In Erudia, a private jet landed at North Hampton Airport, where all international flights experienced an eight-hour delay because of it.
At the private passageway were five men in suits and leather shoes, standing as straight as a javelin.
Every now and then, they would raise their wrist to look at the time, for a big shot was coming to town.
The upper-class society of North Hampton had learned about his arrival, but no one had the capability to get an inch closer to the private passageway.
Even the richest man in North Hampton who came to pay homage was chased away.
Finally, there were movements coming from the passageway.
“God of War!!!” the mass cried out, their eyes filled with awe and veneration at the sight of the undefeatable legend of Erudia.
He, who was dubbed the God of War, was the one and only five-star war God in the history of Erudia.
Once, he’d inflicted a crushing defeat on the strongest battalions in eighteen countries. He was an overbearing and formidable man.
He who overwhelmed the world with his unparalleled power had even created the Five Great Wars Regiment, Cavalry Regiment, and many more.
…
Setting foot on his homeland, Levi Garrison was overcome with emotions.
Once upon a time, he used to be an orphan who was abandoned on the streets of North Hampton and then adopted by the Garrison family.
However, the Garrison family had never been fond of him.
His adoptive parents, who had a tendency to beat and scold him, treated him like an outsider.
As for the outsiders, they treated him as a nobody.
But he didn’t care a stiver. He had always been proud of his surname since he was a child, and he strived to bring glory to this family when he grew older.
At last, Levi had established Levi Group, the largest dark horse in North Hampton’s business community.
With billions of assets, it ranked among the forefront of North Hampton, pushing the declining Garrison family to the top.
However, not only did the Garrison family showed no signs of appreciation, they even harbored dissatisfaction towards him. Jealous of his success, they regarded him as a thorn in their flesh and coveted Levi Group.
No matter his wealth and power, unless they were in control, he was just an outsider in the Garrison family’s eyes.
Eventually, on Levi’s wedding night, the Garrison family plotted a frame-up against him by getting him drunk before tossing him onto his sister-in-law’s bed. They wanted to create the illusion that he was doing something untoward to her and was caught in bed by his brother and adoptive parents.
That night, the Garrison family had brutally broken his limbs and left him on the road like a wild dog.
Not only was he handicapped, but he also had to take the flak for something he didn’t commit.
From an upstart in the business world, he had become the target of disdain overnight.
And the next day, he had been punished for several crimes and sentenced to six years in prison.
He could never forget the ruthless and sinister faces of everyone in the Garrison family and the ridicule of his friends, classmates, and business partners.
More so, he could never forget the disappointment on his newly wedded wife, Zoey’s face.
He had regarded the Garrison family as his home and devoted himself to the family.
Yet, they treated him like trash.
It felt as if a knife was being twisted in his heart every time he thought about this.
How he hated the Garrison family!
But who would have thought that Levi had been secretly transferred away from prison to join the military?
In a few years, he dominated the military world and became the one and only five-star God of War.
Now that he came back, the Garrison family ought to stay on their toes.
“How’s it going, Azure Dragon?” Levi asked.
Azure Dragon, the commander of the Five Great Wars Regiment, took a step forward and said respectfully, “Sir, I’m afraid your wife, Ms. Zoey Lopez will remarry at ten o’clock tonight!”
Ever since Zoey’s husband was sent to prison on their wedding night, she had been living like a widow.
Only God knew how much pressure she was put under.
And right now, the person Levi couldn’t wait to see the most was Zoey.
After a moment of hesitation, Azure Dragon continued, “To add on, Sir, the Garrison family is holding a successful listing celebration banquet at the Crystal Palace Hotel tonight! Many people had invited the God of War just now, including the Garrison family, but I didn’t accept nor refuse directly.”
“What time?” Levi asked tersely.
“Eight o’clock, Sir.”
“Okay. Tell the Garrison family I will attend the banquet!”
Since the time for the two events didn’t clash, Levi gladly accepted the invitation.
The celebration banquet for the public listing of Garrison Group was held at North Hampton’s Crystal Palace Hotel.
With the help of Levi Group, they had become a rich and powerful family in one fell swoop.
The hall was bustling with noise and excitement, and sounds of glasses clinking could be heard ringing in the air every now and then.
“God bless the Garrison family,” said Joseph, the head of the Garrison family. “The younger generations are the stars among men. Garrison Group is now listed and has become an upstart in North Hampton!”
Joseph’s three sons and daughter welcomed their guests with bright smiles on their faces.
The younger generation of the Garrison family was all the smugger and prouder because, after today, the Garrison family would become a powerful family, and they would become one of the top rich kids.
Most of the guests who attended today’s banquet were from the top circle in North Hampton.
“Garrison, do you know what happened today?! Your celebration party is nothing compared to that.” They were gossiping about the major event that had happened today.
“Yeah! I heard that a big shot has arrived in North Hampton!”
“The richest man in North Hampton wanted to meet him but was shooed away. Apparently, he’s not qualified enough!”
“So? Jesse Nielsen had been waiting for five hours in advance at the airport!”
Joseph nodded. “Yes, I know about that too. I even sent someone to invite this big shot to the celebration party!”
“No way! Why would this big shot attend such a party?”
No one believed it.
In fact, as an upstart, Joseph was just trying his luck.
“Dad!” shouted Jaycob, the second eldest son of the Garrison family could be seen running over. “The big shot has accepted our invitation to attend our celebration banquet! He’s on the way!”
“Jesus! God has indeed blessed the Garrison family!”
Everyone in the Garrison family could barely conceal their delight as this was their chance to reach the sky in a single bound.
The grandchildren of the Garrison family gathered together, sunshine flooding their souls.
Levi’s brother, Bryan, and sister-in-law, Victoria, smiled. “Well, it all starts with Levi’s imprisonment that the Garrison family is at where we are today…”
“Right, speaking about Levi, do you guys know today’s the day that kid gets out of prison?!” somebody asked abruptly.
“Really? Isn’t that bad luck? Why did he have to be released on such a big day?!”
“Please, please, please don’t come back! He’s the Garrison family’s biggest disgrace!”
Victoria’s lips tugged into a sneer. “Speaking of which, Levi is the crowning glory of the Garrison family’s status today.”
“That’s what he’s supposed to do!” Bryan said. “He should contribute to the Garrison family for raising him, an orphan! His multi-billion Levi Group means nothing. To put it bluntly, he’s just a dog raised by the Garrison family!”
Someone gave a chortle. “As a matter of fact, I’ve been interested in Levi’s wife for a long time now. She’s still widowed, and I’m so going to marry her!”
The man’s remark caused gales of laughter.
“Everyone, stop what you’re doing. I have an important announcement to make,” Joseph said and went on to announce that the big shot was coming.
A thunderous applause was heard.
But when the applause had died down, there was still someone clapping.
The sound was loud and clear, approaching from afar.
On the red carpet, a man came clapping, looking bold and energetic.
His stride gave off a majestic and imposing aura, which made the mass hold their breaths.
“It’s Levi!” Bryan and Victoria exclaimed.
Suddenly, all eyes were riveted on him.
“I forgot this little brat got out of jail today!” Levi’s adoptive parents spoke in unison.
Ignoring the astonished gazes darted at his way, Levi walked step by step towards Joseph.
“A little bird told me that the company is now listed. How are you feeling, Joseph? Are you happy?”
Levi flashed him a meaningful smile.
“How dare you show up here, you insolent brat! And what did you just call me?” Joseph’s fury sprang to life.
“Who let him in? Didn’t you know he just got out of prison? How inauspicious!”
Bryan rose to his feet. “What the hell are you doing here, Levi?”
Levi sized him up. “Why can’t I be here?”
“Well, for starters, you’re an orphan! The Garrison family has raised you, but you were ambitious and ungrateful. You had inordinate ambitions for your sister-in-law, and you wanted to take possession of the Garrison family! You’d even tried to kill your parents when things go south! Have you no conscience? Do you have any sense of morality left in your heart?”
“You’ve lost your reputation in North Hampton, and everyone knows that. Have you no shame to have the brass neck to come round here?”
Zoey and her parents rubbed their eyes in an effort to ensure that this was no dream. That person is, in fact, Benny Quinton! He’s visiting our house!
Levi and Benny helped Aaron and Caitlyn to rise from the floor immediately.
The couple was taken aback by the pleasant surprise.
Benny Quinton had helped them up from the floor.
That was a story they could boast about for the rest of their lives.
The people who had helped them up were actually two of the most significant figures in Erudia.
Aaron and Caitlyn were the only people in the entire nation who had the luxury of enjoying such treatment.
“I’m here for a visit, Mr. and Mrs. Lopez!” Benny greeted.
Aaron and Caitlyn were startled.
They did not think they were worthy enough to be on the receiving end of Benny’s courteous address.
Levi frowned. “Why are both of you so excited? Did I not ask Zoey to inform you in advance?”
Boom!
Aaron and Caitlyn almost knelt on the floor after listening to Levi’s comment.
Indeed, Zoey had informed them. She had even told them to prepare dinner.
Unfortunately, none of them believed in Levi. They did not expect him to be able to invite Benny Quinton over for dinner.
That was an unbelievable feat in their opinion.
“Don’t tell me no one prepared dinner?” Levi’s frown deepened. How can I explain myself to Mr. Quinton?
Aaron, Caitlyn, and Zoey lowered their heads, remaining downcast.
Zoey was overwhelmed with guilt because she had doubted Levi too.
Levi heaved out a sigh.
Aaron and Caitlyn were embarrassed.
“Mr. Quinton, I…” Levi was unaware of what else to say.
“That’s alright, Levi. I can understand this situation.” Benny had guessed the reason behind the lack of preparations, made by Zoey and her parents.
“Hurry up and prepare the dinner! Do you want Mr. Quinton to stand here and wait the entire night?”
The trio regained their senses upon hearing Levi’s reminder.
They invited Benny into the house and headed straight to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Luckily, there were some vegetables and meat left in the refrigerator.
Aaron was caught in a difficult situation because there was no good wine left in the house.
“Don’t worry about that, father. I’ve brought two bottles of liquor over, from the Warzone.”
Levi was glad he had prepared the liquor, saving himself from further embarrassment.
Dinner was soon served swiftly, as Zoey received help from her parents inside the kitchen.
It all felt surreal, taking in the sight of Benny, seated around the dining table.
That man was Benny Quinton! The legendary figure in Erudia’s medical field. A person who was as important as the nation’s treasure.
I can’t believe he’s here in our house. This is incredible!
Aaron, Caitlyn, and Zoey even took pictures of Benny in secret. They never imagined the impact that those photos would create in the future.
Although Benny was a high and mighty figure, he was still a down-to-earth person. He had repeatedly praised Aaron and his family for the home-cooked meal and the pleasant wine.
Living these tranquil moments like a normal person was Benny’s favorite lifestyle.
Aaron could not contain his curiosity for long, after having his share of liquor. “Why did you accept my son-in-law’s invitation, Mr. Quinton? We’d thought that something like this would never happen!”
Zoey and Caitlyn nodded in agreement.
