"There's not much to consider. I'll never agree to the marriage," Faye said determinedly. Wilbur fell silent for a long time. Finally, he said, "Well, I'll go with you since you've made up your mind. I'm not going to let anyone force you into anything, not even your father." Faye kissed Wilbur on the cheek all of a sudden before making a run for the door as she said, "I knew you'd help me, Boss!" Wilbur stared at the door as it closed, rubbing at his face as he said furiously, "Keep up with that teasing, and I swear to god I'll do you in one day!" Just then, his phone rang. Wilbur scoffed and picked up the call. "Hello." "Mister Penn?" A voice said. Wilbur frowned. "Who is this?" "It's Orin Campbell." "Oh, Mister Campbell! How can I help you?" "Someone from Northseecher is asking for you. Would you mind meeting with them?" "Northseecher?" "Yes. It's the head of the Department of Paranormal Research and Defense." Wilbur paused before asking, "Where?" "You can
Wilbur looked over. The man was old and wrinkled, hunched over as he walked. He was sporting a bowler hat and a pale gray tracksuit. The cane in his hand was black, with a bright red jewel the size of an egg on top of it. He looked like a man who had been around for a long time, but one with wealth and status. The old man smiled at Wilbur as he walked over, his face wrinkling from the gesture. "Let me introduce myself." The old man sat down next to Wilbur with Jasmine's help. "My name is Albert Joeman." Wilbur poured Albert a cup of tea and nodded at him. "Please have some tea, Honorable Mister Joeman." "Please drop the honorifics." Albert shook his head. "I'm just an old geezer with one foot in the grave." Wilbur smiled and looked at Albert. Albert said, "Don't bother looking. I've got some amount of spirit energy in me to be in charge of the Department of Paranormal Research and Defense." Wilbur said nothing, taking a sip of tea. "Ryder told me that you're incredibl
Wilbur's brows furrowed once again, his gaze flashing. Albert shook his head. "It's not up to me. Anyone in my position would do the same. You have to understand that this is about the safety of our country." Wilbur slowly leaned back against the sofa and stayed silent. Albert said, "What's wrong with joining the department, anyway? We have a great deal of power and a pretty nice salary. Wouldn't it be better for Cape's development if you put that power to good use?" Wilbur stared at Albert, caught off-guard by his statement. This old man seemed to know all his secrets and was exposing them like it was nothing. It was quite a shock that the old man was encouraging the abuse of power for personal gain. Albert smiled. "Don't look at me like that. This isn't that big of a deal to people like us. We're all just doing what we need to get by. It's true that we get paid pretty well, but you're going to need a side gig or two if you want to live truly comfortably, aren't you? I'll
Jasmine smiled. "That's right. You can request for backup from your handler anytime you need, and if we deem your situation appropriate, we'll grant it to you." "Wouldn't that take forever? I'd be beaten up by the time they finished their assessment." A lot could happen in the span of a second in a battle, and there was no time to wait for assessments or tests of that kind. Jasmine reassured him, "Don't worry. There are only eighteen people with the same status as you, but you'll have over eighteen thousand people as backup. The assessment will not take more than a minute." "F*ck me." Wilbur could not help but swear. 18,000 people as backup to just 18 people? That was quite something else. "What kind of backup are we talking about?" Wilbur asked. Jasmine said, "Any firearms excluding nuclear weapons, warplanes included." "Holy moley!" That was all Wilbur could say. It was more than fair that nuclear weapons were not as easily accessible, but Dasha was definitely advance
Jasmine and Albert had already left the room by the time Albert was done talking. "What, I have an assistant too?" Wilbur asked, but his question went unanswered. He stared at the closed door in silence. He had surveyed with his spirit energy earlier and sensed a powerful spirit energy within Jasmine. She was pretty much on the same level as Wilbur and was definitely an elite cultivator. However, he did not seem to detect anything in Albert. There was not an ounce of spirit energy, which made him seem like a mortal. However, there was no way he could have gotten the position he was in if he did not have any powers, and he had admitted himself that he did have them. Wilbur had the urge to tap into Albert's conscience several times, wanting to get some information through his soul. He managed to hold himself back in the end. Who knew what that old man could be hiding? Moreover, Wilbur might end up humiliating himself or even risking his life. That would be bad. Wilbur sco
"A banquet?" Faron fell silent. "I'll pass on this one. I shouldn't be showing my face at an event like this." Faron was someone of power, and it was true that he had to pick what events he attended. Wilbur chuckled. "Are you sure? There might be something worth seeing." "Something worth seeing?" Faron's face lit up with curiosity. "I've got to be there, then. What banquet is this?" "The city business banquet. You can find out where it is for yourself," Wilbur said, then hung up. He gave it some thought and took his own caller card out of his personal phone before inserting it into the phone the department had given him. There was no way he was going to be lugging two phones around all the time. He put his license and handgun back into the briefcase, then tossed it onto the passenger seat before driving back home. It was only one o'clock in the afternoon then. Wilbur sat in the living room in silence, thinking long and hard about something. This banquet was definitely
The banquet hall on the top floor was bustling with people. Pendleton Howard and Fergus Long, two of Seechertown's most powerful tycoons, were there. It was clear just how big of a deal the banquet was. With their presence, it was no surprise that the hall was filled with other businessmen in Seechertown as well. There were almost eighty people in the hall, with most of them people of power in the Seechertown business industry. They gathered in groups, talking and laughing among themselves. Everyone knew that banquets like these were usually the government's way of gathering everyone to talk about whatever was being promoted as well as giving it support. The deeper meaning, of course, was to warn everyone not to try and poke their noses in places they were not supposed to. Everyone knew just how powerful Pendleton and Fergus were, and there was no way they would skip showing up. Most of the attendees were there with the implied message that the Electronics Industrial Pa
Pendleton was an experienced politician, so he was well aware of Faron and what he represented. Although Faron sat there silently, his silence conveyed a certain attitude. However, Pendleton was unsure of what exact stance Faron had at the moment. Pendleton's goal was to find out why Faron had come. Faron chuckled and said, "My work is alright, but the project you're overseeing is quite impressive, Mister Howard. It's boosting the economy and providing jobs in Seechertown. Congratulations!" Pendleton smiled and replied, "This is all thanks to your father's vision. He supported me from the beginning, which is why the project was able to be finalized so quickly. I must really thank your father." "I'm not sure, but it's still the fruits of your labor, Mister Howard. You're being too humble," said Faron with a laugh. Pendleton was certain that Faron did not have any objections regarding the industrial park project. He felt relieved. It did not matter if Faron had other moti