This left Joan and Mai Shiranui a little stunned; that speed was just too fast!
Ryo Sakazaki had just walked into the bar, smelled the aroma of food, and wanted to come over for a free meal, only to find the plates were all spotlessly clean. "Hey! This is cleaner than if a dog ate it!"
"You're the dog, you can't even beat a dog!" Eddie Cai snorted in annoyance. "Let's go, we'll eat outside. My treat."
Joan nodded. "Okay." Someone's treating, why not go?
This made Ryo Sakazaki grind his teeth in frustration. He had asked Joan out to dinner many times, but she always refused. Now this pretty boy comes along, offers to treat her, and Joan agrees. This made him very suspicious—did these two have some unspeakable secret relationship?
This was just a thought, and there was no solid evidence. Even if there was, it was their business and had nothing to do with Ryo Sakazaki.
Mai Shiranui, however, smiled happily. She was very open-minded, and besides, her husband liked her cooking, which was enough.
The four of them went to a restaurant for dinner and chatted for a while.
It turned out Joan had a younger brother, Jayne, who was born with a disease that made him immobile and very weak. This was why Joan had appeared in the previous King of Fighters tournament—there was prize money for participating. And South Town was a prosperous city, where she could earn more money.
Joan used to be a member of a certain gang in South Town, forced to join. Later, Mai Shiranui and Yuri Sakazaki, who were traveling, helped her. The three of them broke up the gang. Afterward, Joan opened her own bar, which allowed her to pursue her interests while also earning money for her brother's medical treatment.
"You said your brother has a disease? Have you found out what it is?" Eddie Cai was full after eating, having consumed nearly sixty people's worth of food. Fortunately, the restaurant had ample reserves, and the lobby manager, seeing the customer pay by card and realizing Eddie Cai was rich, didn't care about anything else. As long as he paid, he could eat as much as he wanted.
Speaking of her brother Jayne, Joan's expression became a little sad. "It's congenital Poliomyelitis, and he needs surgery."
"Poliomyelitis? As far as I know, even with surgery, there's only a ten percent chance of a cure, and there will still be sequelae. With current technology, it might not even be ten percent. The cost is incredibly high, and it requires regular maintenance. Most doctors would advise giving up treatment, though a few doctors might insist on the patient continuing treatment, since it's not their money. What if a medical miracle happens?" Eddie Cai slowly explained, not forgetting that he was a virus research expert.
Mai Shiranui was a little surprised. "Husband, were you a doctor before?"
"No, I used to be a pharmaceutical expert. After fighting earlier, I think I've recovered some memories. Don't worry, no matter what, I am your husband." Eddie Cai smiled as he held Mai Shiranui's delicate hand. This lie came so naturally; who would believe him!
Mai Shiranui also smiled sweetly. "No matter what, I am your wife."
"Ahem, you two don't need to show off your affection." Ryo Sakazaki coughed. The Kyokugenryu dojo was also in Kyoto, so he and Mai Shiranui knew each other. They were all Fighters; it would be strange if they didn't.
"Husband, do you know how to treat Joan's brother? The doctor said her brother only has a three percent chance of recovery." Mai Shiranui decided to help her best friend.
Joan's eyes also held a glimmer of hope. As an older sister, she couldn't abandon her disabled brother. If her brother could become self-reliant, she would at least have accomplished a major life goal.
Eddie Cai rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful. "I remember developing drugs that could inhibit cancer, AIDS, and leukemia. Curing drugs exist, but they are still in the theoretical stage. Poliomyelitis is not difficult to treat; it just requires breaking down and rebuilding, destroying and then reconstructing."
"Destroy?" Joan's expression was confused. She didn't know what this meant. She wasn't a 'brother complex' type; she just needed to fulfill her duty as a sister.
Eddie Cai nodded seriously. "That's right, destroy and then reconstruct. Destroy the damaged parts and then reconstruct them; this is rebirth. I know this method is crazy, so no one agrees with it, but it's not impossible. I don't care about others' opinions. Sometimes, ignorance about something instinctively leads to rejection."
Mai Shiranui's beautiful eyes sparkled. She had already guessed that her husband might be a very talented person, perhaps with other sisters. But what did that matter? As they had agreed, no matter what happened, she only remembered that she, Mai Shiranui, was Eddie Cai's wife, and Eddie Cai was her Mai Shiranui's husband.
"Can you speak like a normal person? Can you actually cure him or not?" Ryo Sakazaki felt increasingly uneasy. Was he trying to win Joan over?
"You're not a person, so you don't understand normal speech." Eddie Cai glanced at Ryo Sakazaki. Was this guy just a brute with only muscles in his brain?
"Enough, Ryo Sakazaki, speak properly to Eddie Cai. He is my husband, and you'd best show some respect." Mai Shiranui was displeased. She wouldn't allow anyone to slander her husband. Compared to her husband, Ryo Sakazaki seemed more like a fool!
The Request of G
Eddie Cai thought for a moment. "Saying whether it can be cured now is just nonsense; we'll only know after an examination. Any truth is based on evidence; without evidence, no matter how eloquently you speak, it's useless."
