch of joy, and a dash of smugness on her face.

Kal'tsit remained perfectly calm, without the slightest fluctuation in her emotions! She knew very well that this was merely helping Princess Theresa protect her fiancé's social reputation. The woman before her was a prominent noblewoman in Colombia, and if she didn't explain herself, Wayne would likely never be able to hold his head high in Colombian high society again.

Upon hearing Kal'tsit's description, the noblewomen exchanged glances and exclaimed in surprise:

"So you are Mrs. Veen, the wife of a young man. You are so accomplished! You are so accomplished!"

What's going on? Why do I feel like I was still being scolded?

A strange feeling came from the mysterious East, as if the phrase "young and promising" had become a derogatory term that was not very harmful but extremely insulting, making Kal'tsit feel a sense of unease for no reason.

This is strange. Using language and rhythm to make the enemy uncomfortable—isn't this a special Originium technique that only top-tier casters in Letania can do? When did the Colombians secretly learn this trick?

Shaking her head to shake off the vague sense of shame, Kal'tsit thought for a moment and decided that she shouldn't just sit idly by.

Wayne was still working hard to gather intelligence about Rhine Lab at the shareholders' meeting. She couldn't just sit there like a vase. Although the plan had encountered some unexpected problems, she still had to play her part and be a knight in shining armor.

Let's start by targeting these ladies who are extremely gossipy.

Kal'tsit, lost in thought, flashed her standard business smile, and an aura honed over the years instantly emanated from her, seemingly forming an aura around her. She began to speak in a standard Lontinem accent, her every gesture displaying impeccable aristocratic manners. Her erudite conversation, coupled with well-placed humor and romance, perfectly complemented her uniquely unconventional women's suit. The dashing masculinity and the allure of her beauty combined harmoniously, and soon, she became the center of attention in this gossip circle.

"Dear Madam, you see, you've asked me so many questions. Isn't it my turn to get to know you better?"

........

The shareholders' meeting has concluded.

Actually, the meeting ended half an hour ago, and the open Q&A session was mostly Wayne asking questions to Director Henry. He's becoming increasingly interested in this "unique" Rhine Lab, and he even feels that if he puts in the effort, he could try to guide this Rhine Lab, which hasn't gone astray, onto the same path as Rhodes Island.

Director Henry was also pleased to see this young major shareholder gradually develop a real interest in Rhine Life and become involved in the company's development, so he answered questions without any perfunctory attitude and told Wayne everything in detail.

This even includes information that Rhine Labs is attempting to contact the military, replace Loken Tank, and formally become a giant corporation spanning both the military and political spheres. This saves Wayne the trouble of having Unicorn conduct reconnaissance.

After all, during this period, Wayne chose to enter Columbia in a high-profile manner to make Rhine Lab take the blame. Any politician in the Federal Parliament who isn't a fool would definitely order the military to increase vigilance, which would inevitably cause trouble for Unicorn's operations. It's a double-edged sword. Ideally, of course, it's best to avoid using official force for covert intervention until the very last moment.

Wien estimated that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, by the end of this technology expo, Rhine Life should have accumulated enough capital to replace Loken Water Tank and become the giant in Columbia.

Thinking about it this way, the Pulitzer Prize-winning operation gained another benefit. After all, striking the enemy is equivalent to strengthening oneself. As a shareholder, Wayne was naturally more pleased to see his company establish connections with the military. That way, wouldn't Prince Victoria, as the Prince of Columbia, have easy access to all sorts of classified Colombian military intelligence and research directions?

The meeting concluded with great satisfaction. Wayne waved goodbye to Henry, the executive director who had left a very good impression on him. Although this director seemed a bit stubborn and rigid, he was undoubtedly a qualified manager who was loyal to the company and dedicated to his work. Rhine Life's upper management had good judgment in choosing him as executive director, ensuring the success of this expo.

After all, the Pulitzer journalists they were most worried about weren't targeting them at all.

The surrounding soundproof light barriers (this was the first time Wayne had ever seen such high-tech gadgets) dissipated, and the waiter, very punctually, stood guard at the exit, bowing and extending his hand to the shareholders exiting the conference room, asking for permission:

"Gentlemen, the ladies are enjoying dessert in the lounge. Please follow me."

Wayne originally intended to leave directly, since he had no family, but he suddenly remembered that Kal'tsit had pretended to be his wife and ended up getting into the room without being able to speak up. He then stopped with interest, went back, and followed the waiter toward the lounge.