Benny gave Levi a meaningful look before he explained with a smile, “The first reason is that I am now acquainted with Levi since he had driven me around today. Besides, I am aware Levi is the founder of this core technology that helped create these medical apparatuses. I sincerely respect people like him.”
“I see! You’re indeed a role model to learn from in the medical field, Mr. Quinton! Cheers!” Aaron raised his glass.
In their opinion, Benny was merely humble enough to accept Levi’s invitation. Hence, they thought of Benny as a generous and great man.
Benny was about to leave after filling up his stomach.
“I’ll be sending Mr. Quinton off now.”
“Okay. Be careful! Take Zoey’s car.”
Ultimately, Levi drove Benny over to Maple Manor.
That was the place where Azure Dragon, Phoenix, and the others lived.
“You don’t have to arrange for me to stay in this extravagant place. I’m alright, staying at my current place,” Benny quipped.
“I need to prioritize your safety, Mr. Quinton!”
Levi arranged for Benny and his secretary to stay in Maple Manor. Mr. Quinton’s well-being should be secured since this place is guarded by soldiers at all times.
Morris Group’s increasing fame and their products overwhelmed the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce’s influence all of a sudden.
The Chamber was slow to react to Morris Group’s success, as Morris Group had almost dominated the medical apparatus market.
Even the technicians working under the Chamber were planning to resign, from their jobs and bring their talents to Morris Group.
“Let us merely observe, during this critical moment. We’ll wait until the end of the commander-in-chief’s appointment ceremony before we make any moves.”
Eric and the others were depressed. However, they were forced to endure Morris Group’s advancement.
Even the wealthiest family in North Hampton, the Gonzales family, felt threatened by Morris Group’s rising.
The last time they had felt as such, was when Levi was still the person-in-charge, of Levi Group.
However, everyone was still focused on Benny Quinton’s arrival at that moment.
Benny had to stay in North Hampton for some time because he would be attending the appointment ceremony as well.
Many people had invited Benny to their gatherings and events, but he had rejected all of their invitations.
Benny refused to stay idle in the upcoming days.
He went to work at North Hampton City First Hospital.
However, he did not join the hospital as a specialist. Rather, Benny joined as a normal doctor.
All patients would only have to pay twelve bucks to receive treatment from him.
That was a great blessing to every citizen in North Hampton.
A lot of patients who were contracted with complicated diseases went to visit Benny.
Benny even arranged for Caitlyn to become his assistant.
The appointment caused Caitlyn’s position to rise in the hospital’s hierarchy. It was almost certain, for her to be selected as the director of her department.
Levi smiled wryly after he was made aware of that news.
He had wanted Benny to get some rest while he stayed in North Hampton.
To his dismay, Benny went to work as usual because he was not a man who enjoyed having too much leisure time.
That was one of the reasons why Benny Quinton was one of the most significant figures in Erudia.
Benny worked as a front-liner and treated plenty of patients, for the next few days.
He treated all of his patients fairly, regardless of their family background.
North Hampton turned into a hot spot for medical tourism, all the fruits of labor, of Benny’s influence.
Even Caitlyn became a small celebrity, simply working alongside him.
One day, Benny was working in his office.
Suddenly, a group of ferocious men entered the facility in an imposing manner.
They were obviously thugs who were up to no good.
Everyone inside the hallway scurried away after they noticed the thugs’ menacing gazes.
The group of thugs, that consisted of no lesser than eight men, disregarded the long queue outside and barged into Benny’s office.
“What are you doing? If you’re here to receive treatment from Mr. Quinton, then you need to take a number and wait for your turn!” Caitlyn reminded.
Slap!
The man leading the group of thugs slapped Caitlyn’s face mercilessly.
She staggered backward and slumped onto the floor, as that man’s slap left a visible mark on her face.
The patients seated inside the office were frightened by the scene, so they hurriedly left the room.
Benny was unfazed as he was an experienced man in life. He questioned the group of unreasonable men angrily, “Who are you? Why have you hit an innocent person?”
The leader of the gang raised his hands and answered Benny politely, “I’m sorry to have interrupted your day, Mr. Quinton.”
“What do you want?” Benny asked.
He could gather that the group of people must have hailed from a powerful background.
“There’s no need for you to be nervous, Mr. Quinton. We are here because we want to invite Mr. Quinton to attend to a patient.” The man smiled.
“That person should come to the hospital and wait for their turn if he or she is sick. I will be here in North Hampton in these upcoming days,” Benny replied.
“No, no, no, Mr. Quinton. My young master told us to invite you to the house. It is inappropriate for someone with my young master’s status to come all the way to the hospital to receive treatment.”
Benny rejected him at once, “I’m sorry, but I will not follow you anywhere. I will only accept patients who visit the hospital!”
The man’s face darkened after listening to Benny’s statement. He roared, “You are indeed a stubborn old man! Yield or face the consequences!”
Benny laughed. “What are you planning to do then?”
“I’ll have to take you away by force if you are unwilling to cooperate with us! Sorry about this!” The man’s eyes gleamed with malicious intent.
“That’s right, Mr. Quinton! Don’t force us to resort to that method. Moreover, we are only inviting you to attend to a patient. There’s nothing for you to be afraid of.” The others chimed in.
Benny was determined. “No. This is a matter of principle. I will reject anyone that invites me. However, I do welcome patients who come to see me in the hospital!”
“Everyone reveres you as if you are a Godlike being. But to me, you are nothing but a lowly doctor! How dare you think so highly of yourself, acting all high and mighty in front of us?”
“That’s right! It’s time to get off your high horse! We are inviting you to follow us politely because of your respectable reputation. However, you should really know your place!”
“You are just a dumb doctor! It is already a great honor for you to receive an invitation from our young master!”
The group’s leader grabbed Benny and dragged him out of the office as he spoke.
Caitlyn quickly stopped them from leaving.
Bam!
The thugs kicked Caitlyn’s abdomen. She fell onto the floor, drenched in a cold sweat, as pain washed over her.
The group of men brought Benny away from the hospital afterward.
The security guards tried to stop them, but they were swiftly defeated by the thugs.
They boarded several cars and left the hospital after a few moments.
Levi, Isaiah, and the other executives of Morris Group were discussing a matter when Levi received a call from Zoey.
“Levi, something bad has happened! A group of men went to the hospital earlier. They’d beaten mother up and had even brought Mr. Quinton away!”
Levi was upset after hanging up the phone.
“This is outrageous!”
He made a phone call and ordered harshly, “Find out Mr. Quinton’s location at once, Phoenix!”
North Hampton City was formed by combining two large cities in the past, namely Hampton City and North City.
The current North Hampton City was actually a newly developed area, combining both Hampton City and North City.
There were regions from the two cities that were not included in the formation of North Hampton. The citizens living in the outskirts preferred to refer to their living area as Hampton City or North City.
At that moment, inside a manor situated in Hampton City.
That manor was overwhelmingly large, close to the size of a town.
It was rumored that the manor was home to the God of War, thus the place was named, ‘War God’s Mansion’.
Almost two hundred bodyguards were stationed inside every corner of the manor.
Two people were seated inside a gazebo in the middle of a man-made lake.
It was an elderly man, accompanied by a middle-aged man.
The former had appeared to be of old age, as all his hair had turned white.
The middle-aged man was holding a fan in his hand. Printed on the fan were the words, ‘God of War’.
They were the owners of that manor.
There was a popular saying in North Hampton’s underworld, stating, ‘no one can match the cruelty and bloodlust of Jack Jr., Nueve, and the Invincible-thirteen’.
However, there was another saying that went around a long time ago as well, which stated, ‘the God of War was the determiner of North Hampton’s peace’.
The God of War, Liam Macy, was the true ruler of North Hampton’s underworld.
Even the King of North Hampton, Jack Smith, was Liam’s apprentice.
That fact alone was sufficient enough, to underline the terror, that Liam’s had caused.
He was the true boss of North Hampton’s underworld.
Liam had reigned over Hampton City and North City’s underworld before the two cities had combined to become the current North Hampton.
He resided in the outskirts after the geographical change and had been living a low-profile and secluded life in recent years.
Hence, the God of War, Liam Macy, began fading from everyone’s awareness.
Most people were only familiar with the King of North Hampton and the Invincible-thirteen, at the mention of North Hampton’s underworld forces.
The newcomers who had joined any of the underworld gangs were no longer aware of the God of War’s existence.
However, the God of War was the real King of North Hampton.
The God of War’s influence far exceeded the King of North Hampton, Jack Smith, even at that point in time.
The person seated before the God of War, Liam Macy, was his son, Nathan Macy.
Nathan Macy was different from his father. He was a domineering man who would resort to violence, in order to resolve every issue he faced.
Nathan would have taken control of the North Hampton’s underworld, obliterating people such as Jack Smith, if not for Liam’s restrictions.
He did not fancy staying in the outskirts, but he had to obey his father’s command.
Nathan was playing chess with Liam at that moment.
A young man dressed lavishly approached Liam all of a sudden. “Are the two of you playing chess, grandpa, father?”
“You’re here, Andy.” Liam gazed up at his grandson, Andy Macy, with affection.
Liam had established Macy Group, a corporation involved in over a dozen industries, in recent years to legalize their family’s business.
Liam cared deeply for his grandson, even going as far as to treating Andy as his heir.
That was the reason behind Andy’s arrogant and self-centered personality. It had caused him to frequently stir up trouble.
Andy glanced at Liam and announced, “Grandpa, I’d noticed your deteriorating health recently. Hence, I’ve arranged for a surprise for you!”
Nathan and Liam gazed at Andy curiously. “Oh? What’s the surprise?”
“You should be aware of Benny Quinton’s arrival in North Hampton, I suppose?” Andy asked.
“Yes, we do.”
“I’ve invited Benny Quinton over to our house so that he can examine grandpa, father, and mother’s health conditions!” Andy answered with excitement.
Liam and Nathan were surprised after listening to Andy. “What? You’ve invited Benny Quinton? He has never accepted any invitations, as far as I’m concerned. He’d even rejected Winston Gonzales and the others!”
Andy smiled. “That’s right. He’s indeed a stubborn old man. I can’t believe he’d wanted grandpa to visit the hospital and wait for your turn! With our status, he should be coming to us!”
Liam sensed something from Andy’s words. He could not help but ask, “So?”
“I’ve brought him here by force since he’s unwilling to cooperate with us!” Andy pronounced cheerfully.
Nathan nodded. “That’s right. That old and stubborn fool is too arrogant. Your decisions are absolutely correct, son!”
However, Liam frowned. “This could be troublesome. I’m afraid that something bad will happen since we are talking about Benny Quinton, after all.”
“What’s there to be afraid of, father? We haven’t done anything wrong anyway. We are only inviting him to attend to your sickness. We’ve paid our respects to him, even though we were using a rather extreme method to invite him over.”
Nathan did not think that there was anything wrong with Andy’s way of handling the matter because of his assertive nature. He even thought that it was a polite way of inviting Benny over to their house.
Andy nodded. “Father is right, grandpa! We are not harming Benny Quinton in any manner. I am sure that he will be delighted after we pay him a huge amount of treatment fees for his effort.”
