CHAPTER 74: CHAPTER 83: TODAY IS A GOOD DAY

"Boss, do you think they’ll accept your terms?"

After the guests left, Zhu Yihai stood in front of the elevator, turning to look at his boss with a worried expression.

"What terms?"

Pierre’s face showed a hint of puzzlement.

Zhu Yihai was a bit taken aback—had the boss forgotten what just happened? He quickly reminded him,

"That immigration agreement—do you think they’ll agree to it?"

"Immigration agreement? Oh, you mean the one that’s already been signed. Now, all we need to do is act according to the agreement. What does it matter to them?"

That was the beauty of the agreement: the country didn’t need to provide anything, yet could receive a huge amount of supplies. All they needed was to acknowledge the validity of the agreement.

In fact, it wasn’t even about acknowledgment, because the agreement had never been abolished.

Who would have thought that an immigration agreement signed thirty-one years ago would so easily solve the biggest bottleneck in developing North Borneo?

With this agreement, once the war was over, they could immediately begin recruiting immigrants from China.

A million?

Two million?

At the very least, seven or eight million!

They could even bring in ten million or more. In those days, what did China have in abundance?

People, of course!

As long as there were ships, people could be transported over in a steady stream. With people, land could be cultivated, factories could be built... the possibilities were endless.

And, of course, most importantly, those munitions could kill a lot of Japanese devils!

A bright smile blossomed on Pierre’s face, full of anticipation for a certain future.

"Today is a good day..."

In his excitement, he even picked up the phone.

"Hello, Hedy? It’s me, Li. Are you free tonight?"

A good day, of course, called for a drink. And for a drink, it was best to have a beautiful woman for company.

Having a Hollywood goddess as his drinking companion—what could be better?

After hanging up, Hedy Lamarr was left a bit dazed, her feelings complicated.

Since arriving in New York, she had been living in Pierre’s home, and had even gotten used to it.

But what exactly was their relationship?

A tenant?

No, it didn’t seem like she’d ever paid any rent.

Or perhaps... lovers?

No, that wasn’t right. They weren’t lovers, not even a hint of ambiguity between them. Precisely because of this, in her eyes, he was different from all other men.

What was different about him?

In his eyes, it was as if her beauty didn’t exist. He never tried to flatter her, nor did he ever attempt to enter her boudoir. Even though they lived under the same roof, that was all there was to it.

Could it be that he simply had no interest in her at all?

Once again, his sincere smile appeared in her mind—so genuine, his gaze so clear, without a trace of desire.

"Honestly..."

Heidi’s lips unconsciously pouted. Had her charm faded?

Life is always full of doubts, especially after unexpected events. As a beautiful woman, Heidi was long used to being the center of attention, but this man beside her... seemed different from everyone else.

That was exactly why, when she got his call and received his dinner invitation, her heart was filled with complicated emotions—anticipation, nervousness... and a hint of excitement.

He finally thought to invite me to dinner!

Just thinking about it, Heidi couldn’t help but feel a little expectation. But what was she expecting?

Looking forward to tonight’s dinner?

"Should I go home first, put on some makeup, and change my clothes?"

At that thought, Heidi’s gaze became a little unfocused. She casually took out her compact mirror and looked at her reflection.

Hmm, still as beautiful as ever.

But, she needed to go home first.

No, she should stop by a boutique and buy a new dress.

With that, Heidi, long accustomed to working overtime in the lab, immediately stood up, put on her coat, and left the office. Today, something even more important awaited her.

After wandering around the department store for several hours, Heidi finally bought a suitable dress. Though it was expensive, she felt it was worth it. As night fell, Heidi finally returned home. As she arrived, she heard sounds coming from the kitchen.

He’s actually cooking himself!

In that moment, a strange emotion welled up in Heidi’s heart. For the first time, a man was personally cooking for her.

Other men usually just liked to give jewelry...

The corners of her lips lifted slightly as Heidi quietly went upstairs to her room. While she sat at her vanity, carefully doing her makeup, Pierre was talking to himself in the kitchen.

"Old pickled mustard greens—this should be the real traditional kind."

The pickled vegetables were bought from Chinatown. Who would have thought Cantonese people ate pickled greens too? But it worked perfectly for making pickled fish.

Thinking of pickled fish, Pierre couldn’t help but salivate a little.

Although he didn’t have a seasoning packet, having learned the recipe from his mother, Pierre was quite adept at making pickled fish from scratch.

He didn’t have black carp, but he sliced some European perch and marinated the fillets. While the fish was marinating, he prepared several other dishes.

Living alone, you have to learn to cook.

But most importantly, he had the support of the System.

He’d unlocked a new skill again.

This time, it was cooking. What did a Level 2 cooking skill mean?

Whether slicing fish or stir-frying, his skilled movements rivaled those of a professional chef, showing that he could easily open his own restaurant.

While he was preparing dinner, Heidi had come downstairs at some point. Watching the man busy in the kitchen, a faint smile appeared on her face. In that moment, she—

"Is there anything I can help with?"

Pierre turned and smiled, shaking his head.

"No need, I’m making Chinese food."

Dinner was Chinese, which was exactly why Pierre chose to eat at home. After all, as a Chinese person, he was used to these flavors. As for Western food... it was fine occasionally.

Soon, the carefully prepared dinner was ready. With the System’s Level 3 cooking skill, the meal was a feast for the senses—color, aroma, and taste all exquisite.

Looking at the beautifully presented dishes on the table, Heidi’s eyes were full of surprise. She hadn’t expected this man to be such a good cook. The appearance alone was already mouthwatering.

"All right, let’s dig in!"

Pierre laughed as he poured them both a drink—Cuban rum.

"What’s this dish?"

"Pickled fish."

Upon hearing this, Heidi used her fork to pick up a piece of fish. The moment it entered her mouth, her eyes lit up.

"This tastes amazing! How did you make this pickled fish? I’ve never had it in Chinatown before."

"Chinatown is mostly Cantonese, so most of the food is Cantonese cuisine. Pickled fish is Sichuan cuisine..."

"Sichuan cuisine? What’s Sichuan cuisine?"