Demons Beside You

When Chen Zhao walked out of the villa, he saw Fannity, Tyler, and Carlo alight from the car.

“Why are you here?”

“Oh my god… Is this your house? It’s amazing!” Tyler exclaimed.

The villa was absolutely brilliant, with its unique design and the grand scenery surrounding it. It would be such a pleasure to live in the villa.

Hence the saying “poverty limits imagination.”

The poor would never know what kind of luxurious life the rich are having.

The villa’s high cost, exclusive location, and environment had subtly increased its value.

“How did you find me?”

“Easy. Your identity isn’t a secret,” Carlo said. “You’re a professor at UCLA medical school, right? I know people from UCLA.”

Chen Zhao invited the three into the villa. “Please take a seat. What beverage would you like to have?”

“Beer.”

“Beer.”

“Do you have tea? I like Chinese tea,” Carlo said.

After making a pot of tea for Carlo, Chen Zhao sat down before the three.

“So, how may I help you today?”

“Chen, we came here with great sincerity to invite you to join us.” Carlo looked at Chen Zhao with a serious face.

“Sorry, I’m not interested.”

“Chen, don’t you want to be famous?” Carlo persuaded as he stared at Chen Zhao.

“Ha… I do.” Chen Zhao’s smile was rather cold.

He had long passed the age of fantasizing. The probability of becoming famous through Carlo’s means might be slim.

Furthermore, even if they really managed to discover something, would Chen Zhao benefit the most?

Definitely not. Prof. Carlo or a main member of the team would benefit the most, not a newcomer like Chen Zhao.

Moreover, even if Chen Zhao really became famous, would he get more than what he already had?

Let’s not talk about life and dreams.

Chen Zhao’s dream had never been to become an adventurer and explore ancient secrets.

The only thing that could drive Chen Zhao was benefits. As for fame, Chen Zhao did not really care.

In addition, after that night, Chen Zhao finally knew how dangerous it was to become an adventurer.

He would rather treat ill mafia members than fight that kind of monster head-on.

With the same benefits, Chen Zhao would clearly choose to continue being a doctor and occasionally flex about his identity as a professor.

He would not want to journey in deep mountains and dense forests, not knowing when he might suddenly die.

All he wanted was a peaceful life.

Carlo and Fannity glanced at each other. They could tell that Chen Zhao was uninterested.

Sitting in Chen Zhao’s house, they realized that he was much richer than they had thought.

A few hundred thousand dollars would probably not persuade him.

But there was no way they would spend a few million to invite Chen Zhao.

After all, they had only spent a few million to build the entire team. No one would be willing to spend a few million just to invite a person.

“Chen, please think about it. After all, not every expedition is dangerous. Some can even be fun. You should try it out, and I believe you’ll enjoy it,” Fannity said.

“I’ll think about it.”

“A bear!” Tyler suddenly shouted. An enormous brown bear was strolling toward them.

Fannity and Carlo also jumped up from their seats. They had never seen such a huge bear in their life.

Unfortunately, Princess simply ignored them. She knew how new guests at home would react to her.

She was only there to find food.

The three watched as Princess walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge herself. With a roast goose in her mouth, she left the living room.

“Err… That’s…”

“She’s Princess, my pet.”

“She’s so big and awesome! Where’s her breed?”

“Kodiak bear?”

“Very likely. Apart from Kodiak bears, I don’t think any bear can reach her size.”

“Isn’t it dangerous to keep such a big bear at home?” Tyler asked.

“Princess is smart and obedient.”

At noon, Chen Zhao invited the three for lunch. He placed a barbecue stand in the courtyard.

The three realized that Chen Zhao had many other pets in his house.

They had already seen the Silly Twins. With their field experience, they could, of course, tell that they were wolves.

There were also four little ones, namely Briar, Bramble, Simba, and Nala.

But the most eye-catching one was Obitos. From his appearance, he must be a Komodo dragon.

However, the three had never heard of a red Komodo dragon. Some Komodo dragons had albinism, which would make them white.

Still, there had never been a red species. Komodo dragons were not docile either.

They would even dare to attack bigger creatures. The three could not understand why Chen Zhao would keep a Komodo dragon at home.

Nevertheless, to them, Obitos was not the most dangerous one.

The most dangerous one was a giant colorful snake. It was two meters long and almost three kilograms heavy, and clearly a lethal killer.

In comparison, Beelzebub, Carrie, and Samuel looked ordinary.

Nonetheless, so many different pets were actually living in peace, which was incredible.

Many of the animals here had a predator-prey relationship.

“Chen, you like animals, right?”

“Yup,” Chen Zhao replied. It was the only logical response, given that he had so many pets.

“You seem to be an excellent tamer as well.”

None of the pets did anything dangerous, which proved that Chen Zhao was exceptional at taming.

“Well, I have my own methods.”

“Once we found a ruin on an island in the west Pacific. At the entrance of the ruin, a large snake attacked us. The snake was totally green, very much like Chinese emerald, and had an unusual luster on it,” Carlo said.

“Yes. In exploration, we would very often encounter strange creatures,” Fannity said.

Chen Zhao gave a bitter smile. They were still not giving up, but Chen Zhao was just unwilling to participate in the adventure.

It was too dangerous. Chen Zhao did not even want to go near that kind of place.

“I am really not interested. Can you stop asking me?”

“Chen, we heard that the place we explored that day holds potions that grant immortality.”