Austin smiled and replied, "I'm always grateful to have Mr. Lockwood, but if I ask him for help every single time something happens, then all his guidance and mentorship will be in vain.""Haha … you're right."Jacob smiled, his eyes flickering as he continued, "It's just like how I guided you back then. If I didn't give you the opportunity to showcase your skills, you wouldn't be able to become vice president in three years."He set down his cup and waved airily before he added, "In fact, when you were on your way here, I'd already contacted three foreign suppliers. Based on their abilities, they shouldn't have issues supplying the west city slum redevelopment project. However, their payment terms and quotations might be more stringent than the locals.""I understand. Since it's urgent, money isn't an issue here."Austin nodded and expressed his gratitude sincerely. "Mr. Sanders, thank you so much for promptly addressing this. I'll remember this favor.""Don't mention it. How
Was Austin promoted?Cecily's eyes flickered with a hint of slight resentment. He didn't even bother to tell her. She nodded and said, "Then, I'm looking for Mr. Campbell."When she was browsing through materials related to Dominion, she knew it was merely one of the minor companies that belonged to the boss, who yielded power behind the scenes. Although Austin was promoted to president, he still had to report back to his boss. She would have to help him with his explanation."I'm sorry, Ms. Graham. Mr. Campbell's not in the office now," the staff member replied apologetically.Cecily's heart skipped a beat. Was he already summoned by the boss?The west city slum redevelopment project was deemed to be extremely exploitable. Now that Dominion was being boycotted by all the local suppliers, it was impossible for Austin, who was the president, to escape the consequences.Her face turned ashen upon this thought. Initially, she intended to help him. Yet, little did she know the
After Cecily's ambiguous statement, she hurried off with her head hung low. Since Austin had everything under control, she had to be back to the company to work on dealing with Dave now.As Austin watched Cecily disappear into the distance, he rubbed his nose in confusion."What in the world is she sorry for?"He shook his head and turned toward his office. When he met the wishful gazes of his employees, he smiled and said, "It has been resolved."The office erupted in a rally of cheers. The employees were thrilled."Austin, you're awesome! I knew you would have this matter taken care of.""It sure is assuring to be under Austin. I'm no longer worried now.""Chop, chop, let's get to work, guys! Given how fantastic Austin is, we can't slack off either!"Austin flashed a smile when he saw the office buzzing with excitement. He returned to his office and became immersed in work. …The Porsche 911 raged right into Yandell Corp's parking lot.Once Cecily was back at her offi
Austin was still palpably flustered when he returned to his rented place.What happened at Legacy Hospital kept getting on his nerves. He simply couldn't shrug it off. Taylor's appearance definitely wasn't a coincidence. Little did Austin expect that what he was worried about the most would happen this quickly. However, he wouldn't allow such things to even occur."Sir, what's wrong?" Aldus stared at him, visibly confused. Austin glanced over at his watch and said, "Aldus, let's head out now. You'll have to train me."With a crease between his brows, Aldus replied, "Sir, it's getting late now. And you've been busy for the whole day. Are you sure your body can take it?"He had no idea what resulted in Austin's current state, but he was positive that something must have happened. "Aldus, say, if I train every morning, how long will it take for me to be able to take down Taylor?" Austin asked. After pondering on his question for a while, Aldus answered, "At least a year."
In the following week, work had been progressing smoothly at Dominion. To Austin's surprise, Yandell Corp, which had initially boycotted them, suddenly agreed to supply materials to them again. They signed a new contract. It wasn't any different from the previous one, however, the liability for a breach of contract was more severe.Though Austin was confused, he wasn't against it. After all, there wouldn't be any eternal foes in the business industry because profit was what mattered most. Since Yandell Corp reached out to them again, he would just gladly accept their offer. Nevertheless, he never stopped working with the suppliers that Jacob introduced him to. He had learned his lesson.Although the company he picked among the three companies had higher quotations compared to the market rate, he thought it would be safer for him to secure two choices. He would have a slimmer chance of failing. Given the rate of return of the west city slum redevelopment project, he wouldn't
"I'm up next?"Austin suddenly went out of breath for a brief second. He stared solemnly at the vile scene in the ring. Although he was eager to beat Taylor, he'd only intended to have Aldus make the training tougher. He would be bluffing if he said he wasn't afraid of participating in an underground fight.Aldus' voice rang from behind him. "Sir, you can only polish your skills through actual battles. Otherwise, you wouldn't even be close to Taylor despite a month of arduous training."The frown on Austin's face disappeared, and determination flared in his eyes. Indeed, Taylor had been groomed by the elites since he was young. Though he hated to admit it, it was a fact that Taylor was stronger than him due to the elite education he had received. He doubted the Campbells would send Taylor to participate in actual battles. After all, elite training was all he'd had since childhood. If Austin merely relied on strenuous training, it would be impossible for him to be capable
