What It's Like Being a Vampire

Chapter 513: 513

Today, Zhang Qian invited Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhen’er to the meeting room to continue discussing her “new generation social concept”.

Apparently, Zhang Qian had done a lot of research the night before and had accumulated a wealth of new ideas. Not only did she invite the senior management who attended the previous meeting, but she also brought a technician onboard.

Zhang Qian keep going through her plans. At first, she was conservative and only proposed ideas that could be easily actualized. Hoping to generate some discussion with Xiang Kun, she was surprised when her comments were met with responses like “that’s possible”, “no problem”, “I think I can sort this out”, “let’s base it on your ideas”, “this is very creative, keep going”.

As a result, Zhang Qian began to express more ambitious ideas, sharing the various things she had dreamed up while studying abroad, irrespective of any technical constraints.

Unexpectedly, Xiang Kun did not object to any of it. He just accepted it all and indicated that he would definitely consider how to apply the technical part.

Halfway through, Zhang Qian stopped and frowned at Xiang Kun, “Mr. Xiang, are you not listening to what I’m saying at all?”

Xiang Kun was taken aback, with a look of innocent on his face as if to say “how could you say that”. He then began blabbing about something completely unrelated.

Zhang Qian was initially confused, but she quickly looked surprised. Not only she, but also everyone else in the meeting room was surprised because they all realized that Xiang Kun was paraphrasing what Zhang Qian had just said, and he spoke non-stop for nearly a minute.

They weren’t sure if Xiang Kun was repeating things verbatim, but from a content perspective, all were pretty similar to what Zhang Qian had just been explaining. Seeing Xiang Kun repeat it so fluently and naturally, they all felt as if he had managed to memorize every word.

Xiang Kun briefly repeated what Zhang Qian had said for a minute, then laughed and said, “I really was listening, and very seriously at that. You can rest assured. Anyway, just go ahead and share your ideas and plans. As for its technical feasibility, I’ll see what can be done. I’ll go over it again with you later, so please feel free to express your ideas.”

At this point, Zhang Qian felt a bit embarrassed. She laughed awkwardly, complimented Xiang Kun’s exceptional memory and then regrouped her thoughts to continue presenting her plan.

At this moment, Zhang Qian’s assistant, Xiao Nie, walked in carrying hot drinks, intending to place them in front of Tang Baona and Yang Zhen’er who were sitting next to Xiang Kun, but suddenly tripped over a power cord and started to stumble. As she cried out in surprise and the tray tipped to the side…

At the very moment when Xiao Nie tripped over the cable, Xiang Kun naturally stood up, turned half a circle, and extended both hands, each holding a cup.

When Xiao Nie managed to steady herself and turned pale as she looked towards the table, she found that the two cups of hot tea had already been securely placed in front of Tang Baona and Yang Zhen’er by Xiang Kun.

Not only was there no accident about the two getting scalded, but not even a single drop was spilled.

“Xiao Nie! How could you be so careless? You were carrying hot drinks and still acting so recklessly. Also, the power cord on the ground, didn’t we agree on using a cable cover when it’s in the way?” Zhang Qian reprimanded, she too was startled by the incident.

Sweating profusely, Xiao Nie nodded repeatedly and continuously apologized to Tang Baona and the others. Yang Zhen’ er feeling embarrassed, raised her hand and said, “Director Zhang… it’s my phone charging cable. The power socket is under the table on Baona’s side, and I was too lazy to crawl under, so I just plugged it in over the aisle. It’s normal that Xiao Nie didn’t notice it, it was my fault.”

Upon hearing Yang Zhen’ er’s explanation, Zhang Qian couldn’t continue blaming Xiao Nie, not to mention that Tang Baona and Xiang Kun jumped in to defuse the situation. Thus, the issue was put to rest and Zhang Qian resumed going through her PPT presentation.

Xiang Kun noticed that the reactions of the people in the meeting room were vastly different to what had just happened in that instant.

As the one who made the mistake of nearly spilling hot drinks on their important business partner, Xiao Nie was understandably scared. Among the others, Zhang Qian, Tang Baona, and Yang Zhen’er’s attention was focused on Xiao Nie. However, people from “Tengjiao Entertainment” such as Director Lin were looking at Xiang Kun in astonishment, shocked by his swift and effortless actions.

Xiang Kun understood why there were different reactions. When he was with Tang Baona, Yang Zhen’er, and Zhang Qian, he had been subtly showing off his unique abilities. Over time, they had gotten used to his extraordinary behavior, and they were no longer surprised when he easily picked up two cups of hot drinks, protecting Tang Baona and Yang Zhen’er.

For instance, when he accurately repeated what Zhang Qian had just said verbatim, neither Tang Baona nor Yang Zhen’er was surprised–they had come to expect it.

Truth is, he had been distracted while she was speaking–his primary focus was on the documents he had been reading in the early morning hours, contemplating some issues.

Of course, even when his attention was elsewhere and not in the meeting room, he could instinctively remember what Zhang Qian was saying–it wouldn’t affect him at all.