This pragmatic approach increased Joan's goodwill significantly. As a patient's relative, she was most concerned about reliable treatment methods.
That evening, outside the bar, Eddie Cai was practicing fighting techniques. The gains from earlier today were now ready for practice. Reviewing the old to learn the new, he needed to create his own fighting style.
A red-clad figure flashed by, high heels landing, with short, smooth black hair and a delicate, pretty face. Who else could it be but Ada?
"Ada! Wife, why are you here?" Eddie Cai said, surprised. Seeing the mature Ada was always something that made him happy.
"To see you, of course. Any progress?" Ada smiled and comforted her husband. After understanding this world, she realized that with her abilities, she could establish herself, but not be invincible. This world was different from the previous one, with the existence of incredible professions like Fighters.
"Yes, I'm preparing to create our own fighting style. Qi Strength combined with fighting techniques can make one a Fighter, and only by becoming a Fighter can one further research Qi Strength. Also, if you have time, discreetly investigate ancient legends, news about the Orochi Clan. Don't be impulsive; that's a higher level of power. This is our next step to strive for!" Eddie Cai instructed.
"I understand. Take good care of yourself and don't overwork. Oh, and visit Jordana more often when you have time. That child is now a popular singer. Be careful your precious daughter doesn't get snatched away!" Ada gently straightened her husband's collar. She didn't feel empty; having sisters by her side and being able to investigate the history of this new world was incredibly interesting.
"I know. Didn't Sienna come along?" Eddie Cai nodded. If there was one thing he was most proud of, it was marrying Ada.
The picture under Ada's watch was their wedding photo, a picture of Ada in a pure white wedding dress and Eddie Cai in a suit.
"She went to investigate the distribution of power in this city, which is useful for Excella's business layout. Rebecca said she's opening a pharmaceutical research lab in Kyoto; help her out when you have time. I'm leaving now, hehe, next time bring the new sisters to meet me." Ada playfully winked her beautiful eyes. She saw through it but didn't say anything.
"Alright, next time for sure!" Eddie Cai scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
"Silly, what's there to be shy about? We're an old married couple. I'm off, don't miss me too much." Ada flicked her husband's head, showing a playful, mature charm. The next second, she used her grappling hook to leave the forest.
Eddie Cai smiled as he watched Ada leave. This wife was never a quiet woman. Except for a period of quiet during pregnancy, she always loved to travel everywhere.
He dialed the phone, and Rebecca's excited voice came through. "Husband, are you looking for me? I miss you so much!"
Eddie Cai chuckled, "I miss you too. Help me research a drug for Poliomyelitis. I'll come back to Kyoto to find you after a while. You're working hard!"
Rebecca, busy building her laboratory, smiled so widely that her beautiful eyes curved like crescent moons, truly embodying the demeanor of a national goddess, making one's heart beat a little faster.
After dealing with personal matters, Eddie Cai continued to practice fighting techniques. He didn't stop until late at night, then took a glass of red wine from the bar and opened his phone to browse the latest news he had investigated.
Alexia had already deployed a satellite with stealth capabilities to the outer atmosphere for monitoring and investigation.
On the Outpost Planet, Jill was reading translated books and researching Qi Strength with her daughter, Kailie.
This new knowledge was somewhat like the legendary internal energy. However, more than internal energy, it was a magical element that communicated with nature.
The vegetation coverage on the Outpost Planet was gradually increasing, and the natural aura here was the most concentrated.
Practicing and connecting with Qi Strength here was undoubtedly the best and most successful, as the pristine natural environment was more conducive to perceiving the existence of Qi Strength.
In the laboratory, the beautiful and tall Alexia, wearing high heels, stood with her arms crossed, her beautiful eyes fixed on the data on the screen.
She was also very interested in what was called Qi Strength. She preferred research over managing forces.
"Mom, I've found that this planet is not simple. The combat power of those so-called Fighters is a bit too exaggerated. If converted into numerical values, one Fighter is basically equivalent to three enhanced C-Virus test subjects," Leila said, also emitting a chilling aura.
She was Alexia's precious daughter, born after ten months of pregnancy, possessing both her father Eddie Cai's cunning and her mother Alexia's transcendent intelligence. Both mother and daughter shared similar personalities—ice beauties who maintained an arrogant demeanor towards other matters.
"That interesting? Hehe, have you investigated the Hakkesshu that your dad mentioned? Since your dad said not to provoke Goenitz, let's start with the other Hakkesshu members. Controlling nature? This experiment is very interesting." Alexia curved into an alluring smile. She was getting excited. A power level higher than bio-viruses?
If they could combine viruses with the adaptability of the E-Mold and circulate Qi Strength, could they perhaps create Qi Strength through viruses?
If a continuous flow of Qi Strength power could be formed, wouldn't that be incredibly destructive?
Alexia's research was still in the preliminary stages of getting Qi Strength to circulate, laying the foundation, and then moving on to higher-level research.
It could be developed in the direction of health and longevity, or in the direction of enhancing destructive power. In short, the foundation must be laid first.
The family worked together, some providing behind-the-scenes support, others managing industries in the real world.