"W-Who told you this?" Elly asked in surprise. Upon hearing that, Slyvia could tell it was the truth. "Your uncle told us about it," she said.Elly sighed. "After all these years of keeping it a secret, my brother had to find out like this. It's no wonder he reacted this way after learning he's not our parents' biological child."Slyvia nodded and asked, "Why didn't you tell Eric earlier? If you had informed him beforehand, today's incident might have been avoided."Elly shook her head. "Years ago, when our parents worked in Salt City, they found my brother abandoned by the roadside. He was nearly frozen to death. They brought him home out of kindness."Our mother suffered miscarriages, so they chose to raise Eric as their own. When my father returned to our hometown with Eric, he made sure the villagers kept this secret. They didn't want Eric to know the truth. I can't believe my uncle…""Your uncle is truly wicked," Slyvia said. "Not only did he disclose the truth to Eric, but
Elly said, "Eric, Dad said that you should keep the money. Your company needs a lot of funds for various expenses since it's just starting."Although Eric had little money left, he shook his head and replied, "Give it to Mom and Dad. The company doesn't need more funds now. I can manage my money and make it last until the end of the year."He wanted to leave the hospital, but Sylvia insisted that he stay. Eric reluctantly agreed to stay in bed.Feeling bored, he called Andy to ask about network upgrades for Sonnex Corp. and Williams Corp. Both server rooms were still under construction, and the equipment installation was ongoing.After hanging up, Hank called. He had arrived in the city and asked about Eric's well-being.Upon learning Eric was in the hospital, Hank rushed to visit him."Mayor Jenkins, you don't have to come to visit me," Eric said. He had not expected Hank to visit him.Hank smiled. "I didn't have a chance to discuss a few matters with you yesterday when you fai
Sylvia said, "Eric, you used to work for others before, but things have changed. Now, you and your partner own a company."I know you and Andy have a good relationship, but remember, the most important rule in a partnership is to protect your partner's interests. Basically, it's about money. You'll realize this soon enough. For now, you shouldn't be the one giving away the money."Silently, Eric gazed at Sylvia. He hadn't thought as deeply about this as she had. Setting aside Williams Corp. and looking at Sonnex Corp.'s situation, the success of securing the project was mainly due to Eric.While Andy might not mind if Eric wanted to donate 20,000 dollars to his hometown for road repairs, their company operated as a partnership. Giving such a significant amount would definitely affect Andy's interests."Don't look at me like that," Sylvia said. "If you feel uneasy about it, we could each contribute 10,000 dollars. I'll lend the money for you, and you can give it back to me once you'
Eric frowned as he noticed the differences among people. Working under David Westman would mean a 2.5-year effort just to make 20,000 dollars."My brother-in-law, Craig, also holds a mid-level position at Sonnex Corp., but he's not as well-off as you," Eric mentioned.Sylvia grinned. "Firstly, this money serves a good purpose, so there's not much to ponder. Secondly, mid-level managers come in various tiers, too. Some receive a basic monthly salary with minimal bonuses, resulting in lower earnings."Furthermore, has Craig ever shared his yearly income with you?"Eric remained quiet. Elly had mentioned Craig's annual salary only once. Reflecting on it, he realized Elly probably wasn't aware of the exact figure either.Elly didn't appear concerned whenever Craig came up."Why bother about him? He can do as he pleases. I can't just seek revenge from his parents due to his ill-treatment," Elly remarked.Elly ended up responsible for looking after Craig's parents after he brought the
Eric took a deep breath, copied Sylvia's movements, and chuckled. "This is easy."Sylvia rolled her eyes. "Your stance is not good at all."She kicked Eric's feet and said, "Widen your stance more and lower your shoulders."After assessing Eric's posture, she nodded with satisfaction. "That's close enough. Let's go with this."Then she took out her phone and said, "And now we'll order breakfast."Eric smiled and said, "Why order breakfast? I'll make it after I'm done with the horse stance.""You'll find out soon enough," Sylvia said, glancing at Eric."Martial arts can be tough, especially since we're focusing on the basics given your experience. Once you've got the fundamentals down, we'll move on to more advanced techniques. If you stick with it, you can handle regular opponents in about a year."And there are other benefits that come with it. Alongside boosting your fitness, it will also build your resilience."Sylvia's assessment of Eric left him feeling underestimated. Bu
Sylvia intentionally worked to shift Eric's focus. He couldn't keep going much longer if he stayed fixated on his legs."You're actually making good progress. I haven't given you the toughest demands yet. If you were under my mentor, you'd start with at least 20 minutes in the horse stance," Sylvia mentioned."After the horse stance, take a breather and run two kilometers. But for you, let's make it one kilometer.""What?" Eric blurted, falling to the ground after 12 minutes."I-I can't keep this up…" He wiped his sweat. "I can't even feel my legs. I'm done.""Is this your all?" Slyvia teased, "Who claimed he could endure for two hours? You can't even manage 15 minutes."Alright, I'm a pretty reasonable person. Since we're just making do, I'll give you a chance. If you can beat me after three years, we'll continue our relationship."Eric felt a surge of determination. Despite his shaky legs, he rose and resumed the horse stance."You said it! Don't back down on it!" he declared
At Innova Tech.It was already 10:00 a.m. when Eric arrived at the company, and his legs were still slightly wobbly."Hey!" Andy quickly approached Eric. "What are you doing here? Take care of your injuries first! You can't even walk properly!"Eric smiled wryly. "My legs have nothing to do with my injuries."Andy shot him a meaningful glance and said, "I'm impressed, Eric!"Eric rolled his eyes. "It's not what you think. I just started learning martial arts today, dumbass."Andy was surprised. "Did you also read that book?""That book?" Eric looked puzzled.Andy took out a book from the drawer. "This book!""Have you been to the old-item market again? Did you find this at a stall?" Eric questioned him."Find this at a stall?" Andy was rendered speechless. "I bought this online for 45 dollars!"Eric looked at the worn cover and quipped, "The Basic Breath Regulation Method? You actually believe in this?""Breath regulation methods have been trending lately. But I can't reall
Shortly after, Sylvester arrived.Eric couldn't help stealing glances at the handsome and aloof young man, let alone a woman. With these thoughts, he also glanced at Sylvia."Mr. Williams," Eric greeted.Sylvester smiled at Eric and asked, "Mr. Johnson, what brings you here?""It's about the development project of Williams Corp. in the northern district," Eric replied.Sylvester was surprised, looking at Sylvia and wondering if she had discussed this with Eric."Sylvia informed me about Williams Corp.'s challenges with the northern district project. You may not know, but I have connections with Sonnex Corp.'s CEO. I discussed this with Mr. Sonnex, and he set forth two conditions."Eric felt relieved that he could finally repay Sylvia's favor.Seeing Sylvia's reaction, Sylvester realized she was unaware of this."What are the conditions?" Sylvester inquired."They're quite straightforward. Firstly, promote Sylvia to a top management position. Secondly, put her fully in charge