Chapter 31: You are the one I've been waiting for

'This Ming Zhou is nothing but an unruly bastard and a troublemaker! If he shows his face in front of me, I'll chop him into mincemeat and throw him into the North Sea to feed the sharks!'

'This Dota project is so important, and I really don't understand why Mr. Meta has to involve a Chinese person in this. The Chinese are ignorant, selfish and greedy, and they are simply the worst people in the world. I've been there once, and my God, you can't even imagine what it's like there. Everything is dirty and messy, and no matter what you do, there's a crowd of people doing it all at once, with no rules or order at all. It's just like a pigsty!'

'This Chinese guy is so full of himself. He thinks he's so great just because he was allowed to participate in the Tower Project. But he's just the most insignificant piece in this game. If he had just followed his own rules, I think we should, in the spirit of humanitarianism, give him a little something. But now, I think we should just kick him out. We should just get rid of this disobedient piece!'

'Hey, I say, Chinese gentleman, if he really is a gentleman, I think he should take the initiative to leave from here. His presence is like the celery in a vegetable salad, which has made me lose my appetite for the whole day!'

...

In the lobby on the first floor of Villa 8, a recorder was placed on the table, and a string of insults in various tones popped out of it, all of which were directed at Zhou Ming.

Davyier pressed the pause button and then said to Zhou Ming, 'These are the opinions of the other executors of the Tower Project. This is a recording of our meeting this afternoon after we learned about Mr. Nikolic's speech calling for a counterattack. Mr. Zhou Ming, I think from this recording, everyone's attitude towards you is clear. With all due respect, you are very unpopular.'

'Indeed, it seems that everyone has strong opinions about what I did. It's just that I didn't expect you Western gentlemen to be able to speak such vulgar language. It really opened my eyes. I thought you were all very civilized and cultured. You are the same as the so-called China you speak of!'

Zhou Ming said with emotion in his tone, which infuriated Davier. However, that was not Zhou Ming's main point. He continued, 'So that means that from now on, I won't be included in the Dota project?'

'Mr. Zhou Ming seems to have a good understanding of himself,' said Davie, "but we are not as petty as you Chinese. We are willing to give you a chance and will not expel you from the country. You can find a way to make money yourself, but I think you'd better not touch this Dota project.'

'Is this Mr. Meta's opinion?" asked Zhou Ming.

'Mr. Meta?' Davie gave a disdainful smile, 'I don't think we need to bother Mr. Meta about this at all.'

'So it seems that this is a unilateral decision made by you and your colleagues? Or a decision made with the approval of Mr. Meta? But no matter what, I advise you all to be more careful.' Zhou Ming said.

After hearing what Zhou Ming said, Davier laughed out loud, and with an expression of looking at an idiot, he said to Zhou Ming, 'With all due respect, Mr. Zhou Ming, I think you are being a bit overconfident in saying this. Could it be that you still think we will beg you to implement this Dota plan?'

At the end, Davier shook his head with pity and said to Zhou Ming, 'It seems that your naivety is still very much in line with your age!'

'Naive? Maybe, who knows?' Zhou Ming shrugged his shoulders uselessly and said, 'So is there anything else that Mr. Davier invited me here for today? If there is nothing else, please start the meal. None of the three of us ate much before coming here, and now we are really a little hungry. I don't think that as Mr. Meta's assistant, you can be so stingy as to not be able to afford a meal.'

Zhou Ming's words left Davier a little dumbfounded. He stared at Zhou Ming, of course, it wasn't that he really couldn't afford the meal, but he couldn't figure out why Zhou Ming suddenly brought up the matter of eating here.

To say that Zhou Ming brought this up was not without warning. In fact, when Davie invited Zhou Ming and the others to come over, he was inviting them to dinner. For Davie, inviting them to any big meal was a trivial matter, but the problem was: just now, he had said that you would be eliminated from the Dota project, so how the hell could you still be in the mood to eat?

Davie could not imagine how thick-skinned one would have to be to do that; or perhaps...he really didn't care about this matter.

But as soon as the idea came to David's mind, he quickly dismissed it, because this Dota project was an amazing plan involving 20 trillion US dollars. If anything went wrong, it would have a huge impact on the world's financial markets. Even the US government, the strongest economy in the world, could not ignore it. How could Zhou Ming, a Chinese speculator, do it? But it was just a bluff.

I really have been thinking too much. I almost let this Chinese man fool me. No wonder he has been able to achieve so much at such a young age.