Liam was convinced. “You’ve got a point there. Moreover, why do I have to be afraid? It’s not wrong for me to invite him over. No one has the right to reject the Macy family’s invitation in this world!”
Benny was brought over to ‘the War God’s Mansion’, swiftly after.
“Hey, old man Ben! Hurry up and conduct a health checkup for my grandpa. I’ll reward you handsomely if your treatment is effective!” Andy sneered, with his hands tucked inside his pockets.
To his dismay, Benny merely regarded him with a cold stare.
“Oh my, what’s the matter? Are you unhappy because we aren’t paying you in advance? In that case, I’ll give you some money immediately. Then, I will top up the rest of the amount after you’re done with the treatment. I can even build a private hospital for you!” Andy jeered at Benny.
Nathan came to a halt in front of Benny. “I am terribly sorry to have brought you here by force, Mr. Quinton. But you will receive a lot of benefits if you attend to my father’s sickness.”
Benny shook his head. “I refuse to do so. I’m not attending to anyone’s sickness!”
“What did you say, old man? I dare you to repeat yourself!” Andy was infuriated. “Do you know who we are? My grandpa is the most formidable person in North Hampton. He’s nicknamed the God of War! You should consider it an honor, for us to bring you here!”
“That’s right! My father is Liam Macy. I am Nathan Macy. Our family is rather powerful in North Hampton. Although we are living a secluded life now, my father used to rule North Hampton’s underworld in the past!” Nathan announced with a smile.
Nathan’s humble pretense in his speech did not dampen his insolence.
Benny looked at the pair of father and son in disdain. Can your family’s background match up with my close friend, the God of War?
“Don’t worry, Mr. Quinton. We will send you back to the hospital after you are done with my father’s treatment. Not only will you receive a large amount of reward, but you will also be considered as the Macy’s family’s friend!” Nathan reassured.
Others would have been shocked to their cores by Nathan’s offer because countless people had tried all that they could, to befriend the Macy family.
Despite Liam’s current secluded lifestyle, plenty of influential figures would visit him every day.
They were putting forth their best efforts to be acquainted with him.
Unfortunately, only a selected few had truly befriended the Macy family.
Benny shook his head again. “I do not need that many friends. You should bring me back as soon as possible. Otherwise, the Macy family will be in deep trouble.”
Nathan and Andy exchanged glances after receiving Benny’s advice. Then, both of them laughed aloud.
There were three untouchable forces in North Hampton.
The wealthiest man, Winston Gonzales, the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce, and the God of War, Liam Macy.
It was an impossible task for anyone to defeat these three powerful forces.
“Oh? Are you a fortune teller, Mr. Quinton? When will trouble befall our family?” Liam croaked. He crossed his hands behind his back and walked up to Benny slowly.
Liam shared the appearance of an ordinary man. But he exuded a domineering and impressive aura from his body.
Benny felt Liam’s overwhelming presence at once.
Benny had met with people from all walks of life. He was certain that Liam’s imposing manner was one of the most spectacular he had ever witnessed.
“I respect you, Mr. Quinton. I’d wanted to send you back to the hospital because I did not want to cause anyone any inconvenience. But I am intrigued by what you have just said. I do wonder, who has the capabilities to inflict trouble on the Macy family?” Liam questioned coldly.
Benny persuaded him, “I advise you to send me back at once. Otherwise, you will invite trouble to yourselves. Some things are beyond my control.”
“Hahaha… I heard that no one has ever successfully invited you to any event or gathering. I shall be the first person to achieve this accomplishment! Let’s see how long I can make you stay in my house!” Liam was uncompromising.
He wanted to take the risk of going against Benny’s advice.
Nathan and Andy wore smug expressions on their faces.
Members of the Macy family were overbearing. They did as they pleased and disregarded all the rules whenever they had yearned, for things to go their way.
They did not care about the Gonzales family or the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce.
The Macy family was the family that had caused the most problems to arise for Jesse Nielsen because of their extensive influence and volatile nature, unlike the relatively docile Gonzales family and the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce.
Any unpredictable move from the Macy family would be disastrous to North Hampton, yet there was no way to restrain them.
Benny smiled. “Then we’ll see what’s going to happen.”
Right then, the news of the incident that had happened in the hospital spread like wildfire in North Hampton.
Some people had abducted Benny Quinton from City First Hospital and had even beaten up over a dozen hospital staff, including doctors, nurses, and security guards.
All the citizens were enraged by the news.
Everyone in North Hampton began searching for Benny’s whereabouts.
The Gonzales family and the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce were utilizing all of their connections to locate Benny as well because that was a golden opportunity for them.
Anyone who could rescue Benny Quinton would become acquainted with him, receiving endless bouts of benefits from that mere connection.
The police did not intervene in the matter because no one had filed a report.
Unfortunately, there was actually another reason behind such a peculiar turn of events.
Levi had decided to take charge of the matter related to Benny. Hence, no one else had the right to meddle.
Half an hour later.
All the formidable forces in North Hampton received news of Benny’s current location in ‘the War God’s Mansion’, in Hampton City.
They were also made aware of the identity of the person who had kidnapped Benny. That person was the God of War, Liam Macy’s, grandson, Andy Macy.
Inside the most luxurious villa in North Hampton.
Winston Gonzales put on his clothes and announced, “Let’s go. We are going to the Macy family’s house in the outskirts!”
The Gonzales family sped in the outskirt’s direction.
Their cars arrived at ‘the War God’s Mansion’, after a short while.
Another fleet of cars came to a halt in front of the Mansion from another direction at the same time.
Eric Robinson, Wallace Henderson, and the lot alighted their cars.
They were people from the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce.
The Gonzales family and the people from the Chamber were the first to arrive at the scene.
“Let’s head in together! We will make further discussion after rescuing Mr. Quinton!” Winston Gonzales urged.
“Alright. Let’s do this together!” Eric Robinson and his friends agreed to Winston’s suggestion.
Then, they followed him to the entrance of ‘the War God’s Mansion’.
The door to the Mansion was tightly shut, without any guards around.
Clint stepped forward and knocked on the door after Winston waved his hand.
“Please inform your master, Winston Gonzales from the Gonzales family and the four noble families from the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce, Eric Robinson, Wallace Henderson, Clifford Anderson, and Baldwin Williamson are here to meet with the God of War!” Clint demanded.
The people inside the War God’s Mansion gasped after listening to Clint’s announcement. Did we underestimate Benny Quinton’s significance? The two most formidable forces in North Hampton have arrived so swiftly? Even Winston Gonzales is here in person.
Nathan informed Liam of that news immediately after he was made aware of their arrivals.
“Hm? They’re all here?” Liam was mildly astounded.
“What should we do, father?” Nathan asked.
Liam’s lips curled into a sneer. “I do not care about anyone else in North Hampton except for Jesse Nielsen. Winston Gonzales and the others are at most having the same social status as me. However, I could not care less about them, to be honest. We’ve got nothing to worry about!”
Nathan nodded. “Yes, father!”
Winston and the others waited for over ten minutes outside ‘the War God’s Mansion’, before the door was finally pushed open.
A young man marched through the door. He was Andy Macy.
Andy cupped his hands and announced, “Please return, everyone. My grandpa will not be able to entertain any guests, as he is recuperating.”
“Andy, will you pass along a message for us? We are here today because we have something urgent to discuss with your grandfather!” Winston was determined.
Andy’s eyes gleamed with a menacing glint.
“Guards, send them away!”
Hurried footsteps closed in immediately, after he spoke.
In a split second, over a hundred guards surrounded Winston and the others.
“Leave!” All of them shouted at the same time.
Winston and the other leaders of the noble families from the Chamber exchanged glances with one another.
They knew that Liam was taking them lightly.
They were left with the single option of entering the Mansion by force, to rescue Benny. Unfortunately, Winston and the rest did not have the courage to do so.
They had no other choice but to leave depressingly because they did not want to suffer a loss by clashing forces with the Macy family.
Phoenix reported the news to Levi after he laid his hands on that piece of information.
“The God of War, Liam Macy? Is he powerful?” Levi asked.
“He’s very powerful! He’s the real ruler of North Hampton’s underworld. Even the King of North Hampton, Jack Smith, is Liam’s apprentice. His capabilities are on par with Winston Gonzales. Even Mr. Nielsen has to pay his respects to Liam Macy!” Phoenix explained.
“Someone of his caliber exists in North Hampton? This is my first time hearing his name.” Levi was astonished.
“Sir, Liam Macy has been living a secluded life in the outskirts of North Hampton. Most people in the city are no longer conscious of his presence.” Phoenix elaborated.
Azure Dragon and Kirin asked, “What shall we do now, Sir?”
“Is Mr. Quinton safe?” A cold glint shone in Levi’s eyes.
“He’s considered safe at the moment. It was Liam’s grandson, Andy, who’d brought Mr. Quinton away. He’d wanted Mr. Quinton to check on his grandfather’s condition.” Phoenix explained.
Levi slammed the tabletop with his hand. “He’s ridiculous!”
“I have an idea, Sir…” Azure Dragon piped up.
“Speak…”
“I am certain that Mr. Quinton will not wish for this matter to spiral out of control. So, I think we should resolve this matter in secret. Let’s ask Jack Smith to inform Liam to release Mr. Quinton and apologize to us since Jack Smith is Liam’s apprentice.” Azure Dragon suggested.
“Okay. You’re right. Mr. Quinton is not a fan of hassle.” Levi nodded in agreement.
“Bring Jack Smith here immediately!” Kirin went out to execute Levi’s order immediately.
Jack Smith, who was hanging out with his friends at that moment, was baffled by Levi’s summon.
He was frightened after Levi enlightened him of the on-going situation. Why did Master anger Levi Garrison out of so many people in this world?
Levi took out a piece of paper and wrote a few words, The God of War, Garrison.
“Hand this piece of paper over to Liam Macy and tell him to release Mr. Quinton right now. I want him to surrender his followers who’d hit those innocent people in the hospital too!” Levi commanded.
“Understood!” Jack Smith received the piece of paper with trembling hands and swiftly left Levi’s sight.
Meanwhile, over a hundred bodyguards had been positioned outside ‘the War God’s Mansion’.
The reason was that over a dozen people with high social statuses in North Hampton visited the place, in an attempt to rescue Benny, after Winston Gonzales and the people from the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce left.
Even Liam was impressed by Benny’s influence. Benny Quinton truly lives up to his reputation. It’s like I am the one who’s at fault here for offending someone as great as him!
However, Liam ordered his bodyguards to chase their visitors away because none of them was significant in Liam’s opinion.
“Is there any news on Mr. Nielsen?” Liam asked.
“Nope, father! I did not see any police here as well. I suppose they are turning a blind eye this time!” Nathan answered.
Liam nodded. “Great. I have nothing to worry about, as long as Mr. Nielsen stays silent.”
Jack Smith arrived right after a few groups of people were chased away by the bodyguards.
He was startled by the bodyguards’ formation in front of the Mansion.
