The city of Darwin in northern Australia.

On the afternoon of January 13, a train drove into the parking lot of the Diamond Beach Casino Hotel in the south of the city, and many passers-by couldn't help but stop and watch.

It was a convoy that had clearly experienced long journeys, with a total of 11 vehicles, in addition to 8 off-road vehicles, a tanker truck and two container trucks.

All 11 cars were covered in dirt, and several of them had visible crash marks.

Those who have had a similar experience will probably know that this train fleet should have just crossed the Australian continent, and both local and overseas travel enthusiasts in Australia like to have such an experience.

It's just that, compared to other travelers, this train fleet can obviously only be described by the word 'trench'.

Not to mention the team of top-of-the-line off-road vehicles, how many people travel directly with tankers and containers?

Simon pushed the door and stepped out of a Mercedes G460, wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans, and a pair of platform boots on his feet.

For a whole week, traveling through the mountains, rivers, valleys, and Gobi Desert on the Australian mainland, coupled with the previous trip to Antarctica, under a series of cold, snow, frost, wind and sun, Simon's complexion became darker, and his body exuded a strong masculine temperament.

Probably everyone has the idea of traveling the world.

Simon is no exception.

In the previous life, there was no such capital, and now, since there is an opportunity, of course, some of the dreams that were once must be realized.

Driving an off-road vehicle through the endless red sandstone Gobi of Australia is truly exciting. After Christmas, which lasted for more than half a month, from Melbourne to the South Pole and across the entire Australian continent, the excitement that a 20-year-old should have returned on this trip.

Simon also made up his mind to make a similar trip every few years in the future.

Seeing Simon get out of the car, the hotel manager greeted him warmly, and several other people in the car also gathered here.

A week-long trip with a total of 31 people.

However, there are actually only 6 masters, namely Simon and Janet, the fourth eldest of the Johnston family, David Johnston and his girlfriend Leslie Whitt, the fifth Patrick Johnston and his girlfriend Sarah Kitstone, and the others are all bodyguards and drivers.

Since the conditions are sufficient, of course, you must give yourself the best guarantee.

The natural environment of the Australian outback is still very harsh.

Simon didn't feel the slightest bit less fun with his entourage.

The first thing Simon experienced when he came to Australia this time was a formal engagement ceremony, and as a result of Raymond Johnston's insistence, the old man was a very traditional person in his bones.

Christmas was followed by a trip to Antarctica, with just Simon and Janet.

If not counting the entourage, of course.

New Year's Day is spent on a cruise ship in Antarctica, which has a little honeymoon feeling.

Returning from Antarctica, he began his journey across the Australian continent again.

Compared with the two-person world of the Antarctic trip, this time it was the fourth and fifth of the Johnston family and their respective girlfriends.

David Johnston has no interest in traveling, claiming that there are still papers to be done. After this reason was given, the whole family agreed to take him by force. Patrick Johnston wanted to follow Simon and Janet on their trip to the South Pole, but was rejected, and naturally he won't miss it this time.

Everyone was greeting each other, Janet turned from the co-pilot's side, raised the satellite phone in her hand and said to Simon: "Mom said that she has started preparing dinner, let's go back to the mansion for dinner in the evening." ”

Patrick Johnston was whispering something in his girlfriend's ear, and immediately said, "Why are you going back so early?" Sister, why don't we go to Bali, it's very close to here, and it will take two hours to get there?"

Janet glanced at her brother and said, "You've been hanging around for half a year, Pat, go back this time, Dad will arrange a job for you." ”

Patrick Johnston is actually three years older than Simon and has been studying at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

It's just that, compared with David Johnston, a top student at Cambridge, Patrick has achieved nothing in his studies, starting from the beginning of his enrollment, he still failed to get a degree after 6 years of mixed work, coupled with a bad record, he was forcibly expelled from the school last year, and then he was idle in London for more than half a year, and was forcibly called home by the old man at the end of the year.

Janet was indifferent to Patrick's request, dangling an index finger and saying, "An hour, take a shower and change your clothes, and then we'll go home." If you don't go back, you'll have to stay here and drink seawater, and Dad will stop your credit card. ”

After Janet finished speaking, she ignored her brother's protests, took Simon's arm and walked towards the hotel building under the guidance of the manager.

Darwin Airport is near the hotel, and a little more than an hour later, the group boarded Simon's Boeing 767 inside the airport, and the convoy left there would be someone else to deal with.

Once the plane had taken off, Patrick began to wander restlessly around the cabin, and soon returned to a small living room in the middle of the cabin, where everyone had gathered.

After getting behind Janet and Leslie and taking a few glances at the office building decoration design that the two women were discussing, Patrick came to Simon, who was chatting with David, sat down on the armrest of the sofa and said to Simon: "Man, why don't I go to Hollywood, you can arrange me any job at will, it's better to pick up girls more conveniently." ”

Before Simon could speak, Sarah Keystone, who was sitting cross-legged on the single sofa next to her and playing a handheld game console, looked up at Patrick and said, "I can hear me." ”

Not to be outdone, Patrick said, "Sarah, why don't we break up?"

