She stormed in with a group of parents, demanding resolution. This matter couldn't be brushed aside—it required an outcome, or it would escalate.Lina was equally distressed. This directive from above insisted that all parents must sign. If they refused, the school must create circumstances that would compel them to comply. Naturally, the pressure would fall on the children. In a school, what leverage did one have over parents if not their kids?Eric and Sylvia left as well. There was nothing more to discuss amidst the uproar. No one was willing to sign, as it concerned their children’s well-being.If one thought about it in the worst way, signing today might mean something terrible happening to the kids tomorrow. Then someone might come around with consent forms, demanding their organs. This was not an impossible scenario.Eric’s mind wandered to darker possibilities—if such conditions existed and he needed an organ to save his own life, he might resort to the same measures. M
The meeting commenced with much fanfare. The speaker on stage was fervent and impassioned, but the parents seated below were fighting off drowsiness.Ordinarily, they might have shown some respect, given that he was someone authoritative. However, now that their children's futures were at stake, patience was wearing thin.The speech was long-winded and tedious, extolling the virtues of the proposal without offering much substance. When the speech finally ended, volunteers began distributing consent forms to the parents.Eric glanced at the form and stood up, declaring, "We can consider signing, but have signed for your own children? And what about the children of employees and figureheads from the agencies in Salt City? Have they signed too?"Eric was known for taking drastic measures. When Salt City introduced pre-packaged meals, he ensured that those responsible ate the meals themselves for several days. Many couldn't stomach it and claimed the stuff was inedible. Occasional cons
Robert was a formidable presence, but Eric was even more intimidating.The staff understood that Robert's authority largely came from Eric, though they were unaware of Eric's exact background—only that it was exceptionally powerful. The previous mayor, returning from a meeting at Nutikiville's reservoir, had openly admitted that Eric had reprimanded him, leading to a profound epiphany. Anyone who dared to scold the mayor must be someone of immense influence. Some, unafraid of causing trouble, followed Eric and Robert straight to the mayor's office, curious to witness the commotion.Donald personally came out to greet them. "Hahaha! Mr. Johnson, I heard birds chirping melodically this morning. It turns out it was an omen of your arrival!"Eric remained silent.Robert, his face stern, took out a document from his briefcase and placed it in front of Donald. "Mr. Ford, I heard that this proposal was your idea and that you are implementing it across all of Salt City?"Donald was ca
The onlookers dispersed only after the secretary closed the door. Everyone knew that something significant had occurred—Donald had been assaulted. Such an event seemed almost impossible, but it had indeed happened, and everyone had witnessed it.Donald, furious, dabbed at the blood on his head with a piece of tissue. "Inform everyone that this incident is not to be spoken of!"Although he didn't specify the consequences of leaking the information, everyone was well aware of what they might be. Dismissal was out of the question. Once you’ve held this position, letting it go is almost impossible, unless they voluntarily gave it up.The secretary returned, still pale.Donald's anger hadn't abated. "These rich folks are truly arrogant! And that Wilson fella—he’s also involved in this nonsense! I suspect he’s taken Eric’s money!"The secretary, however, couldn't agree. "Commissioner Wilson is a native of Salt City. I've heard his backing is formidable. About a year ago, he had an oppor
Sylvia had already returned to the office. "I thought you were going to stay with Donald for a while."Eric snorted. "What’s the point? He was the one pushing things, so I punched him out of anger. Even then, I didn’t feel any better!"Sylvia smiled gently. She didn't say anything, but she might have wanted to punch Donald too. The man was infuriating.After a moment of thought, Sylvia added, "By the way, Sam and Izzie are still here. It seems a few key technical talents from their team have been poached."The father and daughter duo were formerly responsible for the operations at the chip technology company Frontier Digital.Years ago, the entire Hampton family and Frontier Digital relocated from Volpolis to Salt City, with the Hamptons overseeing the move. Given their expertise, it made sense to entrust them with such responsibilities.Over the past few years, the Hamptons had performed admirably, providing substantial support to the Innova Group. In turn, the company had heavi
Sam was anxious about the possibility of some top-level technicians defecting to Salt City’s new chip company. This concern also crossed Eric’s mind. The situation was straightforward. Frontier Digital, backed by the well-funded Innova Group, offered excellent benefits and housing for its employees. Even if the company-provided accommodation wasn’t ideal, the salaries were high enough for employees to afford homes outright in Salt City.Why would they leave, then? The reason was simple: higher salaries elsewhere.From this perspective, it appeared that only the newly emerged Frontier Tech could provide such enticing compensation. The departure of a few key technicians didn’t significantly impact Frontier Digital, provided they didn’t take the company’s latest technology with them.Ruth soon identified the financial backers behind the scenes.Eric had no doubt there was significant investment involved in this new company. The field required enormous investment, often running into
As for the technology from Frontier Digital? They weren't impressed. After all, foreign technology was always perceived as more advanced than domestic.After his speech, Donald approached Eric and the others with a wide smile. "Ms. Williams, Frontier Tech is a high-tech company, just like the Innova Group. Thankfully, there's no competition between your companies. Together, these two companies should be able to boost Salt City's economy and other aspects significantly."Knowing that this man still had his eyes on Innova Group, Sylvia smiled back. "Mr. Ford, it's a responsibility that every enterprise should shoulder. We have no choice but to do our part."Donald glanced at Eric but said nothing further before moving on to greet others.Ruth frowned. "Is this the guy who targeted the Innova Group and had kids sign organ donation consent forms?"Eric nodded slightly.Ruth's displeasure was evident. "What a bastard! If any child goes missing in Salt City and can't be found, let me k
With wealth and youthful energy on his side, things became much easier to accomplish. Sam began laying out his plans. This step had been in his strategy for some time. Now, it was just a matter of calculating the costs. Free from financial worries, he had nothing else to be concerned about.Eric had just seen Sam off when the phone rang. Seeing it was Jacob calling, Eric answered. "What now?"He assumed it was someone Jacob had detained and beaten up, leading to the call. Jacob had become quite an admirer of Eric lately."Eric!" Jacob swallowed nervously. "You’ve got a letter here. Seems like some kind of... summons! They insisted it be handed to you directly. You should come check it out!"Eric was puzzled. 'A summons? What kind of summons could be for me?'When he arrived at Jacob’s guard station and opened the envelope, he found it was indeed a court summons, notifying him of a hearing date."Wow!" Jacob glanced at it and was immediately shocked. "Eric, even someone like you c