“Who are you? Leave at once! Otherwise, we will not go easy on you!” One of the bodyguards bellowed, after noticing Jack Smith’s advance.
“I, Jack Smith, am here to visit my Master!” Jack Smith introduced himself.
“Oh, it’s you, Mr. Smith! Please, come in. My father welcomes you into the house!” Nathan welcomed Jack in person.
Inside the sitting room in ‘the War God’s Mansion’.
Liam was sipping on his cup of tea with Benny seated beside him.
“Why are you here, Jack?” Liam asked.
Thump!
Jack knelt before Liam before speaking a word.
Liam was taken aback by Jack’s unexpected gesture.
“Why are you doing this, Jack?”
Jack lowered his head and stammered, “Master… I… I do not dare to speak…”
“There’s no need to hesitate!” Liam was puzzled.
Nathan and Andy were caught in perplexity as well.
Benny’s lips curved upwards into a smile as if he knew what was going on.
“Speak!”
Liam raised his tone and grimaced.
Jack was shocked. He took out the piece of paper that Levi had handed to him earlier, as his body shuddered uncontrollably.
“Master, someone wants you to have this. He commands you to release Mr. Quinton immediately and apologize to him. He also wants you to surrender the few people who’d caused trouble in the hospital,” Jack spoke through gritted teeth.
“What? Who’s this outrageous b******? How dare he demand an apology from the Macy family? He must have a death wish!” Nathan and Andy responded.
Even the Gonzales family and members of the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce had to concede to the Macy family.
Liam could not think of another person who would have the courage to challenge his family in North Hampton.
He received the piece of paper without saying a word.
“The God of War, Garrison?” Liam read the words written on the paper.
Liam understood the message immediately. The Macy family’s trouble is here.
Logically speaking, the God of War was the only person, with the family name Garrison, who’d dared to refer to himself as the God of War in North Hampton.
Most of the elites in North Hampton were aware that the God of War’s family name was Garrison, after all.
Normally, any other person would have figured out the message written on the piece of paper instantaneously. However, the members of the Macy family were oblivious to that matter.
The reason was due to their misconception of the term, ‘God of War’.
Liam Macey’s nickname was ‘God of War’, so they would naturally think of Liam at the mention of the God of War.
None of them would relate the term to the God of War in the army.
The term varied between those two individuals.
‘The God of War’ was referring to a military rank, in Levi’s case, while that term was merely Liam’s nickname.
Liam frowned. “What does this mean?”
“Master, you’ve offended someone very powerful this time. I think that you should quickly release Mr. Quinton,” Jack suggested.
He did not reveal Levi’s identity for his own selfish reasons.
Jack had never successfully surpassed his Master, Liam, no matter how hard he had tried, or how influential he became, due to Liam’s constraint.
So, he wanted to seize that opportunity for Levi to eliminate Liam.
In that way, Liam’s family business would fall into his possession.
Jack could finally be the one true king of North Hampton.
Jack was deliberately provoking Liam to let the latter’s ego overwhelm his rationality.
“Are you warning me?”
Andy surmised, “The meaning behind this message is clear as day. You are the God of War while this person with the name Garrison desires to rescue Benny Quinton. He’s trying to threaten you with a family name!”
Liam and Nathan laughed aloud after listening to Andy’s analysis.
“A person with the family name Garrison in North Hampton? Could this person be from the Garrison family? That Garrison family that requires the Rogers family’s support? How dare he threaten the Macy family?” Liam roared.
“Bring me a piece of paper and pen!” Liam ordered.
Liam wrote a few more words on the back of the piece of paper, The God of War, Macy, Death.
The meaning behind the message was simple. Anyone who had the courage to defy the Macy family would have to face death.
Liam Macy was well-known in the underworld, as well as the upper-class society in North Hampton.
Anyone who was acquainted with Liam, sought out his help whenever they had faced trouble in recent years. Liam would often leave them with a piece of paper. Written on the piece of paper were the words, The God of War, Macy.
Those few words were all it took to resolve all their predicaments.
Any party that saw the message would be fearful because those words were like a direct threat coming from Liam himself.
No one had the guts to go against those who were under Liam’s protection.
Jack had relied on that matter, on multiple occasions, to instill fear in his enemies. They knelt before him once they had seen Liam Macy’s name printed on Jack’s fan.
“Return this piece of paper to that person. Now!” Liam ordered coldly.
Even Winston Gonzales and the members of the Chamber would have to yield before that message, not to mention a mere Garrison family member.
“Understood, Master. I’ll do as you say right away.” Jack received the piece of paper with shaky hands.
Jack made a swift return, to Levi.
Levi and the others were stunned as they read the few words written on the back of the paper.
“He’s so arrogant?” Levi uttered with a smile. Then he gave Jack a meaningful look.
Jack felt as though his intention was exposed, as Levi fixated his piercing gaze on him.
“What a daredevil, Liam Macy! How dare he refer to himself as the God of War?” Kirin was mad.
Levi lit a cigarette and smiled. “I’d wanted to resolve this matter peacefully, but he’s not accepting my kindness! Kirin!”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Transfer your Special Operations Regiment here. Let’s go!”
“Yes, Sir!”
A bizarre scene was observed on the main streets of Hampton City swiftly after.
A convoy of tanks sped in the direction of ‘the War God’s Mansion’.
Many passers-by gathered around to watch, but they were unaware of what was happening.
Over a hundred bodyguards were still blocking outsiders from entering the Mansion at that moment, as they continued to chase away groups of people.
The bodyguards chuckled as they thought to themselves, These people should learn to know their place. Even the wealthiest man, Winston Gonzales, has to yield to the Macy family, not to mention, what more of people like them?
Then, the bodyguards saw Jack Smith marching toward the entrance again.
However, this time, a few people were following behind him.
“Please head back, Mr. Smith. Mr. Macey had given us some orders. You are not allowed to go into the Mansion,” the leader of the bodyguards informed Jack.
Jack was wearing an odd facial expression. His voice trembled as he muttered, “No… It’s not me. They are the ones who want to enter the Mansion.”
The bodyguards turned to look at Levi and the others after listening to Jack.
The bodyguards’ leader sneered, “Please go back. No one is allowed to enter the Macy’s family house today!”
His subordinates stared at Levi and the others menacingly.
Levi beamed at him. “What if I am determined to enter?”
“Then you’ll have to face death!”
Kirin met with the leader’s eyes all of a sudden and took out a gun from around his waist. Then he aimed the gun at the latter’s head and questioned him, “What about now? Can we enter the house now?”
Anxiety crept into the leader’s chest as he did not expect Kirin to draw his weapon.
Crash!
The rest of the bodyguards shuffled anxiously while eyeing Levi and the others angrily.
The bodyguards’ leader was equipped with a tough mindset. He responded with a smile, “Don’t be rash. This gun does not guarantee your entry into the Macy’s family house!”
The other bodyguards jeered at Kirin. What a fool. How dare he provokes us, at ‘the War God’s Mansion’? He’s obviously tired of living. We are talking about the Macy family, after all! The most influential family in the city!
“Does that mean that we are still not allowed to enter the place?” Kirin asked.
“Of course! Winston Gonzales and the people from the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce failed to enter too!” The leader announced, mockingly.
“Okay. Advance!” Kirin waved his hand.
Deafening noises erupted from behind them all of a sudden.
Twenty tanks entered everyone’s vision and rumbled forward, towards the entrance.
All the bodyguards were scared out of their wits at the sight of the tanks. They could only stare at the scene in a daze.
They hurriedly moved backward as the tanks advanced in their direction, without showing any signs of stopping.
The tanks finally came to a halt as the bodyguards had their backs stuck to the wall.
Whoosh…
A platoon of fully-armed special troops alighted the tanks. They wore custom-made masks to cover their faces.
The Special Operations Regiment consisting of three hundred members lined up in a few rows and marched toward the War God’s Mansion.
The bodyguards’ leader peed his pants in fear while Kirin continued to press the gunpoint against his head. I’d thought that he was a mere fool. But d*** it! I did not expect the Special Operations Regiment to be here! Is this even real?
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
All the bodyguards groveled on the floor while covering their heads with their hands. There’s no way we can fight them. He has summoned the entire Special Operations Regiment!
“Aren’t you too full of yourself, Liam Macey? Why are you not welcoming the God of War when he’s at your doorstep?” Azure Dragon sneered.
“Pfft! The only person who can qualify the title of the God of War in North Hampton is my grandpa! Everyone else is nothing but trash!” Andy bellowed furiously after hearing Azure Dragon’s voice.
He pushed the door open and charged forward in an imposing manner as he retorted.
However, Andy was dumbfounded when he took in the Special Operations Regiment’s formation outside the house, as the sound of the soldiers marching reverberated beside his ears.
“This, this, this…”
Andy could not recover from the impact he received after witnessing the Special Operations Regiment lined up before him.
His subordinates following behind him were about to shout unwelcoming speeches at the people outside the house when they were immediately pinned to the ground.
His men did not even have a second to react.
The soldiers charged into ‘the War God’s Mansion’ and even dragged Andy along with them.
Anyone who stood in their way was dealt with and shoved aside.
Levi and the others entered the Mansion, after the Special Operations Regiment cleared away all the hindrances.
The bodyguards inside the Mansion thought that someone had barged into the house.
They wanted to counter the intruder at once.
To their misfortune, the sight of the soldiers scared the life out of the bodyguards.
In less than thirty seconds, all the bodyguards inside ‘the War God’s Mansion’ were subdued.
Moreover, the soldiers infiltrated the Mansion without making any excessive noise. They had successfully taken control of the place without anyone else noticing.
Kirin’s harsh training was effective, as he had turned the normal soldiers into an elite troop.
The soldiers lined up in two rows from the house entrance to the meeting hall after they conquered the War God’s Mansion.
Levi, Azure Dragon, and Kirin marched forward.
Inside the meeting hall.
Liam sipped on his cup of tea while sitting calmly in his chair.
Nathan was slightly worried. “Could something bad be happening outside the hall?”
Liam smiled. “Don’t worry. Andy is more than capable of handling everything!”
Benny merely put on a pensive smile without saying a word.
Boom!
The door to the meeting hall was knocked over, by a huge force, as soon as Liam spoke.
A dozen soldiers rushed into the meeting hall the next second.
They quickly lined up into two rows inside the hall.
Liam and Nathan were startled by that sudden scene. Why are there soldiers inside my house? Moreover, these men appear to be a well-trained army!
“Aren’t you a daredevil, Liam Macy?” A group of people entered the meeting hall, echoing a thunderous roar.
The soldiers saluted the people who had walked through the door at once.
Liam was terrified by what he had just witnessed, while Nathan’s legs almost gave way.
Members of the Macy family should have had experienced all kinds of occasions in life. Nonetheless, the sight of the soldiers was too scary and incomprehensible to them.
What on earth is happening?
Benny stood up only after he saw Levi.
Clarity washed over Liam. That’s the person whom Benny Quinton is waiting for. The person that is capable of inflicting trouble upon my family!
“I’m glad that you’re alright, Mr. Quinton!” Levi grinned.
