First startled by Maria's presence, Richard soon grew intrigued by her reaction to his appearance.It seemed the black phone did not lie when it said his charm would be irresistible.Even the unflappable Maria revealed a rare expression as she stared at him, like a wolf eyeing its prey.Feeling good about himself, Richard decided not to leave her hanging longer before she pounced on him."Maria." He casually called out. Snapped out of her daze, Maria quickly closed her mouth and regained her composure, though the rosiness of her cheeks could not be hidden so easily."Is there a problem?""...Ehm, no sir… It's just,... I don't… You look amazing." she blurted out without thinking only for her eyes to widen before she quickly closed her mouth with her hand.Chuckling softly, Richard intoned. "I meant to ask why you are here." "Ah, that." She facepalmed, clearly embarrassed by her actions.Richard remained in place, patiently waiting for her to calm down.Taking a deep breath, Maria fin
If there was anything that Richard despised most in the world, it was powerful people using what they had to suppress those who were less fortunate.He was a victim of it for 3 years and though he couldn't claim to have completely experienced suffering, he knew just how terrible it had to be for those who experienced such things every day.So as he watched Ronald scold Tina more than necessary, he grew incensed, especially considering Ronald had treated him the same way when he first arrived at Serenity.This meant that this was just how he was.A vicious man with a disgusting character and such a person had to be put down.Without hesitation, Richard pulled out the black phone and casually typed in a message.A moment later a response was received.Maria seemed to note Richard's expression but didn't attempt to say anything, instead watching the scene with a passive look.At this point, Ronald turned away from the pleading Tina to address Richard."Sir Smith, I do apologize. I don't
Richard hadn't expected the skill addition but he didn't think much of it as he soon arrived at the car that was meant to take them to the venue for the event.It was a black Bugatti with a driver already waiting for them.Suddenly, Maria stopped Richard as she remarked. "Sir, I don't think we can go just yet.""Uhmm, why?" Richard raised a brow.Maria pointed a finger at his suit as she replied. "Your suit is a mess. We definitely can't go while it's stained like that. It might affect the image people have of Serenity and such a thing now would negatively impact the company's growth.""That… is correct." Perhaps because of how good it felt to stick one to Roland, Richard had completely forgotten about the stain.If not for Maria, he'd have most likely left it like that.Now, however, he struggled to figure out a solution.Thankfully, Maria was still there as she remarked with a smile. "Don't worry, I felt like a situation might arise so I brought two extra pairs of suits. One black a
Richard could guess that Jason's presence here was on the orders of his father.Unfortunately, as a man that indulged himself frequently, he doubted the buffoon would be able to make a good impression.Nevertheless, he didn't bother himself with him even though a part of him wanted to teach the miscreant a lesson.However, he was here for other matters, and exposing his identity now was not the smartest choice.So albeit unwilling, Richard swallowed his desires and made his way into the building.The building in question was owned by SteelHorse enterprise, a company dedicated to car sales and was heralded as the place the wealthiest people in Intercity congregate whenever they wished to show off their wealth, purchasing limited edition vehicles that would otherwise not be gotten anywhere else in the country.Currently, according to Maria's report, SteelHorse had just cut a deal with Lamborghini which allowed them to host an exhibition for the Lamborghini Roadrunner, with only 5 units
Richard watched the exchange between Maria and John with interest.He'd expected the man to try something but he didn't expect him to go so far.Even a person with half a brain could guess he had taken a liking to Maria and was trying to impress her by making a mockery of him.It was slightly amusing and as a smile formed at the corner of his lips, a dastardly scheme came to mind.***Oblivious to Richard's machinations, John rattled off like a dog without an owner. "Can't you see how he looks?... Wearing a mask and hiding his identity?... It's clear he is only faking an identity and doesn't dare to reveal himself as it would immediately show that he is not who he claims to be. So give me the honors to put this beggar in his place and maybe afterward, I could show you around the building."He was even shameless enough to subtly throw in his intentions at the end…. Richard shook his head in amusement.Maria regarded him with annoyance, prepared to answer his disrespectful remarks when
Jason's interest peaked as he watched the masked man take his seat alongside a beautiful woman.As a regular attendee of the SteelHorse gatherings convened once a year, he had learned much about those who normally frequented the auctions.Most were old men that were comparable to his father and others were representatives sent by other wealthy people within Intercity.Of course, as a representative himself, Jason was more familiar with the latter which was why as he scrutinized the masked man, he quickly noticed discrepancies.Was the masked man a newbie billionaire?... But there was no news of such a person in the media which meant that wasn't the case.He wondered if he should approach the man only to quickly dispel the thought.His sole goal for coming today was to compete with those who were here for the main event which involves the RoadRunner.So far, he'd won a total of 3 such auctions, equaling the number of times he'd been here.Due to this notable feat, Jason managed to carv
Richard chuckled to himself as he watched Jason collapse.He'd planned to tease the boy a little but this was much better.He could barely contain his amusement.Just then, Maria called out to him. "Sir, did you intend to buy the car in the first place?""Maybe, maybe not," Richard replied with a shrug.Maria revealed a worried expression. "Intentionally inflating the price of a car could lead to considerable backlash. I had no idea you were planning to do this. It might end up impacting Serenity's prestige if it gets out."Richard didn't immediately respond as he knew that was right to be worried… if he were a normal billionaire.As the owner of the black phone, Richard had no reason to worry.He hoped for Jason to approach him after the auction, at that time… he could give him a much greater slap.He grinned at the prospects."Sir," Maria called out, worried that Richard wasn't taking the situation seriously."Don't overthink it. I've got this." Richard calmly replied before explain
At this moment… On the 15th floor of the SteelHorse Inc. Inside the chairman's office. The general manager of SteelHorse, David O'Brien was standing before a roof-to-floor window which afforded him a grand view of the city with a wine glass in his hand and a satisfied smile on his lips. Behind, a young man in a black suit and holding a notepad stood in silence. This young man was one of the best-performing attendants in SteelHorse and was also David's second son, Simon. It was a tradition in their family for the children to start from the most basic of positions to work their way up the ladder. This was meant to teach them discipline and a business sense. Taking a sip from his glass, David turned to address Simon while taking his seat. Crossing his legs, he regarded the young man before inquiring. "Is the auction over?" "Yes, sir," Simon replied professionally as he added. "Currently, the exhibit is taking place." "That's good. Did anything happen?" David calmly asked. He w