Ultimately, it was all about money! And what the Oberdeens were doing didn't make sense. Medicine was also a commodity. The law of the market showed that demand came first, then the commodity followed. If there was no demand, what was the use of producing the commodity?The tour ended around 2:00 p.m.After revealing his trump card, Francis thought joining the Association wouldn't be a problem."After we return, we'll organize the data immediately and reply within three days. If you could provide us with market analysis data for this drug, that would be even better," Drew said.Francis smiled. "Certainly! I'll have someone send the data to you immediately."It was just market analysis data, so Francis would naturally provide it.Drew and the team were sent back to the Oberdeen Group, and they left after getting all the data they needed.Jessica was puzzled. "Why are they exposing the pharmaceutical factory to us? Aren't they afraid?""Although I don't understand pharmaceuticals
The Combat Department was aware of Eric and Sylvia's long-standing marriage without children, but they refrained from intervening due to Eric's profession as a holistic physician. Nonetheless, they hoped Eric would eventually have offspring, preferably a son, to carry on his legacy.Eric grinned broadly in confirmation. "She's at least a month pregnant now, and we're expecting a daughter!""That's wonderful! A daughter can be just as capable as Ruth," Pierce remarked enthusiastically."Big Boss, what about your own family? I've never seen your wife," Eric asked, naturally curious. Considering Pierce's age, Eric assumed he would have children in their s, yet he had never glimpsed any of Pierce's family members.Pierce waved off the question, stating, "I've dedicated my entire life to the Combat Department. I've had no time for romantic entanglements."Eric immediately grasped Pierce's sentiment. Pierce had devoted himself wholly to the Combat Department. While Ruth might be his pro
Eric appeared conspicuously out of place for his age amidst the heirs of King City's affluent families, who reveled in a life brimming with beautiful women. While it was normal for them to flirt, Eric maintained a noticeable distance from other women.Eric glanced at Jessica and remarked, "People lead different lives. Personally, I harbor no interest in anyone besides Sylvia. Life is fleeting, with myriad pursuits awaiting. Why squander time on fleeting romances? Ultimately, it yields naught but regret."Jessica smirked. She didn't expect him to understand that one's body could be wasted, too. Many heirs in King City had been wasted by alcohol and women. Some vowed to quit drinking but never mentioned quitting a promiscuous lifestyle."It seems you possess an excess of leisure time. The Innova Group boasts a plethora of eligible bachelors. I could arrange for them to vie for your attention, one by one."You know, as women grow older, it's more harmful for them to suppress their des
Francis was keenly aware of the involvement of the Combat Department in the outbreak in Dortmund City. He maintained confidence that the evidence would not implicate the Oberdeens. However, he harbored concerns that even a mere suggestion of Oberdeens' involvement could trigger the Combat Department's intervention. He was well aware that the department's actions did not hinge on concrete evidence."It's not impossible," Ivan said. "The Association will definitely curry favor with the Combat Department and spill our secrets to them. Although there is no evidence pointing to our family, the drugs produced by the factory are highly suspicious. Besides, I'm afraid the Combat Department will requisite them!"The requisitioning of drugs implied their distribution to Dortmund City and Salt City without charge, resulting in a substantial loss for the Oberdeens.Francis began strategizing. "Are the Montgomerys leading this charge? That resolute woman. Extend an invitation to her, stating o
Francis smiled as he glanced at Julius, who remained composed."If the Oberdeens successfully pass the review, they'll assuredly gain entry into the Association. If not, my hands are tied," Julius remarked. "Mr. Oberdeen, to be frank, had the Hernandezes not secured Association membership by now, our prospects might be similarly bleak."Aware of Eric's investigation into the Oberdeens and his intention to provoke them, Julius chose his words carefully to indirectly slight Francis.Francis sneered inwardly, fully grasping Julius' implications. In truth, he held a low opinion of the Hernandezes. Once a leading family, they had regressed to a lesser status.Were it not for the Association's patronage, Francis believed the Hernandezes would have been ousted from King City long ago. Yet, here they were, presuming superiority?Though irritated, Francis maintained a facade of friendliness.Turning to Grace, he inquired, "Madam Montgomery, the Association's influence has expanded. Have t
"Isn't this a trap?" Grace voiced her confusion as they left the Oberdeen residence. Francis had failed to join the Association, and Grace had anticipated their move for the night. Eric shared her expectations. After all, the presence of numerous grandmasters signaled imminent action. Yet, to their surprise, the Oberdeens allowed them to leave.It was late at night, and there weren't many vehicles on the streets, so they were driving faster than during the day.Eric also felt perplexed. However, considering that people from the prominent families would have professional bodyguards, he assumed that once they left the Oberdeens, there wouldn't be any further action from them.However, just as Eric began to relax his vigilance…The car collided with an obstacle, hurtling into the air before crashing heavily onto the ground, its wheels spinning wildly.The force of the impact left Eric disoriented momentarily, but he swiftly regained his composure, only to find Grace unconscious b