Shortly after, the referee invited Wolf on stage. The crowd erupted in an escalated roar of cheers. Austin saw a fit man slowly emerge into the ring. His torso was naked, and he was tanned. Although his looks were plain, and he even looked quite scrawny, he had a fierce look in his eyes. It resembled a wolf's eyes. On the corner of his right eye, there was a scar that extended toward his temple. When Austin stared at him, a shiver ran up his spine. He couldn't stop his heart from pounding frantically. The crowd's yells, the blinding lights, and Wolf's aura somewhat addled Austin. At this exact moment, he was entirely swallowed by an intense wave of anxiety. This was the first time he'd actually faced off against someone in a battle. Moreover, he had just witnessed the gruesome fight that took place earlier in the ring. When the whistle went off, Wolf suddenly crouched slightly and lunged at Austin with lightning speed. There was no taunting from him, nor were there any ex
Wolf's pupils contracted, and the centipede-like scar at the corner of his eye twitched along with it. Was Autin really just a newbie? The sudden change in Austin's behavior made Wolf falter. He wondered if the one standing before him was a totally different person now. Somewhere in the dark, Aldus' eyes widened in fear as he yelped, "T-That was quick!" He brought Austin to the underground boxing ring saying that it was for Austin to experience getting into a real fight. In fact, he did it just to drill into Austin's temperament. Battle experience was the combination of wrestling techniques and the strength of one's mentality. A person could perform well during a fight if they could combine both of these factors perfectly.Austin just so happened to have the habit of working out. Coupled with the physique he was born with, he had an advantage over others. It was the reason he passed the physical fitness test after completing rigorous training under Aldus' guidance for some t
Austin never expected that Nancy would come back.As he returned to the Tetra Club, he remained sullen, his eyes dark with unresolved anger.Seeing Austin like this, Cecily felt a pang of sadness.She gently tried to comfort him, "It's all in the past now, isn't it? I'm here with you, and we have our baby on the way.""I can't just let it go," Austin shook his head."The best I can do is not seek revenge against them, but to truly forgive and forget—I can't do that."The actions of Nancy's family were still fresh in his memory.Austin wasn't someone who sought revenge for every slight, but he was far from the kind of person who could simply forgive and forget, moving on with a carefree "Hallelujah."Dahlia's despair as she lay in bed, the arrogance and cruelty of the Welch family…In the eyes of the Welch family, Dahlia's life wasn't worth as much as Harvey's wedding.Even when the time had passed and he was about to finally be happy with Cecily, the Welch family not only dem
After leaving this city, Nancy put in a tremendous amount of effort to "rebirth" herself.Meeting Ethan had shown her a different side of life.While he wasn't part of the uppermost echelons of wealth and power, he had enough. Most importantly, he treated her with the utmost respect.She understood Ethan's background, which made that respect all the more valuable.A man of his stature could have any woman he wanted in his bed the same night.Yet Ethan had shown her incredible patience, making her question whether the rumors about him were true.Tonight, returning to this city was her way of bidding farewell to the past and embracing the future.After all, people need to look forward, don't they?Meanwhile, Ethan was feeling more dejected than he'd ever been.Lying in his luxurious bed in Brook Villa, he couldn't sleep, tossing and turning restlessly.He had hoped to establish a connection with Austin. A figure like him would be incredibly valuable to have on his side.He tho
The river breeze was cool, and the lights reflected on the water flickered softly.The figure in front of them wore a long black coat, standing quietly by the railing. Her fair, delicate profile, partially obscured by a few strands of windblown hair, carried a hint of melancholy."Sir, Mrs. Campbell, is something wrong?" Aldus noticed the change and quickly stepped forward to inquire."Let's go home," Austin suddenly said, his previously cheerful expression now somber, with a touch of disdain.Go home? They had just arrived.Aldus was surprised and quickly followed Austin's gaze. When he saw what Austin was looking at, he immediately understood.Without a word, he turned to leave with Austin.But a soft hand gently grabbed Austin's arm."It's been so many years, aren't you going to say hello?" Cecily asked."I have no desire to greet her," Austin said, his disdain clear and unhidden.Three years of marriage, filled with nothing but pain.Even when Dahlia was gravely ill, Nan
