If this happened again, Frank might really be unable to hold back—it was sheer torment!Helen woke up early too and walked to the window, straightening her hair as she watched Frank run laps downstairs.Her gaze was at once tender, amused, and also disappointed.-Over the next week, Frank was basically staying at Helen's side at all times, ready to deal with possible attacks and reprisals.Still, Lanecorp was easier to manage than expected—the corruption plaguing the company seemed to be cleared in a week, and various operations were up and running.As the leader, Helen naturally gained the admiration of all board members and shareholders.Naturally, it was also thanks to her powerful backer—how could they still stand against her when she could collect a debt from Victorget?Meanwhile, Kallum was still confined in his own office, the very look of dejection but still refusing to concede defeat."Don't worry, Helen!" Cindy exclaimed smugly as she sat beside Helen in her office.
Frank was driving, and when he and Helen arrived, they saw that it was actually a private garden. The venue was basically decorated as if it was for a social ball, complete with a buffet, wine, and classical music. Waiters were weaving in and out of the crowd, serving guests.Naturally, everyone present were representatives of major businesses in Zamri—even if Lanecorp was not particularly weak among them, they were nothing to brag about either.Each guest had a tag on them identifying the groups representing them, and Frank even noticed Victor Sorano from afar."Hmm…? Kallum isn't representing Lanecorp now?" an elderly man carrying a glass of red wine asked as he approached Helen just then, with a woman in her twenties linking arms with him.It was a clear case of sugar daddying—the man was in his sixties.Helen politely greeted him in turn. "Mr. Jameson from Zomber Group, yes? Your reputation precedes you. I'm Helen Lane, the new board chairwoman of Lanecorp…""Oh, you know m
Helen caught Frank and asked jealously, "What were you telling that woman?""What?" Frank did a double take—was she always this jealous?Still, he chuckled after some thought. "She was inviting me to some masquerade ball.""A masquerade ball?!" Helen scowled, certainly aware of what that meant. "So? Did you say yes?""Why don't you take a guess?" Frank chuckled and quickly fled into the manor."Hey!" Helen exclaimed, flustered.Still, she soon calmed down—she knew Frank, and that he would never go near such places.After all, he did not take advantage of her even when she was…Helen flushed, her cheeks burning when she remembered that night."Hmph!" She snorted before hurrying into the manor as well.The manor was filled with people, and everyone was watching one person closely.Naturally, it was none other than Will Zeller.He stood on the stairs in his black suit, holding a microphone in one hand and a document in another."Everyone, please settle down," he said. "Thank
Will quickly said, "Please calm down, everyone. This decision is made by those above. I'm just the head of the department and can't make the decision here—I'm afraid putting your complaints to me is pointless."That was when Will glanced at Frank, and Frank understood immediately.Will wanted to help them, but someone higher up in the pecking order meddled."Drenam Limited? Have you heard of them before?" Frank asked Helen, glancing at the fortyish Mr. Woss who did not look like a business owner at all."No. They might not exist… Even if they did, they can't be a major player," Helen said confidently.After all, she had done her homework—she could list out every company in Zamri that had some extent of influence, and she had definitely never heard of Drenam Limited.And with Helen and Kallum's wager still in effect, they could not allow the land lots to fall into someone else's hands.Frank whipped out his phone and called Trevor Zurich right then. "Yeah, I'd like you to check t
Helen frowned and sighed. "So… we're giving up?"To be honest, she really did not want Kallum to win, but this was an impossible task and she should not push herself."Of course we're not giving up." Frank smiled and nodded at Helen. "I have an idea. Just head back to Lanecorp and wait.""Really?" Helen was skeptical, but since Frank had put it that way, she could only nod and tell Frank not to push his luck.After she drove away, Frank stretched his back. "Alright, now let's go meet the richest man on the East Coast."He left the mansion and took a cab at the main street and told the cabbie, "Grand Coast Hotel."It was the same hotel where he and Helen were staying.-"Hello?" The balding Gene Pearce answered the phone at the living area. He was wearing a bathrobe, and despite being the richest man of the East Coast, he was clearly in bad shape, with his face and lips showing blackness."Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Pearce. There's a young man named Mr. Lawrence who's asking t
After a moment of silence, Frank said, "Discussing it over the phone is a little lacking in sincerity. Why don't we speak face to face?""Sure," Gene answered briskly, despite having to wait for that response.He was thoughtful after hanging up—the man sounded young, but he was very confident."Heh…" He chuckled self-deprecatingly.He had actually contracted the illness for over a year, even though he had kept it a well-guarded secret.At first, he only felt tired and thought his lover was just being cold, but soon felt his body wither.Then, even walking started to become taxing—and now, he could not walk unassisted, as the world would spin around him and his muscles would hurt terribly.Gene had certainly tried all he could, visiting every hospital and consulting every renowned doctor across Draconia.He also tried all kinds of medical equipment and medicine, but nothing worked—none of the doctors could give him a proper diagnosis, let alone help.Though Gene grew increasing
