Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 815: A Friday Without the Master (2)

This is a cream-colored Puma-GTB. Its vintage style combined with outstanding performance makes it a head-turner on the streets—after all, it’s just an old car, but a star in the classic car world.

For nostalgic car enthusiasts, one would wish to enjoy a well-maintained car like this.

Of course, inside the vintage car are also an old gentleman and a child.

Dr. Franky and his grandson, Louis.

“The teacher at school said you shouldn’t drive after drinking,” Louis said.

Louis was about to graduate from elementary school but seemed to have inherited his mother's genes, making him look somewhat cute and small. While playing a bird game on his phone, he glanced at Dr. Franky next to him.

“I haven’t been drinking,” the doctor insisted.

“But you smell like alcohol,” Louis replied.

Dr. Franky insisted again, “Trust me, that’s just a kind of drink, an adult drink. When you grow up, you’ll understand.”

Louis shrugged and suddenly asked, “Grandpa, don’t you know how to get to the science museum?”“Oh! My dear Louis, how could you think I don’t know the way to the science museum?” Dr. Franky responded.

Louis rolled his eyes. “But you’ve been looking at the map this whole time!”

Dr. Franky threw the map onto the back seat and said seriously, “Believe me, I was just checking if there’s a closer route.”

“Isn’t the science museum right ahead?” Louis pointed ahead on the road. “Is there a shorter way besides going straight?” He continued to roll his eyes while looking at the museum in front of him.

“Oh… it really is,” Dr. Franky adjusted his reading glasses and pressed down on the gas pedal, causing the car to accelerate suddenly.

“Slow down…” Louis was startled, finally managing to relax, then asked, “Grandpa, will they let us in? My classmate Ah Fu said the science museum is under renovation and not open to visitors.”

Dr. Franky chuckled, “Don’t worry, the director is an old friend of mine, and he will take good care of you. However, after your visit, I need you to write me a reflection. Dear Louis, I don’t think that will be difficult for you, right?”

Louis immediately shrugged his shoulders. Dr. Franky seemed to be in a better mood, so the cream-colored Puma-GTB slowly drove into the parking lot of the science museum.

As Dr. Franky said, the director was indeed his old friend, so as soon as they got out of the car, the grandfather and grandson were greeted by the museum staff.

“Doctor, the director is waiting for you in the office.”

“Oh, okay, thank you.” Dr. Franky nodded at the young employee and said, “This is my grandson, Louis. Could you please take him around for a tour? I’ll come find you later.”

“Of course,” the employee replied politely.

...

Without needing anyone to accompany him, Dr. Franky quickly made his way to the director’s office, familiar with the science museum.

He still had a scholarly side, so before leaving, he took a deep breath, turned to his old friend, and said, “Thank you for your hospitality today. I think Louis will be very happy.”

“Franky.” Matthews looked at Dr. Franky quietly and suddenly sighed, “Old buddy, tell me, is this persistence in your heart still the same as it was back then?”

“I don’t understand what you mean,” Dr. Franky furrowed his brows.

“You should know,” Matthews shook his head. “Is it for your own liberation, or like back then, for this country to have its own satellite?”

“Of course it’s…” Dr. Franky blurted out but suddenly stopped and then said emphatically, “For our own satellite.”

“Is that really so?” Matthews stared at Dr. Franky for a long time, then finally said, “Alright, old buddy, I’ll make one last effort to see if I can persuade Billy.”

“Thank you…”

...

The young curator accompanied Louis as they walked through the science museum, introducing him to the origins and stories behind various exhibits.

The child was excited about the technologically advanced exhibits; if touching them hadn’t been prohibited, he probably wouldn’t have been able to resist.

“What is this?” Louis asked, pointing at a large object in the corner of Exhibition Hall 2.

Just as the young curator was about to respond, Dr. Franky’s voice came from afar, “This is the M901 satellite model, developed independently by our country. Everything from assembly to parts was completed here.”

“Grandpa.”

Louis looked at Dr. Franky as he approached.

The doctor stood silently in front of the M901 satellite, staring at it, lost in thought. The young curator, familiar with the history of the exhibits, turned to Louis and said, “Louis, this satellite was completed under the direction of Dr. Franky. Did you know that?”

