Sirius gritted his teeth and declared, "The Monroe family absolutely cannot hand over the culprit at this time."Enraged, Albert slammed his hand on the table and rose to leave. "Even the former head of the Monroe family wouldn't dare show me such disrespect! Since you're prepared for a life-or-death war, Mr. Sirius, there's nothing more to say. "Within a month, there will only be three major families left in Stanva City. It's either you or us!" Albert was furious. He had initially thought Nelson might have been exaggerating, but it was clear the Monroe family was showing no respect.Sirius hastily stood and tried to stop Albert. "Please, Mr. Harmon, stay and hear me out."Albert shook him off. "There's nothing more to say!""Mr. Harmon, I meant we cannot hand over the culprit today. But I promise to personally deliver the culprit to the Harmon family in the future. As for the apology, I will personally deliver it once the culprit is handed over." Seeing a potential for negot
Nelson was consumed by the desire for immediate revenge and leaped to his feet. "Miracle doctor? That Frederick is nothing but worthless trash!"Albert's face darkened, and he swiftly slapped Nelson. "When I'm negotiating with the acting head of the Monroe family, who gave you the right to interrupt?"Fearing the deal for the five-billion-dollar commercial building would fall through, Albert quickly signed the contract. Nelson was knocked to the floor by the force of the slap and clutched his face in pain. Blood began to seep through the bandages covering his eyes once more. Despite the pain and humiliation, Nelson dared not speak another word.As an unloved legitimate heir now blinded, further defiance might lead to his expulsion from the family.Seeing Albert sign the contract, Sirius breathed a sigh of relief, though it was tinged with bitterness.The five-billion-dollar deal was a bitter pill to swallow, even for the wealthy Monroes. He silently cursed Frederick, the cause
"Uncle Albert, I'm absolutely sure Frederick is worthless. My girlfriend's cousin is Frederick's ex-wife, and the three cousins on this cruise all agree he's worthless," said Nelson.Albert smiled slyly. "Let's go find your girlfriend then. We'll have her prove it and show the Monroes what losing at everything looks like."Clutching the deed to a five billion dollar commercial building, Albert could already envision the Monroe family's expressions of defeat.Nelson was equally excited and quickly directed Albert to where Priscilla was staying.…Meanwhile, Priscilla stared blankly out at the sea in the Regal Suite. She was lost in thought. She couldn't fathom how her unremarkable ex-husband had become a distinguished guest of Sirius.June rushed to Priscilla's side and exclaimed, "Pris, stop dwelling on it! Why not talk to Frederick about getting back together? You've seen it yourself; he's not useless at all."Priscilla's expression shifted.Reconcile with Frederick? It was
Due to the court case between the companies and Grace's interview with Lily, news of the situation spread like wildfire.Although Priscilla lost the case, word of the four untreated patients reached many ears, and anyone with a bit of curiosity could easily uncover the details. Grace was more than willing to expose Frederick, her hatred for him burning just as intensely as Nelson's.Hearing the commotion, Priscilla emerged from her room. "Is Frederick posing as a miracle healer again?" Priscilla questioned, her skepticism fueled by Vivianne's lawsuit.Grace was brimming with excitement as she exclaimed, "Prissy, I warned you he was fooling Mr. Sirius, but you dismissed me! Let's expose him and have him removed from the cruise!"June swiftly defended Frederick and said, "He's not a charlatan, he's genuinely a miracle doctor. He even cured my alcohol allergy.""Curing an allergy makes him a miracle doctor? Then everyone would be one. You're just a child, you don't understand. Stay
Despite the elder's gentle demeanor, Frederick couldn't shake the feeling of immense pressure radiating from him.It wasn't the kind of power associated with wealth, like Sirius, but something far deeper—an unparalleled aura.Frederick instinctively understood this wasn't a man to be trifled with.The old man approached Frederick directly and sat down beside him.He crossed his legs and said with a smile, "Whenever you face a challenge, there's always a solution. Don't let anger cloud your judgment. You carry a heavy darkness within you, young man. Sit with me, and let's find peace together."After a moment's hesitation, Frederick mirrored the elder's posture and settled down. The elder then began to gently chime a small bell in his hand.The deep, resonating tones echoed in Frederick's ears.Chink... Chink... Chink…Both men closed their eyes, entering a meditative state. As the solemn sound of the bell washed over him, Frederick experienced an unfamiliar wave of tranquility.
