Chapter Thirty-Two: The Shooting

After winning fifty million dollars and dealing a heavy blow to the Black Dragon Society’s top fighter, Wei Hua was in high spirits. He knew all too well the extent of Yagyu Gon’s injuries; it was likely that Yagyu would spend the rest of his days confined to a wheelchair. Wei Hua already had plans for the fifty million he’d won. Now, he was considering how to expand into real industry. In his previous life, Wei Hua had heard a saying: first-class enterprises set the rules of the game; second-class enterprises merely play by them. The seventies were an era of rapid advances in electronic technology—how could Wei Hua possibly let such an opportunity slip by? The MPEG-1 technology consortium had yet to be established, and this was a massive market. If Wei Hua could master those technologies now, he could one day become a world-famous tycoon simply by collecting royalties. All the technical data was stored in the biocomputer’s archives. Though some of the information was incomplete, with Wei Hua’s guidance, these new technologies and patents would soon see the light of day.

With the help of Jessie and the other two women, Wei Hua invested his winnings in a plot of land in what would later become Silicon Valley, planning to set up a wholly-owned private tech laboratory, which he named Changbai Technology Laboratory. He began recruiting electronics scientists from around the world. Every research project within the lab would proceed under Wei Hua’s direction, and he would also prepare certain materials for the scientists he hired. With the information Wei Hua provided, research in the lab would no doubt progress swiftly. A professional manager was hired to run the day-to-day operations, as Wei Hua did not yet have the time to manage the lab himself—though he was certain he would take the reins personally in the future.

Just as preparations for the laboratory were beginning to take shape, Wei Hua was discussing the upcoming arrangements for Changbai Technology Laboratory with the three women in the boardroom of Excellence Private Investment Company. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his head, and an unfamiliar voice rang out in his mind:

“The host is in danger. A high-velocity object is approaching the host and may cause harm. Initiating deep fusion! Activating protection protocol!”

As the voice faded, a sudden burst of blue light exploded from Wei Hua’s body. At that very moment, a large-caliber sniper bullet shattered the glass and struck Wei Hua’s body. The floor-to-ceiling window splintered with a crash, glass falling everywhere. Wei Hua lost consciousness. Jessie, Mary, and Celine were also temporarily blinded by the blue flash, which seemed to have other effects as well, for like Wei Hua, they too fainted. When other company staff rushed into the boardroom at the sound of breaking glass, the blue glow had vanished, and the sniper bullet had embedded itself in the office wall.

Seeing the scene, the employees immediately called the police. The officers, upon arrival, sent Wei Hua and the three women to the hospital before quickly surveying the scene and departing. The investigating officer explained to the company staff: someone had fired a sniper rifle from the building opposite into the boardroom, but it seemed the shooter’s aim had been off, as the bullet hadn’t struck anyone. Wei Hua remained inexplicably comatose in the hospital. During this time, the three women regained consciousness one after another, but none of them seemed to remember the bizarre blue light that had burst from Wei Hua. On hearing that Wei Hua had almost been hit by a bullet and was still unconscious, the three of them hurried to his hospital room to stay by his side.

The three women sat in silence, watching over the comatose Wei Hua—a man much younger than themselves, yet one who had brought them both spiritual and physical joy. This young man had become irreplaceable in their lives. At this thought, Mary glanced at Jessie and Celine and spoke:

“We should have had this conversation long ago. Perhaps you two haven’t realized it, but I now know that I can’t live without Wei Hua. Spiritually and physically, I can’t give him up, and I suspect you feel the same. But if we keep going as we are, we’ll lose him. You’ve noticed Sakura Kinoshita, haven’t you? She’s beautiful and understands Wei Hua’s way of thinking—she’s an Easterner and has been influenced by Chinese culture. She might become his kindred spirit. When that happens, where will we stand? Just his business partners? Could you accept that? I’ve studied Chinese culture recently, and it’s fascinating. Chinese men can have several wives—we could all be Wei Hua’s wives. If we unite, he’ll be ours. If we keep fighting, we’ll lose him. What will you choose?”

“Mary, Jessie! I’ve thought about it too. Wei Hua is a mysterious man—he’s still young, but when he comes of age, he’s bound to be someone great. Isn’t there a saying that behind every successful man stands countless women? Wei Hua will have many women around him in the future; even if he doesn’t seek them out, they’ll come after him. We can’t let them succeed. We must join forces!” Thus, the issue that had troubled Wei Hua for so long—his inexplicable coma—found its resolution.

No sooner had the three women reached an agreement than Sakura Kinoshita, Kenosuke Kinoshita, and Sato Eimon hurried to the hospital to visit Wei Hua.

Celine, Mary, and Jessie received the three as hostesses. When Sakura Kinoshita proposed staying at the hospital to care for Wei Hua, the three women jointly refused. Kenosuke and Sato, sensing the strange tension between the women and Sakura, wisely kept out of the impending storm—after all, one could easily become collateral damage in such a war. Besides, if Sakura did become Wei Hua’s woman, it would be a great boon for the Kinoshita family. Making an excuse, the two men left the hospital, leaving Sakura to contend with the other three women.