“Wow!” Louis’s eyes widened, filled with disbelief and excitement as he looked at his grandfather. “Grandpa, you’re amazing!”

Dr. Franky just shook his head and said softly, “No matter how amazing something is, if it can’t reach where it’s supposed to be, what use is it?”

Louis didn’t hear this; he only moved closer to the satellite exhibit, wanting to see all of it. He looked at the information on the plaque and was even more surprised to discover something. “Really! It says your name here! Manufacturer: Franky Bursmond! And… Maggie. Maggie? Grandpa, that sounds like Mom’s name!”

“Louis, it’s getting late; we should head back,” Dr. Franky suddenly took hold of Louis’s arm. “You promised me that if I brought you to the science museum, you’d study hard from afternoon until evening, and it’s already time.”

“Oh… alright,” Louis replied reluctantly.

Soon, the young curator led Dr. Franky and Louis to their parking spot before returning to his post.

After getting into the car, Dr. Franky suddenly said, “Louis, can you go ask that curator for two bottles of water? I’m a bit thirsty.”

“Sure,” Louis nodded.

After Louis left, Dr. Franky took out a small black notebook from his pocket and opened it.

He suddenly frowned because he noticed a black card that had been added to the notebook.

Dr. Franky picked up the black card and stared at it for a long time, a look of confusion flashing in his eyes as he struggled to remember how this thing had come into his possession.

He sat there silently, completely lost in thought.

It wasn't until he felt his body being shaken that he jolted back to reality. He saw Louis had returned at some point, holding two bottles of mineral water and calling his name repeatedly.

“Grandpa! What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just lost in thought,” Dr. Franky shook his head, slid the black card back into the black notebook, and then patted Louis's head. “Alright, where are we going now?”

“Aren't we going home?” Louis asked.

“Oh… right, then let's go home.”

Dr. Franky gathered himself and started the Puma-GTB.

...

In the evening, Bucky felt a bit anxious as he waited.

The maid hadn’t returned since she left during lunch, which was unusual—yesterday, she had come right after lunch to urge him to practice meditation.

Just as Bucky considered going outside to see if luck would be on his side, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.

Knowing it was the maid, he immediately turned around.

This time, the maid was not wearing her black-and-white uniform but had changed into a very casual dress with a light outer jacket.

If he hadn’t already seen the woman’s “true face,” Bucky might have been deceived by the pure appearance she displayed now and would have asked about her rates for the night.

“Didn’t I tell you to dress up a bit?” Yoū Yè looked at Bucky, her tone still indifferent.

Bucky was taken aback, then looked at himself and sniffed his collar. “I’ve dressed up nicely. This is the best I could find. You know I don’t have a penny to my name right now. This outfit is the best I could find from a nearby place, and I even took a shower. Look, it’s a brand name! Zegna! Although the size is a bit off, it’ll do, right?”

“This is knockoff merchandise,” Yoū Yè shook her head. “The style was designed by me five years ago. I can tell the difference between real and fake.”

“...You designed it?” Bucky opened his mouth in surprise.

Yoū Yè replied calmly, “It was just an old interest. I held a designer position at that company, but I haven’t submitted any designs in years.”

What the hell… Aren’t you supposed to be a bloody corpse?

“Never mind, as you said, it’ll do,” Yūyè shook her head. “I’ve never had any expectations for your taste anyway.”

“Speaking of which, I seem to be your guest?” Bucky suddenly said. “Is this your after-sales service?”

The maid replied dully, “I’m currently just your guide to assist you in collecting faith, not here to serve you. If you fail to meet my expectations and my master returns to find no results, I will break you down into particles smaller than atoms, making you a true legend.”

“W-Where are we going now?”

“To the theater.”

As she spoke, the maid tossed a small bottle filled with a light green liquid at Bucky. The bottle was tiny, resembling a perfume bottle.

“What is this?”

“It’s for restoring your mental energy,” Yoū Yè replied calmly. “Don’t use too much. At your level, just smelling it will be enough for a recovery. If you use too much, your consciousness will explode, and your brain will die.”

Without a word, Bucky slipped it into his pocket and nodded seriously.

The maid suddenly added, “But your goal tonight is to use it all up.”

Bucky w(Д)w...