Chapter 442: Invitation

When Zhang Lisheng saw his girlfriend’s frown, he could not help but chuckle. Stroking Tina’s supple golden hair, he said, “Tina, the only pursuit of mine after becoming a wizard is to obtain great omniscient power so that I can enjoy great freedom. All the hardships and obstacles I’m going through, along with the killings and battling that I’m doing, does not give me pain, but it gives me joy instead. You don’t have to look at me like I’m other ordinary men…”

“Baby, we have a gap between culture and gender. If you say something that I don’t understand, you won’t be able to comfort me.”

“Is that so? Let me use the simplest words then.” The young man shrugged. “I’m not like any ordinary men. I don’t care what other men would think if they have a girlfriend like you, but I only know that you’re the most qualified lover in the world in my heart.”

“Aww baby, that is the sweetest affirmation I have ever heard in my life. I love you…” The girl’s disappointment was swept away instantly. She hugged Zhang Lisheng and shouted happily.

The two of them hugged and kissed each other for a while. Without warning, Zhang Lisheng’s phone broke the sweetness in the air.

“It’s Charlie. I haven’t contacted him since I came back. Looks like he must be calling me regularly at this hour,” The young man hastily took his phone out of his pocket and gave it a careful inspection. He shrugged at Tina helplessly and picked up the call. Immediately, Charlie’s startled voice resonated from the phone, “Oh, boss! I finally got in touch with you.”

“Yeah! You really called at the right time…” Zhang Lisheng answered in an odd tone while leaning onto the back of the driver’s seat. “Charlie, let me guess. The reason you keep calling me in haste must be because of the Noah Project, right? Actually, I’m also planning on calling you to tell you to hold onto the plan of making the Shrimp B1 Island into the 51st state.”

“Yes, boss. Right now, Congress has been arguing a lot because of the immigration arrangements of the Noah World, so they really can’t attend to other issues now,” Charlie said, visibly relieved. “There’s another important thing; our LS Group has appeared in the first-batch list of companies the federal government invited to participate in the Noah Project. They provided a two-billion-dollar interest-free five-year loan. They also invited us to build an urban-level ecological slaughterhouse at a scale similar to that of a city with a million population in the first 24 immigrant oases.”

“A scale of a million-population city?” Upon hearing so, Zhang Lisheng calculated sensitively, “24 times one million is equal to 24 million. Just how large is the US population? They want to migrate one-tenth of the population right away on the first batch?”

“Of course, it’s impossible, Boss! Even if they can find more than 20 million US citizens willing to migrate to the Noah World, the federal finances will not be able to afford this level of urban construction. What the government wanted was to build some relatively cheap infrastructure in one go.”

“Ah, I understand now. Okay, Charlie, since the federal government has invited LS Group, let’s do it then! Go get a few experts to calculate how long we could complete this project and call me after that.”

“I’ve calculated it, Boss. The overall project will take about a year, but we can complete the two oases nearest to Earth within four months.”

“Great! By that time, I’ll go and start up the slaughterhouse in Noah World,” Zhang Lisheng casually replied, “Four months? I remember that four months just so happen to be the maturing time for a fast-growing beef cattle. Come to think of it, building a livestock farm in the oases and then slaughtering the said livestock right away on the spot is quite a creative idea. Hopefully, the federal government can get what they wish.”

“Oh, we won’t have cattle there, Boss. I believe that if the immigrants in Noah World wanted to eat meat, then they’ll have to rely on the drought-resistant lambs or camels from the Middle East. Anyway, I won’t bother your time anymore. Please convey my apology to your girlfriend as well. Goodbye!” Charlie chuckled and hung up the phone.

“What a clever old fox!” Zhang Lisheng threw his mobile phone aside and wore his clothes as he smiled at Tina, “Let’s go to the hot spring bath now and go watch a movie later, shall we?”

When the girl heard so, she replied sweetly, “Of course, I only have one request, though. Let’s not have our dinner in a restaurant. We can just go eat some burgers and hot dogs like ordinary couples when we’re hungry later.”

The young man agreed to such a request right away. Just like this, both of them first went to Manhattan’s famous artificial hot spring club, the New York Prism Lake, that was said to be built by imitating the mineral content of the hot springs in Yellowstone National Park. After having a hot bath, they watched three box-office sci-fi films about conquering the demons within the Shrimp World No. 1 in succession while eating popcorn.

When the movie ended, they bought a bunch of burgers, hot dogs, and Coke from the theater hall and chowed down on all the food. Finally, Zhang Lisheng sent Tina back to the only serene countryside villa in the Upper West Side. After kissing Tina goodbye in front of the fence, he watched his girlfriend disappearing into the dark courtyard on a golf cart and ended this perfect date night.