“Yes. They did not give me any trouble,” Benny relayed.
Nathan felt his strength seeping away from his body as Azure Dragon fixated his gaze on him. No words came to Nathan at that moment. Who the hell are these people? Do people like them exist in North Hampton? Why haven’t we heard anything about them?
Liam was a veteran in life. He was able to regain his composure and asked, “Who are you?”
“I am the person who’d sent you the note earlier,” Levi answered.
“The God of War, Garrison?” Liam frowned. He was bewildered. “Please forgive my foolishness. I did not know that there was someone as accomplished as you in the Garrison family from North Hampton.”
Liam and Nathan were caught in perplexity.
“Mr. Macy, why don’t you let your imagination run free for a moment. A God of War with the family name of Garrison who is currently staying in North Hampton…” Benny reminded Liam.
“A God of War with the family name of Garrison? I don’t know this person. God of War? Garrison? Wait…”
Liam’s face turned ashen, as he was shocked to his core.
He looked at Levi and exclaimed in astonishment, “Don’t tell me you’re the legendary God of War?”
Levi exclaimed, “No, no, no. You’re the real God of War!”
Boom!
Liam almost passed out from fear, listening to Levi’s comment. The God of War? This is just a nickname given to me by people in the underworld. This is completely different from the real God of War. I can’t believe something as melodramatic as this is actually happening today! The God of War had warned me by sending me a note, yet I did the most ridiculous thing to threaten him! Wait, something’s not right. I think Jack Smith screwed me over!
Liam glanced at Jack. He knew that his apprentice was setting him up. Jack could have explained Levi Garrison’s identity to me, but he did not. He’s trying to eliminate me by utilizing the God of War’s authority.
Thump!
Liam got down on his knees.
“Sir, everything that has happened today is just a misunderstanding! I invited Mr. Quinton to my place because I’d needed treatment.” Liam explained in a hurry.
Levi sat in Liam’s seat and responded with a smile, “Okay. Let’s put aside this matter related to Mr. Quinton. How should we address the incident that has happened in the hospital?”
Liam looked at Andy immediately. “Hurry up and summon the men whom you’d assigned to the hospital earlier!”
All eight men were brought forward after a short while. All of them knelt on the floor in fright.
“This is just a misunderstanding! We were impatient just now!” The men shivered fearfully.
Liam piped up after noticing their conditions, “Sir, I will make sure that they receive the appropriate punishments for hitting those innocent people by following the law.”
Levi’s lips curled into a sneer. “Well, I want to deal with this matter by using my way today because of a reason!”
“Reason?” Everyone was astounded.
“Do you remember hitting a female doctor?” Levi asked.
The men exchanged glances with one another.
The only person who had fitted Levi’s description was Benny Quinton’s assistant, who had tried to stop them from leaving at that time.
They nodded after a moment of consideration.
“Oh, just so you know, that person is my mother-in-law!”
Dreadful silence filled the air after Levi spoke.
Everyone was stunned.
So, they hit the God of War’s mother-in-law? Where did they find the courage to do something like that?
Liam was drenched in a nervous sweat, as his face turned pallid, after a split second.
He had never been more afraid in his entire life.
Liam and Nathan finally understood how terribly they had raised Andy, by constantly showering him with affection, fulfilling his every wish.
Andy grew up to become an arrogant, self-centered brat who would do anything as he pleased.
Now they had to suffer the consequences of their bad parenting.
Andy, soaked in a cold sweat, regretted his decision as well, for accidentally harming the God of War’s mother-in-law.
“Who hit her?” Levi asked.
All eight men, groveling on the floor, shuddered. None of them dared to admit their sins.
“So, you’re not confessing?” Levi’s voice was heard again.
The rest of the men took a step back to expose the culprit.
The culprit, Tig, shook with fear.
“Did you hit my mother-in-law?” Levi questioned him.
Tig wanted to answer him, but he could not utter a single word.
Bam!
Levi kicked Tig in his face as the latter flew a few meters across the hall.
Tig was dragged to Levi’s feet again.
Slap!
Levi slapped Tig’s face forcefully and sent him flying across the room again.
Then, he was dragged to face Levi’s wrath again.
The process was repeated by at least twenty times.
Tig’s face had turned into a bloody mess after Levi was done. His facial features became misshapen and disfigured.
Everyone else inside the hall was petrified by Levi’s ruthlessness.
Even the big boss of the underworld, Liam, was trembling.
“Is that the way you should treat hospital staff? How could you have to gall harm them, when they’ve been working hard to rescue lives? Did they offend you? Where is your conscience?” Levi directed volleys of questions at Liam and his men.
Pin-drop silence lingered in the air inside the hall, as no one dared to make a sound.
Levi knew that he had every right and reason to punish those people for what they did.
“I want all of you who’d hurt the hospital staff to kneel and apologize to them at the hospital. Then you will fully compensate them, for the damage you’ve done!” Levi demanded.
“Okay. I will make the necessary arrangements!” Liam answered.
Levi then turned to glance at Liam. “The Macy family shall retire from now on!”
Boom!
That announcement was a bolt from the blue to the entire Macy family.
Levi had determined the Macy family’s fate with a single command.
The Macy family would cease to exist in the underworld from that moment onwards.
Jesse Nielsen may not have had the authority to uproot the Macy family’s influence, but Levi could.
No!
No!
Andy and Nathan looked absolutely miserable.
They had wanted to inherit the Macy family’s possession, ruling over North Hampton’s underworld in the future.
Levi’s order had shattered their dreams.
Liam, on the other hand, was calm and collected. He accepted the family’s fate without any protest.
In his opinion, it was already a blessing for them to remain alive, after that incident.
However, he knew that the Macy family’s enemies would soon target them after they lose their status. So, the chances for them to survive would be slim.
The Macy family’s crisis had truly arrived.
At that moment, Jack Smith, who was hiding amongst the crowd, smirked. Everything is proceeding as I’d planned. Levi Garrison has eliminated Liam Macy as I’d expected. I can finally become the most powerful person in North Hampton’s underworld. Hehe…
However, Levi turned to look at Jack, just as the smirk crept across his face.
“Do not think that I’m unaware of the scheme that you were planning, Jack Smith. You are going to retire alongside the Macy family!”
The smile on Jack’s face wavered, after listening to Levi.
He stared at Levi in utter disbelief. How can this be happening?
To his misfortune, Levi did not stop there.
He had eradicated all the underworld forces in North Hampton that day.
That news shocked everyone in the whole of Quebec.
Ultimately, Benny returned to the hospital unscathed.
The wrongdoers knelt before the hospital to express their remorse, compensating the hospital staff with a large amount of money. Soon after, all of them were detained.
Nonetheless, the most important consequence following that incident was Liam Macy’s downfall.
However, the reason behind his downfall was a secret.
To his dismay, members of the Gonzales family and the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce understood, that the turn of events was due to the God of War’s interference.
Liam Macy had truly offended someone he should not have.
Caitlyn stayed at home to recuperate after she had suffered that terrible injury.
She felt relieved after knowing of the wrongdoers’ willingness to compensate and apologize.
Caitlyn turned to look at Levi and Aaron seated beside her bed. Then she muttered coldly, “The two of you are spineless men! No one would have dared to bully me if you were slightly capable.”
Levi knew that his mother-in-law was merely venting out her anger.
I can’t imagine that some thugs would dare to barge into the hospital, hitting innocent passers-by, even with my status as the God of War!
Levi arranged for a few bodyguards to protect Benny at all times, after that incident.
He did not want to risk Benny’s safety anymore.
Things stayed normal, as life went on afterward.
Soon enough, one day, Iris received a piece of news. There was a problem with Morris Group’s product.
Their medical apparatus had caused a patient’s death, while the patient was receiving treatment in a clinical setting!
The authorities had investigated the issue and determined that the apparatus was the cause of the sudden death.
Morris Group’s medical devices were deemed to be faulty!
“That’s impossible! All of our products were subjected to stringent quality control tests! There should not be such an issue!” Isaiah was astounded.
Iris sighed, “Perhaps someone is trying to frame us.” It is not surprising for us to be targeted by business competitors since our products are monopolizing the market. Nonetheless, this is too much to cause a person’s death!
The matter spread to the public before Iris had time to contain the news.
The media and newspaper publishers swiftly reported Morris Group’s error as a headline topic, The medical devices endorsed by the national treasure, Benny Quinton, were deemed defective. Use of the medical devices in a clinical setting had resulted in the death of a patient!
That news became an instant sensation that spread all over Erudia.
Benny’s appointment as Morris Group’s ambassador had boosted Morris Group’s reputation and sales to the top in the business field.
The company’s market value increased steeply as well.
Morris Group’s exponential growth had limited the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce’s control over the market.
Unexpectedly, a disaster occurred just after a few days of success.
A patient’s death was a taboo in the medical field.
Unfortunately, Morris Group had to face the predicament.
At eight o’clock in the morning.
Quebec’s Department of Business and Management, Department of Work Safety, Consumers’ Association, Department of Commerce, Department of Commercial Products’ Quality Assurance, and State Police Department joined forces to investigate that matter.
They halted Morris Group’s factory production and operations at once.
All six departments had assigned a special task force to Morris Group, temporarily suspending Morris Group’s business license.
The entire organization that was running smoothly before had collapsed, all of a sudden.
Iris and the other executives were discussing ways to deal with the issue when a group of people marched up to the meeting room.
The door to the meeting room was forcefully pushed open.
“Can I meet with the person-in-charge in this place? We are from the special task force established by the six main departments in Quebec. We are tasked with the investigation of the grave error found in your company’s products!”
The man leading the group of people was Keith York, the deputy director of the Quebec Police Department. He was nicknamed ‘Justice Keith’, for his righteous personality.
No one expected a special task force to be established with the sole purpose of handling that matter. So, it was clear to see the impact of the flaw in Morris Group’s medical apparatus.
Iris stood up frightfully and explained, “I am the vice-president of Morris Group, Iris Anabelle. I am the person-in-charge for now.”
Keith introduced himself in a cold tone, “I am the captain of this special task force, Keith York. Request for your company’s president and chairman of the board to show themselves at once!”
“This…”
Iris was caught in a difficult position.
All the other executives were exchanging glances, one amongst the other because even the majority of them had never seen Morris Group’s big boss.
Their president, Neil Rhodes, was not frequently seen in the company as well.
“Mr. York, I am the main handler of Morris Group at the moment. You can speak to me directly if there’s anything urgent,” Iris relayed.
Keith sneered, “A vice-president is running the entire company? Maybe Morris Group’s faulty internal management is to blame for this flaw in the company’s production! I am now suspecting Morris Group’s owner to be on the run after committing a crime!”
“No, that’s not it…” Iris hurriedly shook her head.
“Okay. Then why don’t you tell me what’s going on?” Keith stared at her.
“I…” Iris did not know how to describe Morris Group’s management style because their big boss and president, Neil Rhodes, were extraordinary men.
“So, you can’t tell me anything?” Keith jeered at Iris.