After a busy day, just as Austin was about to finish up, a new invitation appeared on his desk."Who delivered this?" Austin asked."Ethan," Wolf replied.Austin chuckled, didn't bother opening the invitation, and instead tossed it directly into the trash."I've got to get home to Cecily."When he returned to the Bamboo Parlor at Tetra Club, Raquel had already prepared a delicious dinner.The dishes were beautifully presented, with vibrant colors and enticing aromas.After dinner, Austin and Ezra stepped out into the courtyard."Mr. Lockwood, any news from the Campbells about my dad?" Austin asked, the text message from Walter still weighing heavily on his mind.Considering the Campbells' efforts to find Walter, and given their intelligence resources, they should have been some leads by now.But Ezra shook his head. "Nothing, Not a trace.""The Campbells' intelligence network has never been this weak, has it?" Austin frowned, speaking in a low tone.Ezra gave a wry smile. "
"Childhood?"Austin stopped his workout, wiped the sweat from his face, and smiled bitterly.His childhood had been bleak.Only Dahlia had brought some light into the darkness.Seeing Austin's pained smile, Aldus immediately realized his mistake.He quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Sir. I spoke without thinking. You don't need to answer that.""It's fine," Austin replied, gesturing towards a nearby bench, and inviting Aldus to sit with him.Once they were seated, Austin slowly began to speak. "There's not much to tell about my childhood. It was mostly just being called an 'illegitimate child' and living day to day, never knowing where my next meal would come from."If it weren't for my mom fighting tooth and nail to raise me, I'd probably be dead by now."With just a few simple words, he conveyed a world of suffering.Aldus felt a wave of guilt. He had only been trying to find clues from Austin's past that might explain his exceptional combat instincts and incredible physical
Austin's gaze softened as warmth flooded his heart.Who hasn't longed for a light left on just for them in a sea of lights? But in reality, how many actually have that?Cecily did that for him.Given her background, the fact that she went to such lengths truly surprised Austin.In the three years he spent in the past, he had never experienced something like this.His nose tingled with emotion as he pulled Cecily into his arms, speaking softly, "Thank you. Marrying you is the greatest fortune of my life.""Alright, alright, I asked Raquel to prepare breakfast earlier this morning. You go to the dining room, and I'll have her bring it over," Cecily said as she gently slipped out of Austin's embrace, her graceful smile lighting up her eyes."Doesn't Bamboo Parlor have a kitchen?" Austin asked, curious.Cecily gave him a playful look. "The chairs in the living room are so hard, and you spent the whole night on one—how could you have slept well? If Raquel had been clattering around
The room fell into a heavy silence."Deactivating the phone number… was Dad trying to prevent me from tracking his location?" Austin murmured with a frown.Ezra pondered for a moment, his voice low and serious. "Perhaps he was more concerned about someone else tracking him."Austin's eyes widened in realization.Of course—if Walter could send him a message to let him know he was safe, he wouldn't be worried about Austin tracking himDeactivating the phone was likely to prevent others from tracing his location."But who is he trying to avoid?"Ezra shook his head, remaining silent.Having followed Walter for many years, he knew the man's temperament and habits. But this time, he was truly baffled.He couldn't even begin to piece together a clue.Taking a deep breath, Ezra forced a bitter smile. "I'm afraid I'm at a loss this time, sir. There's no sign of anything unusual from the Campbells either."This statement only deepened Austin's confusion.If there were anyone who cou
Austin knocked softly on the door.Almost immediately, he heard the sound of shuffling from inside.Ezra opened the door, his face full of curiosity. "Sir, what's going on?"Austin quickly made a shushing gesture, worried about disturbing Cecily.Then he gently pushed Ezra back into the room."Sorry to bother you so late, Mr. Lockwood," Austin said.Ezra smiled. "It's no trouble at all. The older you get, the less you need. I was just reading."Austin glanced at the book on Ezra's bedside table and couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated.This old rascal!Ezra blushed and quickly shoved the book under his pillow.Austin sat on the bed and pulled up the text message from Walter, showing it to Ezra."I just received this message."When Ezra read the text, his eyes lit up with a sharp gleam, and he was overjoyed. "This is from Mr. Walter!"Austin nodded, his expression serious. "But I've sent several messages back, and there's been no reply. I called twice—once it was immedi
"The underground king of Eastbrook bows down."This news swept through Eastbrook like a storm.Ethan knew that by doing this, he would become the laughingstock of the entire city. But he also knew he had no choice—he had to do it!Even if he became a joke, he would remain the underground king. But if he refused to lower his head, he would end up a dead man.He understood the situation perfectly.In fact, that very night, a message was released from Brook Villa.No one is to compete for the land!This is a clear warning to all real estate companies in Eastbrook. It was also a gesture of goodwill toward Austin.But Austin didn't pay it much mind.If not for Derrick's involvement, he had no idea how Ethan would have responded—but Austin knew his response would have been much tougher.A mere city's underground king? He didn't even compare to the richest man in Basin City or the capital—he wasn't even worthy of carrying their shoes!After leaving Brook Villa, Austin didn't linger