But the trembling old Hamr was the first to co looking...
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"Victor." Old Hamr seed a bit unnerved, "I just rembered sothing important that I had forgotten. So of my old colleagues are in trouble.
These are friends I’ve known for many years, adventured with, faced life and death with, and served the country with. But now they are old and need so help..."
The old man spoke hesitantly, stamring.
Zhou Qingfeng figured it out, "You need money, right?"
Hamr nodded, "Yes, we have a ’Patriot Foundation’ specifically for taking care of those old friends.
Many of them, for various reasons, have very ager pensions, if any at all.
So live in trailers, surviving on welfare; so have PTSD and have lost their dical coverage... I left the nursing ho hoping to secure so funds."
"How much do you need?" Zhou Qingfeng asked directly.
Old Hamr pursed his lips and cautiously asked, "One million US Dollars, I know it’s a lot, but there are many people in need."
Zhou Qingfeng was straightforward, "Hamr, you have helped a lot too.
Without your critical advice and connections, I wouldn’t have been able to save Julia and her daughter, let alone deal with the Chris Family so smoothly.
I got more than sixty million US Dollars from the Chris Family, not including the real estate. I can give you half, thirty million US Dollars.
The only trouble is how to legally get this money into the ’Patriot Foundation’ you ntioned."
Hearing the figure ’thirty million,’ Old Hamr felt a sense of relief. He was no longer the elite agent of his younger days, with agility and unyielding conviction.
He was now just a confused, forgetful old man who belonged in a nursing ho and was disliked by the caregivers.
With Zhou Qingfeng’s acknowledgnt, he laughed heartily, "Great, Victor, you are truly generous. With thirty million US Dollars, I can solve all my friends’ and my problems.
Whether it’s legal or not is too simple. What is difficult for others isn’t a problem for us."
The old man happily hugged Zhou Qingfeng, patting him on the shoulder nonstop, "Victor, you are a good man. I never thought our salvation would co from an old rival."
What?
Zhou Qingfeng sensed there was sothing more to that statent.
Old Hamr smiled, showing a bit of past pride, "The relationship between China and the US is very complicated. I worked for the CIA for decades and had many run-ins with our counterparts across the ocean."
Zhou Qingfeng wasn’t too concerned, deciding to transfer so charitable funds from the ’Holy Light Foundation’ to the so-called ’Patriot Foundation.’
After all, the foundation’s money was ant for ’networking and gifting,’ so why not use it?
-----------------
For big clients like Zhou Qingfeng, account transfers were simple.
He gave an order, Kelly made a call, Old Beck’s lawyer confird it, and they followed the electronic authentication process.
Once the money was confird to have arrived, Hamr trembled with excitent but expressed the need to leave temporarily, "Victor, I need to et with my old friends. I won’t be back for a while."
"Let the caregiver go with you." Zhou Qingfeng was worried about the old man’s mory loss.
"No, my friends will co to pick up; they will take care of ." Hamr said a few words of thanks, took so simple luggage, and insisted on leaving alone.
Zhou Qingfeng didn’t stop him, seeing the old man off from his apartnt, watching him shakily get into an old Ford F150.
The driver, about fifty years old, had a closely cropped haircut and sharp eyes that assessed Zhou Qingfeng.
Old Hamr got into the front passenger seat, waved goodbye to Zhou Qingfeng, and said sothing to the driver...
The driver was visibly moved, gave Zhou Qingfeng a standard Arican military salute, and then drove off.
Zhou Qingfeng was taken aback and only then realized— ’Patriot Foundation,’ why does this na feel ironic and unpatriotic?
Soon after, a ’friend’ from the Departnt of Holand Security called, "Victor, my na is Diego.
Thank you for taking care of Hamr and supporting our foundation.
I didn’t expect you to donate thirty million US Dollars to our foundation; this completely solves our funding issues.
Though in our line of work, we don’t talk much about friendship and avoid letting emotions get in the way, big clients are always given special treatnt.
