Moira was taken aback when she heard Ernest's words. Even the smiles on Neal's and Antonia's faces stiffened. It was obvious that Ernest wasn't the one who'd bought The Star of Danobe for five billion dollars.In fact, Ernest thought the guy who'd done it was a fool. The bridesmaids that had earlier sung his praises now felt embarrassed.Ernest didn't seem to realize the awkwardness in the air. He continued, "The Star of Danobe may be unique, but it's just a necklace. Spending five billion dollars on it is no different from giving up one's whole fortune for it in hopes that its value will grow."But so what if it does? Who would be foolish enough to spend five billion dollars or more on it? If you ask me, it's only worth two million dollars at most!"Ernest spoke excitedly, but the atmosphere only became weirder. No one agreed with him. In the past, the elite families would agree with his every word. The stark contrast he experienced today made him feel something was amiss.He fro
Before today, Moira would've thought Marcus was bluffing and would've looked down her nose at him. But now, who would dare doubt him?The fact that he could make the politicians and the Four Monstrous Generals show up at the same time was enough to prove his identity. He was the only man in Merania's history to be conferred the title of commander-in-chief!Moira suddenly found herself laughable. She'd worked so hard to get to where she was. She thought marrying Ernest was the peak of her life and that she'd finally reached a point where she could humiliate Marcus.Yet without her even realizing it, Marcus had long since become out of her league. Even five billion dollars, which was an amount that only the most elite of families in Prudence County could amass, was nothing but spare change to him.To Zayclon Corporation, five billion dollars wasn't a small sum either. Yet Marcus had bought The Star of Danobe with that amount and acted like he'd only bought a regular necklace for 500
For secrecy reasons, the widely anticipated wedding of the century turned out to be surprisingly low profile. The media barely reported on it.Of course, what happened after he left came as a surprise to Marcus. Moira calling off the wedding invited guesses from the media. Ernest's identity and the jarring end to the wedding made it the talk of the town.As everyone had been sworn to secrecy, the media had no idea why Moira had called off the wedding. And so, they could only use their imagination to weave lies. They guessed that Moira had caught Ernest cheating on her with a young model.After all, as Zayclon Corporation's president-to-be, it was normal for him to be a playboy who liked having some fun with models or starlets.When Marcus saw the reports on this, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "These tabloids honestly have nothing better to do. It's a waste of their talents that they're not actors or actresses.""Are you saying that isn't the reason?" Vivian said teasingl
Seeing Amadeus' hesitation, Albert dropped to his knees and said, "I know what you're worried about, Grand Maester. But after the battle six years ago, that certain someone has already stepped down. He doesn't interfere in Merania's affairs anymore."Besides, you'll only be heading there to deal with Phisteele Corporation. Something as trivial as this wouldn't warrant his attention. Anyway, there's no one else in this world who is worthy of being your opponent. Please, sir, help us!"Albert's words were persuasive enough to make Amadeus waver. His flattery also gave Amadeus a confidence boost. "You're right. I'm Marie Isla's Grand Maester. I can't be afraid of setting foot in Merania!"He nodded firmly. "Alright, then. I'll do you this favor!"Albert was delighted by this. "Thank you, sir!"After some thought, Amadeus said, "I may have agreed to head to Merania to help you deal with Phisteele Corporation, but this trip needs to be kept on the down-low. After all, you know how Mera
After hearing what Lucius had to say, Marcus nodded. "So, this national treasure has ended up in the Alvarians' hands."As an invaluable antique, The View of Toledo was more than worthy of being classified as a national treasure, whether in terms of economic value or antiquity. That was why it wasn't out of place for Marcus to refer to it as a national treasure."Yes, it has," Lucius said. "I treasured 'The View of Toledo' for decades and considered it a family heirloom. Who would've expected it to end up with the Alvarians and be put up for auction? My heart aches at the thought of it."Marcus smiled. "So, did you come here hoping that I'd settle this?""Yes, sir. Since Zenith's death, the Alvarians have been getting more arrogant. Unfortunately, I doubt I'm capable of getting the painting back. That's why I mustered the courage to come here and ask you for help, Mr. Coleman."'The View of Toledo' is Merania's national treasure. How can we allow it to end up in a foreigner's hand
Marcus led Vivian into the auction house. They found some empty seats and sat down. Perhaps it was because a national treasure was up for auction, but the place was chock-full of people.Soon, the auction began. Owen, dressed in a tuxedo, walked onstage. He waited until The View of Toledo was put on display before introducing it. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the main item that we have on auction today: 'The View of Toledo!'"It's one of Merania's national treasures and invaluable. All the copies that you see of it in the market now are forgeries, which only makes the one I have on display particularly priceless!"Owen turned to the crowd and continued, "Rest assured that you don't need to doubt the authenticity of this painting. It came from the estate of Zenith Jahn, after all. I'm sure no one here would doubt his ability to discern an item's authenticity, right?"His words were greeted by deafening applause."Now, I'm sure everyone is excited to get their hands on this nationa
Owen wasn't happy to hear that. "Now, sir, that's not something I can agree with. You're the one who's not following our rules, yet you're accusing us of trying to scam you. What do you mean by this?"His obnoxious attitude made Marcus laugh. The guy was confident Marcus couldn't afford to pay for the painting."If you can't afford it, why pretend to be Richy Rich?" A voice rang out at this juncture. It was Alfonse."Exactly!" Romelius chimed in. "You're nothing but the head of security at Phisteele Corporation, yet you have the nerve to come to an auction of this scale. You're just embarrassing yourself!""Perfect timing, gentlemen. Please, you have to help me out with this." Owen seemed excited to see them. He said, "This gentleman here won the auction for 'The View of Toledo' but can't afford to pay the bill. Don't you think he's only here to cause trouble?""What nonsense!" Vivian couldn't take it anymore. "You guys are the ones being unreasonable!""Me, being unreasonable?"
