I Am Extraordinary Alone
Chapter 195 - 193: Steijie’s Dinner

Chapter 195: Chapter 193: Steijie’s Dinner

At 4 p.m., Steijie called Wei Tianyang, inviting him for dinner at his home.

Perhaps estimating that Wei Tianyang would be leaving the Sethiyan Federation in a few days, Steijie’s dinner might not be that simple.

One would have thought the meal would take place at the Governor’s White House, but Steijie gave him an address for a villa located in the suburbs of Georgetown.

At 5 o’clock, Wei Tianyang changed into a fresh set of clothes and drove his Deep Diver out. It took him over 40 minutes to reach the shady boulevard, far removed from the city center but enveloped in an elegant environment.

The white villas were lined up on both sides of the boulevard, and the giant trees in the center had lush foliage, reminiscent of green umbrellas. Sunlight found its way through the leaves, casting specks of light on the dark green electric car tracks. The silver Deep Diver slowly moved along as if it were a silver shark swimming beneath a green sea.

The car stopped slowly in front of Steijie’s house, where a 10-year-old blond boy was sitting on a swing in the front yard playing with a tablet computer. Upon seeing Wei Tianyang getting out of the car, the boy ran into the house.

Wei Tianyang hadn’t even pressed the doorbell on the fence when the small white wooden gate snapped open, and Steijie came out the door, standing on the villa steps waving to him.

"Hey, Wei."

Wei Tianyang smiled at him and walked straight toward the porch.

Steijie was dressed in a loose white short-sleeved shirt and baggy jeans, with only a pair of blue slippers on his feet, looking very relaxed. One could hardly tell that this man, nearly 60, was actually the leader of the country.

After shaking hands, Steijie put one arm on Wei Tianyang’s left shoulder, and they walked into the house together.

This villa wasn’t much different from the one where Wei Tianyang stayed, and it was even a bit older. Sounds of chopping and cooking were coming from the kitchen. The boy who had played with the tablet in the yard was heading downstairs.

"Jamie, come say hello to your brother," Steijie called out.

The boy grabbed the staircase railing and said coyly, "Uh, hello." Then, he ran back upstairs.

"Your grandson?" Wei Tianyang inquired.

"No, he’s my son," Steijie replied with a smile.

"You got married and had children quite late," Wei Tianyang remarked.

"Yeah, Martha, my wife, and I decided to have children when we were 40. In fact, before that time, we were planning to be DINKs," Steijie said with a smile.

"You don’t have bodyguards?" Wei Tianyang asked.

He didn’t smell gunpowder; the street seemed to have an air purification system, not even the scent of garbage was present.

"Right now, I’m just a husband, a father, not some governor, so nobody will come to disturb me," Steijie said.

"My wife Martha hasn’t finished cooking dinner yet, so we have some time. Would you like a drink? It’s my habit to have some liqueur before dinner; do you drink?"

He first ushered Wei Tianyang to the sofa in the living room and then went to get the drinks from the liquor cabinet.

"I’ll just follow the local custom," Wei Tianyang said as he sat down.

"It’s hard to believe a Governor would live in such a civilian villa. I thought you would live like Zhao Ling, at the top of some skyscraper, or, uh... in any case, some place that looks very special," Wei Tianyang observed.

Steijie laughed heartily. He was holding two small cups and a short, stout little bottle that exuded the scent of chocolate.

"We’re not a feudal kingdom here, a governor has no difference from other citizens," Steijie said with a laugh, as he poured drinks into two cups.

Wei Tianyang felt a mix of three parts goodwill and seven parts curiosity upon hearing that.

"Chocolate-flavored liquor?" Wei Tianyang asked with a smile.

Steijie handed him a cup, "Yes, it’s nothing potent, but it tastes good. I’ve had a liking for this ever since my university buddies got me into it."

Wei Tianyang took a sip, the thick velvety chocolate flavor coupled with the spicy sting of alcohol spread across his tongue. He swallowed, and the alcohol surged down his throat into his stomach, leaving the chocolate aroma lingering pleasantly in his mouth.

"Fuck... this is really good," Wei Tianyang couldn’t help but pick up the bottle for a closer look; it was just a common supermarket item. At first glance, one might even mistake it for a bottle of milk.

"I still need to thank you for doing me a big favor, not as a governor, but on a personal level," Steijie spoke gravely.

"It’s nothing. You guys get together, form a little clique, just to make good use of me, right? I’ve enjoyed the special treatment, so naturally, I should put in some effort," Wei Tianyang said.

He was well aware of the mutual use between them, so there was no point in pretending; they were all adults, after all. Speaking plainly was actually more convenient.

Steijie nodded with a smile, "I originally thought you would be hard to approach, but that old guy has a high opinion of you."

"Spencer?" Wei Tianyang chuckled.

"Yes. He told me that you might not have read much, but you learn from your experiences. Your thoughts and ideas are different from your peers. Some may find what you’re seeking laughable, but believe me, Wei, the ’greater meaning’ you’re after is considered meaningful by those of us at the level of Spencer, myself, and Zhao Ling—far more meaningful than earning money," Steijie said, his smile fading into a serious and earnest expression.

"For a moment, I don’t know whether you’re paying me lip service or... joking," Wei Tianyang said with a laugh.

Justice and fairness, a perfect social system—these were things ordinarily beyond the qualifications and capabilities of common folk to ponder.

"I’m not joking. What you’re pursuing is also what we’re all after," Steijie said.

Wei Tianyang crossed his legs casually. He didn’t disbelieve Steijie, but having such a serious conversation about this felt somewhat contrived.

Zhao Ling indeed was trying to reform Yin Country in her own way, but the process would be very long...

Spencer wanted to use knowledge to find the key to humanity’s next stage. He felt Wei Tianyang was the key, only he didn’t yet know how to use it.

And Steijie? Looking at the Sethiyan Federation on the surface, it didn’t seem to have any problems. So what exactly did he want to change?

"Zhao Ling said that this kind of thing can’t be achieved overnight," Wei Tianyang shook his head.

He had tried it himself; he killed the President of Yixu, but in less than a night, they had a new substitute, and the war didn’t end because of it. Moreover, the minds of the civilians on the streets and the soldiers on the front were already filled with a deliberately designed public opinion—in the death of one president, nothing really changed.

"The Sethiyan Federation isn’t as good as you think; that nuclear bomb is proof," Steijie shook his head.

"You mean the business with the Public party? The two parties competing and sabotaging each other—I’ve seen that before. I can’t help you kill all the people in the Public party, Steijie. Killing only leads to more problems. The more I kill for you, the more evidence they will get to use as a weapon against your party," Wei Tianyang said.

"The Public party isn’t the crux of the issue. There are some things I can only tell you; the power structure of this country is much more complex than you imagine. Zhao Ling and I are both leaders of a country, but Yin Country belongs to her, the Sethiyan Federation is not mine," Steijie said.

"And it shouldn’t be yours or hers," Wei Tianyang retorted.

"Right... but in fact, this country has long had its masters, hiding in the shadows... using unseen forces to guide and control everyone..." Steijie whispered, as though afraid of being overheard by something.