Chapter 180: Vegas
"Is this thing really worth over a billion dollars?" Roman waved the box containing the chip in front of Ron. If so many people weren't watching, he would have pocketed it and fenced it.
"That's right," Ron snatched the box and tossed it into Hobbs's arms. "Mission accomplished."
He then walked towards the cockpit, where two pilots, hired by Shaw at premium rates, were sitting. "How do you fire this thing up? Just tell me how to start it, not how to fly it. I don't need flight training."
The pilots nervously explained the startup procedures.
"What else are you planning to do? You're not going to fly this thing back to LA, are you?" Hobbs asked, puzzled.
"Of course not. I just have a promise to keep to someone. Time for you to disembark." Ron gestured to him, and Hobbs, confused, could only lead everyone off first.
As they disembarked, the plane started up again, changed direction, and crashed into a supply depot at the base where expensive equipment was stored.
"BOOM!" The plane slammed into the depot, creating a massive explosion that nearly lit up the entire night sky. Ron had already bailed out before the aircraft could turn.
"Alright, all wrapped up," Ron clapped his hands, signaling to the others with an "all clear" gesture.
From the command center, the base commander, watching the entire scene through the blinds, finally felt relieved. With that impact, the base's long-standing accounting irregularities were practically erased—and then some. The commander couldn't help but admire Ron's professionalism once again. He thought the terrorist, Shaw, had arrived at the perfect time. If incidents like this happened monthly, the defense contractor he'd invested in would surely crack the Fortune 500!
Unknown to Ron, as he sat on the transport heading back to LA with Dom and his crew, his reputation was spreading among Pentagon brass, through the commander's reports and endorsement from an unnamed superior.
He became a renowned rising star in military circles, even dubbed the "Golden Boy," earning widespread approval.
While the immediate benefits wouldn't be apparent for a while, any future operations Ron needed from the military—borrowing equipment or even personnel—would be much smoother.
"Ron, want to join us for a cookout?" Dom happily invited Ron back to LA after the long absence.
Ron asked, "Can I bring my roommate?"
"Uh..." Dom nearly choked on his Corona. After coughing it up, he said, "That's cool. You should spend time with your family. Nothing's more important than family."
"Okay, catch you later then. I had your place cleaned for you, so you can move right back in." Ron had just turned around, then looked back. "By the way, Hobbs will be bringing your pardons soon, but until then, I suggest you keep a low profile."
It wasn't that Ron actually missed Sheldon or anything. God knew what there was to miss about Sheldon. It was just an excuse. He knew Hobbs would definitely show up soon with Elena to deliver the pardons.
Elena was Dom's new girlfriend from Rio; Letty was their primary objective, Dom's ex-girlfriend.
Ron didn't want to stick around to watch the two women clash. His own romantic complications were enough to keep him stressed, so he didn't want to see Dom's drama add to his headaches.
In the apartment, Howard, who was having dinner, received a call from his new "arrangement," Leslie. Trying to show off, he checked the caller ID and answered smugly:
"You've reached 'Friends with Benefits.' For booty calls, press one. For immediate hookups, press two..."
Sheldon asked, puzzled, "What do you mean by 'Friends with Benefits?' Did he get Leslie health insurance?"
"No!" Leonard looked like he'd swallowed a bug. And that bug's name was Howard, dating the girl he used to see!
"Imagine being able to hook up with someone, but still be able to date other people whenever you want."
"No, I can't imagine that," Sheldon thought for a moment, shaking his head.
"Leonard, your question is way off base," said Ron, returning from his business trip. "We've discussed this before. Sheldon is still in the developmental stage of his species, not yet fully matured, and doesn't have reproductive urges."
"Ron!" Sheldon didn't understand what he was saying, or what the others were laughing at, but he knew it wasn't complimentary.
"Yeah, I'm back," Ron casually dropped his luggage, walked over to the seat Howard had just vacated, sat down, and grabbed Sheldon's food and started eating, leaving Sheldon indignant.
Fighting was hopeless. Sheldon would never defeat the even more ruthless Ron through physical confrontation, but he could mentally catalog Ron's behavior to give him a thorough tongue-lashing the next time his mother called.
"Welcome back, Ron. Where were we?" Howard casually walked over to a nearby chair and sat down.
"Aren't you going to your booty call?" Raj asked curiously. These days, whenever Leslie called, Howard would bolt without hesitation.
"No, it's something else. Come on, how can everything be about sex?" Howard's smile was strained.
"Come on, if it's not a hookup, then stop pretending. Aren't you exhausted?" Ron ruthlessly called him out.
"She dumped me... boohooo..." The neurotic suddenly threw himself at Ron... missing him completely, and collapsed on the couch, bursting into tears.
Ron looked at Howard, his face covered in tears and snot, with disgust, and couldn't help but offer advice: "Leslie? That four-eyed chick from your lab? I think I met her before. She kept hitting on me. Honestly, I'm not surprised she's so fickle."
"I don't understand. If there's no emotional attachment, why does Howard have such extreme mood swings?" Sheldon asked.
"Oh my god, I saw her naked, how could I not have feelings!" Howard wailed in emotional breakdown.
Ron smirked, typical nerd, that's all he could handle.
"You need to redirect your focus," Leonard began brainstorming solutions: "Want to hit up the comic book store together? Or catch a movie?"
"I don't want to go anywhere." Howard slumped on the sofa.
"You know, there are certain specially designed cities in Nevada that can help people like Howard forget their troubles and replace them with new ones, such as gambling, alcoholism, STDs and the like."
"You mean Las Vegas?" Ron nodded: "Actually a solid idea, but I can't believe you came up with such a perfect destination."
(End of Chapter)
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