Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 845: One who bestows dreams and the future (5)

Whether it was to ensure that Song Tianyou's expectations wouldn't be in vain or to consider winning in the upcoming matches, Song Ying couldn't afford to take the task of inviting the "Gambling God" back into action lightly—even if she needed to bring along a clueless burden.

Song Ying acted quickly. After finishing her instructions in the morning, she personally went to find Luo Qiu, who was temporarily residing in a location within the inner courtyard of the Cold Residence.

This inner courtyard had multiple layers of security, and only the Song family members were qualified to stay here—of course, Master Qiu didn’t need to worry about this.

*Thud!*

Song Ying placed a thick stack of books in front of Luo Qiu, making the table shake with the impact.

Luo Qiu curiously picked up the top book, glanced through a few pages, and looked at Song Ying, asking, “Are these books for me?”

This stack of books was about forty centimeters thick and consisted entirely of books about red wine—covering its origins, brewing techniques, culture, and other related fields.

Of course, red wine is a vast subject; although these books were thick, they were likely just a drop in the ocean of red wine culture.

“They’re for you to look at,” Song Ying replied calmly. “We’ll be visiting the Gambling God in person soon, and the knowledge in these should come in handy. Don’t worry, I won’t make you memorize everything inside. I just need you to not look completely clueless when red wine comes up in conversation… You just need to finish them tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll give you a crash course on tasting!”

Reading over forty centimeters of professional material in one evening, with just a casual overview, isn't inhumane, right?“I’ll try to pick out the parts I’m interested in,” Luo Qiu nodded, not at all annoyed.

The packaging of these books was not ordinary; it gave Luo Qiu a sense of historical weight. With the Song family’s financial resources, there might even be some precious materials mixed in.

Luo Qiu had always held an attitude of wanting as much knowledge as possible. Now that someone had delivered it right to him, he naturally had no intention of politely refusing.

Having long understood Luo Qiu's placid nature, Song Ying didn’t mind the insincerity in his words. Instead, she continued directly, “The Gambling God doesn’t have many hobbies, but red wine is one of them. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have retired to create his own vineyard. I’ve received word that the day after tomorrow, the Gambling God will hold a tasting of new wines at his vineyard. I’ll get the invitation; you’ll accompany me, as a way to pay respects to my grandfather!”

Luo Qiu thought for a moment; in fact, he had gotten used to everything being neatly arranged for him. Although he initially intended to just go through the motions for Song Laodie’s request, doing nothing at all wouldn't be ideal.

(Note: Laodie is an endearment used to refer to one's father.)

With the extended vacation time, some of his more indifferent thoughts began to resurface.

Luo Qiu didn’t know to what extent this would recover, but for now, he simply aimed to explore the situation. He was evidently very satisfied with Song Ying's arrangements.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Luo Qiu nodded.

“It’s not hard work… You jerk!”

Song Ying suddenly felt something was off in the context—why did it feel like she was becoming this guy's assistant?

Luo Qiu just smiled and flipped through a few books, then chose one that caught his interest to read. After only a few pages, he looked up and asked, “Are you planning to read with me?”

“No time!” Song Ying turned around, glanced at Gan Hong, who was silent beside her, and quickly walked out.

“Was Song Ying like this before?” Luo Qiu suddenly asked after glancing at the red wine book in his hands. “When you were with her?”

Gan Hong shook her head and said, a bit admiringly, “Not usually. However, there are only two people who can render Miss Ying helpless, and you’re one of them, Young Master Qiu.”

“Who’s the other one?” Luo Qiu asked with interest.

“It’s the eldest young master,” Gan Hong replied quietly.

Luo Qiu smiled knowingly and pointed to the seat opposite him. “Stop standing and take a look; it’s quite interesting.”

Gan Hong shook her head. “Learning this won’t be of any use to me.”

“It doesn’t hurt to learn more,” Luo Qiu replied while reading. “Consider it a way to pass the time; otherwise, you’ll be very bored… Maybe you could go outside for a walk to clear your mind.”

“Well… I’ll just read,” Gan Hong decided. Luo Qiu casually pulled out a book and moved it in front of her.