At this time, cold raindrops began to pour down from the sky again. It was already close to midnight, and the young man returned to the SUV. After pondering for a while, he went to the nearest hotel closest to his house to stay, and after having his breakfast in the morning, he quickly went back to his home in Brooklyn.

When the youngest twins, Gill and Harry, of the Lavin Family, who shared the same mother with Zhang Lisheng, went to college, Lili would often be at home alone.

Once she heard the sound of the door opening, she who was busy making minced meat stuffing in the open kitchen looked up. That was when she saw her son that she had not seen for a long time striding into the door. Joyfully, she went up to embrace the young man and kissed his cheeks before saying excitedly, “Baby, you’re back!”

“I’m back, mom!” Zhang Lisheng eagerly replied, “What’s that important thing that you mentioned on the phone?”

“There’s no need to be in such a hurry, baby. Come, sit down first, and I’ll tell you slowly.” Lili took Zhang Lisheng’s hand and walked to the chair in the kitchen table before pressing his shoulder down to ask him to sit. Turning around, she continued what she had left off in the kitchen. “It’s like this, baby. Do you still remember the book that I’ve written about the education of children in new immigrant families?”

“Of course, I remembered that when I advised you to do some charity to kill some of your free time when we last talked about it, you’ve mentioned before that you wanted to write this kind of book. I was planning to help you publish it once you finished writing it and give it to those immigrant families for free.”

“Aww, baby. Thank you for having such a thought! Actually, the book is already published now.” When Lili heard that her son could still remember this matter so well, a happy smile appeared on her face before continuing, “It’s precisely because of the publication of this book that I’ve received an invitation.”

“What invitation?”

“A principal post in a public elementary school.”

“You want to change your job, mom?” Upon hearing this word, Zhang Lisheng’s hoisted heart relaxed right away. Even though he did not show an unconcerned expression on his face, his tone was slightly indifferent, “The chief student advisor of a middle school and a principal of an elementary school? Oh, these two posts are the same, so I think, well, you can just choose according to your preference…”

“Baby, that elementary school is built in the oasis in Noah World,” Lili interrupted her son’s words and said while kneading the dough.

Zhang Lisheng felt taken aback. “Mom, you mean, a government elementary school built in the foreign world is inviting you to become the headmaster? This is too, too strange!”

“What’s so strange about it, baby? I’m an educator who has made great achievements in the education of new immigrant children. Since those who are living in the Noah World’s oases are immigrant families, isn’t it normal for the government to give me such an invitation?”

The young man looked astonished. He carefully pondered upon it and realized that this matter seemed justified. Opening his mouth, he said, “But can you adapt if you move to the Noah World now, mom? That is a desert! You’re already… already…”

After saying two ‘already’s, Zhang Lisheng abruptly came to a realization. Even though he was already 21 years old, his mother was still not even 37 years old yet. Such age could still be called ‘young’ in this modern society, so he could only change his words and said, “How about Uncle Lavin then? What would happen to him if you go to Noah World?”

“With the qualifications of your Uncle Lavin, he can apply to go to the oasis of Noah World to become a town sheriff. I’ve talked to him already, and he’s willing to do so.”

Zhang Lisheng’s opposition to his mother working in an alien world was entirely out of a subconscious instinct. After finding no more reason to oppose, he re-examined the issue. He remembered that Noah World was utterly different from those strange worlds that he had experienced before. Even though the situation was tough, it was relatively safe, so there was no reason for him to object his mother from working there.

Moreover, even if he objected, his mother would not necessarily listen to him too. For this reason, he shrugged and said, “Oh, since this is the case like I’ve said just now, just choose according to what you like, mom… In fact, I think you’ve already made your choice.”

“I’ve indeed made my choice, baby. The work in Lowbige Junior High is no longer challenging to me, while the Noah World’s oasis is a brand new start. Since I was young, I’ve dreamt of becoming an educator like Meryl, who can inspire students to live an enthusiastic life, and I think that it’s my chance now…”

“If you feel that going to work in Noah World is an opportunity to realize your dream, go and capture it, mom!” At this moment, Zhang Lisheng encouraged his mother.

“But baby, if I leave New York, I’m afraid I won’t have as many chances to meet you anymore!” Lili replied with a sad look. “It’s not only you but Stephen, Randy, Riley, Michelle, Gill, and Harry too! I may not even see them once in an entire year!”

“Then keep this house! I’ll send someone to take care of it. You can come back to New York during school holidays, Christmas, and New Year every year.”

“Oh, baby! This is a great idea! Why haven’t I thought of it?!” Lili answered in pleasant surprise.

“I didn’t too. It’s only that yesterday, I was taught that I’d have to look at a problem from different perspectives and learn how to move my brain,” Zhang Lisheng joked.