A chilling memory surfaced for Frederick. Back in Motheca, he'd stumbled upon a horrifying scene. A group of thugs from a notorious organization savagely murdered young girls. Consumed by rage, his murderous persona had taken the wheel. When Frederick finally snapped back to reality, he was surrounded by a gruesome tableau of dismembered bodies. The incident left him deeply shaken. Thankfully, no innocent bystanders were present, or they wouldn't have stood a chance. Since then, Frederick had built an ironclad wall within himself, forcibly suppressing his murderous persona. While occasional leaks of killing intent did occur, he'd always managed to regain control swiftly.Mr. Faith inquired urgently, "Young man, how did you manage to sense this divine grace? I've spent decades in contemplation, yet not a whisper of it has graced me. If only I knew the method, perhaps I could help more people find solace."Frederick furrowed his brow. "Divine grace?" He echoed the term in his
As they played chess, Mr. Faith shared his military knowledge with Frederick."Brigades, regiments, battalions, companies, platoons—each has a crucial role. The general oversees them all, responsible for every soldier and the entire battlefield. Soldiers defend the nation and build character. Would you like to join the army? I could help," Mr. Faith offered.Frederick smiled gently and declined. He still had to uncover his parents' murder and had no interest in the military."Thank you, Mr. Faith, but I have other priorities."Mr. Faith's face fell."A young man like you should consider serving the nation," he said sternly.Surprised by his reaction, Frederick realized Mr. Faith was quite traditional."Mr. Faith, serving one's nation isn't limited to the military. I have other contributions to make."Mr. Faith persisted, "True service is in the army, deterring enemies and protecting the homeland. Ordinary people can't safeguard the nation." As he spoke, Mr. Faith expertly use
Noticing Mr. Faith's disappointment, Frederick offered a gentle explanation. "Mr. Faith, it's not that I'm more skilled at military chess. Your general's hesitation led to your loss."Mr. Faith gazed at his captured flag and murmured, "The general must be protected. If he falls, the entire army loses its ability to fight."Frederick was puzzled by Mr. Faith's rigid belief that the general couldn't move freely in a game. Perhaps on a real battlefield, the general's life was paramount, but this was just a game.Frederick said gently, "Mr. Faith, you've placed too much weight on the general. It's become a mental burden. Only by releasing it can you see the whole board."Mr. Faith's body trembled slightly as he repeated, "A burden? The general has become a burden? Is that why I can't see the whole picture?"At that moment, the bell's glow turned golden once more, all the black energy having seeped into Mr. Faith.He suddenly began coughing violently, then collapsed in convulsions.F
Mary's case was the most severe, while Ivan's symptoms were the mildest, and Frederick could roughly deduce the sequence of transmissions among them. It was clear that Mary infected Nigel, who then passed it to Kimberly, then finally passed it to Ivan. Frederick also saw that Ivan was actually a decent person who unfortunately ended up being betrayed and infected. However, Nigel was primarily worried that Ivan might start trusting Frederick, as he wanted Ivan to believe in his capabilities to carry out his plan.Originally, he intended for Mary to insult Frederick for being poor and unskilled, but she ended up attacking him for having an unpleasant odor, which backfired when Frederick exposed her for contracting syphilis. Now, Nigel had no choice but to take matters into his own hands, he then said to Frederick, "Hehe, Frederick. We all know Ivy is a director, what exactly do you do to be worthy of her?"Nigel assumed that Frederick was just a low-level salesperson, something
Hearing Frederick's words, Kimberly jumped with joy and stopped crying. While wiping her tears, she pointed at Mary, laughing and said, "You're covered in syphilis, yet you're making fun of me.""Slut, I wonder how many people you've slept with!" After being pointed and insulted, Mary was furious and she was ready to fight Kimberly. "You bitch! I am going to teach you a lesson!" At this moment, Nigel felt terrible. If Mary was diseased, he'd be the first victim. He grabbed Mary and shouted, "Bitch, let me teach you a lesson first. Now I know why you always wanted the lights off! I thought you were shy, but you just didn't want me to find out."In a fit of anger, Nigel slapped Mary hard across the face. Just as Mary was about to explain, she was interrupted by another slap. Holding her face, she yelled angrily, "Nigel, how dare you hit me?! Do you want me to expose all your little schemes and tricks?"Nigel froze in horror; if Mary exposed him, it would have been disastrous.
