Chapter 578

Chapter 578: Going After Lockheed

Unlike Qi Fei, Lin Mo has the backing of the country, even amidst the worst troubles.

Even if a fighter jet worth nearly a hundred million dollars crashes, the military just issues a memo, not batting an eye, and simply replaces it.

Ordinary citizens struggle to save every penny, and their entire life’s work can’t even compare to the loss of equipment discarded by high-tech troops in the blink of an eye.

Qi Fei, who has worked hard to build her own success, faces a different reality. While any profit is hers, any loss directly impacts her with no place to seek reimbursement.

"Forget it, it’s not worth much. I have good news!"

Qi Fei waved her hand magnanimously. Her passion for cosplay allowed her to become the captain of the team that once brought Lin Mo along, demonstrating her deep commitment.

"Good news?" Only then did Lin Mo notice the smile on Qi Fei’s face, as if she were celebrating a great business deal.

The Dragon Knight indeed guessed correctly, but Qi Fei had clinched more than just one big deal.

"Of course! The good news is that the cosplay performance was a resounding success! Not only did it not flop, we also signed collaboration agreements with six companies."

Qi Fei appeared extremely delighted. Last night, she had contacted her assistant and found out that Lin Mo had knocked over several cosplay performers and a large double-sided display screen during the event, yet the audience and performers erupted in thunderous applause, as if Lin Mo had treated them to an incredible battle performance.

Even though the scene was in disarray, it was hard to fathom the American mindset—rather than being scared or booing, they cheered instead.

Perhaps because of a latent thrill-seeking nature, the Americans viewed the unexpected chaos as a "surprise" performance, leaving everyone in awe. After all, the weapons and battles were completely real; wasn’t the goal of cosplay to strive for realism?

The classic theme of a hero saving a beauty is forever favored by Europeans, an everlasting motif in Hollywood films—a constant in American culture.

When real combat and genuine surreal equipment appeared before them, all the spectators and performers immediately erupted into excitement.

Moreover, the owners and representatives of the companies expressing interest in collaboration recognized the unique craftsmanship of the Moonlit Lotus Design Center. Even though the female owner was taken away and hadn’t resurfaced, it didn’t stop them from extending olive branches to the employees of Moonlit Lotus.

Once Qi Fei contacted the staff still in Los Angeles and received this news, she was overjoyed. China earned renminbi while America offered green dollars, and given China’s low labor costs, her profits would significantly surpass those of their American counterparts.

"Furthermore, the Father Will we met yesterday also has business to hand over to Moonlit Lotus. Without you, I might not have landed such a big project. This is going to make a fortune!"

Not only that, but this morning, Qi Fei also unexpectedly received a call from the priest at the church across the hotel, asking to collaborate on a business project.

Oh my! That was a gift of business!

Qi Fei never imagined her unintentional business card would yield such an extraordinary project. The nature of work within a religious industry can be challenging to earn, but once it opens up, it means a steady stream of projects.

The religious sector is hard to enter due to high barriers, as they often avoid commercial companies that deal with religious promotion—strict selections exist for any hiring, fearing that a misstep could have severe consequences.

Yet, once the door is opened, it’s an acknowledgment from the entire religious community, signaling a potential for a continuous flow of contracts.

Perhaps Qi Fei’s luck was finally changing with the hardships she endured alongside Lin Mo—her business was far from failing and seemed poised for a turnaround.

If given the chance again, Qi Fei would still unhesitatingly stand by Lin Mo’s side, even without any benefits.

After receiving the call from Father Will at the church, Qi Fei began to consider whether to set up a branch in America to handle business dealings, marking the first step for a Chinese company toward internationalization.

An international design company—just imagining that impressive title made her want to smile in her sleep.

Design companies thrive on intellect, with huge profit margins; once an opportunity arises, growth can be rapid.

"Great! Congratulations!"

Lin Mo hadn’t expected it to turn out this way; perhaps it was the special favor of Lady Luck.

When God closes a door, He always opens another one.

"How about it? Do you want to join me in this endeavor? We could split the earnings fifty-fifty!" Qi Fei still hadn’t forgotten her playful antics, and to be fair, such a description was indeed quite fitting.

