"An-Andre? Why are you here too?"
Clearly, William Russell hadn't expected Andre to appear on Minos Island.
"Can't I come see my grandson?" Andre stepped up to William Russell, looking indignant:
"Brat, Ivan has been participating in training on Minos for at least four months now, hasn't he? Huh?!
And you're just okay with that? You didn't even bother to check up on him? Don't think that just because you're the company boss now, and hailed as the company's strongest combatant, I won't dare hit you.
"Blyat!!"
"This..." William Russell watched Andre grow increasingly furious, even starting to curse in Russian, and could only nod repeatedly:
"I know, don't worry. Ivan absolutely won't participate in this kind of training again before he reaches adulthood."
It wasn't that William Russell was timid; it was just that the concept of 'Dotage on the generation after' was fully embodied by Andre.
William Russell even began to regret... regretting having a child with Halsey so young.
Back then, Andre would do whatever he said, but now... that was impossible.
Suddenly, Yelena provided William Russell with a timely 'assist'.
She quickly let go of William Russell's hand, went up to Andre, and whined affectionately, "Grandpa~! Yelena missed you so much~!"
Andre, who had been full of rage moments before, immediately bent down, picked up Yelena upon seeing her adorable face, and smiled kindly:
"Haha! Grandpa missed you too. If I hadn't been so busy lately, I would have gone to the endless to see you already."
"Grandpa, I want to go play on the beach~!"
"Alright, Grandpa will take you, my dear."
Seeing Andre so easily subdued by Yelena, Ivan, who had been silent all this time, came up beside William Russell and said meaningfully:
"Father, I always feel... that my sister is very suited to join a black-ops unit like the USS."
"Indeed." William Russell also agreed deeply.
At this moment, Halsey came between the father and son, reaching out to link arms with her husband and child.
She smiled and said, "Alright, you two stop gossiping, or Andre will lecture you again."
"Ah, ah, we know." William Russell shook his head slightly.
"Yes, Mother." Ivan nodded beside him.
Halsey looked at Ivan, who was nearly as tall as she was, whose skin had darkened from training, and whose palms were covered in thick calluses.
Although Ivan was extraordinary, he was still her son.
She then took Ivan's hands and said tenderly, "Ivan, listen to Father from now on and don't participate in this kind of training anymore, okay?"
"Mm." Ivan immediately agreed.
William Russell, who held the philosophy of 'Raising sons strictly and daughters luxuriously', was not as emotionally expressive as Halsey.
His son looked healthier and sturdier than before—wasn't that a good thing?
He then said to the mother and son, "Alright, let's quickly call Yelena back. While it's still early, we can enjoy the scenery of Venice."
"Venice?" Ivan was stunned.
"That's right." Halsey raised her hand and gently stroked her son's head, explaining:
"Mom and Dad are planning to take you and your sister traveling. The first stop is Venice. What do you think?"
Hearing about the trip, Ivan no longer wore the blank expression of 'John' but was uncharacteristically excited, saying, "Great!"
Seeing their son finally show a childlike expression, William Russell and Halsey smiled with relief.
"Boss." At this moment, Athena walked up beside William Russell, looked at Ivan next to Halsey, and asked:
"Are you taking Ivan away from Minos today? Will he... come back later?"
"Hmm?" Hearing this, William Russell turned to look at Athena.
He noticed that this ancient Greek Goddess of War seemed reluctant to part.
He didn't think too much of it and said to Athena, "Yes, as you saw, the General isn't happy about it.
After all, Ivan is still too young. We'll talk about it after he turns eighteen."
As he spoke, William Russell held out his left hand in thanks, saying, "Thank you and Kent for taking care of him these past few months. Ivan learned a lot."
Athena also extended her hand and shook William Russell's, saying, "It was my duty. Furthermore, Ivan is the most promising... 'Demigod' I have ever seen. I believe he can lead the company much further."
"Thank you for the compliment, haha." Seeing the Goddess of War and Wisdom praise his son, William Russell didn't hide his pride.
He then released her hand and stopped talking with Athena, walking toward the platform stairs, ready to retrieve Yelena, who had 'distracted' Andre.
———————
...Soon after, Andre, surrounded by Personal Guards, boarded the pelican and headed for the Containment Carrier in low Earth orbit.
As for the William Russell family, they returned to the phantom, preparing for a brief period of relaxation.
With Cortana's assistance, the phantom easily obtained permission to enter Italian airspace and hovered four kilometers above Venice.
As an approachable boss, while William Russell enjoyed time with his family, he certainly wouldn't neglect his employees.
Although he couldn't give all Umbrella employees a vacation, as someone who was rich enough to rival the World, he offered the most common yet practical reward to his staff: money.
C-level employees could receive 10,000, B-level 30,000, and A-level reached 70,000.
Despite the existence of confidentiality agreements, William Russell believed that issuing nearly sixty billion in bonuses at once was absolutely worth it.
The accompanying phantom crew members could also receive company reimbursement for travel and enjoy the Water City of Venice together.
———————
...That evening.
18:34.
Saint Mark's Square.
This square was the center of political, religious, and festive activities in Venice, surrounded by the Doge's Palace, the Basilica, the Campanile, the Library, the Procuratie, and so on.
The architectural style encompassed the Medieval to Renaissance era.
The William Russell family, along with a large number of tourists from all over the World, were strolling in this historically rich square, facing the afterglow of the Sun.
Teams like Alpha, led by Hank, and the Spartan Blue Team were also touring various parts of Venice.
Even John, after receiving holiday approval, left the phantom with Cortana, who was equipped with a Prosthetic body, and disappeared to parts unknown.
Among the William Russell family, aside from Halsey needing William Russell's close protection, there was absolutely no need to worry about any terrorist attacks.
Furthermore, Italy also had a large number of hidden Agents, so theoretically, there were no safety issues.
Yelena was instantly captivated by the spacious and classical scenery upon arriving at the square, as she and Ivan had grown up on the endless.
What most attracted the little girl was the Basilica at the end of the square. The family strolled to the front entrance of the Basilica, where William Russell, the head of the household, purchased the tickets.
Because both Ivan and Yelena exceeded 1.4 meters in height, William Russell had to spend an extra 10 Euros to buy tickets for them as well.
However, while his parents and sister were admiring the church, Ivan's gaze fell upon a 'girl'.
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