HBWnovel Chapter 219 The Manor
Chapter 219 The Manor
The manor did not disappoint Bai Li, completely overturning her imagination.
The entire island is crescent-shaped, embracing the central lake.
The azure sea on all sides contrasts wonderfully with the freshwater lake in the center, reflecting different lusters under the setting sun.
This unique terrain reminded Bai Li of her own small island in Southeast Asia.
However, that island is merely a place for leisure and vacation.
In comparison, the facilities here at the manor are much more "hardcore".
Manor Island boasts a highly mature and self-contained ecosystem, including both natural and industrial ecosystems.
The greenhouse’s enormous dome shimmered blue in the sunlight.
Bai Li saw this building while she was on the plane.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the greenhouse was enormous, stretching almost to the horizon.
According to the guide NPC, almost all the raw materials needed for daily life have corresponding planting areas here.
Cotton, rubber, wood...
The mature industrial structure has given this manor island a strong capacity for self-sufficiency.
Everything you need for daily life can be manufactured here, from everyday clothing and food to complex electronic products and household appliances.
Living in this manor, one has no need to rely on the outside world.
Bai Li even discovered that the items she used in her daily life, such as tissues, toothbrushes, and towels, were all supplied here.
She thought it was specially ordered from a supplier by Ah He and his group, but she didn't expect it to be produced by the manor itself.
This is not a manor at all; it's clearly a self-sufficient little world.
The island is very large, so a car is needed for transportation.
Wu Hai sat quietly beside Bai Li, his slender fingers tapping his knees intermittently, his eyes sharp as he observed the scene with great interest.
A hint of surprise would flash in his eyes as he passed certain facilities along the way.
This island has all kinds of facilities.
He had seen countless luxurious estates, but he had never seen such a complete self-sufficient system.
interesting……
Wu Hai slightly curled the corners of his mouth.
The manor he inherited from his grandfather was already among the top manors. Although it had its own water and electricity supply facilities, it did not have an independent industrial system and still needed to rely on external supplies, so it was still inferior to this place.
Not only can Shirai operate on its own, but it can even manufacture electronic products.
Wu Hai thought to himself that this island not only possesses surface resources, but probably holds even more secrets underground.
It is highly likely that there are rare mineral veins, or that there are advanced mineral refining machines installed under the seabed; otherwise, it would be impossible to supply electronic equipment.
More importantly, this manor is located in a remote area, far from the mainland. If the world were to face a crisis one day, it would undoubtedly be a "Noah's Ark" that could survive for a long time, not only allowing people to live but also to live with dignity.
Some people choose to live in manor houses in pursuit of a high-quality lifestyle. To some extent, a manor house itself is a symbol of wealth.
However, some people choose estates for privacy and security, and some even consider them as potential disaster "refuges" when purchasing large private properties, just in case.
Bai Li's estate clearly leans more towards the latter, and has taken risk prevention to an extreme level.
Wuhai was well aware that building such a large-scale and fully-equipped estate was no easy task, requiring a massive amount of manpower, material resources, and financial resources.
Suddenly, his thoughts drifted back to his last phone call with Zhou Chengjing.
They haven't been in contact since that call.
But he still remembers the content of that call.
Zhou Chengjing had revealed a piece of information to himself.
—Bai Li is a member of the Bai family.
Bai's family...
Wu Hai kept pondering this name in his heart.
I had never heard of it before.
Judging from this manor, the Bai family must have unfathomable resources.
Strangely, despite knowing Bai Li for a long time, he had never met Bai Li's family.
Even this manor, which cost a considerable amount to build, seemed completely unfamiliar to Bai Li, as if it were her first time there.
Wu Hai's fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the car seat, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.
If Zhou Chengjing's words are true, Bai Li is indeed from an extraordinary family like the Bai clan.
Was it because Bai Li had a distant relationship with her family that she knew so little about her own business? Or did the Bai family deliberately conceal the existence of the manor for some special purpose, even keeping it a secret from Bai Li?
Despite possessing such astonishing wealth and power, the Bai family remains largely unknown to the public.
Is it because they have always kept a low profile and deliberately hidden from the public eye, or is the Bai family in deep crisis and this manor actually a key contingency plan they have secretly laid out?