The impact knocked Grace unconscious without sustaining any injuries, while the driver suffered only minor cuts and bruises.After handling the situation, Eric promptly contacted the Combat Department to have the assailants apprehended before calling Jessica.Upon hearing about Eric's ambush, Jessica became worried."We're all fine," Eric assured her. "But check if anyone else has been attacked immediately!"Relieved to hear Jessica was unharmed, Eric's concern shifted to Grace's and his own safety. The fact that the Oberdeens hadn't targeted Jessica suggested they weren't aiming to harm everyone present that night.Upon learning of the attack on Eric and Grace, Jessica swiftly contacted the other prominent families while rushing to their location. By the time she arrived, Eric had already tended to Grace and the driver.Seeing their overturned car, Jessica rushed over anxiously. "Madam Montgomery, Eric, are you both okay?" she asked.Eric shook his head. "We're fine. Have you m
The man chuckled, and Eric sensed something was amiss."Julius Hernandez was too arrogant for looking down on the Oberdeens! Mr. Oberdeen originally planned to take down Madam Montgomery, but Julius was too arrogant! Most likely, Julius has already met his end by now!"Eric was rendered speechless. Just because Julius offended the Oberdeens, they wanted to take him down? It was ridiculous!Meanwhile, the members from the Combat Department arrived.The captain in charge saluted Eric and said, "Sorry for the delay, Lieutenant General Johnson!"Eric waved his hand. "Three out of four are dead, and this one's still alive. Treat him. He will be living evidence to take down the Oberdeens!"After realizing they were willing to take such risks, Eric was eager to take down the Oberdeens. He had the driver take Grace back to the Montgomery residence and left several subordinates to assist him. To ensure the success of the operation, he also called in reinforcements overnight.Seeing Eric
In terms of innate talent, Eric was unparalleled, having reached the pinnacle of martial arts. With a single punch, he sent the 'God' flying."Good!" Stealthbane shouted with excitement.The ultimate enemy had finally been defeated, bringing peace to the world. Eric sighed in relief.However, in the next moment, the 'God' stood up again. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he revealed a bloodthirsty smile. "You have successfully enraged me!"Everyone braced for a potential massacre, but instead, the enemy turned and fled.Could Eric let him escape?"Chase him!" Stealthbane commanded.Allowing this foe to escape would spell endless trouble.A group of people pursued the enemy, who soon reappeared clad in iron armor."Not seen this before, have you?" The 'God' seemed to have recovered somewhat. "Did you think I only research viruses? Wrong! I control global resources and global wealth!"This is our newly developed Doomforge Exosuit which amplifies a person's battle prowess tenfol
The sturdy floor lay in utter disarray.In desperation, Ruth shouted, "Eric, don't give him any more chances! Finish him off swiftly, or we'll face endless trouble!"Eric was well aware of this logic. As he fought, he said, "He's incredibly strong. Taking him down quickly isn't possible! We must fight to the death!"Eric had never feared battle. Besides, this might very well be his final fight.Their fists clashed fiercely.The 'God' also noticed that Eric was growing more formidable as the battle progressed."How do you have so much strength? Wouldn't it be better if we joined forces to control the world? We could have anything we desire!"All the world's wealth, women, and resources would be ours to enjoy. Why won't you listen to reason?" he roared.Eric's momentum didn't falter. "I don't share your grand ambitions. I just want a simple life with a job that pays 1,000 dollars a month and a warm home with my wife and kids. But you, you've disturbed my peace!"The 'God' was fu
The 'God' grew more courageous as the battle raged on, causing Stealthbane to worry incessantly.In another high-stakes clash, Eric and his opponent both retreated. Eric sensed his opponent's growing strength, finding it rather peculiar.The 'God' clenched his fist. "I must thank you! My techniques were slightly incomplete, but I've managed to fill the gaps through this battle!"Eric marveled at his opponent's genius. To mend something incomplete was indeed a rare talent.Despite Eric training with the complete manual, he could only match the 'God' blow for blow. This person was terrifying!The opponent's confidence soared. Although Eric had trained with the full manual, the 'God' felt his innate talent far surpassed Eric's. If he could match Eric with an incomplete manual, now that he had perfected it, wouldn't he be unbeatable?"I thought you had potential and considered inviting you to share this world with me," the 'God' said, his tone turning icy. "But now, I see it's unnece
Stealthbane even felt that Eric might not be a match for the "God."The power was overwhelming.The terrifying aura was enough to crush everything. To an ordinary person, this was a real deity—the strength possessed had already transcended human limits.Eric made his move with a burst of speed. The clash of their fists created a thunderous explosion, and the sound was so intense that Stealthbane felt his eardrums might shatter.This was a battle of the highest caliber, one that even a legend like Stealthbane could not hope to join.Seeing the two evenly matched, Stealthbane sighed in relief. At least there was a chance that the strongest combatants were neutralizing each other. The outcome was still uncertain.Eric shook his aching fist, his expression grave. The opponent's strength was as he had anticipated. If the ultimate boss of the Luminous did not possess such combat power, it would be absurd.Clearly, this "God" had also gauged Eric's strength.He extended a hand toward
Stealthbane knew that the figure facing them must be the ultimate leader of the Luminous.Suddenly, he no longer wanted to die. If he could hold on just a little longer, it would all be over."Mr. Johnson, these people don't seem ordinary. Could that leader be the ultimate figure of the Luminous? Are we about to complete the game?" he whispered.To him, this mission to the Ark felt like a game: defeat the final boss, and victory is achieved."If I'm not mistaken, it should be. This person gives me... a sense of danger," Eric said.Upon hearing this, Stealthbane felt reassured.Just a sense? That meant the problem wasn't too grave!The leader on the opposite side turned to Eric. "I didn't expect you to make it this far. I underestimated your strength, believing my Ark was impregnable, that no enemy could breach it. But why are you so persistent? Why such determination?"He suddenly screamed in a fit of hysteria, "I have so many people! Such a grand scheme! It has all succeeded!