"Of course not!" Alfonse looked proud as he said this. "I know you're strong, Marcus. You're strong enough to take down Art and Don, two of Marie Isla's strongest fighters. But today is the day your life ends."Romelius nodded. "That's right. Considering your talents, we'll let you live if you surrender, agree to join Zayclon Corporation, and help us take Phisteele Corporation down.""Wow, you've got the nerve to say something like that," Marcus sneered. "So, which small fry have you brought with you today?"This infuriated Alfonse. "How dare you, you bastard! Who do you think you are, insulting Marie Isla's Grand Maester like that?"Marie Isla's Grand Maester? Amadeus? Marcus looked amused.At this moment, the Toyota's door opened. Out came a man—Amadeus. His hair had gone completely white, and though he was dressed plainly, the sword by his side gave him an air of godliness.Alfonse and Romelius were delighted to see him get out of the car. Romelius pointed at Marcus and said,
Sean nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Alan and the others really can't adapt. Why bring military rules into everything else?"Wallace glanced at Sean and said, "Of course, Marcus can earn my respect if he can demonstrate the strength that commands it."Sean shook his head. "I find that unlikely. Take the bet, for instance. If he can really break past the Colemans' gates a year from now, maybe we can respect him."Wallace sneered. "With just that? Does he even deserve our respect for that?"Breaking past the Colemans' gates is just the beginning."To earn our respect, he has to make it onto the Meranian Wolf List!""Meranian Wolf List?" Sean's eyes lit up.In the Meranian military, the Meranian Wolf List was a reflection of a soldier's strength. Those who made the list were undoubtedly individuals with exceptional powers. The higher the rank, the stronger the individual.Among the top 50 on the Meranian Wolf List were figures feared by enemy nations. Even Chief Commander Wal
Marcus and Vivian left.Alan and the others slumped in their seats and panted heavily. Alan's back was soaked in sweat.The others weren't faring much better. The air in the private room was thick with the scent of cold sweat.It took a good ten minutes before Alan finally spoke. "It truly defies my imagination! The bastard son despised by Mr. Coleman Senior has turned out to be Merania's guardian, the commander-in-chief!"Zakir nodded in agreement. "Mr. Coleman Senior was right. The commander-in-chief is indeed a member of the Colemans! It's ridiculous. Mr. Coleman Senior went to great lengths to uncover the commander-in-chief's true identity and background, not knowing that the commander-in-chief is his own son!""This matter must be kept absolutely confidential. Under no circumstances should we reveal the commander-in-chief's true identity to Mr. Coleman Senior. Otherwise, the five of us will not only ruin our future but may also spend the rest of our lives behind bars!" Al
Marcus, too, did not expect that the Colemans who invited him and Vivian to dinner would turn out to be these troublemakers. These guys clearly intended to cause trouble from the looks of it.Marcus glanced around the room and pretended to be puzzled by asking, "Are you planning to go against me?"Alan and the others got goosebumps upon hearing Marcus' question.Their palms were sweating uncontrollably.They were indeed planning to humiliate Marcus.However, they never expected Marcus to be the commander-in-chief!In addition to the Dragon Training Camp incident, Alan and the other four had already attempted to take action against Marcus for the second time. The fact that they had tried to target the commander-in-chief twice in a row made them feel fearful.Alan quickly realized the gravity of the situation. His head shook mechanically, and he hastily said, "No… No! The five of us just wanted to invite you and Mrs. Coleman to have a simple dinner!"Zakir even took the initi
After Alan hung up, Vivian went to talk to Marcus about what had just happened.Vivian said with a concerned look, "Marcus, I believe the Colemans don't have good intentions. I'm afraid that the reason they invited us to dinner all of a sudden is because...."Marcus smiled as if the situation didn't bother him. "Are you worried they might have ulterior motives? Don't worry. Let's just agree to their invitation. It's just dinner!"Vivian was speechless at Marcus' response. Those people were part of the Colemans.It was clear that they were targeting Marcus. And yet, he was deliberately walking into the lion's den.Although the Colemans held a prestigious position as the top ancient family in Merania, people without a certain status did not qualify to even hear about them. While pregnant, Vivian learned about the Colemans.She began to understand their formidable reputation, especially after learning about their glorious history.Thus, Vivian couldn't help but sigh at the lo
