As expected, a truck was parked at the entrance of the company. The skinned corpse of a Tibetan mastiff was hanging from the frame, creating quite a gruesome sight. There were also a few burly men standing shirtless and revealing their tattoos. They stood beside the dog’s mangled corpse, brandishing their sharp knives. All of them looked vicious and ready to fight.The skin of the Tibetan Mastiff had been thrown onto the company’s porch. They had also splashed two buckets of red paint, forming a large pool of crimson on the ground. It was as if the place had been flooded with blood.At the top of the stairs, more than ten of Evamor’s black-clothed security guards stood in a row to prevent the troublemakers from entering the office. The security captain was negotiating with the people in the truck, trying to get them to leave as soon as possible, but they were not having it.The bald man in the lead cursed him out. "This is none of your business, cuck. It’s within our rights to ski
Elio was surrounded by a group of gangsters in front of Evamor Tower. When he heard Wendell’s name mentioned, he immediately understood who Tiger was. That man was one of Cloudsea’s biggest mob bosses, with plenty of money, influence, and deathly loyal underlings.At that critical moment, the dark green Land Cruiser quickly approached them and screeched to a stop. Felix and the others quickly got out of the car and rushed toward Elio, attracting the attention of Bryson and the others.More than ten men, with the bald man in the lead, stood off against Felix and the others. They brandished the sharp knives in their hands and threatened fiercely, "Stop right there! Hurry up and get lost before we get rid of you permanently."The sharp knives flashed with a cold light, making the thugs look even more intimidating. Felix's expression was just as terrifying, however. "Do you have any idea whose territory you’re encroaching on? Get the hell out of here!""You don’t scare me! Do you know
“I admit I’m stumped, Tiger. I can't let this go so easily. You have to avenge me! I've already looked into it. He’s Evelyn Jones’ useless husband. He doesn't have anyone big covering for him," Wendell said indignantly."The Jones family, huh…?" Tiger puffed on his cigar and snorted. "They’re just some nouveau riche with a little money. They’re not a big deal. He's nothing to me. Don't worry, I'll teach that kid a lesson for you.""That's great to hear! I’m relying on you now, Tiger. There's nothing you can't do once you put your mind to it." Wendell was nothing but a toady lackey in front of Tiger.Tiger's face contorted into a sinister smile. "I have an idea. Why don't we castrate him so he can never touch his wife again?”"I like that idea!" Wendell's eyes flashed with viciousness. He looked at his injured hand and said, "But as far as I know, Evelyn doesn't even like him. I heard that she has never slept with him since they got married, so there's no need for that. Let's just e
“You won’t listen until we resort to violence, eh? Fine, then I'll fulfill your wish. Let's see if you can withstand this beating. Men, skin him alive." Tiger’s eyes flared with fury as he gave the orders. His men were all ruthless. Since their boss had given the order, they had to follow it to the T. They stretched their shoulders and rolled up their sleeves, preparing to fight.Elio was also ready to fight back. He would not allow himself to be bullied by these hooligans.At the very last second, Jeanette was the one who stopped them. "Hold on a second.”The gangsters did not dare to disobey her. They retracted their fists and turned to look at the influential woman, patiently waiting for her instructions.There was a revered leader in the underworld of Cloudsea, someone who went by the title of Third Master Chance.Even though he was almost seventy years old and semi-retired now, he could still control the underworld with a flick of his hand. Everyone was afraid of him.Jean
Elio was more inclined to take the woman's suggestion instead of launching an all-out war. After all, this was still their turf. Gangsters like Tiger were not easy to deal with. If he made an enemy out of them, they would just cause him more trouble in the future, so he nodded and agreed to the terms. "I'll try my best."All of them left the bar and got into their cars, heading to the trading center in a grandiose convoy. The old Mercedes was Tiger's car, and the old Crown was Wendell's. Jeanette drove the fancy new red Maserati.Ever since Elio discovered the trapiche emeralds there, business at Zaffino's center had been booming. Many people had come to gamble on his raw stones, hoping to become rich overnight. However, most of them lost more than they won, so Zaffino made a huge profit.As the number of raw stones decreased, so did the center’s popularity. There were not many buyers who came to gamble on stones today, and Zaffino personally came out to greet Tiger and his crew.W
Tiger and the others were stunned. Zaffino was one of the big shots in Cloudsea, but he seemed to really care about Elio! He was willing to bet 150 thousand dollars to ensure Elio did not lose his hands. What was he planning?Wendell was secretly thrilled. This way, he would not have to pay anything at all! He said happily, “I have no objections.”Jeanette glanced at Elio and said sweetly, “I had no idea Zaffino thought so highly of you. He really wants you to keep your hands.”Elio gave Zaffino a nod. “Thanks.”Zaffino smiled. “Don't mention it, Master Rinz. Just keep coming back to my humble store. I look forward to working with you more in the future.”Tiger did not mind as long as he got the money in the end. He did not care about whether Elio got to keep his hands or not. “Then let's go with Zaffino's suggestion and cut the stones first.”The staff members pushed the stones over to the cutting counter with a cart. Other customers gathered to watch, but they were unimpressed