Brent shouted desperately, "After you get on your knees, they'll kill you all, and we won't survive either! Kill them! Kill them all!"He understood the situation with stark clarity. Kneeling meant certain death. If they had to die anyway, fighting back would be their only chance of survival.Eric sighed. "Mr. Rogers, in the end, it was we who implicated you. But this place must be eradicated, and the Luminous must be destroyed as well! Everyone, attack!"As the battle commenced, the masked man immediately struck Brent with a punch.Eric charged in. "Die!"He knew that Brent was unlikely to survive. This punch was his way of avenging Brent.The masked man spun around, trying to block Eric's punch. But the speed of the blow was too much—the gust of wind from the punch arrived before the fist did.It was an instant kill.The masked man had no time to react before Eric's punch collided with his chest. The terrifying force shattered the mask on the man's face, revealing an unfamili
Stealthbane was blinded by rage. He was killing anyone in sight, his fury unrelenting. They had ventured deep into enemy territory, where every encounter seemed to be with an adversary.Eric and his team from the Combat Department showed no mercy.Yet even Stealthbane's resolve was wearing thin."I can't kill them all! It feels like every master in the world is concentrated here!" he shouted in frustration.He felt the number of people he had brought was insufficient. If he had brought a few thousand more, he might have been able to overrun the place.Stealthbane was overwhelmed by the sheer horror of their situation. Fortunately, they had arrived. If anyone else had come, they would have met their end here.The numbers of the masters seemed endless."Damn it!" Stealthbane cursed angrily. "There are too many of them, and they're all exceptionally powerful. What kind of game is this?"He was tempted to retreat, but where could he go?Eric sent an enemy flying, pushing forward
"I was opposed to coming in from the start, but as you all know, the Rogers family is extremely complex. If we hadn't entered, I might have ended up dead. At least if the virus isn't a threat, that's something!" Brent poured himself a cup of coffee and continued. "These people are ruthless! They want to kill everyone outside the Ark and establish a new order, managed by a select few. It's insane!"You don't need to tell me—I know you're here to kill them."He then pulled a small token from his pocket. "This is our Rogers family's privilege here. It allows us to move freely between different levels. With this, you can go anywhere!"Stealthbane grabbed it eagerly. "Why didn't you mention this earlier? Things will go much smoother with this!"Brent sighed. "Once you've handled everything, could you take me out with you? I really don't want to stay in this dreadful place any longer.""Sure!" Eric nodded. "We'll definitely call you when we leave. For now, we're heading out."Brent e
Everything was ready, but they couldn't just walk in.Ruth instructed the Combat Department to conduct a three-day intensive training for everyone, focusing on coordinated combat.-After three days, the forces led by Stealthbane moved out, first dismantling the outer defenses of the Ark. This was their specialty!A large group of several hundred arrived in front of the Ark's entrance. At first glance, it resembled a mountain.Jack scratched his head and said, "Is this the gate? I don't see any door."The Holy Templar's people arrived as well. St. Pius said, "Everyone, don't rush. Wait for two minutes. Once the gate opens, we need to get in quickly. I have other plans inside, but once we're in, it's going to be a life-or-death battle! No one should show any mercy!"Stealthbane flexed his fists and replied, "Do I look like a good guy to you? Just watch me deal with them!"No sooner had he spoken than there was a tremendous roar. The ground shook, and the door of the Ark swung