The headline of the news read:
"The 004th Aircraft Carrier, 'Guang Province', Launches and Enters Service!"
Of course, the launch of the 004th carrier wasn't the most significant event. With previous experience, the country was now quite adept at building aircraft carriers.
What truly astonished the public was that the 004th carrier was a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, a massive twelve-ton nuclear-powered vessel.
Although the carrier was donated by an anonymous Mr. Xu, it was speculated that the country could study the carrier, learn from it, and soon build the next nuclear-powered carrier—or even fully master the technology.
Thus, the 004th carrier held immense significance.
After skimming the news, Xu Mo realized that the article only mentioned the carrier was donated by an anonymous Mr. Xu and didn't specify who the donor was. This reassured Xu Mo.
Fame is as dangerous as a fattened pig, and Xu Mo didn't want to become the center of attention, especially in this matter. Eager netizens might trample the threshold of his villa, and his work would undoubtedly be greatly affected.
Meanwhile, the police station's work group was in an uproar.
Like Xu Mo, the police officers hadn't had time to check their phones during work hours, as they were busy investigating cases all day. It wasn't until they finished work in the evening that they learned about the launch of the 004th carrier.
They immediately started discussing it in the group.
"Holy cow, did you guys see the news? The 004th carrier launched!"
"Just saw it. It's a nuclear-powered carrier, twelve tons! That's insane!"
"Wow, this carrier wasn't built with government funds but donated by some anonymous big shot. Who is this guy? Donating an entire carrier, and a nuclear-powered one at that? That must cost hundreds of billions, right?"
"More than that. Hundreds of billions would only be the cost for a conventional carrier. A nuclear-powered one would cost even more. And that's just the construction cost; the R&D expenses would be astronomical."
"Ouch... If you add the R&D costs, it could reach over a trillion, right?"
"Hard to say, but probably close..."
"The news mentioned the donor's surname—he's a Mr. Xu, just like our Captain Xu."
"Captain Xu, is this anonymous Mr. Xu your relative? @Xu Mo"
"Even if he's not a relative now, we're probably related a few hundred years back. I've noticed that all Xus are impressive!"
"..."
Han Fei also noticed the conversation in the group.
Is the donor Xu Mo's relative? The officers are thinking too small... Think bigger! The bigger, the better!
The donor isn't Xu Mo's relative; in fact, Xu Mo himself donated the carrier!
Unlike the other officers, Han Fei knew the inside story.
However, due to the confidentiality agreement, Han Fei knew he couldn't spread this information, so he refrained from mentioning it in the group.
To prevent himself from accidentally leaking the secret, Han Fei simply put down his phone and pretended not to see the group chat.
Xu Mo's thoughts were similar to Han Fei's.
Under normal circumstances, Xu Mo would have jokingly replied, "Yes, I donated the carrier."
But now, he couldn't. Having signed a confidentiality agreement, he couldn't reveal the truth about the carrier donation, not even in a joking manner.
After casually replying with an emoji, Xu Mo put down his phone.
He looked at the four women on the couch: "Have you had dinner yet?"
"Not yet. We haven't decided what to eat tonight. How about you?"
"I haven't either. How about we go out to eat tonight? I got a bonus today, so I'll treat."
"Sure!" the four women replied in unison.
They all agreed, as they didn't feel like cooking tonight.
After washing his face, Xu Mo left with the four women.
...
After dinner, Xu Mo stopped by a flower shop to buy some potted plants, which he placed in the trunk of his car, planning to bring them to the police station tomorrow to decorate the office.
On the way, he passed a store specializing in tea and tea sets, where he bought a tea set, which he also put in the trunk, planning to bring it to the police station to try the Da Hong Pao tea he had just received as a reward.
The next day.
Upon arriving at the police station, Xu Mo carried the potted plants and tea set into the office in several trips.
During a break, Xu Mo arranged the plants to his liking and started brewing tea.
At that moment, Han Fei walked in.
"Xu Mo, a few colleagues from the neighboring district will be coming to our station this afternoon to learn from us. You'll help me entertain them, okay?... Why are you suddenly drinking tea? I remember you don't usually drink tea. Hey, this tea smells amazing. What kind is it?"
As soon as he entered, Han Fei was captivated by the fragrant aroma of the tea.
Due to work, Han Fei often had to stay up late investigating cases, and the only things that could keep him awake were coffee and tea. He didn't like coffee, so he drank tea instead. Over time, he developed a slight interest in tea.
However, in all the tea he had tasted, none had an aroma comparable to the tea Xu Mo was brewing.
Han Fei was intrigued and asked Xu Mo about the tea, planning to buy some for himself.
"Da Hong Pao," Xu Mo replied honestly.
"Da Hong Pao?" Han Fei frowned slightly. This didn't match the Da Hong Pao he had tasted.
However, he didn't think much of it. Da Hong Pao came in different varieties, and the aroma and taste also depended on the roasting technique. Different aromas were normal.
As for the Wuyi Mountain Mother Tree Da Hong Pao, Han Fei didn't consider that possibility.
That tea wasn't allowed to be harvested, and it was practically extinct. The remaining Mother Tree Da Hong Pao was in the hands of true tea connoisseurs, and such tea would certainly not be something Xu Mo, who didn't know much about tea, could get his hands on.
"Want to try some?" Xu Mo poured a cup for Han Fei.
In fact, even if Xu Mo hadn't offered, Han Fei would have asked for some, as the aroma of the tea was too enticing. Just smelling it made him crave a sip.
Han Fei sat down with a smile.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony."
After smelling the aroma, Han Fei was even more enchanted, his face filled with pleasure.
"This tea must cost at least several hundred dollars per pound, right?" he asked, blowing on the hot steam before taking a small sip.
"Mmm! Expensive indeed. It's way better than the tea I usually drink, which costs just a few dollars per pound. Where did you get this? I'll buy some too."
Han Fei was determined to get some for himself. Even though it was expensive, he could still afford it with some effort.