Shye exuded a murderous killing intent. "Yannis, come with me to the Yallops."Starting today, I, Shye Youd, will be stationed at the Yallops' door every day. I will beat anyone who dares to propose to Yolia to death."Yannis nodded and asked, "Understood, Mr. Youd. What about that bastard?"Shye grunted and said, "A man's revenge is never too late. Compared to Yolia, what does that bastard amount to?"Let's let him live for a while!"Since Shye started guarding the Yallops' door, the number of people coming to propose decreased. Shye chased them away before they could even enter the door.After all, Shye was the second-ranked bachelor in the capital, and no one dared to offend him.Just like that, Shye had guarded the Yallops' door for a month.Finally, the Yallops had peace.…Meanwhile, Marcus continued to spend his time with Vivian every day during the month. As for Jill, she was responsible for managing Phisteele Corporation and Tension Incorporated. Jill was a cap
This also highlighted that Marcus' realm far surpassed that of the Colemans, who claimed to be the top ancient family for a millennium. Alan and the others returned to their line respectfully.Marcus surveyed the group with a serious expression. "The technique I'm about to teach you is a special art of breathing. "Although it looks simple, mastering its essence will take at least a year. "Of course, as elite individuals carefully cultivated by your respective families, I believe you can grasp the basics in just a month."The excitement was evident on the faces of the individuals upon hearing what Marcus said. The commander-in-chief was personally teaching them a special art.It was a big opportunity for those eager to level up. After all, the commander-in-chief was all-powerful and mighty. Any technique he imparted to them was bound to lead to significant progress, even if it was the most basic one.Following that, Marcus began to teach them the special art of breathing.
The individuals all listened attentively as Marcus began his class. They appeared respectful and eager to learn. Marcus extended four fingers and said, "Before we officially start the lesson, I'd like to give you a lesson in morals. The name of this lesson shall be 'Respect for Teachers and Esteem for Morality.'"Marcus signaled Edwin and Leona to fetch a small blackboard. Marcus held the chalk and wrote the words, "Respect for Teachers and Esteem for Morality." His movements were powerful."Indeed, you all have what it takes to be proud due to your strengths, for you are all invincible in your respective regions. However, you came to Dragon Training Camp to seek breakthroughs and receive guidance at a higher level."Marcus surveyed the crowd and said, "But no matter how strong you all are, you should respect the instructor who guides you."Each of you is exceptionally intelligent. You should know that Chief Commander Wall would not send an incapable person or someone from
"Yes! He must prove himself. Otherwise, I'm not convinced!""He dares to disregard the Meranian Wolf List top 100. If he can actually demonstrate such abilities, I'll pretend I never heard those words!"As Alan spoke, the others responded in agreement.Chad added, "It might be difficult for him to surpass every member of the Meranian Wolf List top 100, but at least he should have the qualifications to be among them, right?"The group noticed that Marcus remained silent, and their arrogance increased.Zakir was amused. "What's the matter? Are you backing down? In life, you need to follow the rules and not spout nonsense! "Don't act all big if you don't have what it takes!"Just then, Marcus spoke up. "You've all misunderstood. I didn't respond immediately because I was considering how to demonstrate my strength."After all, weaklings like you have never witnessed a true spectacle."To Marcus, these individuals were nothing but weaklings. Despite being invincible in their res
Alan and the others heard what Marcus said, and a playful expression appeared on their faces.How dare this kid challenge them?Alan squinted and said, "You can be our instructor, but you'll have to display enough strength to convince us."You probably can't reach the level of Merania's Four Gunlords and Gary."But you should at least reach the level of the Eight Warriors, right?"The others looked on with a look of expectation.They all looked at Marcus with mocking eyes.Chad, who was on the side, said, "Alan, how about we set a standard for this kid? Only those recognized by the members of the Meranian Wolf List are qualified to be our instructor!""Right!" Alan agreed.Merania's Four Gunlords, Gary, and the Eight Warriors all occupied a place in the Meranian Wolf List.It could be said that the top 100 of the Meranian Wolf List gathered the strongest 100 soldiers in the Meranian military.Being honored on the Meranian Wolf List top 100 was the dream of every Meranian sol