“I hereby announce all on-going processes in Morris Group to be halted and every member of the company to be subjected to inquiry. The employees related to the production department will undergo rigorous questioning. The police will now begin to inspect Morris Group. Anyone who is involved in this fatal incident will be severely punished!”
All members of the company’s upper management were anxious after listening to Keith’s speech. If the police can prove Morris Group’s negligence in this matter, the company will meet its downfall, and all of us, executives, will certainly face time in prison.
Iris and her colleagues defended themselves, “I hope you will uncover the truth, Mr. York. There is absolutely nothing wrong with our products. We’d even received multiple certifications from the Quality Control Department. Moreover, we even have Mr. Quinton to guarantee our products’ quality. There must be someone out there who’s trying to frame us!”
“Is that so? But are you able to guarantee the quality of every item produced by your company? From what I’ve heard, Morris Group has been rushing the production’s progress lately. Other manufacturers took half a year to produce a similar machine, while Morris Group’s production used less than a month.
I can’t help but feel suspicious about your manufacturing speed. Indeed, Mr. Quinton is your company’s ambassador. No one will dare to question the product’s quality because of Mr. Quinton’s prestige. In that case, did you manipulate his honorable reputation to bypass the quality control processes?”
Iris was rendered speechless, as she could not refute Keith’s suspicions.
At that moment, the people from North Hampton Commercial Crime Investigation Section arrived as well.
“Who’s the person-in-charge here? We’ve received an anonymous report that Morris Group plagiarized the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce’s core technology. We have discovered this report to be truthful, after a series of investigations. Morris Group’s products are almost identical to the Chamber’s, but the Chamber has been producing these products for years!”
Boom!
Everyone was stunned after listening to the false accusation.
The North Hampton Chamber of Commerce had filed a complaint against Morris Group for plagiarism when they were the ones who had committed the crime.
Keith smiled after hearing that statement. “No wonder there is an error with the medical apparatus. You’d plagiarized the core technology from another source but had failed to produce products with the same quality!”
“Yeah. That must be it. The medical apparatus must be flawed because of that!”
Members of the special task force jeered at Iris and her colleagues.
All the media began publishing news related to that topic, The authorities have proven Morris Group to have plagiarized the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce’s core technology. Plagiarism is the primary cause of the fatal incident.
Netizens flooded the Internet with angry comments after the news was spread to the public. Morris Group’s market value plummeted. A huge crisis befell the company, as they faced the risk of bankruptcy.
That was not the full extent of the impact of that incident, because even Benny was dragged into the mess.
Some media sources released information of Benny receiving a huge amount of ambassador fees from Morris Group. They estimated the sum to be close to three hundred million.
The media rebuked Benny for his lack of professionalism and unethical personality, to guarantee the quality of Morris Group’s products even when he was in the know of their products’ subpar quality.
Some even referred to Benny as a hypocrite.
Meanwhile, Morris Group’s trouble continued to snowball.
The police officers arrived after being summoned by Keith.
“Iris Anabelle, Isaiah Wade…”
The majority of Morris Group’s executives were brought away by the police.
The severity of that incident was as clear as day.
At that moment, in City First Hospital.
Benny was treating patients as usual in the clinic, while Caitlyn helped him out as his assistant.
Right then, a commotion erupted in the hallway.
“What’s going on?” Benny frowned.
He was not afraid for his safety, as Levi had arranged for skilled bodyguards to protect him.
A few patients’ family members rushed into the office swiftly after.
“You’re an unethical doctor, Benny Quinton! How can you live such an unethical life?”
“How can you spend the three hundred million without any guilt or remorse?”
“Don’t you feel sorry for killing your patients?”
They pointed at Benny and reprimanded.
“You’re a beast, Benny Quinton! You’re the worst doctor in Erudia!”
“That’s right! You do not deserve to wear that white coat! All of you are terrible human beings!”
The family members were agitated. They would have physically harmed Benny if the other doctors and nurses did not stop them.
“Boohoo… you died for no reason, my hubby! Your sickness was not severe in the first place!” A middle-aged woman knelt in the office and cried hysterically.
All the other family members began thrashing the office, as they continued to curse Benny.
“What has happened?” Benny was confused.
“Mr. Quinton, a patient in the hospital used a medical apparatus produced by Morris Group last night and died because the machine had broken down. The patient was merely diagnosed with a mild sickness,” A doctor informed Benny of the truth.
Boom!
Benny slumped into the leather seat after he listened to the doctor’s explanation.
Even Caitlyn, who was standing aside, turned pale. Someone’s dead! This is a huge problem! Mr. Quinton had assured the public of the product’s quality, after all. Everyone will be targeting him before Morris Group if there’s anything wrong with the medical apparatus.
“How is this possible?” Benny could not believe the turn of events.
After all, he had tested and analyzed the medical apparatus with his students. Moreover, Morris Group had received two different quality assurance certifications.
The only explanation is that someone intended to frame Morris Group. However so, this method is simply unacceptable. They’d caused a person’s death!
Benny slammed his hand upon the surface of the table. “I, Benny Quinton, will handle this matter!”
He told Caitlyn to inform the hospital to hold a press conference for him.
Benny attended the press conference that was held, soon after.
His message to the public was simple. He assured everyone he would investigate the incident, to uncover the truth. If the patient’s death were truly due to the quality of the product, Benny told the media that he would be willing to end his own life, to make up for his mistake.
That issue attracted more attention after the press conference ended.
No one expected Benny to be so determined, as he was willing to give up his own life to make amends for his error.
On the other hand, in Bale Group.
Ron Bale, Xawery Yount, and the other two council members of the Chamber gathered.
“How are things now, Ron? Did you make the proper arrangements?” Wildan Saenz asked worriedly.
Ron smiled. “Don’t worry. I did not leave any traces. My men had destroyed the surveillance footage in the hospital when we’d secretly changed the medical apparatus. Even the police will never recover the footage with their technology!”
“Does that mean that Morris Group will face their demise with utmost certainty this time?” Xawery was ecstatic.
“That’s right. Morris Group is doomed! Moreover, the special task force assigned to investigate the matter is unmerciful in carrying out their duties. No one can help Morris Group this time, regardless of the support that they have!”
“I know about this. Even Mr. Nielsen can only keep himself updated with the investigation progress. He does not have the authority to interfere!”
Everyone laughed.
Ron’s eyes gleamed with malicious intent. “Although we hate that old fool, Benny Quinton, we do have to thank him! It is because of his prominent reputation that’d caused Morris Group’s flaw to be magnified and disseminate by the public. This matter has become so critical that even Mr. Nielsen cannot intervene.”
“Hmph! That’s what he gets for deciding to help Morris Group publicize their products!”
“Benny Quinton is just a hypocrite. He’s acting high and mighty, but who knows how much money he had received from Morris Group in secret?”
Wildan and Xawery sneered.
“Not only did we manage to eliminate Morris Group this time, but we’d also increased our sales by a large margin. So what if our products are more expensive? The consumers will still pick us because our products are safer to use!”
“Hehehe…”
The group of cunning men smirked.
They were truly evil and unprincipled businessmen who prioritized their own benefit, above all. They did not care about sacrificing others to satisfy their greed.
Ron and his friends could not care less about the patient who had passed away in the hospital. They had not even felt sorry, for his death.
They could remain nonchalant because they were already numb from committing similar crimes, one too many times.
Sacrificing innocent people to achieve their goals had become a norm to those members of the Chamber.
The public was urging for Morris Group to disband and for authorities to detain the owner of the corporation.
The reason was that Morris Group’s boss had yet to show himself since the beginning of that incident. Iris was the highest-ranking executive to address the public thus far.
Aside from Morris Group, Zoey’s newly-established company was facing a difficult time as well.
Her new company would dissolve, following Morris Group’s disbandment.
Coincidentally, Zoey was discussing a possible collaboration with a foreign enterprise from Keera, at that moment.
The potential partnership would fall apart if Morris Group succumbed to the plight.
Benny met up with Levi immediately.
Levi was livid after he was made aware of the on-going situation.
“There’s no doubt that the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce is behind this!” Levi spat out.
Upon discovering that the Morris Group was expanding its businesses swiftly, it was evident that the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce would suffer the most losses.
However, it was unexpected that they would take such drastic actions!
“The most difficult thing to do right now is to uncover the truth. I’m certain that all the clues would have been destroyed by now,” Levi declared.
As of now, Phoenix was already investigating the matter.
“Sir, the CCTV footage from eleven-thirty to twelve at the City First Hospital was deleted!” Phoenix reported.
“That could only mean that someone had entered the hospital during that time period to take action,” Benny suggested.
Levi inquired, “Phoenix, can you fix it?”
“I need the video source. Even if it was corrupted on purpose, I can fix it,” Phoenix replied.
“Okay, we’ll go right now.”
Soon, Levi and Benny arrived at the hospital’s control room.
However, the door was guarded by a few men who refused to let them enter.
Benny was straightforward. “I’m Benny Quinton. I need to get last night’s CCTV footage…”
“No! I don’t care who you are. No one but the special task force can enter,” the men insisted. They refused to let anyone in.
“Fine, let’s go take a look at the devices that were affected.”
Levi and Benny headed over to the room, only to be informed that the devices had been removed.
Only the special task force had access to the devices.
Upon hearing that, Levi contacted Jesse at once.
“Nielson, I need the CCTV footage from City First Hospital,” he announced.
“I can’t help you with this! The special task force was sent by the South Warzone in South City, Quebec. We, at North Hampton, received orders not to interfere in their investigation. I’m really sorry.” Jesse seemed torn.
“By the way, my teacher, Grover Cooke, was the one who suggested it. To avoid suspicion, no one in North Hampton is to intervene. Besides, they are to come up with a conclusion in three days’ time,” Jesse professed.
“Okay, got it.”
After hanging up, a smile appeared upon Levi’s lips.
He had heard about Grover, as that man had connections with the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce.
Well played, North Hampton Chamber of Commerce.
You kicked up a fuss so the South City would send someone to deal with it. You’ve refused to allow anyone from North Hampton to intervene. By pinning it on us, you can take down Morris Group in the fastest way possible!
“Azure Dragon, find out who’s the captain of this special task force,” Levi ordered.
Soon, Azure Dragon brought back news. “Sir, the captain is Keith York, deputy director of the Quebec Police Department. York is famous for being an incorruptible police officer. He won’t let anyone intervene in this case!”
“Okay. Relay my order. Tell Keith York to come and meet me!” Levi pronounced.
Shortly after, a car arrived at the manor.
Alighting the car was Keith, the captain of the special task force.
Azure Dragon led Keith to the room.
In the room, he saw both Benny and Levi.
“Greetings, God of War,” Keith greeted him politely.
“Keith York? Do you know why I’ve summoned you here?” Levi inquired.
Keith was taken aback. Gritting his teeth, he muttered, “I know of your relationship with Mr. Quinton. I’ll be frank here. You can’t intervene in the Morris Group’s case. I won’t allow you to do as such.”
“No one in North Hampton is allowed to intervene. I remember that you’re the deputy of North Hampton, so please understand my plight.”
“If you insist on intervening, it’ll be over my dead body!”