She suddenly realized that Young Master Qiu had a way of creating two different options for people and then guiding them to choose the one he preferred without any resistance.

Reading or going for a walk… As a bodyguard, Gan Hong couldn’t let her charge leave her line of sight—of course, she could choose not to read and just stand there.

However, with the hints of “sit down” and “pass the time” added into the mix, her subjective consciousness was directly swayed.

Gan Hong lifted her head and glanced at Luo Qiu, who was engrossed in reading… perhaps she was overthinking it?

He truly was an incredible person.

Hmm… this book is quite interesting.

Perhaps it was due to the tranquility of the moment, but Gan Hong, who had always focused solely on firearms, combat, and other job-related knowledge, found herself easily engrossed in the content of the book.

She had just randomly picked it out… hadn’t she seen something like this before?

Maybe it was because this book, amidst a pile of professional books, had an unusual style… it was actually a comic book.

The Drops of God.

Wait, does this mean… I can only read comic books????

…

…

Under the night sky, the lights shone brilliantly.

However, at this moment, in a place where ordinary people couldn’t see, the space was rippling—like something floating out of the water. Two figures emerged from the air’s waves.

The first to be seen was the golden Wolfgang, followed by his companion, Noah. Noah wore a gray-white robe with a peculiar purple belt, and his hood covered his face down to his nose.

They descended onto the shoulder of the enormous statue of God on Bread Mountain, overlooking the city below.

Wolfgang spoke, “Noah, speaking of which, how long has it been since you last descended into the mortal world?”

“It’s been a while,” Noah said after a moment of silence, looking around this city of God. “No matter how many different times and spaces we traverse, the filthy aura hidden beneath the beauty here has never changed.”

“Mm…” Wolfgang nodded and curiously observed the enormous head of the statue beside him. He reached out and casually patted it a few times. “Every time I see this thing, I’m reminded of the scene I witnessed on Earth 16… endless zombies crawling all over, like an army of ants, completely engulfing it and drowning it in despair.”

“Earth 16 has already been destroyed by the Michael Society. Now, Michael is rebuilding a new civilization on the ruins of Earth 16… of course, according to their own ideals,” Noah replied calmly. “I wonder what actions the Michael Society over here in the main world is taking.”

(Note: Previous translator used club instead of society. I find society a better fitting word hence the change)

“Different times and spaces have different trajectories. Compared to the Michael Society on Earth 16, the developments over here in the main world are far behind,” Wolfgang shook his head. “After all, it may not be the chosen protagonist of the main world to initiate the apocalypse, right?”

“It's hard to determine things yet; let’s not jump to a conclusion…” Noah waved his hand, closed his eyes, and after a while, opened them again. “There are no traces of the Lost Zone around here. Wolfgang, your deduction about Lucifer’s disappearance might be off track.”

“No?” Wolfgang was surprised. “But I haven’t found any notes in the wind… At least I can’t feel anything within this country. Could it be that Lucifer has left South America?”

Noah pondered for a moment and suddenly said, “For some reason, being here gives me a sense of unease, as if I’m being watched by something… This night vaguely reveals an eerie power.”

“What’s the danger level?” Wolfgang’s expression changed slightly. He didn’t dare to take it lightly when Noah used the word “eerie.”

“Indefinable,” Noah pulled back his hood, revealing a furrowed brow. “It appeared for a moment and then disappeared.”

Wolfgang remained calm. “Could it be the gaze of the will of the main world? Noah, have you not returned for so long that you’re not adjusting to the will of the world’s gaze?”

“Perhaps,” Noah nodded, but his serious expression did not wane. “Let’s be cautious; the newcomer who came back with Dong Zhuo said the club has been moving around in the main world lately.”

(Note: They are referring to the Trading Club.)

Wolfgang nodded. “That’s true, but the club shouldn’t be here at the moment. According to the news from that newcomer, the club should still be within the borders of China and has a new boss now.”

“I know,” Noah nodded. “I’ve heard it’s a very interesting guy… If the opportunity arises, let’s meet him and greet the new boss.”

