Meanwhile, Gideon was at the lakefront, looking at the figure in black with keen interest. He chuckled and asked, "You seem strong, but I don't recognize you. Where are you from, or rather, who sent you?" "Tom," the man replied flatly. "Ah, I see. That fat pig's got some nerve to be still causing trouble," Gideon remarked.Reaper's gaze turned ice-cold. He stated, "Tom is my friend. Insulting him is insulting me, and doing so is a death sentence. "Take ten seconds to savor the sun and this world one last time because I'm sending you to meet your maker soon." Gideon laughed, genuinely entertained. "At least tell me who you are, so I don't die clueless.""Reaper—Ninth on the Hitman Guild's Shadow Ranking!""Hitman Guild?" Gideon pondered thoughtfully. He suddenly remembered the self-proclaimed King of Hitmen, Jeremy Boisclair, who ranked first in the Hitman Guild's Shadow Ranking. Jeremy had been caught and brought to Oasis Vale years ago, initially defiant but eventually b
"Staying in Goldspire was the right choice," Lavinia thought, her mood significantly improving. She even believed Dominic would change his mind in time and agree to help her deal with Tylland. She looked at Reaper's body again, her expression turning cold. "Take photos and send them through Cipher. Let the entire Hitman Guild know that Shadow Ranking's Number Nine, Reaper, has died." "Yes, Ms. Mosley!" her guards immediately complied.Poor Tom was still waiting for good news at his mansion, unaware that Reaper had already crossed to the other side.…Elsewhere, Gideon casually strolled into Snow Corporation, completely unbothered by his earlier encounter. Killing Reaper had been such an insignificant matter to him that he had not given it a second thought."Mr. Snow!" Fred greeted him as soon as he entered the building. Fred, now appointed as the company's CEO by Gideon, wielded considerable power and was immensely grateful for the promotion. The company had been on the brink
Gideon arrived with his entourage and surveyed the scene. Besides Eric, there were five other young men, all dressed in designer brands and wearing watches worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. They were clearly spoiled heirs from wealthy families. Fred leaned in and whispered, "We might have a problem. Those are the heirs from the Mackenzie, Winston, Campbell, Lane, and Torres families—all second-tier families with close ties to the Gross family."Gideon nodded slightly, understanding the situation.Meanwhile, Eric's laughter dripped with mockery. "Gideon, you finally decided to show yourself. I was starting to think you would hide like a coward." Gideon smirked. "After yesterday's beating, you should know better by now. Look at you. Your face is still swollen and bruised. Do you really think I'd back down?"Eric's face turned ashen, unable to respond. At that moment, Ivan Mackenzie stepped forward with a sneer. "Gideon, long time no see! I heard you've been farming for the
"Are you done laughing?" Gideon asked, causing Eric and his group to fall silent immediately. "If you're done, get out of my sight," Gideon continued. "And Eric, don't forget about the acquisition—tell your father to prepare the contract."Eric's face twisted in fury. "You've got some nerve, Gideon! Talking like you actually can do it. Well, I came here for two things today—first, to buy this worthless company, and second... to settle the score for what you did to me."At that moment, about 60 intimidating men burst into the lobby. Fred and the others paled instantly. They could tell at a glance that these men were clearly dangerous criminals and were far more than their 20 security guards could handle.Eric sneered, his tone dripping with malice as he said, "Since you're such a tough guy, Gideon, we brought some friends for you. These 58 gentlemen are hardened criminals with blood on their hands. I hope you don't disappoint them." In seconds, the thugs encircled Gideon, makin
At the same time, the young heirs of the Torres, Campbell, and other families received similar harsh scoldings from their fathers. The five men exchanged bewildered looks, uncertain of what was happening."What's going on, guys?" Eric asked in confusion, but they could only offer apologetic looks. "I'm sorry, Eric. There's an emergency at home. I need to go right away," Ivan said hurriedly. "Same here..."The others echoed similar excuses and quickly bolted out of the building with their hired muscle. What had been a crowd of 58 thugs now dwindled to just eight."Surround them!" Fred commanded quickly, and their 20 security guards encircled Eric and his remaining thugs. The tables had turned, bringing relief to the Snows, while Eric stood there dumbfounded, unable to understand why his allies had suddenly abandoned him."Fred, I'll let you handle this," Gideon said casually. "No problem," Fred replied with a cold smile. Though he did not know exactly how, he was certain Gid
"Ms. Avila, please follow me," Fred said, leading Rachel to Gideon's office without asking questions.Rachel pushed the door open and walked right in, calling out, "Gideon!"Fred's eyes flickered. Rachel's tone and attitude suggested an unusual relationship between her and Gideon. If Gideon had managed to win over Rachel, the Snow family's fortunes were about to change dramatically.The other members of the Snow family were equally intrigued, and someone eagerly asked Fred, "What's the story?""From what I can tell, he and Ms. Avila have a special relationship. This means we'll likely get support from the Avila family. Our revival is within reach, so let's get back to work—and don't worry about the Gross family. They're nothing now!""All hail Mr. Snow!" they cheered. At that moment, Gideon had completely solidified his position as the backbone of the Snow family. Inside the office, Gideon looked surprised and asked, "What brings you here?""If I hadn't shown up, you'd be cri
