The fields lay freshly plowed, the landlord fed and satisfied. The next morning, Hong Fei arrived at the castle to meet with his scheduled visitors. Chen Qi was there, though not alone this time—he'd brought a group of individuals who carried themselves with a distinctly scholarly air. Their presence marked them unmistakably as intellectuals.
Hong Fei stepped forward to greet them at the door, but Chen Qi was quicker, his hand shooting out with practiced ease. His smile was broad, almost disarming in its sincerity. Their hands clasped tightly, shaking vigorously as Hong Fei spoke first. "Haha, long time no see. How've you been?" "Better than ever," Chen Qi replied, his chin lifting with pride as he patted his chest. "Thanks to you, I've been promoted!"
Behind him, the others smiled politely, nodding in acknowledgment. Chen Qi wasted no time introducing them. "These are all top-tier experts—geological exploration, bridge design, urban planning. Professionals in every sense of the word."
Hong Fei stepped forward, shaking hands with each of them in turn. Once the formalities were over, Number Three led the group to rest while Hong Fei escorted Chen Qi to the living room. As they entered, Chen Qi's eyes widened. "Impressive. From the outside, you'd never guess how grand it is inside. I've visited plenty of old castles, but few have been renovated this beautifully."
"If you like it, stay a while," Hong Fei offered. "Hardly anyone comes here—it's mainly for the peace and quiet." "Without tranquility, one can't reach far," Chen Qi mused. "It has style." Hong Fei shook his head with a wry smile. "Just a small landlord. Talking about style is all empty words."
Everyone knew what Sokovia was like—a speck in Eastern Europe, its territory negligible. In terms of area, population, or economy, there was little to boast about, especially when faced with Chen Qi's background. It wasn't even worth mentioning. Yet, somehow, there were still those who stirred trouble daily. The Himalayas had saved them, if nothing else.
Once seated, Hong Fei got straight to the point. "Mr. Chen, I've invited you here for a simple reason. I want you to assess whether this area has any value for renovation—or whether it's even suitable. If it is, I might need your help later. If not, it's still good to catch up with an old friend. I lose nothing either way."
"You're too kind," Chen Qi replied. "I've brought the experts. They can start work immediately. Once the geological assessment is done, we'll have a clearer picture. But I still don't know—how big is this place exactly?"
"Not big," Hong Fei said. "Thirty-eight square kilometers."
Chen Qi's eyebrows shot up. "Whoa, that's not small!"
"It's mostly mountains," Hong Fei added, "and there's a lake."
"Still land!" Chen Qi exclaimed.
Yes, it was still land. Converted to mu, it amounted to 57,000—a true landlord in every sense. Hong Fei had always believed in one saying: "Acquiring assets keeps you from poverty; selling them doesn't make you rich."
In today's world, land far from urban centers held far less value than it had in the last century. Yet, land was tangible, something solid. Even without it, he wouldn't starve, but owning it gave him an inexplicable sense of security. Besides, he had plans for this land. Right now, he was only conducting a basic survey.
"Let's wait for the results," Hong Fei said. "If it's suitable, we'll push down what needs to be pushed and dig what needs to be dug."
This wretched place just has too many mountains—so many that they've become an eyesore.
Five days later, the preliminary results arrived. Hong Fei skipped the lengthy report. It boiled down to one word: suitable.
There was nothing more to say.
With the topographical map in hand, their next steps were clear: finalize the plans, conduct an on-site survey, and then break ground. "Mr. Hong, what exactly are your requirements?" the planner asked. "Are we expanding outward from the existing castle, or starting fresh? Given the vast area, we can divide it into multiple functional zones—it all depends on your vision."
Hong Fei leaned back, his tone deliberate. "The mountain where the castle stands remains untouched. But the surrounding peaks are too imposing; they'll need modification. I'm not interested in high-rises or chaotic functional zones. My goal is to create a livable space that preserves the ecology and scenery."
The planner frowned, puzzled. "Mr. Hong, this doesn't sound like you're building a castle."
"A castle?" Hong Fei chuckled. "No. I'm building a town. A small town."
The planner froze. "A town? Then we'll need to rethink our approach."
Hong Fei waved a hand. "Take your time. I'm in no hurry. This town doesn't need to be luxurious—just functional. Essential living facilities are up to you. As for housing, no high-rises. In my vision, very few people will ever live here."
For now, only Hong Fei, Frank, and a select few could truly settle in this town. Others? Even with money, forget it. This place belonged to Hong Fei, and no one would take it from him—not unless they wanted to taste his fists or face his cannons.