Frank was surprised too.After all, he did not expect to find Rory Thames, the top singer Draconia whom he had a small quarrel with during the opening ceremony of his farm resort, here.Frank could remember that occasion like it was just yesterday, so there was no mistaking it.Rory clearly recognized him, too, and promptly snapped at him, "Who told you to come? Get out!" She swung the door, ready to shut it in his face, but Frank caught it with one hand.He was not interested in Rory, but he was not about to let an opportunity slip through his fingers either.Smiling, he said, "Ms. Thames, I'm here to treat Mr. Pearce's illness. Don't you think it's impolite to chase me away right now?""Treat Mr. Pearce? Really?" Rory snorted but she gave up on shutting the door, seeing that Frank was holding firmly to it.Taking a couple steps back, she folded her arms before her chest as she huffed, "I know that you're Grande Pharma's consultant, but someone like you, giving my darling a h
"It really is a coincidence." Frank sighed earnestly."Let's pick up where we left off, Mr. Lawrence. What would you like as your reward?" Gene asked.He was certainly not worried that Frank would try to con him—he was worried about some unusual requests.It was known that specialists could be eccentric, asking for things that money could not buy.And if it was just money, Gene had plenty, or he would not have Draconia's top songstress as a partner."Alright, then I'll be frank." Frank smiled. "Earlier today, my wife and I made a bid for several land lots in South Zamri, but someone beat us to it.""Hmm?" Gene murmured, and quickly realized that Frank wanted those land lots and chuckled, "Oh, it's no big deal. I'll ask Zorn Woss right now and see if he left the bid yet. If he is, I'll tell him to handle the paperwork—you can have all the land lots, Mr. Lawrence.""What?!" Rory Thames snapped right then, folding her arms before her chest and frowning. "We spent a fortune buying t
Her skin and fingers were rotting where the motel manager touched the pendant, as if being corroded by acid at a visible rate. Worst of all, she could not even feel any pain from it!"W-What's going on here?!"Horrified, the motel manager turned and ran.Drunken Moon was ready to give chase, but Frank stopped her. "She's not going to have it easy without her fingers. Let her go."Drunken Moon nodded and pointed at the pendant on the floor. "What the heck is that?"Frank then told her about Reverend Quietus, to which Drunken Room exclaimed, "You meant to say that there are bodies of energy that are basically identical to the paranormal that people speak of?"Frank nodded. "I'm sure it's not just rumors, with the way it remained over a thousand years—things like that do exist. But in the end, it's no different from a spell, and you can handle it if you're strong enough."Drunken Moon smiled. "That only applies to you. I don't know about anyone else, but I really can't deal with th
After she calmed down, the bellgirl took an interest in Frank. "Is he the one who could beat you?"It was the new age—ladies were not shy, and the bellgirl actually liked lookers like him."Hello." Frank greeted her, and she smiled in turn. "Sorry for having to bother you, handsome."She would really have asked for his number if circumstances allowed.That was when footsteps could be heard, and Frank glanced sideways outside as he told Drunken Moon, "Now's your chance for revenge. Don't hold back now.""You don't need to worry about that!" Drunken Moon exclaimed as she flexed her muscles—she was waiting for this moment.The motel manager led several burly men inside, standing at the center proudly like she owned the place. "That's for insulting me, bitch! Go! Show her who she was messing with!"Though the motel manager did not hesitate to send her men after Drunken Moon, Drunken Moon smirked, waiting until the bouncers were about to reach before punching them.Soon, they wer
Frank chuckled. "As for what actually happened to him, I'll get someone to keep tabs and maybe record a video. It shouldn't be difficult."Drunken Moon flashed a thumbs-up at him. "You're really the best when it comes to cruelty. Simply different."They shared a smile, and soon, Jouri's people came to take the white-haired youth away.Later, Frank and Drunken Moon headed to a motel, as the latter received a call from a geezer who said his granddaughter was being harassed and needed help.She had no fear with Frank at her side anyway, so she went.As soon as they entered, they found a twentyish, slightly short bellgirl wiping the tears off her face.Nearby, the motel manager was pointing at her and ranting, spouting plenty of expletives!Drunken Moon naturally would not just sit by. Striding up, she pushed the manager away and snapped furiously, "What's the meaning of this?! There's no reason to go that far even if she messed up!"The manager was equally furious, however, and sn