"At this rate, in a few years, we'll end up like your family—fallen from grace," Rachel said.However, she quickly realized her insensitivity and added, "Gideon, you were once Goldspire's business prodigy. With your talent, I'm sure you can revive the Snow family." "So you want me to take on the Yovarian Guild?" Gideon asked.Rachel gave a bitter laugh. "The Yovarian Guild is a massive organization. I doubt you could handle them, but my grandpa's letter said you could help, so I wanted to try.""What a hassle," Gideon mumbled as he rubbed his temples. While Rachel saw the Yovarian Guild as an unstoppable force, they were small fry to Gideon. He could have world-class powers crush them within an hour, but that was not his way. Natural selection and survival of the fittest were laws of nature that applied to human society, too. Using his power to destroy the Yovarian Guild just because of his connection to Rachel would make him no better than a murderer.Besides, Titus taugh
Rachel and Gideon got into the Maserati, where Wilder was waiting behind the wheel. He asked with a smile, "Where to, Ms. Avila?""Home!" Rachel replied urgently. Wilder froze for a moment, his mind racing. He wondered if Rachel was bringing Gideon home to announce their relationship to the family, and he could not help but think they had progressed too quickly.Before he could overthink it, Rachel added sharply, "Mr. Morrick, step on it! Max from the Yovarian Guild has broken into our estate and threatened to burn it down if I don't show up in 20 minutes.""What?" Wilder's demeanor suddenly turned fierce.Gideon was surprised as he realized this elderly driver was clearly more than he appeared, which explained why he served as Rachel's driver and bodyguard."Hang on, both of you," Wilder warned, slamming the gas pedal.The Maserati sped down the streets, arriving at the Avila estate within 15 minutes. When they arrived, they were greeted by a tense standoff in the courtyard. T
"Cuff him!" the officer shouted sternly.Harold and the others looked on, pleased, while Elara was at a loss for what to do.Gideon was visibly displeased. Just as he was about to react, a cold voice rang out from outside the room, "What are you doing here?"Everyone turned to look.Harold was stunned for a moment. Then, he hurried forward. "Mr. Horne, it's you!"The newcomer was none other than Damian, the eldest son of the Horne family.Damian had been passing by and glanced into the private room. When he saw Gideon surrounded by police officers, his heart skipped a beat.The last time Gideon was arrested, the entire Goldspire was thrown into upheaval. If something like that happened again, the consequences would be unimaginable.Without hesitation, Damian stepped in to intervene. He cast a sidelong glance at Harold.He had heard of him before. Harold was a young entrepreneur and owner of a company in Goldspire. Although he might have been a promising youth, Damian didn't
Elara's heart skipped a beat. For some reason, she suddenly felt a pang of guilt. She lowered her head and couldn't bring herself to look at Gideon.However, the rich heirs in the room were not about to let this slide.In the past, they had to look up to Gideon. Now that the Snow family had fallen, they were not going to miss the chance to humiliate him."Did I say you could leave?" One of the rich heirs stepped in front of Gideon to block his path."Move!" Gideon barked coldly.The heir was startled for a moment before flying into a rage. "Why the hell are you acting up? Do you think you're still the high-and-mighty heir of the Snow family?"With that, he swung his hand to slap Gideon across the face.Gideon caught the man's arm, and with a sudden, crushing grip, a loud crack echoed through the room as the man's arm shattered.The rich heir's scream, like the wailing of a slaughtered pig, filled the room.Everyone was stunned.They stared in shock at the man's mangled and tw
"You're treating me to a meal?" Gideon asked."You saved me and stopped Matthew from assaulting me. Isn't it normal for me to thank you by treating you to a meal? Let's go." Elara gestured for him to follow.Rubbing his nose, Gideon felt a little puzzled. He couldn't figure out what she was up to.Since when did she become so polite? She even knew how to show gratitude, huh?They entered a high-end clubhouse and headed straight upstairs to the sixth floor.As they walked, Gideon sensed something wasn't quite right. The clubhouse was extremely luxurious, and the costs were undoubtedly sky-high. Elara couldn't possibly afford a private room on the sixth floor.A cacophony of loud laughter and voices filled the air when the door was pushed open."Ella, you're here!" A well-dressed young man approached her with a smile."And this must be Gideon! Mr. Snow, right? I've heard so much about you." The young man extended his hand toward Gideon.Gideon shook his hand, thinking it wou
