People were always afraid of death, especially accomplished older individuals. They feared it even more. In the academic and scientific communities, they held considerable status. Wherever they went, people revered them, and they wanted to enjoy such days a little longer."Without borders? Homeland?" Eric sneered. "Who told you that science knows no borders? When the Innova Group was blacklisted by the three major international companies, why didn’t anyone tell us that science knows no borders?"And about the great contributions you claim to have made to scientific research—sorry, I don’t see it. No one in Naturia sees it either. Those contributions were made for your own country. What does that have to do with us?"In my view, you are a bunch of disrespectful, unkind, and unjust old folks! During these times, I think you should go back and stand with your country, live or die!"Follow the procedures, deport them!"If they were not citizens of this country, they would have no reas
Public opinion could be terrifying. Once something spread, few people would know the truth, and even fewer would understand what was truly hidden behind it.Distortion of facts and blurring of right and wrong were commonplace. When interests were involved, things were rarely pure, especially when lives were at stake. Without a safe environment, it was often a matter of life and death.Thus, those old experts wanted to manipulate public opinion. They planned to use its pressure to force their way back. Their calculations were clear.Many people wanted to return but couldn't. Having someone take the lead was advantageous for them. They could use this opportunity to stir things up. If it worked, everyone could return together. Naturia was safe—no virus, peaceful and harmonious—truly a paradise on earth!How dangerous was it abroad? One slip and you could catch the virus—the odds of dying were high!Eric and Sylvia glanced at the so-called public opinion and understood the implication
Eric smiled. "Uncle Alexander, why worry about this? To be honest, I was the one who had them deported."Alexander was taken aback. He then remembered Sylvia asking Eric if he had finished his business earlier. So, it was this matter that Eric was handling!There was oversight after all!He said, "It's not just this. Public opinion also needs to be managed. These scoundrels love to create negative images of us, and it's infuriating!"Eric nodded repeatedly. The Combat Department would not let this slide.Soon, the Combat Department issued a statement through other departments, revealing the old experts' identities. They were deported for illegal entry, and there was nothing wrong with that!After this was settled, Alexander looked at Eric and Sylvia with curiosity. "Did you really develop a special vaccine? I heard they used your vaccines at the airport's quarantine area..."He knew Eric had inherited Orion's expertise. But the virus was a problem that foreign countries couldn't
With someone capable of handling these matters efficiently, Alexander felt reassured.In the evening, Grace returned from the company. Over the past few years, she had gradually delegated power to Sean, though not entirely. Certain situations still required her presence to maintain control.It wasn't that Sean was incompetent. He had the ability but was simply too young, lacking experience and decisiveness. After a few more years of gaining experience, Grace could confidently step down.When Grace arrived home, Sylvia greeted her. "Mom, you're still working so hard? You should really rest more!"Grace smiled. "I can manage. It's not a big problem. Sean isn't fully ready to take over yet. I'll work a few more years to solidify his foundation."Eric chimed in. "Mom, Vee is right. You've worked hard for most of your life. It's time to enjoy some peace. When we started our company, we were inexperienced too, but we managed. There's nothing to worry about."The three founders of the I
It turned out that Grace had already planned her future. After retiring from Montgomery Corp., she would leave King City and move to Salt City."That's great, Mom!" Sylvia said with a smile. "You've said it now. Our home is big enough, and Yvette often talks about how much she misses her grandmother. She'll be thrilled when you move in!"Eric and Sylvia were delighted to welcome Grace to Salt City permanently.Years ago, when Eric ended up in Salt City, it wasn't Grace's fault. However, she always felt a sense of guilt. She sometimes wondered whether the Hernandez family would have dared to say anything if she had the status and ability she had now. It would have been a great favor not to show them her anger.That incident had profoundly impacted Grace, transforming her from a gentle woman into a formidable figure in King City's circles. Truly, a mother's love knew no bounds.Those days were behind them, and now neither Eric nor Grace talked about it much. The only difference was
With their business in King City concluded, Eric and Sylvia didn't linger. They quickly returned to Salt City.The entire world was on edge due to the virus, and for the Innova Group, Eric and Sylvia were the key figures who could stabilize the situation. Although Michael was also in Salt City, he was responsible for the company's overseas operations, so he didn't need to oversee anything at the headquarters.As overseas business had come to a standstill, Michael found himself with little to do.-Arriving back in Salt City early, Eric and Sylvia decided to visit the Innova Group first.Upon seeing Jacob sighing in his seat, Eric couldn't help but be curious. "What's wrong? Did someone break into the Innova Group without laying a hand on you?"Eric quickly grasped the situation. Jacob actually enjoyed it when someone came to cause trouble. He wished for more people to slap him a few times.Who would reject money falling from the sky while sitting at their post? After all, a few
As long as humanity wasn't wiped out en masse, the value of gold would always be unshakable!Eric nodded. "Alright, you handle it."He had no objections. Preparing for a rainy day was never a bad thing. Sylvia, being one to act on her words, began stockpiling gold! With the rampant spread of the virus, the price of gold surged. It was foreseeable that once the virus subsided, the demand for gold would skyrocket. There would be no loss in any scenario. Reaching the age that Sylvia and Eric were at, it was only natural to consider future plans.The Innova Group’s operations continued, though the workload wasn't as heavy as before. Frontier Tech made frequent moves, but they were minor. Their research had come to a standstill.In such a dire environment, survival was paramount—who had the time to worry about other matters?This left Eric feeling slightly regretful. This pig just wouldn't fatten up. It would be better if it did. Fortunately, Salt City remained relatively
The danger of the virus was evident to Pierce from the situation abroad. The thought of it spreading in King City was unimaginable.Once the personnel were in place, the primary task, aside from controlling the virus's spread, was to investigate its origin.After some probing, everyone felt something was amiss. Typically, the spread of a virus was due to the movement of people. However, this neighborhood had no outsiders. Even the few strangers who had entered the neighborhood were found not to carry the Haevon virus."This is very strange," Pierce said, furrowing his brow. "This neighborhood lacks the conditions for the virus to spread, yet it has the first infected person. None of the residents have been to King City Airport. How did the virus get here?"He was deeply worried. If they could trace who brought the virus to this neighborhood, everything would be easier to manage. The worst-case scenario was finding nothing, with the virus appearing inexplicably. Could anything be mo