"Very good." Henry nodded.Then, he sighed and shook his head. "If you had apologized immediately, things would've been much better."Many of you wouldn't have had to pay any compensation, and for those who did, it would've been much less."The crowd was speechless."Of course. You realized your mistakes early enough. At least, now you get to keep your lives. Unlike some people..." As Henry's voice trailed off, he turned his gaze to Nesh.Nesh's face went pale. He begged, "Please, Mr. Truman, spare me. I'm willing to serve the Trumans for life, to do anything you ask."Those who had just agreed to give up half their assets—they felt secretly relieved.Nesh was as good as dead. If he died, the Walfords would be finished."The Trumans don't need someone like you," Henry said dismissively."But I won't kill you either. Hand over your shares in your company to the Trumans, and we'll consider the matter settled. How about that?"The crowd was stunned, and even Tim was surprised. N
"You hesitated. That means you're not entirely confident. But that's alright, I'm still willing to give you this chance," Henry said calmly."As long as the Morrisons live in harmony with the Trumans from now on, we can wipe the slate clean. How does that sound?"Nichole was taken aback. She had not expected Henry to show her such respect, and the condition was not unreasonable at all. She quickly replied, "No problem. Thank you, Mr. Truman.""No need to thank me. The four supreme clans of Aurelia City are the pillars of the country. We can compete, but we mustn't destroy each other. We must work together for the nation's strength," Henry said casually.That was his real aim. His initial display of strength and dominance, even the killing intent, had all been to set the stage for that moment. Without showing force, no one would take his words seriously.After that statement, the crowd's perception of Henry shifted once again.Nichole was momentarily stunned, deeply agreeing with
Henry had been calm and composed, but he was still caught off guard by the scene. With a wry smile, he said, "There's no need for all that. Please, everyone, take a seat."He then stood up and had a brief conversation with Logan before the latter left. Logan was only there to publicly announce Henry's appointment, a clear signal of Frederick's support for the Trumans, so everyone should tread carefully.Nichole was incredibly relieved; she did not need to convince Ramon—Elder Morrison. They would see her decision as wise, perhaps even brilliant.While most people in the room began to relax, Bradley and his group were getting anxious; Henry's rapidly increasing influence terrified them. They exchanged nervous glances, but no one dared to exit quietly.After all, if Henry wanted to deal with them, there was nowhere they could hide. Besides, Henry had already made it clear—once the formalities were done, he would take care of them.They were regretful and even cursed themselves silen
"Alright, get up, all of you." Henry waved them off.He shook his head and said calmly, "Their actions were out of line. However, they're just ignorant kids with foolish and brainless behavior. I didn't take it personally."If it were someone else, they'd probably be done by now."Make sure they're appropriately educated moving forward. Remind the rest of your families not to abuse their influence to do whatever they want."Otherwise, someone else will deal with them even if they don't run into me. After all, what goes around comes around.""Understood!" they replied in unison."What are all of you waiting for? Hurry up and thank Mr. Truman!" someone urged.With that, the group expressed their gratitude. Henry's casual handling of the situation earned him respect. They did not only deeply fear his immense power but also admired his character.As the matter was mostly resolved, Henry announced, "Alright, since everything here is pretty much settled, I won't stay any longer. I ha
"Do you know what happened to Charlie?" Albus asked after a brief hesitation."Are you referring to his secret establishment of the Draconic Gravekeepers and his collusion with Westin Curia?" Henry responded."It seems the Master of Supreme Defenders has told you everything. The country is unstable these days, and I hope you will protect Aurelia well.""I will."They will be punished!" Henry said. Even though he did not like being constrained, anyone who dared to threaten Aurelia would pay dearly."Good. However, I must remind you—if he truly comes for it, don't resist. Whether you've deciphered the jade pendant, tell him the truth and hand it over."Trust me; we're doing all this for the good of the world," Albus said, unable to resist one last caution.Henry paused briefly and said, "We'll see."Albus sighed. Clearly, Henry still did not fully trust him, but he could not blame him."I'm curious, though. Won't Aurelia be safe under his protection if he's so powerful?" Henry a
Celeste was displeased by Henry's indifference but thought it was a blessing in disguise. She could enjoy some peace without being bothered.However, it seemed her charm was undeniable, as before long, a middle-aged man approached her with a smile."Hi. I'm Rex Hewitt, the director of Sync Sensation Group. May I have the honor of adding you as a friend?" he asked.Celeste paused for a moment.Sync Sensation Group was one of the top companies in the entertainment industry. What a coincidence!She had heard of Rex—an influential figure and one of the shareholders of Sync Sensation Group. However, she had also heard rumors that he had a reputation for exploiting many women with his position."Sorry, I'm not comfortable with that." Celeste was nervous; she rejected his request."Well, we're strangers. Besides, your outstanding temperament might be perfect for stardom. Sync Sensation Group produces many top-tier artists every year," Rex said, clearly captivated by her.He was confid
Rex's expression darkened as he glared at them, suspicious of their claim to be a couple."Really?""Yes. How can I add random strangers in front of my boyfriend?" Celeste said, trying not to offend Rex. She even held Henry's arm and leaned on his shoulder to make her point."Hmph!" Rex snorted and stormed off as they had caught too much attention, though he was still interested in her.Once he was gone, Celeste quickly let go of Henry's arm and hesitated before saying, "Thanks for helping me out just now.""Don't worry about it," Henry replied casually as if the incident had not affected him. He did not even bother to glance her way again.Celeste was speechless by Henry's reaction. She had thought Henry was trying to play hard to get. An ordinary person like him would not reject the money offered by Rex.Celeste decided to wait to make the first move to talk to Henry.To her surprise, time passed, and the plane began its descent toward the airport. Yet, Henry had not said a w
Henry realized it was on the way and nodded. "Alright, I'll take you there.""Great! Thank you so much!" Celeste replied excitedly. It made things easier and, more importantly, safer for her.When they left the airport, she asked, "By the way, what's your name?""Henry Truman. And you?""Me? You'll know me once I remove my sunglasses," Celeste said confidently. Even though she had only been in the entertainment industry for three years, she was already a hugely popular celebrity.'Let's see how long you can keep up that indifferent act once you see my face,' she thought.'Rex would've realized who I was if I'd talked to him before.'Henry did not respond. Once they were out of the airport, he quickly found the person who had been arranged to pick him up.The man, noticing someone with Henry, remembered his instructions and greeted him discreetly, "Mr. Truman, over here."They knew Henry preferred to keep things low-key, so the car was modest. To Celeste's surprise, Henry climb