"Say to your dad and my dad go, asshole, do you think I want to be your girlfriend?"

"We're all grown-ups, Sarah, and you should have the courage to resist your father's arrangement. ”

"I'm sorry, I don't have the guts. ”

After Sarah Keystone finished speaking, she simply ignored Patrick and lowered her head to continue playing her game console.

Simon listened to the conversation with great interest, and glanced at the very punk girl next to him in a wide black sleeveless T-shirt.

Sarah Keystone is from the Keystone family, which also runs a mining business in Western Australia. The Keystone family and the Johnston family are world friends, and Sarah Kitston's father, Louis Keystone and Raymond Johnston, are very iron friends, and it is said that they have carried guns together and shared the window, so there is a cliché story of baby kissing.

However, according to Janet, the two families don't actually have the meaning of an arranged marriage as in Patrick and Sarah's conversation, and it's very casual.

It's just that Patrick and Sara have been playing since they were children, and they have always looked at each other unpleasantly, fighting when they were children, growing up bickering, and occasionally having a cold war for a while, but they have never separated, and then went to school together at the University of Birmingham, mixed together for 6 years, and last year they failed to get a degree and were expelled from school, which is a very peculiar pair of happy enemies.

Through this time together, Simon sensed that the dark-haired, taciturn girl with heavy eye shadow and a Shakespearean quote 'all devils are here' tattooed on her right arm is clearly the dominant party in her relationship with Patrick.

Patrick was bored with his girlfriend, forgot what he had just requested, and asked Simon again, "Man, what's the password for the front cabin, I'll take a look?"

Simon lifted his chin at Janet, "Ask your sister." ”

Patrick looked over.

Janet said casually, "123456." ”

Patrick immediately jumped up, not forgetting his girlfriend: "Sarah, do you want to come along?"

Sara Keystone didn't look up: "No." ”

Patrick ran out indifferently, but soon ran back again, and asked his sister very hurtfully, "Are you sure it's 123456?"

Janet gave him a blank look: "That's my bedroom with Simon, why are you going in there?"

Patrick stretched out his hand exaggeratedly and gestured: "The bedroom that takes up one-third of the cabin, are you playing tennis in it?"

Janet simply ignored her brother, picked up a page of office design and showed it to Simon, "How about this one?"

Renovation work has begun on Daenerys Studios in Los Angeles.

Some time ago, Leslie Whirkett intentionally or unintentionally tested if she could give herself a chance to practice design, and encouraged her boyfriend to help with the project.

Leslie Whitkett majored in architecture at Cambridge, mainly for her daughter's father's business. Because Leslie Whitt's father opened an architectural design firm in London, which was not large, but not small, probably the kind of design work that could not undertake the entire Daenerys Studios, but was more than enough to be responsible for an area of the borough.

Of course, the construction of Daenerys Studios has been completed, and only the subsequent interior decoration needs to be designed.

That's the kind of work Leslie Whitkett wants.

Although majoring in architectural design, Leslie Whitter prefers interior design, and after graduation, she plans to join the interior design department of her father's company, so she has always been inclined to this field in her studies.

Originally, Leslie wanted to be in charge of the interior design of the shell villa at Dumes Point Manor, and if she could accumulate this resume of designing homes for the richest man in North America during her studies, it would definitely be of great benefit to her future work.

Simon and Janet wanted to plan the interior design of Baker's villa on their own, and they couldn't refuse David, who rarely opened up to the two of them, and finally gave Leslie the design of an office building in Daenerys Studios, where Simon's office was located.

Although Leslie was graduating next year, it was not enough to complete the design of an office building on her own, so Simon simply asked the Los Angeles side to sign a formal contract with Leslie's family's Whirlhelm Design Company, so that Leslie could seek the help of her father's formal department, and Whirlley Design could be regarded as entering the North American market.

Simon just glanced at the drawing, shook his head with a smile, and said, "Replace the red sofa, and the rest will be fine." ”

Leslie Whitkett didn't know why, and said, "It's a dark burgundy, Simon, and I think this color goes well with the overall design of your office." ”

Simon swept around and asked, "Don't you all know what the red couch means?"

Janet and the others all looked at each other.

Sarah Keystone, who was playing handheld, suddenly said: "There is an underlying rule in the Hollywood blockbuster era that actresses enter the audition room and see the red couch, they strip naked and wait for the director or producer to arrive, and then they get the role." ”

Jenny's eyes widened deliberately: "Really?"

Simon nodded.

Leslie Whirkett hurriedly took back the page and said, "Then I'll do it again." ”

Patrick walked over again and sat down next to Simon, put his hand on his shoulder and asked enviously, "Even if it's not red, the actress should be happy to strip naked in front of you, right?"

Simon didn't answer, and raised his hand to flick his paw on his shoulder.

