The locations in the book will be changed, and the previous chapters have also been modified and are awaiting approval. San Francisco will become Elite Summit, New York will become Crimson Ridge, Los Angeles will become Crystal Cove, and the United States will become Eaglonia. The names of the following characters will be changed: Curtis Wang to Carla Wang (Jonathan Wang's daughter), and Joyce Charlie to Tommy Charlie (Jonathan's brother who welcomed him upon his release from prison). --- Carnelian was taken aback, staring at Jonathan in disbelief. Throughout their acquaintance, she had never seen him lose his cool, and today, though he wasn’t exactly furious, his amiable facade had certainly faded. “Do you believe I shouldn’t have helped Baldric?” Carnelian's voice was cold, cutting through the room. “Whether you should’ve or not, you already did. Can you stop playing the victim? To be blunt, you’re behaving like a temple maiden seeking reverence." he retorted, turning back to th

In a world where competition was an inescapable reality, Jonathan had long abandoned the notion of adhering strictly to noble means. Whether by intimidation or persuasion, the end justified the means, and his original intention was to leverage his influence to subdue his rivals. Mammon chuckled, as if the preceding sentence had encapsulated the essence of their conversation: "If the Chapmans merely sought a single audience with me, what would be there to discuss? I would simply refuse their money, and that would be that. But alas, the matter isn't so straightforward." "Jonathan, your stature is not sufficient to dominate the Chapmans." Taken aback, Jonathan tilted his head inquisitively, awaiting further exposition. "You see." Mammon continued: "they know you're in my camp. So, they've enlisted none other than your own uncle and cousin as their emissaries!" Jonathan was momentarily speechless: "Apollo Wang and Angelo, you say?" It seemed fate had a flair for dramatic irony. "Who

Not follow? Mammon was stunned. By refraining, wouldn't the project fall into Nora's hands? But Jonathan's expression was anything but jestful. The auctioneer was just about to slam down his gavel. Jonathan had made his decision, and there was no reason for Mammon to persist. If Mammon's Heavenly Pillar Realty refrained, the other companies certainly lacked the mettle to continue. In truth, for a massive project like Peaceful Island, they were out of their league. Their presence at the auction was merely ceremonial. If they were to bid so aggressively, the authorities of Wynstan City would surely stir the pot to their disadvantage. The auctioneer held a moment of silence, then declared that Nora had triumphed over his rivals in this bidding war. In other words, eighty-three billion was the final price tag for this project. Such is the nature of government tenders—nothing out of the ordinary. One company yields this time, and the next time, it's the opponent's turn to concede, a

"Come now! Don't be like that! We've been childhood playmates, remember? Regardless of circumstances, our bond persists." Wynstan responded, pouring two glasses of wine with an exaggerated flourish. "This is a vintage from my personal collection. A true delight for the palate. Try it." Given there were just the two of them, the spread wasn't overly grand. Yet, countless esteemed businessmen from Crystal Cove would give an arm and a leg to be part of this dinner. However, to Nora, the invitation felt more burdensome than honorary. A toast always called for full glasses. And business often demanded the libations flow freely. Seeing Nora's thoughtful gaze, Wynstan chuckled: "Finding my wine lacking, are we? I suppose, being the magnate you now are, this might not match your status." Truth be told, the wine wasn't cheap, retailing at over a thousand. Yet to Nora, it was mere triviality. The wine wasn't the issue. Even if Wynstan had offered a commonplace wine worth mere tens, its

Tommy shook his head, his words hastening to fill the air between them: "My sister-in-law is doing well; she's thriving in her job. Not too long ago, she even moved to a new house." “But when I visited Curtis last, there was a man at her place.” Tommy, flustered and scrambling for words, replied: "Oh, he must've been just a business partner, discussing some contracts with my sister-in-law. Nothing more.” Jonathan's face darkened in thought. A man? From what he knew about Adela, she would never entertain business at her private residence. Could it be? Had Adela found someone? It was possible. After all, when he had left Elite Summit, she had suggested they take a year apart. This perhaps hinted that their time together might eventually come to an end. Though Jonathan's relationship with Adela had blurred past friendship, their bond, in essence, was only maintained by Curtis. They never really became lovers. So, it was perfectly normal for Adela to have a boyfriend. Yet, the very th