Regardless of what Zhang Qian was discussing right now, whether VR or the broader application of that voice game, Xiang Kun didn’t know much about it, nor did he plan to learn. His main focus now was elsewhere.

He could leave those things to Alice. Later, he could ask Alice to compile information according to Zhang Qian’s ideas and needs, and see how to implement it from hardware to software level, how to land it. If patents were required, how to obtain them, or if the cost of obtaining the patents was too high, how to bypass it, which companies, or which people to cooperate with were the most likely, what preparations needed to be made, etc. He believed that Alice could handle all this.

Alice now was like a continually flowing waterfall. If not guided, the water would spread out in all directions, as there would be no difference in gradient. If she were guided, however, she could advance rapidly in a particular direction.

As long as Xiang Kun gave Alice clear requirements or set tasks, Alice, who was already raring to go, would immediately turn into a surging wave, enclosing all information and equipments in relevant fields, learning quickly, integrating resources, and creating targeted “special tools” to better complete tasks.

Alice was recording information through the meeting room’s audio equipment, so even if Xiang Kun didn’t hear or remember Zhang Qian’s concept clearly, Alice could summarize it for him later, and then he could arrange tasks according to the specific situation.

Xiang Kun’s main strategy was to strengthen himself and improve his overall abilities, including the expansion of the “super sensory item system,” and better interpretation of “super sensory information”. The most efficient and direct way to do this was to deploy as many “super-connected objects” and “emotion infused objects” as possible.

The previous discovery of the “second level network of emotion-infused objects” led Xiang Kun to realize the likelihood of bestowing “minorly connected, emotion-infused object characteristics” on deeply affected people through emotional projection.

However, due to the unique fear emotions of the “eight-armed, eight-eyed wood carving,” Xiang Kun didn’t want to use it too frequently and lightly. If he wanted to create larger emotional effects and generate more “Connectors,” he would have to use more ordinary and gentle emotional types.

As for “super-connected objects,” after being influenced by “little fatty girl”‘s “wrathful thunder” and consciously sensing it during his period of sleep, his understanding and control over “super sensory information” and “super-connected objects” deepened significantly.

He attempted to join forces with Alice to record cognitive changes in target objects while establishing “super sensory contact” in a “super sensory state.” After Alice had enough variation in information, she could create a model for an object to establish “super-connected objects.”

In the past, he had wanted to see the changes in cognitive information during the process of establishing “super sensory contact,” but whether he was concentrating on establishing “super sensory contact” or completing the establishment of “super sensory contact” during his blood-drinking sleep, he wasn’t able to enter the “super sensory state” to observe cognitive information.

But now, with Alice as the “third party,” who can directly observe at the “super sensory information” level when he’s unable to focus or enter the “super sensory state,” it makes this approach possible.

If this method proved successful, as long as “super-connected objects” were placed somewhere, Alice could establish “super sensory contact” with all objects within the influence range that were in Xiang Kun’s “super-connected object database,” such as standard coins, tissues, marbles, screws, etc. After Xiang Kun finished his blood-drinking sleep, they would all become “super-connected objects.”

All Xiang Kun had to do was find new standard units to link, master the linking methods, include them in the “super-connected object database,” and Alice could continuously establish contact with all standard units within the “super-connected object” deployment range, generating more “super-connected objects,” spreading to more places like a super photocopier.

If they were able to achieve this, it would be perfect for Xiang Kun. He would only need to figure out how to link standard items found everywhere, and Alice could help him establish the specific “super sensory contact”.

However, whether it will come to fruition still depends on the results of Alice’s analysis of cognitive information after the next Blood-drinking Period.

Regardless of the outcome, Xiang Kun is considering venturing into the physical manufacturing industry, focusing on simple, standardized products, and trying his best to sell them in as many places as he can, distributing them across the widest range possible.

If he could make every place like Chongyun Village, filled with his “Super-connected Objects” and “Emotion Infused Objects”, he would be more confident no matter who his opponent was.

These “Super-connected Objects” and “Emotion Infused Objects” were like tactical weapons he had deployed. The more he had, the stronger his firepower, and the safer he felt. Moreover, these “tactical weapons” could evolve as he did, improving as his abilities improved, with direct OTA online upgrades!

Zhang Qian kept talking non-stop until half past twelve noon. She only stopped when she noticed Tang Baona and Yang Zhen Er looking tired, and brought them to have lunch. As for Xiang Kun, he looked very attentive and energized throughout, but did not engage in any substantive discussions. He accepted all the concepts she mentioned, even those that made her feel uneasy and unsure of herself.

During lunch, Zhang Qian didn’t talk about her social empire dream anymore but discussed the case of the Little Fatty Girl’s father.

The place where Little Fatty Girl’s father was arrested was not far from Pengcheng City. Shiling’s Mom had already gone there, so Xiang Kun had previously asked Zhang Qian to arrange for someone to look after the matter, find a lawyer familiar with the relevant field, understand the specific situation, and see if there’s a possibility of a lenient sentence.