Actually, he didn't have any expectations. Given Kal'tsit's personality, she definitely wouldn't be able to connect with those wealthy ladies. Wayne could already picture her sitting alone by the window in the lounge, overlooking the bustling steel jungle of Columbia through the floor-to-ceiling windows, propping her head up with her hand, silently turning the pages of a profound philosophy book.

Human joys and sorrows are not shared; Kal'tsit only found their noise bothersome. "A beautiful woman dwells in the north, aloof and independent," that's roughly the sentiment.

But isn't Kal'tsit quite pleasing to the eye like this?

Let's go, let's see what Kal'tsit is doing.

Upon arriving at the lounge, the waiter gently pushed open the door, seemingly trying to conceal the fact that someone had arrived. As the door opened, laughter immediately filled the soundproof lounge.

"Kal'tsit, Kal'tsit, it's my turn. Ask me anything, but on the condition that..."

"Are you going to make demands of me, ma'am? You've already eaten two grapes today, which is enough for your sugar intake. Eating more will make you fat."

"It's okay, the doctor said I can take three pills a day!"

"But if I feed you, won't your blood sugar spike? I'm worried. Please allow me to postpone this question for now, and I'll make it up to you next time we meet."

Kal'tsit smiled, took off her white gloves, picked up a grape from the fruit plate with her delicate hand, waved it in front of a noblewoman who looked to be in her thirties, and put it in her mouth.

The woman was immediately captivated and agreed, "Ask away, ask away! No conditions required."

Witnessing everything before him, even Wayne was almost stunned, instinctively calling out twice, "...Kal'tsit, Kal'tsit?"

But Kal'tsit replied without turning her head, "It's not your turn yet, please wait a moment. Even games need to follow the rules."

Wayne's face was flushed, almost as if he couldn't hold back his smile. With lightning speed, he pulled out his phone, forgetting to turn off the flash, and launched a deadly ten-shot spree at Kal'tsit. Then, taking advantage of her unpreparedness, he quickly forwarded all the photos to Miss [Goodnight].

A few seconds later, as Kal'tsit suddenly raised her head, her ears perked up almost like they were about to explode, and her pupils contracted sharply as she turned her head, there was Theresa's echo on Wayne's phone.

Two simple but vivid words plus a special symbol:

Wow~

Chapter Fifteen: Kelsey's Theory of Happiness (4000 words)

Kal'tsit returned to the hotel, carrying a taxi under the blazing sun. Her head was hunched the whole time, her face shifting between absent-mindedness and blush. Anyone who didn't know better would think that Wayne had done something heinous that had ruined Kal'tsit.

In fact, it's wrong to slander Wayne like this. As a qualified husband and gossip enthusiast, isn't it normal for Wayne to forward gossip about his wife's best friend to his wife? Don't like it? If you don't like it, you can come and be my wife. I don't mind, Kal'tsit.

Fully embodying the philosophy of "Let them fight, let's get married," Wayne received a heartfelt gaze from Kal'tsit, though this affection might not necessarily be for a good reason.

"Are you sure you won't come with me to see that client?"

Wayne asked curiously.

Kal'tsit, already seated in the car, rolled down the window, her large, watery eyes fixed on Wayne, and said through gritted teeth:

"Don't go!"

She dared not stay near Wayne for even a second longer. Although Wayne's words and actions seemed unreliable, everything always unfolded in the direction he predicted. Every time Kal'tsit tried to target him, it felt like punching cotton—she couldn't exert any force. This was definitely not because she felt sorry for the lion and couldn't bring herself to do it.

Conversely, every time Wayne targeted her, he always managed to deliver a fatal blow, almost always striking her weak points, leaving Kal'tsit utterly helpless. For some reason, as if she had developed a knack for being hit, she would unconsciously reveal her weaknesses. For example, this time, she unwittingly exposed the fact that she was actually Terra's top-tier wrench, a fact that Theresa found out about, resulting in her immediate social humiliation.

After everything that has happened, Kal'tsit now has a premonition that if she continues to stay by Vayne's side, Vayne will eventually throw her off balance!

No, that's not right... How could the composure I, a thousand-year-old lynx spirit, cultivate be broken by a mere twenty-something-year-old cat like you? How could someone I've never met, someone who, in theory, couldn't possibly know me at all, so accurately pinpoint my weakness (referring to Theresia) and so easily render me helpless (referring to sending the photos to Theresia so Kal'tsit couldn't steal the phone and delete the photos)!

This doesn't make sense. First, we can rule out that Vayne possesses some kind of precognitive ability, allowing her to know about Kal'tsit's situation in advance. Then we can rule out when Vayne leaked information about her or her weaknesses. Therefore, there's only one answer—Vayne must have known about her a long time ago!

