Russell was so absorbed in watching the formation of the spirit beads that he forgot everything else—time, hunger, and any other matters. He kept vigil beside the fish pond, watching as the "Spirit Array" gathered the second, third, and eventually the fourth spirit bead.

Six hours slipped by, and once again the sky began to darken. He sat there, mesmerized, until Caesar finally made a rare appearance upstairs.

"Master, it's getting late," Caesar said, a hint of exasperation in his steady voice. His formidable size wasn't without cost—maintaining such a physique required a substantial food intake, yet he hadn't eaten since the previous day.

"Mmm," Russell replied absentmindedly, his eyes still fixed on the third bead as it neared completion.

"Master, Miss He has called five times, O'Neill three, and another call from Luo Daniu." Caesar reported dutifully, originally reluctant to disturb, now realizing his master was clearly in an unusual state.

"Mmm, I understand," Russell responded, though it took him a while to truly process the information before snapping back to awareness. "What did you say? What time is it?"

"It's already the second evening, sir."

"Wow, time flies," Russell sighed deeply, realizing how captivated he'd become by the spirit beads. Only now did he return to his senses, coinciding with the completion of the fourth spirit bead.

With a gesture, three translucent beads flew to him, captured by an invisible force. After some thought, Russell opted not to consume them immediately to grow a third scale, but instead stored them in the test tube that had once contained the genetic enhancement serum.

This test tube was clearly an advanced product—though it appeared to be made of ordinary glass, Russell knew firsthand that even a hammer would require dozens of blows to crack it.

Now, it served perfectly to store the marble-sized spirit beads; its capacity could easily hold several dozen.

Once the beads were safely stored, with a simple command, the test tube's top automatically sealed. The trigger word for the voice-activated closure was "sesame close," a setting Russell had customized himself. This cross-era product, possibly from some alien company, was by his estimation at least a few hundred years ahead of Earth's technology.

With the spirit beads secured, Russell decided to call his old friend Luo Daniu, learning that Daniu wanted him to join for a meal. Russell promised to visit next time, feeling warmly reassured.

Speaking with Daniu reminded Russell of the precious friendships he cherished—all solid connections. Daniu often worried about Russell relying on instant noodles and frequently invited him over for meals to ensure he ate well.

Russell chuckled, realizing his life had changed dramatically without Daniu knowing. He planned to visit his "fatty" friend soon, maybe check if his niece had been born.

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After ending the call with Daniu and finding Sister He's line busy, Russell sent her a text explaining he was okay, jokingly claiming to have vanquished all ghosts and demons, and that he slept like a log. Finally, he called his wealthy friend Jiang Da.

"Wow, boss, you were too busy to take calls since yesterday! Well, boss, as your loyal brother, I have to remind you, even if you're fit, too much of anything can lead to trouble, you know..."

"Stop, stop... what do you want?" Russell interrupted Jiang's continuous chatter, veering into sensitive topics likely on purpose, nearly making Russell slam the phone down.

"Uh, I wanted to invite you for morning tea, but now maybe we can meet for night tea?" Jiang timely adjusted his tone, knowing when to stop.

"No night tea, let's hit the street stalls for a late-night snack. I could devour an entire roast cow right now, you'd better be ready to splurge."

In Southern regions and Hong Kong, people often have tea. Regular tea refers to the act of savoring it. Adding "morning" or "night" to tea implies something more akin to "afternoon tea," involving snacks.

Russell's hunger, driven by the genetic serum, made him feel capable of consuming a whole roast sheep, and with Caesar's appetite to consider, a roast cow wasn't far-fetched.

Agreeing to meet at Xing Ji's food stall, Russell arrived within half an hour to see the ever-jovial O'Neill already seated, grinning slyly as Russell and Caesar alighted from the taxi.

This guy was something else!

Dressed in attire worth tens of thousands, sitting nonchalantly in a street food stall with a leg casually crossed. Nearby, a multimillion-dollar Porsche was parked, his eyes tracking every heavily made-up woman passing by.

"Damn it, could you lower your standards a bit more?" Russell nearly turned around to leave, tempted to disown the notoriously conspicuous Jiang Da in front of all the curious onlookers.

"Hey, boss, you don't understand the charm here. These women may look overdone, but their allure is like aged wine—far richer than any young girl's," Jiang Da continued, undeterred.

"Fine, enough, don't say more... waitstaff, bring on the food, and a whole roast cow," Jiang swiftly redirected, noticing Russell's glare and wisely ceasing his antics.

Such a combination—a second-generation rich kid, a bodyguard, and a supercar at a street stall—wasn't unheard of, but quite the spectacle.

Thus, as Russell settled, he felt numerous odd stares directed his way, making him uncomfortable.

Still, he chose not to care, thinking if he truly stopped caring, he'd outshine Jiang Da in audacity any day.

"Did you really order a roast cow?" Russell, seated with Caesar, asked incredulously.

"Of course, you asked for it, and I'm fulfilling your wish," Jiang grinned cheekily, leaning in to curry favor.

"Get lost," Russell shot Jiang a disdainful look, incredulous at this foolish extravagance.

A whole roast cow, even for a football team, would be excessive. It's ludicrous to order it literally, regardless of pocket depth. Russell felt the pinch despite not caring about Jiang's spending.

Having recently invested heavily in a top-grade suet jade, a duplex costing over seven million, and replacing all furniture and appliances, Russell had eroded his winnings from Macau. His funds dwindled to five figures, leaving mere tens of thousands.

Clearly, Russell's lavishness was no better than Jiang Da's foolish splurging.

"Hey, the roast cow is here for everyone to enjoy."

Unexpectedly, the stall's service was uncharacteristically quick. As Russell sat, an entire roast cow was served, the owner himself presenting the dish. Russell was bewildered at the sight of what lay before him.

"This is a roast cow?" Staring in disbelief at the dish, Russell almost exploded. Who was he calling a fool earlier?

"Exactly, it's our specialty—imported Spanish Catalonian giant beetles, known here as the 'roast cow.' Slimy goodness, young man. Don't worry, it's all clean, and these beetles flew in," the owner proudly explained. This unique dish could only be found here in the southern culinary scene.

"Boss, didn't I deliver? You said a whole roast cow and I've ordered a dozen," Jiang Da smirked. "And I've heard these beetles can enhance certain...capabilities."

"Who's the fool here?" Russell was speechless, utterly overwhelmed.