Wu Hai frowned slightly, and images of the power struggles between wealthy and powerful families involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
In this world where profit reigns supreme, the infighting among top families never ceases, and countless families have fallen apart due to conflicts of interest.
He was very clear about the stakes involved, so he already had a general idea in mind.
Families with vast resources have always been coveted by various forces. The Bai family's long-term choice to remain hidden is likely to avoid conflict, and the establishment of this manor is also for self-preservation.
Wu Hai observed Bai Li's profile silently, his heart filled with complex emotions.
On the one hand, he did have a strong desire to explore Bai Li.
On the other hand, he also had some hidden worries that if he went deeper into the investigation, it would involve Bai Li in some unpredictable dangers.
At first, his feelings for Bai Li were just curiosity, and he didn't really care.
But now he has developed some special feelings for her...
A gentle breeze carries the fresh scent of sea salt and vegetation.
As Bai Li was focused on the scenery before her, a sudden, unsettling feeling washed over her.
She subconsciously turned her head and met Wu Hai's meaningful gaze, feeling a pang of guilt.
Although Bai Li calmly dodged the attack on the surface, she couldn't help but feel miserable inside.
If she had known this estate was so ridiculously large, she would never have brought Wu Hai here.
She wasn't afraid of others knowing about the manor, but Wuhai was different.
This man is too perceptive, too intelligent.
Just by visiting, you might find out a lot about your past.
To be honest, Bai Li had already been amazed by the extravagance of the manor she visited in Wuhai, but she never expected that her own manor would be even more beyond her imagination.
This manor island has a very special geographical location, almost like a lawless place, where external regulatory reach is difficult to extend.
The creator of all this, Wanxianglun, has always been generous, and when building this manor, he spared no effort.
The island is home to cutting-edge technologies from almost every corner of the world.
Vertical farms, rainwater recycling systems, Powerwall energy storage technology... the list goes on and on. Some of these technologies are completely new to Bai Li, and there are many more that simply cannot be made public.
To avoid arousing further suspicion from Wu Hai, she subtly gave the guide NPC a wink.
The NPCs understood perfectly and, in their subsequent introductions, cleverly avoided some key information, concealing the important facilities that housed cutting-edge technology.
This tactic might work for others, but it's not very effective for Wuhai.
With his keen insight and rich experience, he could easily deduce it even without anyone saying it outright.
Wu Hai's lips curled into a teasing smile as he deliberately spoke slowly, "Little Pear, are you planning to establish a country here?"
Bai Li choked for a moment.
Indeed, for such a small place to be self-sufficient, and even exportable if it wanted to, it is already much better than many small countries.
But how could Bai Li dare?
She quickly said seriously, "Don't talk nonsense!"
At this point, he raised his hand and made two cuts on his neck, narrowing his eyes and threateningly saying, "Don't tell anyone what you saw today, or I'll kill you."
Such a threat is nothing to Wuhai, and Bai Li's words at this moment are more like a joke.
Even so, Wu Hai still obediently raised his hands in surrender, his smile widening: "Don't worry, I'm very tight-lipped. I'll keep it a secret for you, okay?"
Then, with a hint of concern, she tentatively asked, "Is this your first time here too?"
Upon hearing this question, Bai Li's eyes flickered instantly, and she subconsciously avoided Wu Hai's gaze.
Seeing that Bai Li didn't want to answer, Wu Hai already had the answer in his heart.
He looked into Bai Li's eyes with a smile, and said sincerely, "I only have this one question, Little Pear, I promise."
Bai Li looked at Wu Hai suspiciously.
Seemingly afraid that Bai Li wouldn't believe him, Wu Hai leaned closer and added, "As long as you answer this question, I will never ask you any other questions again, nor will I care about your other secrets, really."
Bai Li remained silent. In fact, she still didn't subconsciously trust Wu Hai. Her gaze couldn't help but scrutinize Wu Hai's face, trying to find a flaw in him.
But when she found herself unable to find it, she was instead drawn to Wu Hai's gaze.
A pair of bright eyes.
Bai Li could sense that he was serious.
At this moment, the sky grew increasingly dark.
