Eric smiled. "Don't worry, Hol. Clarke has some of the things we need, just a few missing items. It will be ready once Hol. Clarke collects everything.""Thank you!" Andy grinned from ear to ear. Unfortunately, his smile didn't last long as his phone rang.Seeing it was Jacob calling, he answered. "What's up? Need more money again?"On Jacob's first day at work, Andy had given him some money, repeatedly reminding him to spend it sparingly until his next paycheck. But Jacob had already spent all the money."Where are you? Mom said she couldn't reach you on the phone. They have arrived in Salt City, and there's no one to pick them up. What's going on?"Andy felt a headache coming on. He had blocked his parents' number because he didn't want them meddling in his affairs. "Alright, I got it. I'll call her right away," Andy said.After hanging up, Andy called his mother and went to the train station to pick up his parents and Jacob.-Not only did Jacob come, but his girlfriend
Elly quietly took Cody and Max upstairs, and Sylvia followed suit. This was Andy's family matter, and it involved the Innova Group, so she didn't want to get involved.As Andy's best friend, Eric had every reason to stay there.After Elly and Sylvia went upstairs, Andy suddenly felt less pressured."Mom, distributing shares isn't as simple as just giving them away. With over 10,000 employees, if we give shares to Jacob, what about the rest of them? Will they still have any incentive to work?" Andy said."I don't care about your employees, but we are a family!"If you don't want to give shares, that's fine. In the past, when your father and I earned money from farming, we spent it together. Now that you're making money, we'll still spend it together!"No matter how much you earn, it will be divided into four shares among us!"Implicitly, she excluded Elly from the equation.Andy couldn't help but laugh. "Mom, you're right. You and Dad take two shares each, and Elly and I take on
Jacob came from a rural family, but Andy was a wealthy entrepreneur. Even though the parents favored Jacob, things still needed to be handled slowly. Jacob might end up with nothing if Andy was pushed too hard. After all, Jacob was not entitled to Andy's money and company. This was something Ava understood very well. Jacob was momentarily stunned. "We won't win?" Ava nodded. Jacob became anxious, crying out, "Mom, what do I do if I have no money?! I don't have a car or a house! And Ava's family also demands 80,000 dollars for dowry! How can I come up with so much money?"I… I might as well go die!" The two old folks quickly pulled Jacob back. Lily hugged Jacob and shouted, "Andy, is your heart made of stone? He's your brother! If he dies, we won't live either! Are our lives not even worth 10% of your company?" She was furious, thinking how selfish Andy was. Eric stepped forward and voiced out, "Mr. and Mrs. Bikman, shares can't just be given away. It involves a series of
"It's not good to stay like this," Elly said. "It has to be resolved. Besides, where are they going to stay tonight?" She saw Lily and Colin following Jacob. She didn't know if Jacob could find a place to stay. Andy said, "Why bother about this? As long as they don't sleep on the streets, it's fine. Anyway, I'm just angry! Why do they deserve shares of the Innova Group? Eric, Sylvia, and I have worked so hard for so many years, enduring countless hardships for the Innova Group to achieve what it is today. "How dare he demand 10% shares from me? The three of us don't even have that much!" The three of them together had only 14% of the dividend shares. Michael had 3%, while the Williams and Sonnex families had 15%. Nearly 10% was reserved as a reward for outstanding employees, with the rest distributed to each employee."Andy, calm down." Sylvia smiled. "With the company's rules and regulations, it's impossible for them to get the shares." Andy nodded. "I'll tell the legal dep
"I have no money to spend randomly!" Jacob said frankly.Andy nodded. He was quite clear about this. Taking Cody and Max to the mall for a while would easily cost him money. If the boys spotted toys they liked, it was normal to spend over 100 bucks."Honestly, how much money have you spent on your girlfriend? How much do you give her every month? And what does she even do?"Andy was perplexed. He had given Jacob quite some money, enough for him to spend even if he went out for a drink every night. And now, in just a few days, he had to rely on the cafeteria for three square meals a day?Moreover, Jacob didn't seem to have anything valuable on him, not even a watch. The only notable thing was the suit he had bought for over 3,000 dollars the day before he started working at the company.Jacob smiled awkwardly, "Well... let me tell you the truth. Most of the money goes to her. She often asks me for money. Andy, how much can someone who sells clothes in the mall earn?""Here in Salt
Jacob couldn't possibly obtain the Innova Group's shares. The legal department took this opportunity to educate him on shares-related knowledge. Even if he was Andy's brother, he wouldn't be entitled to any shares. If someday there were shares available in Andy's hands, Jacob still wouldn't get them.Disappointed, he left the legal department and immediately tried calling Ava, but there was no answer. With no money in his pocket, he dared not make more calls.He approached Andy again. After much persuasion, claiming he wanted to meet Ava to sort things out, he barely managed to get 100 dollars from Andy. After all, he was his brother, and this time, Jacob needed the money for legitimate reasons, so Andy obliged.Meanwhile, Eric didn't come to work. There wasn't anything important in the technical department for Eric to handle, so he didn't need to come.Early in the morning, Amelia had called to ask Sylvia to register at the clinic. In the past, there weren't many clinics in Salt C
Eric didn't say much. He reached over and took Sylvia's ID card. "Honey, let's go. We'll register at the hospital. It should be free," he said.Sylvia nodded and got up, ready to leave with Eric.Unexpectedly, they were stopped by the doctor. "Not so fast!"Eric frowned. "What's the matter?""When you come to the clinic, you have to register here! You can't go elsewhere!" the doctor said.Eric sneered. "Says who? Where we register is our freedom. Can a small clinic like yours dictate that?"He was considering whether to report this to the community later. Such a clinic should be shut down. Even though they were rich, it was hard-earned money. How could they charge 4,000 dollars just because they were affluent?The doctor took out her phone. "Want to leave? No way!"She made a call. "Come over here right away!"Eric smiled, and they didn't plan to leave anymore. They wanted to see what trouble this small clinic could stir up. In just a few minutes, security guards from the Ro
Eric reacted quickly, and the rest of the security guards were also knocked out in a jiff.While they tried to get up, several members from the Combat Department arrived and apprehended them.Eric stepped forward, saying, "How dare you openly extort money from people? The property owners hired you to provide service. Now, I'm representing the owners and revoking the rights given to you!"He was furious. It was preposterous for the clinic to demand 4,000 dollars for the registration fee.While the Combat Department would handle the matter, Eric and Sylvia couldn't be bothered with the registration anymore. They had planned to spend the morning handling this matter, but it turned out to be a nightmare."This is unbelievable. We have connections to resist. But what about others?" Sylvia said.Eric nodded. "That's why it needs to be addressed."Not only would the clinic be shut down, but the Rosewood Estate's property management would also lose their job. The property owners had the
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