As it turns out, after the police consulted with the prosecutor’s office for an early intervention and conducted relevant investigations, it seems that Shiling’s dad’s actions fall under “justifiable self-defense”.

In this case, it basically will not go to court, and the case will be dismissed soon.

Xiang Kun breathed a sigh of relief. He had been quite worried that Shiling’s dad might be sentenced for intentional homicide or excessive defense. Although he had no fondness for this man, he had to consider the impact on Little Fatty Girl’s growth if her dad went to jail. So, this outcome was the best possible.

Xiang Kun said, “Once they are released, I will ask for their opinions. If they agree, I would like them to move directly to Pengcheng. The living environment and educational resources here are good. Then, I will need your help to arrange a job for them again. It doesn’t have to be at your company, anywhere else will do.” He did not make a fuss with Zhang Qian. After all, he knew that what he was going to do in the future would bring her great benefits. He will repay her in other ways.

“No problem,” Zhang Qian replied succinctly.

Although she didn’t quite understand what the relationship was between Xiang Kun and that couple, the fact that Xiang Kun asked her for a favor was, in her view, a good sign of their ongoing successful collaboration.

Through this couple, she could try to find clues to the secrets that Xiang Kun may be hiding.

Yes, the more they collaborate, the more they interact, the more she feels that there are more secrets about Xiang Kun.

Clearly, Xiang Kun’s background and other information are all obvious, with no particularly special traits. But once you interact with him, there is a sense of mystery and peculiarity.

“Oh, right, Mr. Xiang, last time you visited Pengcheng, didn’t you meet with my brother? What did you guys talk about?” Zhang Qian suddenly asked curiously.

“We didn’t talk about much. We discussed a bit about health preservation,” Xiang Kun said. “What’s up?”

“My mom told me that since that day, my brother moved back home. He gets up before sunrise every day, sits meditatively in the yard facing the east, eats only rice and vegetables, avoids meat completely, has dinner before six every evening and goes to bed before eight. He stopped using his phone, even started learning Tai Chi, and plays chess with the old men in the neighborhood. My mom thought he was renouncing the world, but when asked, he always said he was just recuperating,” Zhang Qian explained exasperatedly.

To be honest, when Zhang Qian first heard about Zhang Chu’s peculiar behavior from her mother, her first reaction was “what in the world is he up to this time?”

But a month has since passed, and Zhang Chu hasn’t left their apartment complex. He consistently maintains a lifestyle akin to the ancients. This drove Zhang Qian to question whether her older brother was having some sort of mental breakdown.

A few days ago, she went home and saw him. His complexion was much improved. Eating a vegetarian diet for over a month had actually made him gain weight. His complexion had also noticeably brightened.

He kept mumbling something about “lacking fifty-some days” but refrained from explaining what that meant.

Zhang Qian couldn’t help wondering if Xiang Kun had said something to him when she heard that Zhang Chu’s bizarre behavior began shortly after meeting Xiang Kun.

“So has his health improved?” Xiang Kun asked.

“Indeed, it has improved quite a bit,” Zhang Qian admitted.

“In that case, there’s nothing to worry about. I did indeed suggest to him that he should maintain his body in such a manner,” Xiang Kun confessed openly.

“How… how did you manage to do that?” asked Zhang Qian in surprise. She knows her brother Zhang Chu too well; if only a word or two could make him so obedient, she wouldn’t have gotten frustrated with him to the point of using a wrist twist cross lock previously.

“I just told him that his sister calls me a fortune teller, so he should believe me.” Xiang Kun replied half-jokingly.

“Just like that?” Zhang Qian was skeptical.

“If you don’t believe it, you can ask your brother.” Xiang Kun replied with an innocent expression.

After lunch, Zhang Qian had Xiang Kun and the others sent back to their hotel to rest before continuing the meeting in the afternoon.

As they got out of the car and walked into the hotel lobby, Yang Zhen’er excitedly said, “Brother Xiang, your last visit to Zhang Qian’s brother was to deal with trouble, wasn’t it?”

“Why do you say that?” Xiang Kun asked.

“Absolutely! He must have been threatened by you, forced to sleep early, rise early, and even eat vegetarian meals, drink water, and practice Tai Chi!” Yang Zhen’er replied, her eyes sparkling.

Tang Baona laughed at the side, “What kind of person threatens others to sleep early, rise early, eat vegetables, drink water, and practice Tai Chi?”

Yang Zhen’er seriously replied, “Brother Xiang is that kind of person! More than that, this method is vicious, you know? Nana, how about you try waking up early, sleeping early, eating a vegetarian diet, drinking water, and practicing Tai Chi, starting today?”

“Why would I wake up early, sleep early, eat vegetables, drink water, and practice Tai Chi… Wait, why does this sentence suddenly sound strange?” Tang Baona couldn’t help laughing.

“Brother Xiang, tell me if I’m right!” Yang Zhen’er turned to look at Xiang Kun.

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