"The nail that sticks out gets hammered! I'm sure you'd die horribly soon enough!"The white-haired youth's futile efforts at threatening Frank only made him smirk. "What's it to you, even if I or Drunken Moon died? She still won't be interested."The white-haired youth snorted, but soon sighed. "Fine, do it!"Drunken Moon wagged her finger at him. "Why should we make it quick? He's actually right—death is a reward for people like you."That's why I'll treat your leg and sell you as a slave to some third-world country. Trust me, it's not just the ladies who are popular there—they like a pretty boy too."The white-haired youth smirked. "Quit trying to scare me. Do you think that crippling my cultivation would stop me from talking? As long as you don't, I'll find a way to free myself. Let's see what you can do then!"That was when Frank butted in. "Actually, I do have a solution."With just a thought, the white-haired youth's leg was as good as new.As soon as he saw that, the wh
Speed is the one unbreakable law of martial arts, and someone quicker than the naked eye would never lose.To think that the man who seemed to have nothing going for him aside from his looks was this powerful!Frank chuckled and turned to the biker. "You should leave. It's not a pretty sight when blood starts spilling."The biker was quite compliant from the start and turned to run. "Thank you for saving me. May we meet again!"On the other hand, Frank leapt over the railing and dropped to a squat in front of the white-haired youth. "Go on, tell me why you introduced Drunken Moon to someone else."The white-haired youth was taken aback but soon said, "So you're the brat who's not to be underestimated? That's why your fellow martial artists think so highly of you.""I appreciate their flattery, but I'm afraid I might fall short." Frank chuckled coolly. "And you could stop fawning over me and answer my question."The white-haired youth's eyes widened. "Who do you think I am?"Fra
Frank chuckled. "Who do you think? The man who tried to kill you just now.""What?!"The biker was even more shocked, as the Lamborghini was reduced to a marble. Would the driver even survive that?"Ignoramus! I'm not so easily killed!"A figure strode out of the grass nearby, and it was none other than the white-haired youth who drove the Lamborghini!"When did that happen?" the biker exclaimed.He definitely did not see the Lamborghini's doors opening or anyone jumping out when it was crushed into a ball, so how did that man escape?"Go on. Show us how much quicker you can be!" Frank beckoned at the white-haired youth.Perplexed, the white-haired youth asked, "I'm curious. How did you know about my powers?"Frank pointed at his eyes, "Thanks to certain assistance, I've improved my further abilities and can now identify anyone's abilities.""Really? But identifying wouldn't be enough—you gotta be good enough to handle me!"Readying himself as if for a sprint, the white-hair
Seeing Frank chasing her down, the beggar said, "I really can't elaborate. You know about the group already, don't you? Go and deal with them—use your wisdom to see through everything and solve the riddle."And with that, she left without a care.This time, Frank did not stop her—if anything, he had no reason to do so.Her point was simple: there was just so much involved that even she had not the faintest idea. Sighing, Frank called Jouri and told her to search for Sanne Quess and Reverend Quietus."The latter is impressive," he said. "She even sealed the power of the spiritron vein!'"What?!"Jouri was shocked—that was impossible, as the spiritron vein was invincible as far as she was concerned.But a mere reverend subdued it?!"Do you have further details?" she pressed.Frank shook his head. "She can use talismans. That's about all I know about her."Jouri sighed wryly. "Then looking into her will be difficult—I'd focus on Sanne Quess instead. Who is he?"Frank told her
Baldie dropped to his knees with a thud.Not only did Frank possess superior abilities, but he had a functioning moral compass too?He certainly deserved the power of the spiritron vein!Baldie then said, "I guess I should warn you that there are people who keep their hands clean. They would do anything to further their mysterious goals, so you should watch out."Frank chuckled. "Don't worry. I never hold back when I should kill—just listen to the reverend, and leave if there's nothing else, or I might change my mind."At those words, Baldie turned to run without lingering another second. Frank then turned toward the beggar. "Is this what you want?"The beggar nodded, clearly not bothered to hide anything. "To be honest, I've been considering an issue—do all the people who gain superpowers deserve it? The dragon inside you, for example… I can't say that it's anything good."Frank nodded, smiling—she was right about that, as he thought the same himself.After all, it had done
Frank smiled, shaking his head. "No, you misunderstand. What I mean is that she's right. The paranormal, your mystical artifact—it all works using the same principle: You're all just a little stronger than the average martial artist."However, when you're up against the real deal like me, you're relatively weak and easily dealt with."Baldie was left flabbergasted. "No, no, no… That's impossible! We're not the same as martial artists. None of you stand a chance against us!"Frank shook his head. "What you're saying is impossible. Your kind is simply more gifted, while martial artists are less, and that's the only reason you're stronger than most martial artists."Baldie dropped to his knees with a thud, shaking his head repeatedly as there was nothing more that could tear him up inside.He had always believed that even if he was not divine, he was still an envoy among the mortals like the priests and monks in fiction. Naturally, he was convinced that the day would come when he tra