"Ms. Trott, what did you say? One billion dollars? Are you saying Ms. Avila is ready to invest that much in me?""No kidding!" Maggie rolled her eyes.Matthew was dumbfounded. Then, he immediately flushed with excitement, his body trembling.One billion dollars! Good Lord! If he were to just put it in the bank and live off the interest, he would be set for life!"I've said all I need to say. Think it over carefully. But remember my advice. Ms. Avila doesn't like delays. Act quickly, or you'll miss the once-in-a-lifetime chance to leap into greatness.""Okay, okay. Thank you, Ms. Trott. I'll treat you to a scrumptious meal sometime."Matthew hurriedly left the building and got into the car. He couldn't wait to call Jacob. "How did it go? Did it work out?" Jacob asked.From his tone, it was clear that Jacob was nervous, his voice slightly trembling with anticipation."Dad, file for bankruptcy immediately. Shut down the company and clear out all the junk."Jacob was stunned. "Y
"Ms. Avila, here is my proposal. Please take a look."In the office, Matthew handed the proposal to Rachel, waiting with eager anticipation.Truthfully, Rachel didn't have the slightest interest in looking at the proposal. She didn't even want to flip it open.However, for Gideon's sake, she decided to put some effort into putting Matthew and the Carter family through the wringer. Suppressing her impatience, she opened the proposal.Upon reading it, she found it to be complete garbage. The proposal that Jacob had arranged for someone to write had some level of competence, but unfortunately, it was entirely unworthy of Rachel's standards.For a second- or third-rate business owner, the proposal might have seemed decent. But for someone of Rachel's caliber and position, reading it was nothing but a waste of ten minutes.Matthew asked, "Ms. Avila, what do you think?""It's alright," she replied with a forced smile.Hearing this, he was overjoyed. "Ms. Avila, does that mean I've pa
Matthew was completely stunned after getting slapped. "Dad, what did I do?"Jacob roared, "What did you do? Because of you, the Lawson family has terminated all their collaborations with us."The company is already struggling, barely staying afloat with those projects from the Lawsons. Now that they've been cut, the company is completely paralyzed. We're one step away from bankruptcy!"Matthew finally understood. It had to be because he had embarrassed Kian at Avila Group earlier. That old man was getting his revenge."Dad, don't worry. The Lawsons won't be able to stay smug for long. Give it some time, and Kian will be kneeling in front of us, begging for forgiveness.""Bullshit!" Jacob slapped him again. "You little punk! Are you out of your mind? The company is on the brink of bankruptcy, and you're still spouting this nonsense! Have some shame!"Feeling wronged, Matthew protested, "Dad, I'm telling the truth! I was going to tell you yesterday, but I didn't come home.""Tell
Kian left Avila Group with a dark expression. On his way back, he wasted no time in contacting his company's project department to terminate all collaborations with the Carter family."That little punk. I want to see just how much of a splash the Carter family can make. I'll wait for you to come crawling back to me and begging to resume our partnership." He sneered coldly.He didn't believe for a second that Matthew could earn Rachel's favor. He knew exactly what kind of person Matthew was.…Meanwhile, Matthew was reporting the situation in Rachel's office. He started by mentioning that he had already canceled contracts with families like the Seymour family. Rachel nodded approvingly. "You've done a good job."Matthew was overjoyed. To be praised by Rachel felt like pure bliss."Ms. Avila, don't worry. I'll prove my abilities to you," he said eagerly. "By the way, when will you be investing in me?" he asked, his voice filled with anticipation.Rachel sneered inwardly, but her
The butler left to make arrangements.Not long after, news came back. The butler reported, "Mr. Carter, everything at the Snow residence seems normal.""Are you sure?""There's no doubt about it."Matthew frowned, cursing internally at Fisher for playing games.Could it be that Fisher didn't even take anyone to the Snow residence or follow through on his task? That damn idiot!"Find Fisher. I'm going to skin him alive! That bastard dared to mess with me!"Matthew was furious.…The next morning, the butler rushed into Matthew's room, panicked. "Mr. Carter, something big has happened!""What could be so important? Let me sleep.""Mr. Carter, wake up. Fisher has been arrested. It's not just him, but every single one of his men has been caught, too.""What?" Matthew bolted upright.The butler continued, "This is the latest information, and it's from a reliable source. They say soldiers were mobilized yesterday to arrest Fisher and his 300 men. They've all been taken to the de
With police cars, fighter jets, and soldiers, it was a lineup and display these gangsters had never seen before. Their legs went weak, and they began trembling uncontrollably.Fisher's face turned ashen.Even the Snows were terrified, thinking they must have committed some grave offense for the government to come knocking."What's going on?"Elara was filled with confusion and unease. She had never witnessed such a scene before and didn't dare to even breathe too loudly.Suddenly, a thought popped into her head. She turned to look at Gideon, who was still sitting in the main living room, as though nothing had happened. He continued to sip his coffee leisurely.Could it be…Did he summon all these police cars, fighter jets, and soldiers?That was impossible. How could Gideon possibly have such influence? Elara didn't want to believe it.At this point, the police cars stopped, and several hundred officers got out. Three thousand soldiers also halted, their gazes fixed on Fisher