In the future, any consultation you may have, as long as it’s not highly classified or too complicated, I won’t charge you.
We’ll also put you on the whitelist; regarding anything about you, we’ll keep an eye on it and provide reminders and help when necessary."
That’s the effect Zhou Qingfeng wanted, thirty million US Dollars bought ’connections,’ more reliable than empty talk of ’friendship.’
He then ntioned his current ’trouble’ and emphasized that soone was warning him through Jeff Connally.
"I want to know who that person is?" Zhou Qingfeng was wary of soone plotting against him in secret. He could choose not to acquire ’Apocalypse Creatures,’ but he had to know who was sabotaging his plans.
"I’ll help you investigate." The ’friend’ agreed readily, "Jeff Connally? He’s just a guard dog in the capital circle; he’s nothing in front of the Departnt of Holand Security.
Anyone who needs him to send a ssage to intimidate you can’t be that powerful.
I’ll apply to monitor his phone communications and scan his call records. I’ll give you a result within twenty-four hours.
By the way, I have prepared a gift for you; it will be delivered in two or three days, and I believe you will like it."
Zhou Qingfeng was generous with money, and the ’friend’ was efficient with his work, even seeming eager to show that the money was well spent.
-----------------
After hanging up with the ’friend,’ Zhou Qingfeng called ’Gray Shark’ with the sa request to investigate ’Apocalypse Creatures.’
After the exchange, he specifically told ’Gray Shark,’ "Porter, you can move; I won’t have anyone watching you anymore."
There was a long silence on the other end. After a while, Porter asked uncertainly, "You...won’t threaten anymore?"
"Sorry, Porter, for previously using your address and your mother to threaten you. I was too weak then, without reliable friends, and had to use such ans to protect myself.
But now..." Zhou Qingfeng chuckled, "It’s no longer necessary. I know you lack a sense of security; you can find a new place to hide."
’Gray Shark’ first breathed a sigh of relief, but then eagerly asked, "Can you tell how you know all my secrets?"
"Sorry, I can’t say yet."
"I have an absurd guess," ’Gray Shark’ said, facing the flashing lights of the servers and computer screens in the basent, his voice suddenly ethereal.
"Did I tell you those secrets in the future? You...don’t belong to this tiline?"
Zhou Qingfeng burst into laughter, "Are you obsessed with ’Ti Traveler’?"
"Yes! Exactly!" Porter suddenly got excited, "No one knows I read that book, no one can trace it.
The book wasn’t read online or purchased; my mother picked it up from a pile of discarded books at a neighbor’s yard sale at the ’Saturday Market.’
My mother hoped I wouldn’t spend all day with computers, but even she didn’t know what was in that pile. If I didn’t tell you myself..."
Zhou Qingfeng was suddenly at a loss for words and hastily changed the subject, "Porter, you should go out more. There are specially designed modified cars for disabled people, so you can take your mother out. She’ll be pleased."
"Also, move to a new place, find a self-sufficient house with a yard. Don’t put all your assets in virtual currencies; allocate so to gold and cash.
Get a caregiver for your mother so she doesn’t have to take care of you all the ti; she’s getting old.
And the old widower she knows...he’s a good person. Let them accompany each other, so they have soone in their later years."
"Victor!" Porter interrupted him, "You’re from the future, aren’t you?"
"Don’t overthink it."
"What are you hinting at?"
"I’m going to hang up now."
"Is there sothing you can’t openly say?"
"Rember to help find out who is behind the scenes."
When the busy signal sounded, Porter sat in his wheelchair.
The LED light in the basent cast a mottled shadow on the server racks, but his eyes seed to see through them into so distant ti and space.
Footsteps ca from the stairs, and his mother’s worried voice called out, "Porter, I heard you shouting. What happened?"
He turned his head, looking at his mother’s wrinkled face, suddenly smiled, "A friend gave so advice to go out more..."
The old lady was stunned, then her eyes welled up with tears, "You have a friend? My God, you’ve been in the basent for over a decade..." she trembled, "This is wonderful."
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