The guide NPC drove the vehicle towards the main house.
At night, it seemed that only the sounds of car engines and the rustling of trees could be heard.
But his eyes were still bright and sincere.
Since Wu Hai had made the promise, Bai Li felt she could trust him for the time being.
When their eyes met, Bai Li nodded slightly and whispered to Wu Hai, "Yes."
Upon hearing this, Wu Hai let out a long sigh of relief, as if he had finally let go of a great burden on his mind.
White pears are different from others.
Wu Hai sensed it the first time he saw Bai Li.
Everything she did was illogical.
He didn't know when he was attracted to Bai Li, but by the time he realized it, a thorn called Bai Li had already pierced his skin.
Although he was still curious, he had subconsciously started to consider Shirai's feelings.
Perhaps he was provoked by Zhou Chengjing.
During his time as Bai Li's good neighbor, Wu Hai truly felt inner peace and even thought that it would be good to continue living like this.
Today, although he had insisted on following along, he was still happy that Bai Li agreed, and even that she could begin to believe him.
He was serious about the promise he just made, and he could temporarily set aside his desire to explore.
Bai Li doesn't want anyone to know her secret, and he will respect that.
Wu Hai leaned back in his chair and sighed, his voice tinged with a hoarse laugh: "So, I'm the first friend you brought to the island."
[Wuhai's favorability +5]
[Wuhai's favorability rating: 55]
Bai Li was stunned.
She hadn't expected that this was what Wu Hai cared about.
And surprisingly, it added 5 points of favorability.
Thinking back to when I first met Wu Hai, my favorability rating only increased by 1 or 2 points at a time.
It seems that Wu Hai really considers me a friend.
Thinking this, Bai Li's tense expression eased considerably, and she looked into the distance.
The outline of the main house gradually became clear in the dim light, and warm yellow light shone through the windows.
Inside the main house, dinner has been prepared.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they will spend the night here and embark on their journey tomorrow.
Although she didn't know what Wu Hai would take her to do, Bai Li's worries were greatly relieved by his assurance.
The evening breeze stirred her hair, and she reached out to tuck a mischievous strand behind her ear.
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As the heiress of a top-tier wealthy family planned the trip, Bai Li had to admit that these 15 days were the craziest period of her life.
During her travels, every destination and every activity exceeded her expectations. None of them were ordinary commercial venues; they were almost all private and exclusive areas that even ordinary wealthy people could hardly access.
Explore the deep sea aboard the €2.4 million "Poseidon" submarine and observe a swarm of bioluminescent jellyfish through its sapphire glass cabin;
Drive a modified off-road vehicle to follow animal migration and spend the night in a starry suite built on top of a thousand-year-old baobab tree;
They bought out the entire St. Mark's Square, and 200 opera singers performed for only two audience members;
……
It can be as crazy as you want, as extravagant as you want.
Many things that Bai Li wouldn't have dared to dream of after becoming rich were all done for her by someone else.
Bai Li even felt that Wu Hai seemed to be holding back.
He could have done something even more exciting, but he chose these relatively "gentle" activities to be considerate of her feelings.
However, something else caught Bai Li's attention: Wu Hai had taken countless photos of her throughout the trip.
Sometimes it's a selfie, and sometimes it involves a hidden photographer.
When the trip ended, Bai Li was shocked to receive a thick stack of photos.
Bai Li doesn't know when many of the photos were taken.
Some of them can no longer be called photos; they are at the level of artistic portraits.
The glowing jellyfish and their eyes, the animals under the setting sun and dust—if you don't look closely, you might mistake it for a picture taken from a geography magazine.
Besides these, there are also some candid snapshots of everyday life.
There's even a photo of Wu Hai secretly making rabbit ears from behind her without her noticing.
Bai Li glanced at Wu Hai, puzzled.
These photos all show Wu Hai's own face. Is it really okay for him to be in the photos like this?
But she couldn't say it outright, so she asked vaguely, "You just gave me these photos like that?"
Wu Hai didn't look at the photos at all; he was only watching Bai Li's reaction.
Hearing Bai Li's question, he smiled with narrowed eyes and generously replied, "Yes, don't you have a photo wall at home? You can put up whatever you want."