"A place facing the sea with spring blossoms would be ideal, and a hot spring nearby would be even better. No heavy industrial zones nearby, to ensure air quality. It should be close to a bustling city for convenient shopping," Jiang Ye said.
"That's a bit difficult, but with enough money, it can be arranged. You're not short on cash, are you?" Xu Yan's fingers danced across the screen.
"Any preferences for furniture? What style of renovation?"
"No formaldehyde, no pollution!" Cen Yemeng chimed in. "Ideally, all furniture should be food-grade, so it's safe even if the child is naughty and takes a bite. Power outlets should either be placed higher up or have protective covers, to prevent children from poking their fingers into them."
"Do you want robots?" Xu Yan asked.
"No robots with great strength. I already have two sweeping robots at home; we'll bring them along." Jiang Ye replied.
He didn't trust robots with immense strength, always feeling they could go rogue. How could flesh and blood contend with steel? How could one sleep soundly with robots lurking nearby?
"There are window-cleaning robots that stick to the exterior walls and don't talk, possessing no intelligence, just cleaning windows from morning till night. I can get a few for you." Xu Yan clicked on her desk, pulling up numerous robot profiles. "There are also anteater robots; we can place a few in your manor."
"Are they safe?" Jiang Ye inquired.
"These robots are very safe, with no history of malfunction. Even if they malfunction, they can't harm people. Their movement speed is very slow, like a turtle, and their strength is minimal, perhaps equivalent to a five or six-year-old child. Their function is to clear pests from the lawn, with an AI system that identifies insects. For example, if they encounter centipedes, longhorn beetles, or caterpillars, they will catch and eat them, preventing the insects from entering your home," Xu Yan explained. "Compared to spraying insecticides everywhere, these robots are more environmentally friendly. They can also deter thieves; most petty thieves have never seen anything like them."
"Good!" Jiang Ye was reassured.
"There are also sentinel bird robots. We can install a bird's nest in your manor and place thirty to forty sentinel birds inside," Xu Yan said. "Normally, they'll perch on the roof to bask in the sun and charge. They patrol the vicinity, and if they encounter any suspicious intruders, they'll dive down and shriek above the intruder's head, at 130 decibels, which is quite loud, comparable to a starting pistol."
"These birds won't peck people, will they? If they suddenly malfunction and fall from the sky, could they injure someone?"
"If you're concerned, you can have the beaks removed. Then the sentinel birds can only shout at unidentified approaching individuals," Xu Yan said. "They are also very light, with thick artificial feathers on the surface, so they won't cause injury when they fall."
"That sounds good. Remove the beaks," Jiang Ye nodded.
"Regarding the renovation style, I don't want anything too old-fashioned," Cen Yemeng blinked. "If the house is too large and the style is very dated, it will feel gloomy. More glass, more lights, a wider field of vision, and brighter, more youthful colors."
"Listen to her," Jiang Ye said.
The discussion about the new residence continued for over an hour.
Xu Yan continuously inputted various parameters.
These parameters would be compiled by the Termite Real Estate headquarters, where a top design team would craft a truly luxurious mansion.
The design fee alone was a staggering 500 million, not including subsequent land and construction maintenance costs.
Leaving the Termite Real Estate building.
Jiang Ye first drove his wife and children home.
Then, he headed straight for the Binhai City Prison.
The prison's personnel had clearly been increased temporarily, with a line of flying police cars and heavily armed officers patrolling the area.
As soon as Jiang Ye appeared, a subordinate immediately escorted him to the top floor of the prison.
Four corpses lay on the floor of the interrogation room. The sole survivor was suspended upside down from the ceiling, completely stripped, his body covered in lacerations from whip marks, clearly indicating torture.
Shao Wan, wearing only black trousers and with his chest bare, stood by the door smoking and reading a stack of documents, his brow furrowed.
"Are you injured?" Jiang Ye walked over.
"Commander," Shao Wan saluted. "Just a minor scrape, nothing serious."
Jiang Ye glanced into the room, secretly aghast. "These people went to your house in the middle of the night. Did you get advance warning? Were you waiting to ambush them?"
"No, I had no idea they were coming. I have residual effects from my undercover work in a drug den; I'm a light sleeper and can hear footsteps. My house has wooden floors, and they were wearing leather shoes. I heard the noise and got up. I couldn't see clearly in the dark, so I attacked anything that moved. This one, named Malon Jeff, was so scared he didn't die, but I disabled one of his hands." Shao Wan threw away his cigarette. "He's tough; he hasn't confessed after all this time. Let's hang him for a while longer."
"Have their identities been confirmed?"
"The information from the database has been retrieved. Please review it." Shao Wan handed him the documents he was holding.
Jiang Ye's expression grew serious as he read them one by one.
The five assassins who broke in were all recent immigrants from the past few months.
Crucially, they were not legitimate immigrants but part of Hal Star's criminal continent program!
All five had blood on their hands. Three were professional killers, one was a smuggler, and the last was a mob enforcer.
"These people are supposed to be on the criminal continent, isolated from the world. How did they get to Binhai City?" Jiang Ye asked in alarm. "This is an escape!"
"I don't know; I was shocked too. Shizhi Zhizi is checking the surveillance footage and tracing these individuals' movements. We'll report back as soon as we have results. Their spending records are empty since arriving on this planet; they haven't spent any money, which is completely abnormal. Someone is supporting them, and someone brought them out of the criminal continent, deceiving the police and the military." Shao Wan's expression was grave. "This is not a simple matter. I've already dispatched thirty reliable experts to the hot spring area to set up defenses and protect you discreetly. We don't know what they're planning, but it's better to be cautious."
"Double the number of personnel," Jiang Ye said after a moment's thought. "Send people to keep an eye on all the prominent figures on this planet, both for protection and surveillance."
"Understood!" Shao Wan nodded.
"This survivor, Malon Jeff, cannot die. We must extract information from him. Killing people is easy, but opening their minds is difficult. Use any means necessary; I apologize for the trouble." Jiang Ye said. "I will order the military to re-examine the criminal continent and see if any prisoners are missing."
"This Malon Jeff is from Hal Star. If it's convenient for you..." Shao Wan began.
"I understand. Wait for news," Jiang Ye nodded.
Going downstairs, leaving the prison, and getting into the car.
After a brief deliberation, Jiang Ye sent a message to the High Priest of Hal Star.
He first sent the names, photos, and personal information of the five assassins.
"Respected High Priest of Hal Star, I hope this message finds you well."
"Your generous hospitality was unforgettable for my entire family. We have returned home safely and invite you and your family to visit my planet when you have the time."
"I am writing to you today with an important request."
"These five individuals infiltrated the home of one of my subordinates, a police captain, last night. Each was armed with a knife that had deep grooves for drawing blood. Fortunately, the captain is skilled and managed to eliminate four of them, leaving one alive. If it's not too much trouble, could you please investigate these individuals? Specifically, could you look into Malon Jeff? Does he have any connections on Hal Star, such as a wife or children? If so, please detain them to assist in the interrogation of Malon Jeff."
"Hal Star is a busy place, and I apologize for troubling you amidst your many duties. Thank you, thank you!"