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Potter CityOn a somewhat crowded street in a hot summer's afternoon, a young man in his late teens could be seen pedaling a bike as quickly as his legs would allow him.Looking at this young man, his body was already entirely drenched in sweat, and his attractive face, which was also completely covered in sweat beads was etched with fatigue.But despite this, the young man appeared unconcerned as the hastiness in his eyes was much more intense.He continued to cycle the bike hysterically as if his life depended on it, dodging both objects and creatures.The young man's eyes finally shone with intense light after a prolonged period of unceasing cycling, as if he had suddenly seen light at the end of a totally dark tunnel.The young man immediately increased his pedaling speed and applied more energy to his legs when he abruptly heard the unexpectedly loud vroom of an approaching car.The young man's delight first gave way to a bewildered and perplexed expression since he was fully aware that he wasn't riding his bike in the car's lane.He quickly controlled and steered his bike away just as the red sports car driving as if the owner has a spare life somewhere else was about to crash into him. But unfortunately for him, the moment he turned away, the red sporting vehicle collided with his back wheel, sending him, his bike, and everything on it flying away into the distance before finally crashing down with loud scattering sounds."What the hell! Bastard, are you blind? Didn't you see my approach?" A ferocious roar exited as the car came to an abrupt stop with a loud screech, leaving behind black markings on the interlocked road.Upon hearing the ferocious roar that erupted, the unfortunate orphan Alex Johnson, who was on his way to deliver pizza to a customer, groaned in excruciating pain.After much struggle, he managed to pull himself up onto his knees from the flat-faced posture into which he had fallen.After this, a great expression of uncertainty suddenly formed on his pale, inflamed face. "Was I the one at fault?"Although he was currently in so much agony that he had to lock his teeth together to stop himself from yelling and sobbing, he was still able to look around to see whether he was to be blamed for this, which he wasn't.After a little while, he moaned in misery and looked around the crowd of people that had begun to assemble and currently staring at him with sorrowful emotions on their faces. Yet, from the way they were standing, it was clear that they had no desire to become involved.Well... Alex Johnson doesn’t have the time or space to be bothered about this.Just as he was about to start looking around for the pizza he was going to deliver to the customer, a bone-biting ache ran through his entire body, notably in his elbows.With this, he raised them. But he quickly wrinkled his brows in response to what he saw.Right now, the flesh on his elbows had fully been peeled off and was oozing thick, crimson-red blood.Upon seeing this, Alex's thoughts temporarily went blank. He then began to try to grasp how things had come to this when he heard a voice that sent a cold and vengeful fear down his spine from his back“Are you blind or what, I ask you?”Alex Johnson instantly became startled, then he quickly swirled around.However, a wry expression formed on his face when he saw the speaker, a young man who likewise didn't appear to be 20 yet, but who had a bully look on his face and was wearing brightly colored pants and shirts.‘Great! I just have to encounter this bastard at a moment like this!’ He sighed mockingly in his mind despite the bone-rupturing pain he was going through.As for the speaker, Cliff Sotto, he was one of Alex Johnson's worst bullies. The instant he also saw Alex Johnson's face his initial rage quickly vanished, and for a brief moment, a look of bewilderment was in its place. This was followed by a look of great scorn, disgust, and eventually ridicule.“Look who we’ve got here, the school's slave,” he suddenly laughed brilliantly, but Alex Johnson dared not utter a voice despite the agony he was feeling.He intended to stay in this position until Cliff Sotto have enough pleasure and then leave him alone, but what Cliff Sotto said afterward voided this decision.“Now that you’ve caused a dent in my car, how're you going to pay now?”Immediately he heard this, Alex’s face became filled with nervousness and fear, then he stuttered. “But… but… but you… you're clear… clearly the one who drove on the wrong lane, why… why would I still pay for the damage caused?”The moment he stuttered this, the crowd who were initially giving him pitiful gazes gasped, then their eyes widen and they began to mutter behind their breaths in shock.“He… he actually dares to blame Cliff Sotto?”“Wow! What great courage he has there!’“Is he tired of living a good life?”They continued gasping and gaping with shock, amazement, ridicule, contempt, and all sort of emotions in their voices.As for Cliff Sotto, a cold look that could petrify someone to death already covered his mockery-filled face, while the scared expression on Alex Johnson's face directly intensified.He already understood that he had messed up right now since he has played right into Cliff Sotto's hands in the end.Just as he was going to say something in self-defense, he saw Cliff Sotto's arm tightening up and lifting in an offensive stance.Alex Johnson immediately squinted and shut his eyes firmly. But just as he felt the fist's air on his face—clearly a warning that it was about to strike him, perhaps mutilating his face and breaking his teeth, a cool, melodic voice that seemed to be like that of an angel entered Alex's ears.“What's going on here?”As soon as the voice was heard, Cliff Sotto's arms came to an abrupt stop and quickly grew weak, then he patted Alex Johnson's shoulder with a phony concern.“You okay, right?”He uttered while clenching his teeth unhappily.******7 p.m., Chase City, at the Johnson family’s estate.There are currently a lot of people gathered together inside a huge hall that is well-lit, grandiosely decorated, and filled with warmth and a joyful atmosphere.They were busy discussing amongst themselves, establishing connections, and eating and drinking when suddenly, a cultivated voice sounded, interrupting the buzz.Everybody abruptly stopped and dropped what they were doing mid-action before turning their attention toward the speaker, the old matriarch Johnson of the Johnson family, who just turned eighty today."To everybody that came and brought wonderful presents for my birthday celebration today, I love you all and I appreciate your gifts." "Thank you fo-."Just as everybody was feeling flattered by her speech, an unexpected voice abruptly interrupted, startling them all."Hum... grandmother, we seemed to be forgetting someone here right now."Instantly, everybody turned their heads toward the source of the sound, an