In other words, the possibility that he is of the same kind has increased.

Kal'tsit always liked to discern the essence of things from the smallest details. After a long period of observation, she became increasingly able to perceive the subtle clues in Wayne's every move that revealed his extraordinary understanding of her. All of this indicated to her that her judgment might be wrong, and that Wayne might, very likely, be a guardian of the earth who, like herself, was not an immortal being, but an immortal being.

The only question is whether Kal'tsit is willing to accept this reality.

Kal'tsit gazed at Wayne's face with a complicated expression for a while, and after much hesitation, she still didn't ask the almost ultimate question, "Are you one of my kind?"

They have plenty of time; she has ample opportunity to find the answer to this question herself. Besides, even if she asked now, would Wayne necessarily answer?

Kal'tsit wasn't so sure. After all, if he was indeed one of her kind, then this man had chosen a completely different path from hers. If she were to question him now, expose him, and uncover the truth about the ancient soul beneath the body called Wayne, she might not only fail to gain the acceptance of this only kindred spirit, but would also anger him.

Forcing herself to calm down and suppressing the emotions that had been turbulent for thousands of years but had recently surged within her, Kal'tsit rolled up the car window and, before leaving, gave a brief, understated reminder:

"Come back early after you've finished your business, I'll save some food for you."

Wayne raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on his lips, and nodded.

"clear."

Watching Kal'tsit's taxi drive away, Wayne couldn't help but feel a little emotional. Compared to when they first met, when Kal'tsit was so wary, she was much gentler now.

She cooks meals and waits for her husband to come home from work—what a model of a virtuous wife and loving mother!

Don't worry, Kal'tsit, even if it's just tonight to get a free meal, I'll make sure I get home on time.

Wayne reached out and hailed a car, ready to head straight to the agreed meeting place: 33 Simpson Avenue, to Ed's Cafe, to get into position.

The weather in Colombia was a bit hot, but thankfully the air conditioning in the car was quite cool. With nothing else to do, Wayne took out his phone and decided to chat with Theresa for a while.

Theresa, who had just received the Kal'tsit Heavy Industries production line work records from Wayne, was changing clothes to go to the restaurant to have dinner with Vina. She had just taken off her usual white dress and was about to put on a more formal Victorian aristocratic evening gown when her phone lit up again.

Theresa blinked, picked up her phone, looked at the message Wayne had sent, "What are you doing?", thought for a moment, then raised her phone, turned on the camera, made a "V" sign next to her cheek, sent a selfie, and added the text, "Changing clothes, getting ready to eat."

When Wayne, who hadn't received a message yet, saw that Theresa had finally replied, he opened the message with a calm mind. The next second, he suddenly covered his nose.

"What's wrong, sir? Are you feeling unwell?"

The driver in the front seat noticed the blood seeping between Wayne's fingers through the rearview mirror and asked worriedly. Wayne quickly shook his head:

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I'm just a little feverish from not being used to the water and soil. I'll be fine after drinking some hot water."

He quickly saved the selfie that Theresa had sent him—a selfie that, while revealing nothing, was all the more exciting because of the subtle glimpses—and then replied:

Wow~

Theresa sent a shy and smiling emoji:

"It's not quite that 'wow~', is it? You send me a picture of Kal'tsit, and I'll send you mine. It's fair. Just remember not to let Kal'tsit see it."

"understand!"

This kind of thing definitely won't be given to the lynx, at least not for free. Want to see it? Not convinced? Well, like I just said, if you're not convinced, you can become my wife. I don't mind, Kal'tsit.

"You should be having dinner by now, right?" Theresa asked with concern.

“Terra has a time difference, and it’s not dinner time yet, Theresa,” Wayne explained.

However, to Wayne's surprise, Theresa actually asked:

What is time difference?

I don't know about the time difference... Could it be that Kal'tsit was telling the truth? Did they really not know that Terra was round?

This is quite interesting. With this level of technological development, they don't even know the Earth is round? That's incredibly absurd. If I had to put it another way, it feels like a kind of civilizational abrupt change.

Wayne gave Theresa a brief explanation of time zones, time differences, and information about the Earth's rotation and revolution. While putting on her evening gown and looking at the information, Theresa seemed to only partially understand, and exclaimed in surprise:

"Even Mr. Bruce said so? I thought only Kal'tsit knew these things."

Actually, this isn't really a secret, at least not in Wayne's mind.

"It's okay, it's alright if you didn't understand. I'll teach you slowly when I get back to China. Then Theresa will have to call me teacher."