Liu Yong couldn't help but sigh and mutter to himself,
"What a pity, what a pity!" He couldn't help but think that Bawang, his sea creature companion, was too small.
If only Bawang had two or three thousand tons of weight, he could attempt something daring.
However, Bawang was currently only 50 to 60 tons and Liu Yong knew that attempting anything too audacious would be futile.
"If I were to try anything now, it would be like a gnat trying to move a boulder," he thought.
"Overlord, we have done a great thing. We have sunk a strategic nuclear submarine of country M. This is equivalent to piercing the sky. You should not come to this sea area recently, at least keep it more than 50 nautical miles away distance,"
Liu Yong realized the gravity of the situation and gave some advice.
He knew that such a significant event would draw the attention of all parties involved. Yan Country or M Country would undoubtedly send diving robots or other deep-sea diving equipment to inspect the submarine's wreckage.
If the Overlord were to be discovered, it would be disastrous.
The most prudent course of action would be to avoid the area entirely.
"Master, I know how to measure, I will try not to stay in this area," Bawang responded obediently.
After a brief exchange, Bawang swam away at an astonishingly fast speed, covering hundreds of sea miles in one breath and disappearing into the ocean's depths.
"It broke the sky," Liu Yong thought, impressed by Bawang's speed and agility.
As expected, the military of country M reacted strongly to the sinking of their submarine, causing a commotion that could only be described as a frying pan.
The army of the Yan Kingdom soon became aware of the incident and likely began monitoring the situation closely.
Liu Yong wasn't concerned about what would unfold between the two nations. He was confident that the military of country M would not be able to gain an advantage in the situation.
From the perspective of the military of the Yan Kingdom, the sinking of a strategic nuclear submarine belonging to country M was undoubtedly an outstanding achievement, and they would unquestionably consider it a good thing.
However, both parties knew the importance of keeping this matter highly confidential. For several days, no reports on the incident were broadcast on TV, printed in newspapers, or circulated online, almost as if the occurrence had never happened.
The sinking of a strategic-level nuclear submarine in country M was a significant event for Liu Yong.
He felt glad for several days, as if he had encountered a great event.
In no time, several days passed, and it was the weekend again.
On a bright Saturday morning, Liu Yong rose from his slumber, adorned himself with a scarf, and swiftly cooked a delicious meal of three piping-hot bowls of savory, shredded pork noodles.
As he was about to serve the noodles on the table, Liu Lan nearly missed her chance to savor the dish.
Without delay, she hastened to the table, settled down, grabbed her chopsticks, and began savoring the noodles.
"Brother, your cooking prowess has magnificently improved, and these noodles you made today are truly extraordinary," remarked Liu Lan.
Liu Yong, beaming with pride, looked lovingly at his younger sister and replied, "You're such a glutton! Your sister-in-law hasn't even come down yet."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Changle descended the stairs, announcing her arrival, "I'm here! Go ahead and eat, don't wait for me."
Since the duo had taken their relationship to the next level, Li Changle practically lived with Liu Yong.
Liu Yong would chauffeur her every afternoon, and he would drive her to school every morning. Today, she rose from her slumber around the same time as Liu Yong, but her preparation for the day took a bit longer due to the additional time she spent dressing up.
The trio savored their breakfast happily while engaging in light conversation.
However, just after they finished their meal, Liu Yong's phone rang. He picked it up and saw that it was his mother calling, which left him slightly taken aback.
"Why would she call so early in the morning?" he wondered.
"Mom's calling," he whispered, causing Liu Lan and Li Changle to fall silent immediately.
As Liu Yong answered the call, he heard his mother's voice, Zhou Xiuying, coming from the other end of the line, "Xiao Yong, it's about your father..."
Before she could complete her sentence, she began sobbing uncontrollably, which sent Liu Yong's heart racing with anxiety.
"Mom, what's wrong with dad? Please tell me," he urged, his voice trembling with concern.
Zhou Xiuying's sobs gradually subsided, and she spoke in a choked voice, informing Liu Yong of his father's recent health scare. "Your dad had stomach bleeding yesterday," she explained,
"and lost a lot of blood. It was a frightening experience for us all, but luckily your Uncle Jianping managed to find a car and rushed your father to the county hospital right away. He received two bags of blood at the hospital, and now he's recovering."
As Zhou Xiuying explained, Liu Yong suddenly heard his father's voice beside her. He recognized it instantly and listened attentively as his father insisted,
"Give me the phone. I'm fine. I told you not to call and make the children feel anxious. One is working, and the other is studying."
Despite the gentle tone, Liu Yong could sense his father's concern for their well-being.
Zhou Xiuying handed the phone to Liu Hongfu, and he reassured his son,
"Xiaoyong, I'm fine now. I'm stable and will be discharged from the hospital in a few days. Don't worry about me."
However, Liu Yong couldn't shake off his worry and responded,
"Dad, Liu Lan, and I will return soon. We have our car, so everything is convenient. We can get to the County People's Hospital in three hours."
But Liu Hongfu was determined not to trouble them, insisting he was fine.
After several more exchanges, Liu Yong hung up the phone but couldn't express his concern for his father.
"Liu Lan, Dad is hospitalized with stomach bleeding. Let's go back and check on him," he urged.
Without hesitation, Liu Lan agreed to accompany him, and Li Changle also offered to join them, saying, "Brother Yong, let me come with you and visit Uncle."
Immediately, the trio sprung into action, with Liu Yong getting behind the car's wheel without even bothering to call Chen Hu.
They swiftly departed from the villa area in the luxurious Cullinan, their first destination being a supermarket.
It was an extravagant shopping spree, with Liu Yong not even bothering to glance at the prices of the items he desired.
He took what he wanted without any haggling, filling up the Cullinan's previously empty trunk with all goods - from high-end tobacco and alcohol to nutritional products, luxury cosmetics, fruits, and candies.
Li Changle couldn't help but wonder why her boyfriend had purchased cosmetics and bags suitable for middle-aged women, which led her to believe that Liu Yong might have plans to introduce her to his family.
The thought made her both happy and nervous, as they had only crossed the final line of defense in their relationship a week ago, and she hadn't yet informed her family that she had a boyfriend.
While Li Changle's family had been aware of her blind date with Liu Yong a few months ago, she kept quiet about establishing their relationship.
Whenever her parents inquired about how things were going between them, she responded that things were "okay" without disclosing that they were officially a couple.
Despite the sizeable shopping spree, the group made quick work of it and were back on the road by half-past nine. Liu Yong's driving was intense as he maneuvered the Cullinan at breakneck speeds of up to 130 kilometers per hour on the highway, frequently overtaking slower vehicles.
As they were speeding, they encountered a young couple driving a small white car at a leisurely pace of about 90 kilometers per hour.
Liu Yong didn't hesitate to overtake them at lightning speed, causing the young couple to jump in surprise at the sudden appearance of the Cullinan.
.........................
