Pierce was acutely aware that children were the future. If even they were harmed and targeted, what future could there be? Without a present, talking about the future was futile.Lora overheard Ruth's conversation.By the time Ruth hung up, Lora was utterly stunned. "Y-You can legislate?!"She was terrified, feeling that people like Eric and Ruth were practically supernatural. How had she, of all people, come to know such individuals? Was this even within her reach? It was terrifying!Ruth remained calm. "It’s nothing extraordinary. Of course, we don’t act recklessly. If no one steps forward to push forward what everyone opposes, then it's up to us to take action."Lora let out a breath, feeling that in this matter, Ruth was right. The organization behind Ruth and Eric was right. If it wasn’t for protecting the children, she wouldn’t have lost her job.Ruth glanced at Lora and asked curiously, "By the way, don’t you have classes today? Why are you here? It’s not lunchtime."Lora
The judge, Adam Perkins, was in a quandary. On one side, he had the mayor of the city, and on the other, the founder of Innova Group. Both were crucial figures in Salt City. He had considered mediating between them, but Donald was adamant about making Eric pay for his actions. At that time, Adam couldn't reach Eric, so there was little to be done. Now that Eric was present, Adam saw an opportunity to mediate. Avoiding a full-blown court battle would be ideal. He intended to play the peacemaker.Addressing the two men, he began, "Gentlemen, one of you is the mayor of Salt City, and the other is one of our city's most outstanding young talents."Adam was trying to smooth things over. There were many notable youths in Salt City, but he had not used any qualifiers there, subtly conveying a message to Eric. He was already familiar with the situation. While he felt that Donald had gone too far, Eric shouldn't have resorted to violence.Adam wanted to show some favoritism but knew that D
Adam stood in front of Donald, blocking his way. Without this obstruction, Donald would have certainly lunged at Eric, likely earning another bump on his head.Eric retorted, "I said he isn’t a human because of his reckless decisions! Esteemed Judge Perkins, tell me: is it right to pressure parents into signing organ donation consents for minors, using the school's authority as leverage?"Adam was shocked. Eric had just mentioned some updates, and Adam had indeed received and reviewed the new information. This was precisely the issue!There was a new law explicitly prohibiting minors from donating organs. Whether voluntary or involuntary, the law made it unequivocally clear: such donations were outright banned!After Eric finished speaking, Adam eyed him. "So, you punched him because of this?"Eric nodded, saying no more. He knew Adam was well-versed in the law and understood the implications of the situation.But Donald was far from pleased. He glared at Eric. "Do I need your in
Eric found the whole situation amusing—even Adam was visibly embarrassed. Eric didn't even want to engage further.Adam forced a smile and asked, "M-Mr. Ford, are you serious about this?""Absolutely," replied Donald with a stern expression. "What, you think I'm joking? This is the only solution. If you don't agree, well—"Hmph! This won't end here! If Salt City can't handle it, we'll take it to King City! Do you think I'm afraid of you, Eric? You hit someone, you'll pay the price!"Adam felt overwhelmed by the predicament. He had initially thought a settlement of a couple of million would resolve the issue if Eric was willing to pay. He hadn't anticipated that Donald's real target wasn't just a couple of million but the entire Innova Group! His appetite was far too large.Eric glanced at his watch and decided not to argue further with Donald. "It's getting late, and I have other matters to attend to. Judge Perkins, I'll have my lawyer coordinate with you on this matter. If there'
The Innova Group had amassed a significant fortune. Besides paying taxes, they had also invested a substantial amount in municipal projects. The sum easily ran into the triple-digit millions.Sylvia never expected Donald would still entertain the idea of nationalizing Innova Group at this stage. How could he expect something so unreasonable? If this kind of precedent was set, not just Salt City but private enterprises and capital across the entire country would flee. This wasn’t mere alarmism.In a hostile environment, where assets could be forcibly seized, who would dare to remain? Donald had to understand the implications, yet he insisted on pursuing this course.Sylvia fumed. "In my opinion, we should halt all investments in municipal projects on our end. I don’t care how much it costs us. Donald’s actions make me feel worse than swallowing bile!"I’ll call my brother and then Mr. Sonnex. We need to make sure they hold onto their money tight, so they don’t become targets!"Sh
At Sonnex Corp.Irvin leisurely sipped his coffee. Ever since Keith got married to Valerie, Irvin had gradually begun to delegate more responsibilities. Nowadays, most of the company's affairs were handled by Keith. A few years ago, a priest from the Celestial Sage Sanctum had enlightened Keith, enabling him to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of Sonnex Corp. Over these years, Keith had indeed transformed, now fully capable of independently managing various aspects.Irvin's visits to the company were now more about inspecting the foundation laid by the Sonnex family and enjoying some coffee and a stroll. He rarely involved himself in company matters, yet everyone, including Keith, knew that his word still carried significant weight.Today's announcement was arranged by Irvin himself.Keith didn't question it—he knew that the new mayor had been eyeing the Innova Group. Sylvia's call undoubtedly meant that the Innova Group was dissatisfied with Donald.Keith voiced his concern.
Irvin suddenly sat up and looked at Donald. "Mr. Ford, do you want it? I'll lower the price and just sell it to you!"Donald waved his hands frantically. "I can't afford it! I can't afford it!"Irvin chuckled softly. Realizing he couldn’t extract any valuable information from Sonnex Corp., Donald exchanged a few more pleasantries before leaving with his secretary.Seeing them off, Keith scratched his head. "What on earth did Donald do to anger Uncle Eric so much? Was it really necessary?"Irvin smiled. "Who cares? You should prepare on your end. Sylvia will probably take further action soon. Be ready to take over those projects."He had an accurate eye for people, just like when he first assessed Eric years ago.Still puzzled, Keith asked, "Dad, if we take on those projects, we’ll need to pour a lot of money into them. In the end, we’re bound to lose. Can Uncle Eric really put up that much money?"Irvin lit a cigarette and replied, "You underestimate him. That amount is nothing—
Donald suddenly remembered to ask about Sylvia’s background. They both shared the surname Williams, and he speculated that they might be related.Sylvester did not hesitate and replied, "Mr. Ford, you seem unaware. Sylvia of the Innova Group is indeed my younger and only sister!"Donald was taken aback. Suddenly, everything made sense! Williams Corp.'s announcement to cut off funding now appeared completely reasonable."Mr. Williams..." Donald understood the gravity of the situation. "You cannot act so impulsively. This affects many people in Salt City. You—"Sylvester raised his hand to interrupt. "Mr. Ford, you misunderstand. We are not acting on impulse. We truly have no money. We're already struggling and can't squeeze any more out. It's impossible to prioritize a grand scheme over the livelihoods of our tens of thousands of employees."Donald said no more and left, furious. He was now convinced that the Innova Group, Sonnex Corp., and Williams Corp. had conspired to put him i