Since a young Chinese man like him doesn't care, it's even less of a problem for David.

Then Davier sat back down at the end of the long table and said to Zhou Ming, 'Originally, I invited Mr Zhou Ming and Miss Karelina to come over, and I wanted to invite you to dinner. Since Mr Zhou Ming is in such good spirits, it would be ungentlemanly of me not to join you.'

After saying this, Davie rang a bell on the table. A short while later, several Northern Russian maids came up with trays. Davie introduced Zhou Ming, saying, 'These are all authentic Gallic feasts, the most varied and best-tasting cuisine in the world.'

Zhou Ming could only laugh at this explanation from Davier, and could only say that these Westerners are born with prejudice against the East. Otherwise, if they were to taste the cuisine of Greater China, not to mention those legendary dishes, just the home cooking would blow the world away in terms of taste. Of course, the French cuisine that Davier invited to eat was indeed very rich and had a good taste, but when it comes to the selection of ingredients and cooking methods, Greater China cuisine is at least twenty streets ahead of him in terms of price and practicality.

Despite the previous incident, the meal was quite harmonious. Zhou Ming and Davier talked while eating, and from time to time they could even tell some internationally-recognized jokes. At this time, if someone was nearby and didn't know what had just happened, anyone would believe that this was simply a dinner between two old friends.

Zhou Ming need not say a word. That was all the skill he had honed in Zhongnanhai for Old Yang. He may not have looked a whit surprised when the sky fell in, but at the very least he managed to look as calm as a lake in a storm.

As for Davier, one cannot help but say that he is worthy of being Mr. Meta's most trusted assistant. He was even allowed to take charge of the Dota Project in his stead. He is very capable indeed. Not to mention anything else, he is very experienced when it comes to getting along with people.

The meal lasted until 8 pm. Zhou Ming and Kalelina left Villa 8. Davidier saw them to the door. Zhou Ming thanked him. Davidier said politely, 'Dear Miss Kalelina, are you leaving too? Please forgive me for being blunt, but since Mr. Zhou Ming already has other plans, we must respect his wishes. Besides, Mr. Meta still needs your help.'

Zhou Ming glanced at Katerina and said nothing. Katerina then said to Davier, 'I understand, Mr Davier, but Mr Zhou still needs my help for the time being. If I leave now, I would be very irresponsible. As the saying goes, you should always finish what you start. I have decided to stay by Mr Zhou's side until he leaves Krisco. Is that okay?'

'As long as you have thought it over, Miss Karelina, but I still advise you to come back as soon as possible,' said Davier.

'Thank you, Mr. Davier, I will think it over clearly.'

After saying this, Karelina left Villa 8 with Zhou Ming, got back in the car, and Zhou Ming asked Karelina curiously, 'I feel that although Davier just sought your opinion, what he meant was for you to go back. Why are you following me instead of going back?'

Zhou Ming's words were not unfounded, because Katerina had originally been assigned by Mr. Meta to be his guide so that he could better carry out the Dota Project.

But now that they have not allowed me to continue participating in the Dota Project because I have disrupted their plan by persuading Nikolic to give a speech at the White House, then naturally Katerina no longer has a reason to continue to stay by my side. It is only natural for Davie to ask him to go back. However, she is not insisting on continuing to stay by his side, which makes Zhou Ming unable to help but ask this question.

Instead of answering directly, Katerina asked Zhou Ming in return, 'Why? Are you afraid that I, as a woman, have some kind of ulterior motive for staying by your side?'

Zhou Ming shook his head slightly and said, 'Your question is not very well-phrased, because if you remember, I already said back in Gangcheng that you can't threaten me in any way, and it doesn't matter if you have any ulterior motives.

Zhou Ming said this and then changed the subject, continuing, 'But what Davier just said is also true, so I'm curious as to why.'

Katerina was silent for a moment before replying to Zhou Ming, 'I'm sorry, there are some things I don't want to talk about, but what I can tell you is that Mr. Meta is indeed someone I respect, but only for his abilities. He and his group are not what I want.'

Katerina then turned her attention to Ming Zhou, saying, 'On the contrary, I think you, Ming Zhou, have the ability to help me realise my ideas. You are the one I have been waiting for.'

'I'm afraid I have to disappoint you. I'm just a profit-seeking capitalist, not a Bodhisattva who saves the world,' Ming Zhou said.

Katerina, however, firmly shook her head and said, 'No, Mr. Ming Zhou, you are a hero!'