"All of you are too weak!" Javier's face darkened even further as he bellowed, "Eric! This place is ours! You barged in recklessly, and we're just defending ourselves! You're the one who committed the crime first!"Eric fell silent momentarily, aware of Javier's tactic to force him to retreat. In reality, Eric also contemplated withdrawing, unsure of what to say to the police.Observing Eric step back, Javier sneered. "Such a brute! Violence seems to be your only solution. How laughable!"Javier believed he had gained the upper hand and scared Eric into submission, so he planned to escape overnight and seek refuge elsewhere until the Hernandezes resolved the issue. Suddenly, a group of people arrived at the gates of the Hernandez estate, led by none other than Pierce.Accompanying him was Ruth and several others from the Combat Department."Did someone call the police? What's the problem?" Pierce asked.Javier was dumbfounded. Although he had intended to call the police, he h
The Montgomerys mobilized, aiming to confront the Hernandezes directly. However, upon reaching their estate, Grace and her group discovered Eric was missing.The Hernandezes' faces paled upon the Montgomerys' arrival, realizing they were here for Eric, who wasn't the only one missing. Javier had been captured, and fear gripped them. They suspected the Montgomerys might exploit Javier's absence to dismantle them.Rafael led the Hernandezes and confronted the Montgomerys. In theory, with Javier captured, Julius should lead the Hernandezes.Rafael said, "Madam Montgomery, Eric's not here. Don't think you can do whatever you want just because my dad isn't around!"Rafael was upset by the Montgomerys' aggression right after his father's capture. Still, he acknowledged the Combat Department's formidable individuals, preventing him from blaming the Montgomerys outright."Who do you think you are to talk to me?" Grace asked, "Where is your father? Let him come out and talk to me!" "You—
Meanwhile, although Eric was not warmly received at the Combat Department, he was in slightly better condition than Javier. He had not been handed over to the relevant departments, while Javier had already been transferred with explicit instructions from the Combat Department. The Combat Department was not as impressive as Eric had imagined. In fact, it was somewhat rudimentary. He was confined in a simple room with only a table and chair.Even the door made some noise as if it had not been used in a long time and lacked oil.After Ruth entered the room, she started mockingly, "Are you a fool?"Eric initially thought Ruth was referring to the murder incident at the Hernandez residence. To be honest, he felt it was a bad move for him to charge into someone's home and kill them.He replied, "The Hernandez guards surrounded me. I was only defending myself. In that situation, if I didn't eliminate the grandmaster, he would have killed me." He extended his hand to show Ruth the bloo
Pierce held a genuine appreciation for talent. He invested even more effort in his pursuit of recruiting Eric than the first time.However, Eric was puzzled by what Pierce saw in him."Mr. Fischer, the world is brimming with talented individuals and lofty ambitions. Why have you singled me out?" Eric asked.Pierce grinned. "You're spot-on with the first part, but the second part needs clarification."Perplexed, Eric asked, "What do you mean?"Pierce elaborated, "While there are countless talented individuals, many lack the capabilities to fulfill their dreams. On the other hand, you stand out. You are a martial arts prodigy rivaling legends at 30 and an exceptional holistic physician. Your prowess surpasses your business achievements. These abilities are precisely what my Combat Department requires."Pierce's visit to Salt City was solely prompted by Eric—he actively sought rare talent, and Eric embodied that rarity.Pierce continued. "In truth, I orchestrated your visit to King
Pierce offered, "With your skills, you shouldn't limit yourself to just being a martial arts instructor."After pondering for a moment, Eric shook his head and replied, "It's challenging. I have too many responsibilities on my plate, not only with the company but also personal matters."Upon hearing Eric decline their invitation again, Ruth exclaimed, "See? I told you he won't join us! It's not like we're going to die without him anyway! If he doesn't join, so be it! We don't have to bow our heads at him!"Eric raised an eyebrow but remained silent.Pierce chuckled and remarked, "Relax, I don't see any problem with that. You need to put in more effort to get what you want. If he refuses to join us, it just means that we haven't tried hard enough."Eric sighed. He didn't want to dampen Pierce's enthusiasm, but disappointment was inevitable. -Later, Sylvia arrived at the Combat Department, and Pierce personally escorted them out."What's the Combat Department up to?" Sylvia ask
Very few people attended Felicia's funeral.At that moment, Eric and Sylvia discovered that the villagers who had helped organize the funeral were, in fact, relatives of Seth. The neighbors and Leopard's men took charge of the funeral arrangements.Felicia's son had passed away early, and her daughter-in-law had abandoned them, leaving only her grandson to grieve for her.Eric and Sylvia empathized with Felicia, a genuinely good person, never anticipating such a merciless tragedy in her life.The initially quiet funeral was disrupted by heart-wrenching cries early in the morning. Felicia's long-absent daughter-in-law had returned.While the neighbors recognized her, Jaden did not. He briefly glanced at the well-dressed woman before lowering his head. In his heart, he had no recollection of having a mother and few memories of his father.The agonizing cries brought tears to the eyes of many neighbors. Perhaps, despite her past actions, the daughter-in-law still retained a conscien
With a resounding crack, the man who arrived with Molly kicked the chair out from under Seth, sending him tumbling head over heels."We've already shown you respect by coming here! Don't act like you're too good for our toast! Who wants to visit this godforsaken place anyway?" he snarled.Leopard clenched his fists as Seth was being bullied. Those in the underworld despised witnessing the elderly, vulnerable, and unsupported being mistreated. Moreover, from Leopard's perspective, Seth had a significant connection to Eric, and bullying Seth would indirectly disrespect Eric.Just as Leopard was about to take action, Eric stopped him. He shook his head and said, "Let's observe for now."It wasn't that he didn't want to help Seth.Firstly, Seth was unharmed, and secondly, he was an outsider. Growing up in Nutikiville, Eric understood that villagers themselves should resolve village matters and outsiders should not meddle. It might even end up offending the entire village.With no one
The man rose angrily.Leopard had discerned him as a thug of little status from the way he talked. If he held any significance, he wouldn't have ventured alone. Moreover, someone with real influence wouldn't traverse to the countryside for a mere sum of money. What surprised Leopard was that the man hailed from King City.The man sneered. "Do you know Andreas Auer from King City?"In the past, hearing Scar's name would terrify Leopard, but now he was unafraid. He lit a cigarette and retorted, "Of course, I've heard of Scar, a prominent figure on the streets of King City. But do you, a small fry, really know him?"Leopard was skeptical. Not just anyone had connections with Scar; this man likely only knew of Scar's reputation."I'm one of Mr. Andreas's men! Leopard, right? If you dare interfere today, I'll make sure you won't be able to return to King City!" the man threatened.The man must have recognized the cars parked outside were from King City, so Leopard must know who Scar w