Keith’s tough demeanor stunned everyone in the room.
They finally realized why this was no easy feat. Even Jesse’s hands were tied.
Levi questioned, “Mr. York, how’s your investigation going?”
“We only have three days’ time to settle this case. From the evidence we’ve gathered, Morris Group’s products were of inferior quality. We’re almost certain that it was Morris Group’s problem. So, we’ll arrest those involved and stop production of the related products,” Keith explained.
Although he knew that something went wrong with the CCTV, the technical department still could not fix it.
“What if I insist on intervening?” Levi asked.
“It’s as I’d said earlier. If you insist on intervening, it’ll be over my dead body!” Keith refused to relent.
Suddenly, Levi smiled.
“Mr. York, I believe that you aren’t aware of this. My soldier, Kirin, and I are both involved in this case. We can’t stay out of this.”
“Ah?” Keith was confused.
“No, you’re not involved in it,” Keith assured.
“You’re saying that without thorough investigation?” Levi demanded icily.
“Sir, I don’t understand you…” Keith lowered his head anxiously.
“Morris Group is being managed by its vice president now, right? What about its president and chairman?” Levi inquired.
Keith immediately blurted out, “That’s still under investigation. I believe that we’ll discover who they are soon!”
“No need. Kirin is the president, and I am the chairman,” Levi revealed.
Boom!
It was as if thunder had struck Keith, as he stared at Levi in shock.
He came to his senses immediately.
If it weren’t for Levi, why would Benny Quinton arrive in North Hampton and promote the products?
Furthermore, why would Levi produce inferior quality products in the first place?
Someone is framing Morris Group.
He belatedly realized what was happening.
“Allow my men to assist in your investigation,” Levi ordered.
“Got it!” Keith agreed at once.
Soon, the corrupted video source was sent to Phoenix.
Levi, Benny, and the rest went to view the affected devices themselves.
After checking the devices, a smile appeared on Levi’s lips. “Mr. York, these products don’t belong to Morris Group!”
“Huh?” Keith and his men were stunned.
“During production, I’d instructed the technical department to print some special codes secretly on our devices, to prevent disputes from happening. However, these devices don’t have the codes! You can confirm this by checking the other products from Morris Group.”
Keith told his men to validate Levi’s claim instantly.
After comparing the devices, the men confirmed that Levi was speaking of the truth.
The devices manufactured by Morris Group indeed had special codes printed on them! These devices here didn’t have any!
“Find out where the devices are from!” Keith ordered.
Meanwhile, Phoenix quickly recovered the CCTV footage.
Upon watching the video, everyone was shocked.
Indeed, someone had switched the medical device!
They were framed.
“Find out who’s the man in the video!”
Keith flew into a howling rage.
He was an impartial, being a mere police officer.
If not for Levi’s assistance, he would have certainly dealt with the case wrongly.
Hence, he blew his top.
On the other hand, Kirin handed Keith another file.
“Inside this file is the evidence and clues on how the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce stole Levi Group’s core technology.”
“Okay, I’ll investigate this matter as well!” Keith nodded.
He was full of admiration for Levi.
Levi’s really capable, solving problems easily and efficiently, he thought.
As Morris Group’s representative, Isaiah made an announcement to the crowd, “We plan to donate these products to all the hospitals, in order to show our support towards the medical field!”
Clap, clap, clap…
Benny Quinton was the first to clap.
The members of the media and public soon followed suit.
Morris Group had successfully boosted its reputation, gaining the public’s favor.
Even the company’s share price had risen steeply. All the other businesses owned by or related to Morris Group reaped the benefits as well.
In the afternoon, over twenty famous artists declared that they would help, in publicizing all of Morris Group’s products for free.
This was another impactful news that affected a lot of parties.
The support provided by the artists had contributed to increasing Morris Group’s sales, and their actions also reflected well on their public images, as celebrities.
Evidently, artists and entertainment companies soon
reaped the benefits of Morris Group’s prestige, as the netizens had started to applaud their charitable gestures.
Meanwhile, at Everest Entertainment.
Noah was infuriated upon seeing the news.
Slap!
He slapped Lil Lacey’s face mercilessly. “Look what you’ve done, you b****!”
Lil Lacey covered her face in a daze.
“Do you know why Levi Garrison was reluctant to apologize? Well, it’s because he couldn’t care less about both of you!”
Noah slapped Amelia.
Amelia was aggrieved.
“If I hadn’t listened to your plan previously, Everest Entertainment would’ve become a famous corporate industry, here in Erudia. Our company’s market value could’ve been multiplied by hundredfold!”
Noah trembled in anger.
“We weren’t aware that Morris Group was so formidable. We were fools to think that we were above the collaboration they’d proposed previously.”
Lil Lacey sobbed.
She had regretted her decision as well. If I’d continued to help Morris Group in publicizing their product, I would’ve achieved a great leap in my career, making my transition from a net idol to a famous star!
“Let’s go. Let’s apologize to Morris Group. Hopefully, they’ll be willing to provide us with a second chance. They must’ve chosen us previously because we’d possessed the merits they were looking for,” Noah surmised immediately.
They were unaware that it was Iris who had made the final call. Morris Group’s decision-makers were not involved in this matter.
Soon, all the executives of Everest Entertainment led Lil Lacey and ten other artists over to Morris Group.
Iris sneered when she saw the group of people, “What’re you doing here?”
“We’re aware that we’ve made a mistake, Ms. Anabelle! We’d acted like a bunch of ignorant fools in the past! Why are you all just standing there? Kneel and apologize to Ms. Anabelle at once!”
Lil Lacey and all the other artists knelt on the floor, after receiving Noah’s order.
Iris fell into a daze.
She was reminded of something that Levi had told her previously. They should be the ones apologizing to us.
Iris could not believe that Levi’s words had come true.
“Ms. Anabelle, Everest Entertainment is willing to collaborate with your company, without asking for any remuneration. We will provide you with as many artists as you require. Feel free to utilize our publicity channel too…”
Noah was desperate for the partnership with Morris Group to fall through.
He was offering Iris all kinds of free services.
“That’s right. We were fools in the past. From the way we see it now, Morris Group’s products are the best!” Lil Lacey piped up.
Amelia pleaded with Iris, “Can you please consider our offer? We are providing free promotional services to both you and your company. This is certainly a deal that will greatly benefit Morris Group.”
Iris and the other executives were dumbfounded.
They’d been so arrogant previously. Now, they’re kneeling before us, requesting for us to accept their free services, making this collaboration possible? They’re only doing this because of Morris Group’s current influence in the industry. Nonetheless, it’s not a bad idea to have a group of artists, promoting our products at no cost…
“No! I can’t allow unethical artists, such as yourselves to taint Morris Group’s reputation!” Levi rejected their offer.
Iris frowned. “Go away, Levi Garrison! You don’t have the right to speak here.”
Although Morris Group’s crisis was resolved, Iris did not think that Levi had anything to do with the matter.
We’d managed to turn the situation around because of the big boss’s strategy. Levi Garrison is merely here because of Isaiah Wade’s assistance. How dare he make the decision for us? Does he really believe that he is one of the company’s leaders?
“Let me make this clear, Levi. Although our previous discussion with Everest Entertainment ended on an unhappy note, they’ve now returned to apologize to us, with their utmost sincerity. Their offer to become our ambassador without any charge will be beneficial to the company!” pronounced Iris.
From Iris’s point of view, any free labor should be utilized by the company, regardless of their work ethics.
That was the norm she had practiced, after spending years, working abroad.
Iris prioritized only the economic growth of the company. She did not care for the other details.
“No! Their personalities are rotten. They’re only here to apologize to us because of how well we’re doing. Why didn’t they express their regrets in the last two days?” Levi glanced at Noah and the others. Then he announced coldly, “Get lost! Morris Group will never collaborate with you!”
Lil Lacey was mad.
She wanted so badly to strangle Levi to death. Iris Anabelle had already agreed to our proposal. How dare he reject our offer? Levi Garrison is indeed Everest Entertainment’s enemy!
Noah accused angrily, “Ms. Anabelle, I wasn’t aware that a mere entry-level staff in Morris Group was making all the big decisions for your company.”
Iris was angered by Noah’s mockery.
There were many reporters at the scene, after all.
I can’t let this news spread, to the public. Otherwise, Levi’s behavior will taint my reputation as Morris Group’s vice-president. ”Stand aside, Levi. You’re not qualified to speak here!” Iris chided.
Then, she looked at Noah and his artists. “Mr. McCormick, believe that this collaboration is feasible.”
“That will never happen!” Levi’s voice sounded out.
“Who do you think you are? Do you think you’re the big boss?” Iris bellowed.
“That’s right. I am the big boss, and this is the big boss’s decision!” Levi stared at Iris.
Kirin’s voice reverberated inside the venue, just as Iris was about to accept Everest Entertainment as their ambassador. “Ms. Anabelle, the big boss doesn’t want Morris Group to collaborate with Everest Entertainment. We are placing their names on the blacklist!”
Kirin showed up at that moment.
“The artists from Everest Entertainment are uncivilized. They’d hit passers-by on the street and they’d even resorted to threatening their fans. The media has repeatedly exposed their despicable acts. Mr. Quinton has selected us, so how can we choose to collaborate with lowly people as such? What will happen to our company’s prestige if we do that?”
Iris’s face flushed red after listening to Kirin’s speech.
She was too profit-oriented, neglecting all the other elements in conducting a business.
However, Kirin’s words had caused her to think twice.
I have to change my business philosophy. A company requires a good reputation, to win over the public’s favor. Only then can we maximize our gain!
The media began criticizing Everest Entertainment’s lowly behavior. They even exposed the news of Morris Group blacklisting Everest Entertainment to the public.
Soon after, Levi handed a USB over to the reporters.
The USB contained a video of Lil Lacey hitting a worker, throwing her rubbish onto the streets.
Levi had ordered Phoenix to repair the phone, extracting the video saved inside the device.
Lil Lacey’s career was doomed, right after the videos were leaked.
Netizens flooded the Internet with their dissatisfaction and anger towards Lil Lacey’s behavior.
Everest Entertainment’s future became bleak, all of a sudden, as Lil Lacey and the other artists were nearing the end of their careers.
No entertainment company would dare to sign a contract with them after such an incident.
Levi walked up to Iris and chided with a smile, “I’ve told you, haven’t I? These ambassadors aren’t suitable for our medical products. Mr. Quinton is the best candidate!”
Iris put on a disdainful smile. “Why are you behaving as if you were the one who’d invited Mr. Quinton to collaborate with us?”
“Hmph! Our big boss invited Mr. Quinton. You’ve got nothing to do with this matter,” Iris sneered.
“That’s enough. Let’s stop bickering. Focus on the work at hand! How can you waste your time arguing with me? The upcoming tasks will prove to be a challenge!” Levi smiled.
Iris recollected her thoughts. Morris Group’s workload will increase exponentially from now on. We will be busier than ever. However, this is what I’m hoping for. I can finally put my capabilities on full display with this opportunity.
Zoey visited Levi to apologize to him after she was made aware of the turn of events.
