The sight of her husband's body in Frederick's grasp drained the color from Nicole's face.She pleaded through tears, "My husband is already dead, please don't harm his body. I'll drop the matter and won't ask for compensation. I'll even pay for your colleague's broken leg."Frederick's heart ached at the sight of Nicole's grief. He hadn't anticipated such deep affection between the middle-aged couple. With a heavy sigh, he landed a solid punch to Tigris' chest. The sound echoed through the room—a dull thud that sent a chill down everyone's spine.Ursara burst into tears. "Damn it, I'll kill you!"Suddenly, Tigris coughed up a mouthful of black blood. His previously ashen face flushed red as he opened his eyes in fury. "Who said I was dead?"It seemed Tigris had merely fainted during his martial arts practice. His subordinates had jumped to the worst possible conclusion. They'd not only prepared a coffin but had even begun discussing cremation arrangements.Tigris, a mixture
Unbeknownst to Tigris, this set of martial arts techniques not only promoted health but also had a detoxifying effect.He had been poisoned, and as he practiced, the toxins were gradually forced up toward his throat, ready to be expelled. Feeling discomfort in his throat, he mistook it for phlegm and stopped his practice to get some water. The moment he stopped, the toxins struck, causing him to collapse into a death-like state.Zephyr was the most shocked of all. He rushed over when he saw Tigris stir. "Boss, thank goodness you're alright." Tigris nodded slightly. He had heard everything that had transpired while he was unconscious and had formed a good impression of Zephyr. He appreciated that Zephyr had focused on stabilizing the gang rather than rushing to seek revenge, a decision crucial for preserving Tigris's life's work. He was satisfied with Zephyr as the new leader. If the bumbling Ursara had become the boss, all his hard work would have been undone in a matter of day
Frederick carefully examined Nicole's face and asked, "Could you show me the cosmetics our company sold to you?" Nicole promptly handed over the cosmetics. Frederick gave them a quick sniff, a subtle change coming over his face."These are all made with substandard ingredients. It's no surprise they damaged your skin."Anxiety etched on his face, Tigris asked, "Mr. York, can you heal my wife's face?"Frederick nodded. This kind of condition was nothing to him."I'll procure some herbs and prepare a topical ointment. You should see immediate results."Tigris and Nicole's trust in Frederick was absolute. They expressed their gratitude profusely and agreed to have Ursara collect the ointment once it was ready. Relieved that his wife's face could be restored and grateful for his own life being saved, Tigris decided to drop the matter.With the issue resolved, Frederick returned to the company.However, his mind was troubled by the fact that the company's products were made from in
Everyone grew suspicious at Frederick's words.How could Frederick return unharmed when others had been brutally beaten? How had he managed to escape unscathed?Frederick grew exasperated, but arguing with them seemed futile.Just then, Ivy stepped forward and asked, "Frederick, how did you accomplish this?"She had personally witnessed the brutality of those individuals. How could Frederick have persuaded them with mere words?Marsh quickly interjected, "Ms. Mallin, surely you don't believe his far-fetched tale? Consider who we're dealing with. Why would they simply forgive us?"Ivy, who had overheard the exchange between Marsh and Frederick, let out an exasperated sigh at Marsh. "They called me personally to confirm their forgiveness. It's hardly a fabrication."It turned out that Nicole possessed Ivy's contact information and had called to inform her that they had indeed forgiven the company. Marsh was dumbfounded. Had they truly forgiven them? How was that even possible?
Hearing Marsh's arrogant words, everyone silently thought he was being utterly shameless. The credit clearly belonged to Frederick, yet Marsh was attempting to pass it off as his own hard work.Ivy smiled faintly, then her expression turned frosty. "My guidance? When did I ever teach you to frame your colleagues?"It turned out that Melissa had filled Ivy in on the events that had transpired. Ivy was no fool; she could see right through Marsh's scheme to set Frederick up by putting him in harm's way. Using a company incident to frame a colleague was something Ivy could never condone. The company was already in turmoil.If Frederick had also been seriously injured or killed, the company would have been liable for his medical expenses and compensation, further exacerbating the situation.Marsh's actions were not only driven by personal vendetta but also demonstrated a blatant disregard for the company's welfare. It was utterly infuriating!Sensing the icy change in Ivy's tone, Mar
Marsh's fists tightened as he listened to the jubilant chatter.How dared they to mock him? He would find a way to take down Frederick! Then, he would deal with each of them in turn.Meanwhile, Frederick sat on the couch in Ivy's office and noticed the pink water cup on her desk.Curiosity piqued, he asked, "Ms. Mallin, didn't you throw that cup away? How is it back here?"Suddenly, a look of horror spread across Frederick's face. "Don't tell me you use this cup every day and indirectly kiss me with each sip?"Ivy's jaw tightened. Why would she use something she'd discarded? And the audacity of him suggesting they were indirectly kissing! If it weren't for his stellar performance today, she would have given him a piece of her mind.With a strained smile, she retorted through gritted teeth, "Perhaps I had two of these cups, and now I'm using the one from home."Frederick visibly relaxed and placed a hand on his chest. "Whew, you had me worried there."Ivy stared at him incredulo
Ivy's mind raced. She'd always been meticulous with ingredients, using trusted suppliers and going through thorough inspections.How could something have gone wrong? The weight of Anya's trust and the potential repercussions bore down on her. She had to find the source of the problem.This meant determining who had handled the ingredients. Team Two, led by Priscilla, was responsible for the project. Yet, Priscilla's amiable nature didn't align with someone capable of such treachery.Regardless, Ivy had to investigate discreetly, careful not to arouse suspicion.Noticing Ivy's furrowed brow, Frederick attempted to console her. "Ms. Mallin, please don't worry. The truth will come to light."Ivy's eyes locked onto him, assessing him from head to toe. Frederick squirmed under her intense gaze."Ms. Mallin, I'm flattered by your attention, but I'm a married man. I appreciate your kindness, but I must respectfully decline any advances."Ivy fought back a surge of exasperation. Who sai
Ivy's anger flared. "If you refuse my task, I'll dock your pay."This seemed to be her only leverage over Frederick.However, Frederick simply smiled. "I gave away my bonus to others. Do you think I care about that?"Ivy was momentarily taken aback. Though this tactic was effective with others, it clearly didn't work on Frederick. She needed a different approach, a unique method for someone as unconventional as him.Ivy pondered Frederick's weaknesses, convinced everyone had one. She recalled how Olivia's salary deduction had bothered him and how Melissa had nearly cried while reporting to her. It was clear these two harbored feelings for Frederick.A sly smile spread across Ivy's face. "Very well. Since you won't help, I'll assign Olivia and Melissa to investigate. You should know this is a serious case of occupational embezzlement. If they catch the culprit, that person might retaliate harshly."Frederick's composure wavered. He knew the risks involved. Whoever was responsibl
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