Upon hearing this, Wolfgang chuckled bitterly and moved his fingers slightly.

The two remained silent for a long time.

Noah then put his hood back on and looked at Wolfgang. “Take me to find Charlotte. She might still be hiding something from us… With so few clues, it’s hard to make a judgment.”

“Let’s go then.” Wolfgang waved his hand, pointing to a corner of the city beneath the night sky.

…

After the two quickly left, the air around the shoulder of the statue began to ripple once more, and You Ye, dressed in a maid outfit, slowly walked out. She gently clasped her hands together at her abdomen, murmuring, “The Book of the Void… Noah… Ark.”

No matter who came… as long as they didn’t disrupt the club’s business, they were irrelevant.

A smile suddenly appeared on the maid's face as she reached out and lightly touched the God's statue with her finger, then turned to leave, vanishing in an instant.

(Note: Must be the "Christ the Redeemer" statue.)

...

In the late night, even in a busy place like a hospital, it had quieted down significantly, with only the occasional nurses making their rounds and doctors on duty walking about—of course, the emergency room was still brightly lit.

However, the inpatient department had become a sufficiently comfortable environment for the patients to rest peacefully.

Barbara had already left; she was scheduled to come in early the next morning to replace Mr. Alfie. Originally, Barbara had planned to persuade Mr. Alfie to go home and rest for a while since he had important work to attend to the next day, but for some reason, Mr. Alfie insisted on staying this time.

With no choice, Barbara could only return home to rest and come back tomorrow to take over.

In the private room, Mr. Alfie lay asleep on the sofa, his hands still holding onto the brown notebook… he had already finished reading its contents.

Suddenly, Dr. Franky, who was on the hospital bed, sat up. He opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. He didn’t know how he had ended up in this place; it seemed to be a hospital.

He noticed a man lying on the sofa, and Dr. Franky furrowed his brow, feeling an inexplicably familiar vibe from this man, yet he couldn’t recall his name—he instinctively thought of him as a stranger.

Dr. Franky hesitated for a moment, not intending to wake this unfamiliar man.

He quietly got out of bed, feeling extremely hungry. Wanting something to eat, he grabbed an apple from the table and started munching on it as he pushed open the door to leave the room.

Walking through the hospital corridor, he continued eating the apple.

He wanted to find a doctor or nurse to ask why he was in this place… but this hospital seemed somewhat different from the one he remembered.

When did Rio get such a clean and advanced hospital… with many pieces of equipment he couldn’t even name?

Suddenly, Dr. Franky saw a man in a patient gown sneaking a smoke in a corner of the ground floor, speaking as if he were on the phone.

After waiting for a moment until the man finished his call, Dr. Franky walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.

The sudden appearance startled the man, who was secretly smoking, but he relaxed when he saw that it was just an elderly patient. “Oh… sir, could you please not scare people in the middle of the night? If the nurses find out, I’ll be in big trouble.”

“Sorry, sorry, I meant no harm,” Dr. Franky apologized. “Could you lend me your phone? I want to call home.”

The man was taken aback for a moment but still handed over the phone. He wasn’t worried about what this old man might do… but when Dr. Franky took the phone, he hesitated, just looking at the phone from side to side.

“Old man, hurry up and call; I need to get back to my room quickly, or I’ll get caught sneaking out,” the man urged.

Dr. Franky hesitated for a moment, feeling his face grow a bit hot— as a university professor and an educated man, he felt too embarrassed to say what he was about to.

But he had to speak: “I… I think I don’t know how to use your phone… Is this a phone?”

“This is the latest iPhone 9; how could it not be a phone! Old man, are you confused?” The man paused for a moment and then remembered something. “Oh… you’re one of those who only know how to use basic phones, right? Come on, just tell me the number, and I’ll dial it for you.”

"Alright." Dr. Franky reluctantly handed the phone back and quickly recited a number, "This is my home phone."

The man dialed the number directly but soon frowned and said, "Old man, this number is out of service; it doesn't exist."

"What?" Dr. Franky opened his mouth in surprise.