As Gina turned toward Frank, she realized why Helen was behaving like this!She turned her head, aiming herself at a pillar in the drawing room as she shrieked hysterically, "Apologize to Madam Lang right now and get that agreement, Helen, or I'll kill myself right now!""Go on, do it." Helen remained unmoved, shaking her head.Gina looked on in shock as she strode toward the couch, looking haughtily downward at Jade, Fleur, and Luna as she said icily, "If you came to humiliate me and assert your authority, Madam Lang, then I must inform you that you really should've chosen someone else. I might have done it for that billion-dollar investment company in the past, but now…"Helen's eyes flashed coldly as she bellowed, "You're all just a bunch of clowns, and I'm done being nice!"Her stately strut left Jade, Fleur, and Luna, with Fleur clutching her chest and almost collapsing."Fine, fine!" Fleur cried as she pointed a shaking finger at Helen before throwing the agreement at Luna
Helen ran straight toward Frank, throwing her hands around his waist as she hid her head over his chest."Oh… What should I do, Frank? My candidacy will be forfeited now!" she groaned. "And a billion-dollar investment company! I wouldn't have to suffer Vicky if only I had it… Sobs…"Her remorseful reaction akin to a toddler's left Frank chuckling as he watched her."Weren't you full of confidence just now?" he asked, clapping her on the shoulder to comfort her."I-I was just putting on airs!" Helen pouted miserably. "I was being impulsive, doing what I thought Vicky would do… and you're laughing at me! Oh, I'm such a goner…"She kept whimpering as she punched Frank playfully on the chest.It was certainly a far cry from her girlboss strut just now, and Frank had to hold back his laughter despite his amusement."Oh, the injustice…" Gina was left watching in despair as they flirted.Frank's ruby was gone, and now the billion-dollar investment company… It was all overwhelming her,
Was Gina really that brainless to ask Frank to go to Southstream and apologize, and for someone as lowly as Fleur?!If he was really forced to visit them, it would not be an apology—Frank would be threatening the Southstream Lanes instead, as he would not be satisfied until Helen was appointed the head of the Lane family.Once it was pushed through, every clique in the family would get upset, and they would go their separate ways when they could have coexisted peacefully."No, it's fine—I can come up with something else," Gavin quickly told Gina, his eyes soon lighting up with excitement as inspiration struck. "Listen up, Helen—there's this farm my father has been investing in," he explained. "He personally loves it and often hires contractors to green it. However, the farm itself is inflicting monetary losses, amounting up to the millions now. We can't keep giving handouts for a business even if the old man loves it, so he's been planning to sell it."As such, if you can take ov
On the other hand, Gina hung her head in silence for a long while.Then, having made up her mind, she looked up and snarled, "I'll find Cindy. If we do, we'd be able to buy that farm!""That's not necessary," Frank said, waving her off—money was no issue for him.The question here was how they were going to make a profit with that farm.Gina, however, was only getting further agitated. "No, I'm not taking this lying down. I'll find Cindy! Curse that brat… She'd do this to me when I trust her so much!"While Gina strode upstairs, Helen frowned as she turned toward Frank. "About the money… Why don't we ask Vicky? We might be able to pool the money by working together.""What?" Frank was a little surprised. "When did you two bond?""N-No!" Helen blushed as she snapped. "What are you talking about? We're just colleagues, that's all!"Frank raised a brow, staring at her with a faint, suspicious smile. "Hold on, did you fall for Vicky? Be honest now—which way do you swing?""Stop it
Jade, Luna, and Fleur—who had a major disagreement with Frank and the others at Lane Manor just yesterday—were there too.Pursing her lips, Fleur was already snorting when Frank arrived. "I'm telling you—he definitely came empty-handed and is going to appeal to our better nature using Henry Lane's name. I mean, these people, pooling a billion dollars in a day? Dream on!"Roth Lane, Gavin's eldest son, was there too, frowning at her words."Madam Lang," he said quietly, "Mr. Lawrence isn't all he seems. A billion dollars really isn't that much money to him.""Oh, don't be such a wuss, Roth." Luna snorted haughtily. "Even I can admit that Frank Lawrence has friends, but gathering a billion dollars in a day? It's still a challenge.""Don't worry, Luna." Jade grinned, winking at her. "That man obviously brought Helen here to appeal to emotion. And the farm is a money sink anyway—Helen would never make money out of it even if she bought it. They'd just lose more than what they bargaine
On the other hand, Vicky was smiling. "You must be Fleur Lang, ma'am. Your reputation precedes you… Oh, where are my manners? Would you like some tea? I can pour you some."She really enjoyed stepping on toes, gleeful even as she mentioned the tea incident of the previous night and leaving Fleur glowering.Jade, who had enough, snapped at Vicky right then, "Ms. Turnbull, you should stay in line even if your family is important in Morhen. We aren't afraid of you."Vicky gasped in dramatic surprise. "Whoa, you must be Jade Zahn! Hello to you too—I heard that my darling husband Frank Lawrence saved your daughter, yes?"She certainly was no punching bag like Helen, and her mention of that life debt left Jade and Luna pursing their lips grumpily."I mean, a life debt lasts forever, doesn't it? But why does it feel like neither of you are grateful?" Vicky sighed in exaggerated disappointment just then. "Such a shame I'm not as noble as my husband—I mean, if I saved someone and they st
Mark chuckled, gazing proudly upon the farm that stretched on endlessly. "Chickens, ducks, fishes, geese, pigs, and goats, and an enormous pond… These are all my treasures, and I've been watching over them for years.""And losing a whole lot of money because of it," Fleur added tactlessly.Mark's face fell right then, but Gavin hurried over to clear the air with a smile. "Helen, my father shed blood and sweat for this farm. I'd like him to enjoy some peace in the knowledge that it's passed on to safe hands.""Exactly," Mark said, his expression easing as he sighed. "My health's been declining ever since my brother's passing, and I feel too weary to keep managing the farm.""What are you saying, sir? You're the picture of good health, right?" Helen exclaimed, turning toward Frank."Yeah," Frank frowned ever so slightly but nodded in silence for Helen's sake.Gavin noticed Frank's hesitation, however, and made a mental note.On the other hand, Mark was chuckling and holding up his
Seeing the seriousness in Mark's eyes, Helen swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue.After all, she and Vicky had agreed after much discussion that it had to be a factory.The land was flat, and with that river, it was a god-given treasure for an industrial zone.And no one ever lost money when it came to industrial zones, though one could not say the same for a farm.Seeing her hesitation, Mark frowned in annoyance. "Are you going to build a factory here too?""No." Helen quickly denied it, while her mind quickly searched for options.It was obvious that Mark cherished his farm and refused to build factories that would pollute the natural goodness here.However, the problem was that farms were really not profitable, and they might end up losing a lot more.If that happened, forget Mark crediting Helen's abilities—all she would receive in turn was disappointment and a huge debt. She would certainly not be considered a candidate for the next head of the Lane family while s
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