The planner nodded. "Understood."
Once the planner left, Chen Qi, who'd been listening quietly, couldn't hold back his curiosity. "What's the real plan here?"
Hong Fei smirked. "You know I have five others with me?"
Chen Qi's eyes widened. "Of course! That's big news. And those jobs you pulled off—beautiful. Watching them at home got my blood boiling. I wish I'd been there to deal with those smug bastards."
Hong Fei laughed. "Don't worry. There might be a chance in the future. This town? It's for people like them."
Chen Qi grinned. "Got it. If you want to achieve great things, you need your own territory: high walls, plenty of grain, and patience before claiming the throne. And in this day and age, even if you decide to step back, you'll have your own paradise to settle down in."
Hong Fei couldn't help but smile. Talking to Chen Qi was refreshing. No need to explain everything from scratch. Unlike some people—yes, Peter Parker, I'm looking at you.
Chen Qi's expression turned sly. "This trip's almost over. I brought you a little gift. Hope you like it."
Hong Fei's eyes lit up. He had a good idea what it was.
Chen Qi led him back to his temporary residence in the castle. As they stepped inside, Hong Fei's gaze landed on a tall, rectangular wooden box in the living room.
Chen Qi stepped forward to pry open the wooden box, moved away the slightly worn foam boards inside, and revealed a soft, bright red silk cloth at the bottom. Beneath the silk lay a sharp-angled rectangular frame. He stepped aside and gestured for Hong Fei to come forward and uncover it.
Hong Fei stepped forward, fingers brushing against the silk. Its smooth texture confirmed its high quality, and anticipation bubbled within him. Whatever lay beneath was bound to be extraordinary. With a swift pull, the silk cascaded to the ground. His eyes widened, and a broad smile spread across his face.
Inside the square, transparent glass case stood a suit of armor, predominantly red—its color coded precisely as C:0, M:100, Y:100, K:0. This armor bore no resemblance to Tony Stark's iconic design.
The outer plates didn't carry the heavy metallic look typical of armor. Instead, they hugged the natural curves of the human body, projecting strength and power without exaggeration. The faceplate, unlike Tony's stern, frowning design, exuded an air of solemnity and inviolability. The energy core was concealed, and there were no flashy headlights on the chest.
Black crystals adorned the eye sockets, while subtle accents of white and yellow decorated the core joints, lending a simple yet elegant touch. Behind the armor, a saber and sword were crossed, evoking the image of a knight-errant. Hong Fei couldn't tear his gaze away, examining it from every angle.
Chen Qi approached and clapped him on the shoulder. "What do you think? Custom-made, the only one in the entire universe. Don't let the display fool you—it's fully functional, loaded with ammunition, and at 100% energy. And those weapons on the back? I saw the news and made sure they were added just for you. The materials might not surpass what you're using now, but they're top-tier craftsmanship."
Hong Fei's admiration condensed into a single word. "Good!"
Moments later, he carefully moved the armor to the center of the hall, directly facing the castle's main entrance. Without hesitation, he ordered the removal of the original nude sculptures. Standing at the doorway, he marveled, "Beautiful!"
Chen Qi smiled. "I'm glad you like it. It'll make explaining things to the higher-ups much easier. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to reach out. I'll contact you as soon as your design drawings are ready."
"Thank you for your hard work," Hong Fei replied.
Chen Qi chuckled. "Hard work? You're paying for it, after all."
After personally seeing Chen Qi off at the airport and watching the private plane ascend, Hong Fei returned to the castle. He immediately sought out Dr. Helen Cho, leading her to the armor. Before he could speak, she circled it, her eyes wide with admiration. "This design is incredible! I've always aimed for this kind of style, but my attempts always fall short."
Hong Fei smiled. "Your designs aren't bad either. The next nano armor will follow this design, but we'll adjust the color scheme."
"Why?" she asked.
"This color deserves to be enshrined. Let's stick with black as the primary color."
Dr. Cho nodded thoughtfully.
Meanwhile, in New York, Peter Parker stared dumbfounded at the extracurricular training class notification in his hand. He'd been about to head out to play Lego bricks with his friends.
May stood nearby, her tone casual. "Mr. Hong arranged it for you. If you don't want to go, I can call him right now."
"No, don't!" Peter blurted. "I'll go!"
May turned away, a small smile playing on her lips. It seemed she'd stumbled upon a new way to motivate Peter to study harder.