"No, no! I still have things I enjoy doing. I’m not good at any of this you’re talking about. Please just let me do what I’m skilled at, like eating and, you know, killing!" Lin Mo waved his hand, shouldering the giant sword, while the hotel security watched in fear, worried this human tank might crack the floor with a single step.

"How about I invest some money? If you’re expanding internationally, your company must be short on cash, right?"

Lin Mo continued, feeling he owed Qi Fei a big favor and needed to repay her somehow for her unwavering support.

"Sure! How much can you offer?" Qi Fei wasn’t just concerned about the money; she had her own agenda.

"Um, thirty million? How does that sound?" Lin Mo calculated. Aside from paying off the recent bill for the “monstrous” parts, he had thirty million yuan in cash at his disposal, though about five million of that was earmarked for the gold giant dragon’s needs this year.

Anyway, Gold Coin wasn’t around, so Lin Mo brazenly made personal use of the company funds.

"You have that much? You didn’t steal it, did you?"

Qi Fei’s eyes widened in disbelief. Was this pilot suddenly rich enough to steal a spaceship? She had worked hard to build the Moonlit Lotus Design Center, and its net asset was barely around ten million. Lin Mo casually mentioned thirty million, which simply shocked her.

"Well, I don’t have that much cash on me right now, but I’ll have it soon." Lin Mo turned his head and saw outside the hotel’s glass wall, exposing a white smile as he chuckled coldly, then rushed out with the giant sword in tow.

……

"Yes, yes, Ms. Aniko! I will find a way! Please hold on just a little longer, and I promise to treat you to coffee. Thank you so much, you’re so understanding!"

Mitch Friedman, the head of Lockheed Operations, was in a panic as he continued to deal with calls from headquarters, which kept demanding answers. His lack of progress was sending him into a frenzy.

Laboratory 41 kept having issues, the security department couldn’t escape blame, and despite the responsibility falling on them, the action department bore the brunt of the heat, trapped between life and death.

They had to investigate the problems thoroughly and clean up after the security department. Even with generous compensation, it wasn’t a good position to be in, since they were the only ones authorized for external operations. If something went wrong, who else would they turn to? Reconnaissance and retaliation were all on their shoulders.

Recently, the action department had nearly turned into just a small division under them: the investigation department, which had mobilized everyone, even hiring many "temporary workers" to fully track down the whereabouts of the "Fenrir" alloy.

Now, the loss of combat mechanical soldiers from Laboratory 41 added fuel to the fire, leaving Mitch Friedman in dire straits.

Mitch turned to his secretary, Michelle Wayne, saying, "Think of a way, Michelle. Look for any familiar connections you might have. Tell them money isn’t an issue; if we can locate the ‘Fenrir,’ we’ll pay any price."

Deep down, Mitch believed Lin Mo knew something about the "Fenrir," as Lockheed was merely an arms dealer, always a step behind on intelligence gathering, and that delay had already changed everything.

Plus, given the particular official status of the other party and the lack of cooperation from the CIA, they couldn’t act freely. A few days ago, when they intercepted that guy outside the hotel, several of his subordinates ended up in jail, and even Mitch received a stern warning, which left Lockheed in a bind.

So far, even the CIA didn’t know that the Chinese who nearly returned the "Fenrir" alloy got intercepted midway, resulting in a complete waste of efforts with nothing to gain.

"Boss, look! That guy! It’s him!" Michelle Wayne suddenly turned pale, pointing toward the hotel entrance. "He’s coming! Oh my God, what’s he holding?" Her eyes nearly popped out as if she saw something terrifying.

"Huh? Oh God!" Mitch Friedman recognized the same guy they were after, coming straight out of the hotel. When he saw what the person was holding, he instantly realized they were less than fifty meters away from the hotel entrance.

"Run!"

Nobody knew who shouted first, but everyone saw the giant sword in Lin Mo’s hands, and they were all struck with fear. That guy was there for revenge! If that huge sword struck them, it would turn them into minced meat in an instant.

Although Lockheed’s action department had its share of outlaws, they certainly didn’t want to die so quickly.

"Think you can run? Not that easily!"

Lin Mo sneered as he began to swing the giant sword through the air. Although he didn’t have enough Battle Energy, he still knew a few tricks.