Wendell also ignored his injured hand, wiping away the dust on the gem with his other hand. He beamed brightly as he said, “Stone gambling is such a rush. We earned a ton of money like it's nothing! Tiger, we hit the jackpot!”The other customers wanted to get a look too, but Tiger's men stopped them from approaching the stone. These thugs did not know much about gems either; all they knew was that this stuff was worth a lot, so they had to protect it for their boss.No one stopped Zaffino, though. He looked at the newly-uncovered gem in admiration, thinking to himself that Elio truly was the real deal. He managed to hit the jackpot despite having to choose from the others’ leftovers.“How much do you think this material can sell for?” Jeanette grabbed Elio's arm and whispered into his ear.“About half a million, but I'll try to raise the asking price for you,” Elio replied softly. “Alright. If you do well, I'll be sure to reward you.”Elio felt something at his waist. The woman
Jeanette was no ordinary woman. She had already decided to take twice the amount of the actual bonus from the pot before they split it, so she happily agreed. She grabbed a stack of notes, quickly counted out fifty, and handed them to Elio.Elio gave the money to Leid, saying, “Thanks, sir. Here's your bonus.”Even though the money was Jeanette's, Leid was grateful to Elio. Without Elio, he would not have gotten a single cent. He hurriedly thanked Elio, saying, “Thank you, ma'am. And thank you, Master Elio. How would you like me to cut the next stone?”“Cut it over here and give us a sneak peek on what's inside.” Elio drew a line on the stone with his finger. Leid cut the stone accordingly. After they got a glimpse of what was inside, the onlookers were surprised. “Huh? There's definitely a gem inside, but it doesn't look too high quality.”“It won't be worth that much, especially because the color looks all off. At least they'll break even…”They were right. The gem inside was
"What?" Charlie's anger boiled over, his face turning bright red as he yelled, "This is too much! I want to see your chairman! He needs to apologize, or he'll regret it when I trash this place!"Laird gave a cold snort, grabbed the ready walkie-talkie, and called out, "Security, get in here, quick! We've got someone trying to wreck the place."In a flash, four security guards in black suits rushed into the room, grabbed Charlie, and marched him right out the door.The poor Jones family heir thought he could throw his weight around, but instead, he got a beating from the guards and ended up tossed outside, his suit torn and his face a mess of bruises.He tried to get up, wanting to shout insults, but the angry stares from the guards scared him silent. He scrambled into his Audi and sped away.Afterward, General Manager Howe filled in the chairman on what had happened. Elio could not help but feel a rush of glee. 'Charlie, you think you can take me on? Look where that got you!' Elio
That night, the news about the Aerin Group taking on the shanty town makeover project was all over the Cloudsea TV show. It shook up the whole business world in the city. Bosses from real estate and construction companies were all on the phone, trying to get the scoop.The Aerin Group was pretty new and not well-known in Cloudsea. Now, all of a sudden, it was the talk of the town. The big project that everyone wanted had somehow ended up with them, and it was really weird.The project to fix up the old town was massive, and lots of companies wanted to work on it. If they got even a piece of the job, they would be rolling in dough. So, they all rushed to make connections, hoping to meet with the big boss of Evamor Group to talk business.What surprised all the big shots was that nobody knew a thing about the boss of Evamor. It was like a big secret. Clearly, that person liked staying out of the spotlight, pulling strings from behind the curtain.Who would have guessed that this amaz
York nodded non-stop, apologizing. "Got it. Please forgive me. I'm really sorry."With the bill canceled, Elio felt they had done enough. "Let's call it even. Time to go."They walked out, heads high, leaving the staff and the hostesses in awe. York sat on the couch, face grim, and gulped down the fake Louis XIII. It was liquor from some other brand, cleverly resealed to look like the fancy stuff. It tasted pretty good, and hardly anyone could tell it was not the real deal. However, somehow, that kid figured it out. Who was he, anyway?York was fuming. Ever since his shop opened, he had sold bottle after bottle of this top-notch liquor to all sorts of important people, and no one had ever called him out. Now, some nobody had caught him."That little troublemaker, causing a scene in my shop," he grumbled. "Just you wait. I'll take care of you."As the boss was getting worked up and ready to get even, one of the girls spoke up, "That Mr. Rinz seems pretty impressive. I heard he even
