Westlake outshone Salt City in prosperity.Upon arrival, the group initially visited the project department and was then guided by its staff to the construction site.The Innova employees had commenced construction at the site according to the finalized plan. In addition to the basic wiring, crucial equipment had been gradually transported from Salt City and was getting ready to enter the site.High-ranking individuals such as Sylvia, Eric, and Andy rarely ventured into the field. However, this Westlake project held exceptional significance.Despite confirmed details and plans, Eric, as the CIO of the Innova Group, found it beneficial to inspect certain aspects.Post-inspection, they moved on to the employee dormitories. Since the Westlake project spanned the long term, the Innova construction personnel would be residing there.Sylvia was particularly concerned about the living environment for the employees and emphasized the importance of good meals and proper rest for the staff
Cassius filled the glasses and said, "Ms. Williams, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Bikman, thank you for coming here. Let's have a toast!"After the toast, Cassius' face was a bit flushed. During the meal, he praised the Innova Group's achievements endlessly. Over the years, numerous companies in this field had emerged in the country, but apart from the Innova Group, the rest either had gone bankrupt halfway or had not even come to life.Cassius was very talkative, discussing company matters and various topics.The meal lasted until 10:00 p.m. Realizing it was getting late, Cassius reluctantly sent Eric and the others back.-"How do you feel about Cassius?" Sylvia asked.Andy chuckled and said, "He's too enthusiastic! I've never seen someone so warm!"To Andy, Cassius seemed excessively warm, like he knew everyone very well. Sylvia looked at Eric, seeking his opinion."Cassius seems genuinely warm, but it's hard to comment on other aspects. After all, each family has its own rules. Howeve
There were only four families in the country of this level, and following the Larsons' demise, merely three remained. These families held immense wealth and power.Despite the Larsons' downfall being seemingly linked to dealings with the Innova Group, few knew the actual reason.The faces of the Rockwoods turned serious. Unaware of the true reasons behind the Larsons' collapse, they had initially believed it was due to dealing with the Innova Group.Damien remarked, "I knew they were extraordinary. The Innova Group is the only conglomerate in this industry nationwide. I've heard that to secure the contract for building the three major data centers, the Visionary Group was even temporarily suspended from operation."The suspension was only lifted when it was confirmed that the Innova Group would handle the project. Someone influential from King City must be supporting the Innova Group."A sense of worry about their future lingered. The Rockwoods were not content with Westlake—they
Playing with the baton in his hand, Mario gave the project manager a sidelong glance and asked, "Why are we asking you to halt the construction? You've been making noise all morning. The people here could barely sleep! How could you be so heartless?"Understanding dawned upon the project manager. The data center's location was more than 20 kilometers away from the central area of Westlake, and the vicinity had already been cleared before the Rockwoods started construction. There were no people living around there."Alright." The project manager chuckled and asked, "How much do you want?"He figured these troublemakers were there for money.Mario took out a cigarette and lit it. "There are still about ten households around. I've asked about your project. It's an investment of over 100,000,000 dollars. We don't want much. If 1,000,000 dollars per household, give us 10,000,000 dollars, and we'll go our merry way."The project manager's face sank. However, he kept himself calm and sai
"It's not about that, Mr. Potter!" Mario exclaimed. "When we went to the project site, there was an incredibly stunning woman! Her bodyguard could even bend a baton with his bare hands! But that's not the main point!"Finnick slapped him, demanding, "Hurry up and get to the point!"Mario rubbed his head and explained, "You know what? The CEO of the Innova Group is a stunningly pretty woman! I've never seen such a beautiful woman! She even outshines those celebrities by a large margin!""Really?!" Finnick sat up in surprise."Certainly, Mr. Potter! You can ask them if you don't believe me!" Mario assured him.Finnick glanced at the men behind Mario, and they all nodded in agreement.Finnick rubbed his bald head and declared, "Well, today must be my lucky day! Gather up our men. We're going to the site!"-At the project site.Matthew anticipated that the gang led by Mario would come, but he didn't expect them to return so soon.Mario rushed forward and shouted, "Stop! Everyone
Finnick was indeed a formidable martial artist, but Matthew was no stranger to fights either. When Finnick attacked, Matthew intercepted Finnick's fist with a palm."Not bad, young man!" Finnick took a step back. "Few people can master Iron Palm to this level! Who is your master?"He knew that most grandmasters had some background. The support of the Rockwoods was not the sole reason he could lead the Westlake underworld. His caution also played a significant role.Thus, even though Matthew and Vince might not have a prominent background, he was confident it was surely not a small one."Scared!?" Matthew sneered. "If you're scared, then get lost!""In my dictionary, there's no such word as 'scared'!" Finnick said and attacked Matthew again.Vince crossed his arms and observed from the side. With both of them guarding this place, he wasn't worried that anyone would dare to come and cause trouble.Having followed Eric for over a year, he had only encountered legends like Eric, Pie
Hearing Finnick's sigh, Cassius asked, "What's wrong? Did something go awry?"Finnick nodded. "When I visited the Innova Group's construction site, two grandmasters were guarding the entrance. It seems they're well-prepared for us. I engaged in a lengthy battle with one of them, but we couldn't determine a winner!"In truth, he and Matthew had only exchanged blows for a dozen rounds, but the stalemate was genuine.Cassius squinted and asked with curiosity, "Two grandmasters? It's unlikely that the Innova Group could have expanded to this extent with just a couple of grandmasters…"Cassius believed that a rapidly growing company like the Innova Group must boast a formidable security team, which was why he had assigned Finnick to handle the situation. However, he was puzzled when Finnick revealed that only two grandmasters guarded the entrance.He gazed at Finnick and asked, "So, it appears you can't handle this?"Finnick scratched his head and admitted, "As you know, I only have t
The grand celebration continued in full swing, marking the pinnacle of the Rockwoods' prosperity in Westlake. Even major families from King City arrived bearing gifts, and Cassius beamed with joy throughout the entire event.Nonetheless, a sense of regret lingered in his heart.Despite being the most prosperous family in Westlake, the Rockwoods' resources and reputation couldn't match the top families in King City due to geographical constraints.Cassius knew for the Rockwoods to truly thrive, they needed to move to King City and surpass the top families there, replacing the Larsons after their downfall.In reality, the competition for that position was intense, with many formidable families eyeing it, including the Montgomerys. Grace seized the opportunity after the Larsons' collapse to elevate the Montgomerys to one of the top four families.Grace was an ambitious woman with grand visions and had unmatched resources in her hands, possibly due to her relationship with Eric. The W
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