Patrick retracted his hand in pain and complained to Janet: "Sister, your man beat me. ”

Janet said casually, "You can call back." ”

Patrick looked at the back of Simon's hand and gestured, but he didn't dare to make a move, and continued to talk to Simon: "Man, did you really break the legs of five people?"

With Patrick's question, the other people in the room seemed to prick up their ears except for Janet.

Simon just shook his head and said, "It's been too long, I forgot." ”

"Hey, you're ...... better than me," Patrick stopped in the middle of his sentence, and then thought of something, "Why don't we go out together at night, the Pikes have opened another field on the South Bank, and I heard it's very exciting." ”

Simon was noncommittal and said, "Ask your sister." ”

"I'm going to get a lot of tans at this time, I'm going to the spa in the evening, and Leslie and Sara are coming," Janet said, and said to Simon, "You and Pat go and take David with you." ”

David Johnston immediately shook his head: "I'm not going." ”

Patrick also shook his head and refused: "I don't want to take David with me, in case he talks to everyone about fluid physics on the spot, it will be embarrassing." ”

The journey from Melbourne to Darwin took a week, and the flight from Darwin to Melbourne took only four hours.

In the evening, everyone returned to Johnston's mansion on the outskirts of Melbourne.

Because it was Saturday, Anthony Johnston and Norman Johnston had come here for dinner with their families, and Veronica Johnston had come over as well.

At some point during dinner, when everyone exchanged pleasantries, Simon and Janet went back to their rooms in the mansion for a short rest.

Changing into a more homely pale pink dress, Janet came out of the cloakroom and saw Simon lying on the big bed with her eyes closed, so she leaned over and lay on him, propped herself on the man's chest, and said, "Mom and Dad must be talking about the wedding at night?"

Simon reached out and put his arm around Janet's waist and said, "I'll go back next week and be busy for a while, and I'll start preparing here, more than a month should be enough." ”

Janet rubbed her body up, put her face against Simon's face and said, "If you feel too urgent, we can postpone it for a while." ”

Simon smiled: "I also want to catch up with your birthday, after March, it will feel different." ”

"Hmm, bite you. ”

Opening her mouth and grinding her teeth on the man's neck, Janet raised her face again and said, "Actually, I found one thing." ”

"Huh?"

"I think you've become part of the Johnston family. ”

"Why do you say that?"

"Intuition. ”

"Does that feel too good about yourself?"

"Hmph, then you say it yourself?"

I refuse to answer this question. ”

Simon said it, but he also paid attention to the problem.

No one likes to be alone forever.

Years have passed, and Simon's deep-seated sense of alienation from the world has not dissipated.

However, perhaps because of Janet's relationship, or perhaps Veronica, Simon unconsciously began to develop a certain latent identification with the Johnston family. It is precisely because of this instinctive sense of identity that Simon has no resistance to the upcoming marriage.

It's just that this sense of identity is not even too clearly perceived by Simon himself, but it is felt by Janet.

The hand around the woman's waist tightened, and neither of them spoke again.

I don't know how long it took, but it wasn't until Leslie Whitter knocked on the door to remind them that dinner was ready that the two came to the restaurant arm in arm.

The whole family gathered, and the dinner seemed very lively.

Raymond Johnston really mentioned the wedding, and chose a date, March 3, which was Saturday, exactly a month and a half away from now, enough to make preliminary preparations.

Simon and Janet had no objections, and everyone began to discuss the details.

Dinner ends at eight o'clock.

Janet couldn't wait to take several other women to the SPA, saying that she didn't want to get married before her complexion had recovered.

Anthony Johnston was still trying to talk to Simon about Cersei Capital, which had just been settled during this time, when Simon was pulled out of the mansion by Patrick.

At nine o'clock, I arrived at the south bank of the Yarra River from the suburban mansion and arrived at the arena that Patrick had said on the plane, which turned out to be a fighting arena that the Pike family had just opened near the Crown Casino.

Simon had played with Janet in various nightclubs at the Crown Casino last time, and it should have been Patrick's greeting in advance, and this time the heir of the Pike family, James Pike, came to accompany the two in person.

Compared with the middle-aged man who later talked about marriage with Mariah Carey and fought in public for Miranda Kerr and his friends, James Peck is still only a stunned young man in his early twenties this year, and the Pike family is still in the hands of his father Kelly Peck.

Looking at the appearance of James Pike and Patrick hooking shoulders, the two are obviously very familiar, and their attributes should be similar.

Fights in the ring are free fighting.

James Peck skillfully summoned a group of girls, picked the best viewing spot in the audience, and asked Simon if he wanted to bet.

Now that he was here, Simon briefly observed the two players and symbolically filled out a cheque for $10,000 to bet on one of them.

Then, looking at the fighters fighting hard in the ring, and listening to the cheers of hundreds of people around them from time to time, everyone quickly integrated into this fiery atmosphere.

After a few games, Patrick suddenly approached Simon and encouraged, "Man, do you want to go up and play?"