York asked with a friendly smile, "I don't think I've met this young man before. Can someone introduce him?"Yvonne replied with a grin, "This is Mr. Rinz, a dear friend of ours. He's the one who wanted to meet you."York did not know Elio's story, and he looked like an average guy. However, he had ordered three bottles of the fancy Louis XIII cognac and seemed to be friends with some pretty important people, including a famous TV beauty. York could not help but be impressed."Really? I'm super honored and happy to meet you, Mr. Rinz. Hope you'll come to hang out with us more," York said with a big smile. He's the kind of guy who knew just what to say and was ready to shake hands, showing lots of respect. However, Elio did not reach out his hand at all, which made York's smile disappear, and he felt really annoyed inside.Elio just frowned and said, "I think once is enough for this place." Yvonne and the others exchanged puzzled looks. They had no clue why Elio was upset and wh
"You think you can hit me and get away with it? I could ruin your family in an instant. Now, get out of here, do you hear me?" Tanner yelled at her."You..." Fear flickered in May's eyes. She was too scared to argue, worried about what he might do to her.Jenny let out a sigh, went over to help her friend up, and whispered, "Let's just go. We can't stand up to him. We've just got to deal with this bad luck."May knew the truth. She and Jenny might come from money, but they were nothing compared to Tanner's powerful family. What could she do? If she pushed him too far, she was afraid he might make her disappear for good.May had no choice but to follow her best friend, looking all messy and upset. She did not think she would end up like that, feeling so angry. She was mad at Tanner for messing with her feelings and even madder at Elio, thinking he had a big part in her troubles.The room was super quiet; no one wanted to talk. Tanner was in a bad mood—he got tricked by someone not
As Evelyn's figure vanished from view, May frowned deeply and sneered, "She's so hopeless. She can't even handle her husband. Being a woman like that is just embarrassing.""Come on, don't be so hard on her," Jenny said. "Evelyn's got guts. She was ready to divorce Elio to stand up for what's right. Friends like her are rare.""Hmph, what good does that do? She still didn't get the stuff back. I really thought she could handle that jerk, but it was a waste," May said, not hiding her scorn."May, just a heads-up," Jenny lowered her voice, "the divorce might be good for Evelyn, but it puts you at risk. I've noticed Tanner looking her way a lot. Be careful."May felt a chill, sensing trouble, but she pushed back, "No way. Tanner told me he only loves me. You're just worrying too much."Jenny could tell what her best friend was thinking but kept it to herself. "Okay, let's just say I didn't mention anything. Let's head back."In the private room, Tanner was eager to hear the news. Wh
Jenny and May were shocked, staring at each other and not knowing what to do.The couple was at a breaking point. May felt a rush of panic. Did that mean she would never get back the fancy watch and the big Benz? She quickly pulled on Evelyn's arm, trying to tell her friend not to say things she could not take back. However, it was too late."That's for the best," Evelyn snapped. "From now on, we're nothing to each other.""Let's just hope we're both happy from here on out," Elio said, trying to sound indifferent. However, inside, it felt like a thousand needles were poking his heart.Evelyn did not look back. She turned and walked away fast, a cold air swirling around her.Jenny and May ran after her, calling out, "Evelyn, wait up!""Don't leave, wait for us!"Evelyn felt a heavy sadness. They had been married for three years, together every day. To say she felt nothing would be a lie. Even though she never really respected Elio, going their separate ways was still hard to take
The Seven Fairies Team was a tough bunch, and except for Helen, each one had fought their way to success in the cutthroat world of business. They were not about to let anyone push them around.With a loud "smack," Jenny's cheek stung from a fierce slap. She let out a sharp cry and glared at Yvonne. "Ouch! How dare you hit me?""You insult us, and you think a slap is too much?" Yvonne spat back, her teeth clenched in anger.May was not lucky, either. She, too, got slapped, leaving a bright red mark on her face. Lydia, who did it, shouted at her, "Who are you calling names, huh?"Jenny and May were no pushovers, but now, with their cheeks burning from the slaps and surrounded by a group of fierce-looking girls, they were boiling with rage inside. Yet, they did not dare to strike back, appearing utterly defeated and powerless.It was not the super-tough opponents they needed to worry about. It was the teammates who messed everything up!Evelyn had been sure she could get back those
The women finally got it—the beautiful woman was Elio's wife. Yarely and the others stood up for a better look.A bunch of girls with eyes as wide as saucers were watching everything unfold, each one silently agreeing that Evelyn was the picture of perfection. It was no surprise that Master Rinz could keep his cool, even with all those stunning girls around him.Evelyn scanned the room, and it hit her—they were all gorgeous girls, and Elio was the only boy. It was just like the old saying: he was the lone rooster in the henhouse.When Yvonne tried to be friendly, Evelyn was not having any of it. She huffed, "Forget it. I just need to talk to Elio about something private. I'll be out of your hair in no time."That made Evelyn seem super stuck-up and hard to talk to. Yarely and the others felt put off, so they just sat back down on the couch.They were all tough cookies, top dogs in their own right. If she was going to act all high and mighty, why would they want to hang out with he