Andy had tried his best to keep it a secret from his family. Even when Colin and Lily called, Andy would say that Jacob was on a business trip, so he might not have time to answer the phone. He had not expected that Jacob would make a phone call home and spill everything once he started recovering a bit.Upon seeing Jacob severely injured and lying in bed, Lily almost fainted in distress. Although she knew that Jacob was not in mortal danger, she still could not help but feel sorry for him. In rural communities, it was a common practice for established families to show preference for their younger sons. In their view, they felt a responsibility to look out for Jacob, the younger sibling. However, it was a different case for Andy since he was the elder brother. They felt that he was capable, and since he was older, he should be able to care for himself. "Have they caught the culprit?" Colin asked.Andy nodded. "The police have caught the culprits. Currently, our plan is to make t
"Is our family really in such dire need of money?" Lily asked, "You're still young and own a company! As humans, we must live with dignity! Aren't you worried that people might mock you upon discovering that others have assaulted your brother?"Andy was rendered speechless.If sacrificing dignity could bring in 800,000 dollars, Andy was willing to let go of his pride. When one was financially strapped, what purpose did pride serve? Could it provide sustenance?Andy did not even want to argue anymore. Four people had four different viewpoints. Andy just wanted the money and was not concerned about how authorities handled the case. Colin preferred sending them to prison, while Lily wanted money and prison time.As for Jacob, he did not want money or to send them to prison. However, he did not dare to tell them anything. -In the afternoon, Elly picked up the two kids and came to the hospital. Jacob was staying in a high-end ward where food was provided, and there was a room for fa
Eric and Sylvia hurriedly rushed over from Rosewood Estate when they learned that Elly had fainted. "The doctor said she fainted because of hormonal changes," Andy said."Hormonal changes?" Eric frowned. "My sister's health has always been good. How could she experience hormonal changes?"Just when Andy was about to explain, Eric turned back to Elly and started checking on her. Suddenly, everything made sense to Eric. "I see. No wonder she's experiencing hormonal changes. She's pregnant." Andy was dumbfounded when he heard that Elly was pregnant. "Eric, should we prescribe some medication to protect the pregnancy?" Andy hastily suggested.Eric replied, "There's no need for that yet. Just let her rest well and ensure she doesn't face too much stress."However, after a moment of contemplation, he wrote a prescription. After all, Elly was no longer in her 20s, and it was better to be safe.Holding the prescription, Andy was ecstatic. Regardless of the gravity of his brother's s
Moreover, some of the parents might pass their unfulfilled dreams to their kids. Thus, kids were important to the parents.Lily was taken aback. In her memory, Jacob was the rebellious one, while Andy had always been the obedient sibling. She could not believe that he was shouting at her now. "You're shouting at me because of that jinx?!" Lily began. "Her kids aren't my grandchildren! I won't acknowledge her kids!""Mom, please stop," Andy said. "I love her, and that's all that matters. Even more importantly, she is pregnant. You can say whatever you want behind our backs, but if you keep saying those things in front of her, don't blame me…"He did not finish his sentence, but everyone knew what he wanted to say. His parents were stunned, and it seemed to them that Andy was serious this time. He could tolerate his parents' unreasonable behavior up to a certain point, but there were boundaries to his patience and understanding.-Andy took a day off the next day and went with Ell
"I don't really know what's going inside your head! I've never seen someone as idiotic as you!" Andy shouted.He could not believe that Jacob actually trusted that Ava would marry him. He was certain that Ava would turn away and ignore Jacob once she escaped punishment. He had seen ass-kissers, but none quite like Jacob. He had been nearly beaten to death, yet he wanted to forgive them because Ava said she wanted to marry him.Andy persisted in his own opinion. Whether Ava and her group went to prison or not did not matter as long as they gave the money. "I believe in Ava!" Jacob said.Andy glanced at Jacob and said, "Whether you believe in her or not is your business. I also have a family to support. Even though I'm your brother, you still owe me 150,000 dollars. You need to pay me back the money!"He had had enough of Jacob. If Jacob chose to believe in Ava, he could do nothing. Although he was Jacob's brother, Jacob was a grown man and had to bear the consequences of his act
Jacob had no intention of returning the money, and Andy chose not to confront the issue. He was busy managing the Innova Group and arranging his wedding with Elly. He wanted to provide a perfect ceremony, and it had to be done before Elly's bump became noticeable.Andy kept the guest list small. He did not invite relatives from the Bikmans but invited quite a lot of employees from the Innova Group, Williams Corp., and Sonnex Corp. "When are you two going to get your wedding done?" Pierce asked.Even though Eric and Sylvia had been registered for several years and were about to have a child, they had not held a wedding yet.Sylvia smiled. "There's no rush for now. Everyone has been quite busy recently." She felt that Eric was not ready yet.Pierce nodded. "If you can't find the time, let the Combat Department arrange it. They can organize a special wedding for you." Eric was a Lieutenant General, and Sylvia was considered part of the Combat Department, so they were entitled to
Pierce visited Salt City not only to attend Andy's wedding but also to explore the possibility of the Innova Group venturing into certain areas.Although there were domestic military-industrial enterprises, the costs were too high, the technological capabilities were limited, and the process of updates and upgrades was exceptionally slow.Products from a decade ago were still in use today. Although they emphasized that those devices were stable and reliable, why not pursue advancement if they had the capability? Eric was not well-versed in the production of military-grade products. However, he understood that military-grade electronics might not always be the most cutting-edge but were undoubtedly the most reliable. Civilian and military applications were entirely different. If the Innova Group were to take on this challenge, it could be considered crossing into another industry."Are you planning to entrust this business to the Innova Group?" Eric asked cautiously.He hesitated
If Eric were to utilize his authority and connections, he could undoubtedly secure substantial orders for the Innova Group. The domestic market alone could bring a lot of profit to the Innova Group. However, Eric had refrained from doing so as he did not want the thing that Sylvia mentioned from happening.While initially presenting as a device manufacturer, the Innova Group had progressively transitioned to becoming a communication solution provider in recent years. After all, the production of devices was bound to reach a saturation point sooner or later, but solutions were always a valuable and huge market.Pierce chuckled. "It's all for the sake of information security. The Innova Group's technology and devices have been market-tested. In fact, the military has tested your equipment, and the testing team provided high praise. As for your concern, it's an even smaller issue. You just do what you have to do. You don't have to care about what other people say!" Sylvia glanced at E
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