*****"Wife, please, do you have any cash on you there?" "_""Huh?!"Everybody instantly became flabbergasted when they heard what came out of Rex Magnus' mouth, then their mouths instantly widened. Some people couldn’t even help but subconsciously dip their fingers into their ears, wondering if they’d heard wrongly, but who would have thought that Rex Magnus would repeat the question? While they were all still feeling dumbfounded, both the old matriarch and Rex Magnus' wife trembled all over to the extent that one would think they were experiencing extreme coldness if they didn’t know better. Even Ethan, the guy who put Rex Magnus in the spotlight, wasn’t expecting this from Rex Magnus at all.He had done what he did mainly because he wanted Rex Magnus to embarrass himself by saying he didn’t bring any presents or for him to bring out a cheap or useless present. He had never expected that Rex Magnus would go this far at all, which shocked him. 'Why had I even overestimated the f
***** The elderly matriarch no longer cares about her appearance or status.She gestured frantically toward Rex Magnus with a burning desire to see him suffer.Rex Magnus became further confused as he witnessed the intensity of his grandmother-in-law's reaction.'Is giving someone money as a gift considered wrong?' he thought to himself, perplexed. 'Why then did those groups of young and elderly ones always become excited when I rewarded them with money back in the day?'Rex Magnus couldn’t help but abruptly scratch his head, feeling more confusedBack when Rex Magnus was still in the position of the divine general, everybody under him was always mostly pleased with receiving monetary rewards from him. However, his maid had once informed him that none of the recipients had spent the cash, instead choosing to frame it and pass it down as a family heirloom. Interestingly, Rex Magnus himself had once overheard some soldiers boasting to their significant others about receiving a divine
*****Just after the voice finished sounding breathless, another footstep began to walk in. But unlike the first one, this footstep sounded more elegantly and quiet to the extent that nobody would have heard had the place not been completely quiet after everybody heard the servant's report. Also, apart from how quiet and elegant this footstep is sounding, everybody could already tell how influential and great the person must be with how unhurried the footsteps were coming. Everybody instantly forgot themselves and turned their gazes hotly to the door. Even the old matriarch wasn’t expecting this visitor at all.She currently is flabbergasted to her very core right now. Of cause, everybody knows the Bottoms family like the back of their hands. Although it wasn’t the most powerful and influential family in Chase city, it had been standing amidst the top second-ranked families for years without shaking at all, while the Johnson family, although they were also powerful, they weren’t
*****“Young master Bottoms, I wasn’t expecting your magnificent self to attend my birthday banquet, it's a wonderful surprise.” The Old Madamé Johnson suddenly expressed shamelessly. But the thing is that, apart from Alan Bottoms and Rex Magnus, nobody in the huge hall found anything wrong with her sudden change of disposition at all. Well… it wasn’t their fault though. The highest ranked family present were in the same rank as the Johnson family, third rated families, so to everybody standing before Alan Bottoms right at this moment, they were like mortals standing before an immortal. ‘What's this lowly old woman talking about?’ Alan Bottoms who had been startled by the Old Matriarch's unexpected words suddenly thought with flustered eyes. ‘Aren't I only here for her granddaughter? What in the hell does she mean by saying she had never expected I would come to her birthday banquet? Is today her birthday? What a coincidence!’ Suddenly, an elegant and slight grin appeared on Al
******“The great young master Bottoms of the Bottoms family wants to propose a marriage between himself and the Johnson family!!!” Everybody's eyes instantly widen to the extent that they almost started falling out of their sockets. What Alan Bottoms said just now is completely out of their expectations and thoughts. “Wow!!! What a lucky family!” After overcoming their shock, thick enviousness that could almost drown an entire nation abruptly descended over everybody. As for Rex Magnus who also heard this statement, he doesn’t think much about it because his wife wasn’t the only young lady in the Johnson family. Also, he felt that she wouldn't be an option since she was already married to him. Thinking dismissively like this, he finally walked away without anybody noticing......“You… you… you want to marry someone from my family?” The Old Matriarch ultimately returned to her senses after looking astonished for a while and instantly became thoroughly excited to an extent tha
***** Everybody's heads followed the direction in which Alan Bottoms' finger was pointed, then instantly, all the buzzes within the hall died down and all sorts of expressions appeared on their faces. Two people standing beside each other could be seen there, Fiona and Sally. Right now, the two's mouths could be seen completely wide open. They couldn’t believe what they just heard. After a while, Sally gradually regained her composure and soon felt a surge of excitement building within her, growing into an overwhelming wave of fervor. She wasn’t expecting this great news. “You… you want to marry my daughter?” She suddenly questioned unconsciously. Hearing this, Alan Bottoms glanced at Sally, and although he felt nothing. Not even the slightest respect, he still nodded his head. “Yes aunty, your daughter had stolen my heart since the first day I set my eyes on her.” Apart from Sally and Alan Bottoms, nobody could still react. After another long while, Ethan's eyes abruptly f
*****“What nonsense are you brat talking, I dare you to repeat what you just said again!”Sally suddenly glared ferociously at her daughter, as if she would shoot out laser beams from her eyes and evaporate her to nothingness if she dares repeat what she just said.But unfortunately for her and the entire Johnson family, Fiona has already lost it completely right now to care about anything.“No!!!” She stood her ground without being moved at all and suddenly spat.“I will never agree to this! I’m a married woman!”Not flinching nor looking scared, she added.“How could I suddenly be told to marry another man?”Hearing this, the old Matriarch began to tremble all over again.She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.Ever since she knew Fiona. Apart from always acting cold, she had never been disrespectful to her or her seniors even when cursed to damnation.This is the first time.‘This stupid brat. How could she act like this at this critical moment?’The Old Matriarch