Kimberly heard her laughter, and body odor had always been a sensitive issue for her; a wound she'd tried to cover up over the years. For Frederick to bring it up in front of everyone felt like rubbing salt into an open wound. Yet what hurt even more was Mary's laughter; as a fellow woman, it felt like salt to the wound, then roasting it. Kimberly was furious, pointed at Mary and said, "What are you laughing at? Do you want me to come over there and shut you up?"Mary felt wronged, she had only let out a reflexive laugh, but now Kimberly's anger was directed at her. "Did I laugh at you? What proof do you have that I laughed at you?""You're the one with body odor, yet you're taking it out on others. You're such an unreasonable woman!"Kimberly grew even angrier after hearing Mary's retort. "You're the one with body odor, your whole family has it!" "Look at what you're wearing, it's like you just threw on two pillowcases. You're a shameless woman, just trying to show off t
When everyone heard Ivy's words, they laughed even more. Her words effectively confirmed that Frederick did indeed have an unpleasant odor. It wasn't entirely her fault as Kimberly's words had been a bit of a trap. "Haha, if you smell, just take a shower and don't embarrass yourself here.""With all that cheap stuff on, no wonder he has a smell."Hearing this, Frederick simply gave a slight smile and then asked Mary and Kimberly, "Are two really that fragrant?"Mary and Kimberly lifted their heads proudly after hearing Frederick's words. "Why don't you ask everyone here, ask them if we smell good or not?""Exactly, go ahead and ask."Both of them considered themselves beautiful, and of course, they would smell pleasant. The men around them quickly chimed in, especially those eager to admire Mary, who was dressed in a way that gave them a bit of eye candy. "Of course, they smell good. How could these two beautiful ladies not smell good?""Hehe, Frederick with his cheap, th
In a hidden corner, Nigel said to Mary, "Damn it, that bumpkin Frederick keeps stealing my spotlight. I am worried that our plan won't go well later.""You should help me humiliate him properly, and Ivan's girlfriend will back you up."Mary pursed her lips and said to Nigel, "Every time something comes up, you just ask me to handle it. My bag hasn't been bought yet, and you've lost 300 thousand dollars"Although Nigel was annoyed by Mary hitting a sore spot, he kept his tone calm and replied, "Help me humiliate Frederick and talk him down in front of Ivan. After that, leave the rest to me. Once it's done, I'll get you more than one bag, I could get you ten bags and it wouldn't be a problem. I don't care about that small amount of money. You saw that Porsche just now, right? I wouldn't mind burning it if I had to." Hearing this, Mary was delighted and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, babe." She hadn't realized that Nigel was so wealthy and even had a Porsche. Up until th
Knowing Martin as someone who knew a lot about wood, everyone immediately looked as though they were ready for a good show. They were convinced that the Saint George statue couldn’t possibly be made of anything valuable.Martin let out a strange exclamation. "What the hell!"Kimberly, thinking that Martin was angry, quickly said, "Mr. Lawson, tell us what’s so disastrous about this wood. Are you saying it’s just a piece of junk?"Contrary to expectations, Martin replied angrily, "I’m saying that whoever preserved this Saint George statue was a jerk. This is genuine sandalwood, and yet it’s completely neglected, covered in dust."Most of the group had no idea what sandalwood was worth, but judging by the name alone, it sounded impressive.Kimberly asked curiously, "Mr. Lawson, are you saying this is really antique wood?"Martin examined the statue carefully, scrutinizing every detail. "Judging by the texture, this carving must have been made at least 150 years ago."Everyone was
"The Saint George statue was indeed a fitting choice for a karaoke." Nigel chuckled, turning to Ivy.“Why didn’t you just go on Amazon and buy a new one for a few dozen bucks? This one is obviously second-hand. Or was it picked up from some junk stall?”Frederick heard Nigel’s mockery and nodded in agreement, a faint smile on his lips. “You’re not wrong. This statue actually was picked up from a street stall.”“At the Treasure Hall in the antique trade market, no less. And yes, it’s an antique.”The truth was, the statue was from the Victorian era. Even the owner of Treasure Hall, Dominic, had recognized its age but dismissed it as worthless, tossing it onto a stall outside.Frederick had picked it up casually, thinking it would come in handy one day, and now it was the perfect gift for Ivan.Hearing this, Nigel burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. “An antique? Treasure Hall? You’re really trying to fool us.”Kimberly chimed in, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she glance
The group’s attention was fully captured by Frederick’s words, their eyes all on him. Nigel, knowing that Kimberly had informed Ivy at the last minute and that she likely didn’t have a gift, sneered at Frederick."Well, if you’ve got a gift, go ahead and show it.""Considering Ivy and Kimberly’s relationship, the gift should be pretty decent, right?"Everyone was now staring at Frederick with anticipation, curious to see what kind of gift he could produce.Ivy, on the other hand, was completely flustered. She hadn’t handed any gift to Frederick, though she understood he was trying to help her out of a tough spot. But wasn’t this making things even more awkward?Nigel continued to press him, "Where’s the gift? Come on, take it out already.""After all this time, you still can’t take it out. Don’t tell me you don’t even have one."Frederick glanced at Nigel with a calm smile. "Oh? Are you planning to bet 300 grand with me again?"Nigel froze. There was no way he had another 300 t
Ivan was deeply moved, feeling as though all the unpleasantness from their school days had been swept away. A sense of childhood nostalgia, unique to old classmates, welled up within him.The crowd continued to shower Nigel with praise, giving him thumbs up one after another."A gift worth 10 grand is no small amount. Nigel is truly generous.""That’s right. These days, even classmates hesitate to prepare gifts, but Nigel has shown such generosity.."Most of the attendees had come because of their connection with Kimberly. Each had prepared gifts with costs ranging from a few hundred dollars. Compared to Nigel’s grandiose gift worth 10 thousand, their contributions paled in comparison.Hearing the compliments, Nigel waved his hand dismissively, feigning modesty. "It’s nothing, really. After all, Ivan and I are good friends from way back."Then, Nigel’s expression shifted slightly as he added, "Speaking of good friends, I’m sure it’s not just me and Ivan here who share a special b