“I’m so sorry! Nonetheless, you’re awesome. You’d known of the big boss’s plan because you were following Isaiah around.” Zoey gave Levi a thumbs-up. “You’re so lucky, getting to meet Mr. Quinton. Do you know how jealous mother is? Mr. Quinton is her idol! She’s telling everyone who would listen to her in the hospital that her son-in-law drove Mr. Quinton around! She’s so proud of that.”
Levi asked her cheerfully, “Would mother and father like to meet Mr. Quinton?”
“Of course! Even I wish to meet with him. What more of my parents!” Zoey answered immediately.
“Okay. You should inform them to prepare dinner and a bottle of good wine when you’ve arrived home. I’ll invite Mr. Quinton to our house tonight, so that mother and father can meet with him!”
Zoey asked Levi with uncertainty as she thought that she had miscomprehended his words, “What? You’re inviting Mr. Quinton over to our house? Your joke isn’t funny at all!”
“I’m speaking the truth. Have I ever lied to you before?”
Zoey thought to herself, Levi did realize all of his promises due to some coincidences. Indeed, he has never lied to me.
“Okay. I’ll trust you this time. However, I cannot guarantee that my parents will share my sentiment.”
Zoey informed her parents of Levi’s intention when she returned home.
“Hmph! Nonsense. Do you know who Benny Quinton is? Do you think Levi Garrison is qualified to invite him over?” Aaron jeered.
“That’s right! I doubt Levi can achieve this. He couldn’t have achieved such a feat, even in his prime, six years ago. Today, Mr. Quinton had rejected the requests of the wealthiest man in North Hampton, along with the requests of the members of the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce!” Caitlyn shared Aaron’s point of view.
Zoey asked, “Do we have to prepare the dinner then?”
“Why do we need to prepare anything? You’re the only one who would believe in Levi’s joke.” Aaron answered.
Zoey was convinced by her parents that Levi was merely kidding. We’re talking about Benny Quinton, after all. He’s one of the most prominent figures in the medical field!
They refused to dwell any longer in that matter and continued with their tasks, afterward.
Soon enough, it was eight in the evening.
Someone knocked upon the door.
Zoey headed over, with the intention to unlock the door.
She turned around and walked back into the house without saying a word after she had seen Levi.
“Hey, where are you going, honey? You should welcome our guest. Where’s father and mother? Ask them to come to the door as well.”
Zoey was taken aback by Levi’s response.
She turned around and saw another person behind him..
Zoey was shocked to her core.
“Hello, Ms. Lopez! I’m here to visit you and your family!” Benny Quinton greeted her with a smile.
Boom!
Zoey’s vision went dark, as she nearly passed out from astonishment.
Benny Quinton! It’s Benny Quinton in person! He’s really here!
Aaron and Caitlyn marched towards the door as they heard the commotion outside.
“What’s the matter? Is there a guest?”
Aaron and Caitlyn looked in Levi’s direction.
Boom!
The two of them were astounded by the person standing before their eyes.
“You don’t have to arrange for me to stay in this extravagant place. I’m alright, staying at my current place,” Benny quipped.
“I need to prioritize your safety, Mr. Quinton!”
Levi arranged for Benny and his secretary to stay in Maple Manor. Mr. Quinton’s well-being should be secured since this place is guarded by soldiers at all times.
Morris Group’s increasing fame and their products overwhelmed the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce’s influence all of a sudden.
The Chamber was slow to react to Morris Group’s success, as Morris Group had almost dominated the medical apparatus market.
Even the technicians working under the Chamber were planning to resign, from their jobs and bring their talents to Morris Group.
“Let us merely observe, during this critical moment. We’ll wait until the end of the commander-in-chief’s appointment ceremony before we make any moves.”
Eric and the others were depressed. However, they were forced to endure Morris Group’s advancement.
Even the wealthiest family in North Hampton, the Gonzales family, felt threatened by Morris Group’s rising.
The last time they had felt as such, was when Levi was still the person-in-charge, of Levi Group.
However, everyone was still focused on Benny Quinton’s arrival at that moment.
Benny had to stay in North Hampton for some time because he would be attending the appointment ceremony as well.
Many people had invited Benny to their gatherings and events, but he had rejected all of their invitations.
Benny refused to stay idle in the upcoming days.
He went to work at North Hampton City First Hospital.
However, he did not join the hospital as a specialist. Rather, Benny joined as a normal doctor.
All patients would only have to pay twelve bucks to receive treatment from him.
That was a great blessing to every citizen in North Hampton.
A lot of patients who were contracted with complicated diseases went to visit Benny.
Benny even arranged for Caitlyn to become his assistant.
The appointment caused Caitlyn’s position to rise in the hospital’s hierarchy. It was almost certain, for her to be selected as the director of her department.
Levi smiled wryly after he was made aware of that news.
He had wanted Benny to get some rest while he stayed in North Hampton.
To his dismay, Benny went to work as usual because he was not a man who enjoyed having too much leisure time.
That was one of the reasons why Benny Quinton was one of the most significant figures in Erudia.
Benny worked as a front-liner and treated plenty of patients, for the next few days.
He treated all of his patients fairly, regardless of their family background.
North Hampton turned into a hot spot for medical tourism, all the fruits of labor, of Benny’s influence.
Even Caitlyn became a small celebrity, simply working alongside him.
One day, Benny was working in his office.
Suddenly, a group of ferocious men entered the facility in an imposing manner.
They were obviously thugs who were up to no good.
Everyone inside the hallway scurried away after they noticed the thugs’ menacing gazes.
The group of thugs, that consisted of no lesser than eight men, disregarded the long queue outside and barged into Benny’s office.
“What are you doing? If you’re here to receive treatment from Mr. Quinton, then you need to take a number and wait for your turn!” Caitlyn reminded.
Slap!
The man leading the group of thugs slapped Caitlyn’s face mercilessly.
She staggered backward and slumped onto the floor, as that man’s slap left a visible mark on her face.
The patients seated inside the office were frightened by the scene, so they hurriedly left the room.
Benny was unfazed as he was an experienced man in life. He questioned the group of unreasonable men angrily, “Who are you? Why have you hit an innocent person?”
The leader of the gang raised his hands and answered Benny politely, “I’m sorry to have interrupted your day, Mr. Quinton.”
“What do you want?” Benny asked.
He could gather that the group of people must have hailed from a powerful background.
“There’s no need for you to be nervous, Mr. Quinton. We are here because we want to invite Mr. Quinton to attend to a patient.” The man smiled.
“That person should come to the hospital and wait for their turn if he or she is sick. I will be here in North Hampton in these upcoming days,” Benny replied.
“No, no, no, Mr. Quinton. My young master told us to invite you to the house. It is inappropriate for someone with my young master’s status to come all the way to the hospital to receive treatment.”
Benny rejected him at once, “I’m sorry, but I will not follow you anywhere. I will only accept patients who visit the hospital!”
The person seated before the God of War, Liam Macy, was his son, Nathan Macy.
Nathan Macy was different from his father. He was a domineering man who would resort to violence, in order to resolve every issue he faced.
Nathan would have taken control of the North Hampton’s underworld, obliterating people such as Jack Smith, if not for Liam’s restrictions.
He did not fancy staying in the outskirts, but he had to obey his father’s command.
Nathan was playing chess with Liam at that moment.
A young man dressed lavishly approached Liam all of a sudden. “Are the two of you playing chess, grandpa, father?”
“You’re here, Andy.” Liam gazed up at his grandson, Andy Macy, with affection.
Liam had established Macy Group, a corporation involved in over a dozen industries, in recent years to legalize their family’s business.
Liam cared deeply for his grandson, even going as far as to treating Andy as his heir.
That was the reason behind Andy’s arrogant and self-centered personality. It had caused him to frequently stir up trouble.
Andy glanced at Liam and announced, “Grandpa, I’d noticed your deteriorating health recently. Hence, I’ve arranged for a surprise for you!”
Nathan and Liam gazed at Andy curiously. “Oh? What’s the surprise?”
“You should be aware of Benny Quinton’s arrival in North Hampton, I suppose?” Andy asked.
“Yes, we do.”
“I’ve invited Benny Quinton over to our house so that he can examine grandpa, father, and mother’s health conditions!” Andy answered with excitement.
Liam and Nathan were surprised after listening to Andy. “What? You’ve invited Benny Quinton? He has never accepted any invitations, as far as I’m concerned. He’d even rejected Winston Gonzales and the others!”
Andy smiled. “That’s right. He’s indeed a stubborn old man. I can’t believe he’d wanted grandpa to visit the hospital and wait for your turn! With our status, he should be coming to us!”
Liam sensed something from Andy’s words. He could not help but ask, “So?”
“I’ve brought him here by force since he’s unwilling to cooperate with us!” Andy pronounced cheerfully.
Nathan nodded. “That’s right. That old and stubborn fool is too arrogant. Your decisions are absolutely correct, son!”
However, Liam frowned. “This could be troublesome. I’m afraid that something bad will happen since we are talking about Benny Quinton, after all.”
“What’s there to be afraid of, father? We haven’t done anything wrong anyway. We are only inviting him to attend to your sickness. We’ve paid our respects to him, even though we were using a rather extreme method to invite him over.”
Nathan did not think that there was anything wrong with Andy’s way of handling the matter because of his assertive nature. He even thought that it was a polite way of inviting Benny over to their house.
Andy nodded. “Father is right, grandpa! We are not harming Benny Quinton in any manner. I am sure that he will be delighted after we pay him a huge amount of treatment fees for his effort.”
Liam was convinced. “You’ve got a point there. Moreover, why do I have to be afraid? It’s not wrong for me to invite him over. No one has the right to reject the Macy family’s invitation in this world!”
Benny was brought over to ‘the War God’s Mansion’, swiftly after.
“Hey, old man Ben! Hurry up and conduct a health checkup for my grandpa. I’ll reward you handsomely if your treatment is effective!” Andy sneered, with his hands tucked inside his pockets.
To his dismay, Benny merely regarded him with a cold stare.
“Oh my, what’s the matter? Are you unhappy because we aren’t paying you in advance? In that case, I’ll give you some money immediately. Then, I will top up the rest of the amount after you’re done with the treatment. I can even build a private hospital for you!” Andy jeered at Benny.
Nathan came to a halt in front of Benny. “I am terribly sorry to have brought you here by force, Mr. Quinton. But you will receive a lot of benefits if you attend to my father’s sickness.”
Benny shook his head. “I refuse to do so. I’m not attending to anyone’s sickness!”
“Is Mr. Quinton safe?” A cold glint shone in Levi’s eyes.
“He’s considered safe at the moment. It was Liam’s grandson, Andy, who’d brought Mr. Quinton away. He’d wanted Mr. Quinton to check on his grandfather’s condition.” Phoenix explained.
Levi slammed the tabletop with his hand. “He’s ridiculous!”
“I have an idea, Sir…” Azure Dragon piped up.
“Speak…”
“I am certain that Mr. Quinton will not wish for this matter to spiral out of control. So, I think we should resolve this matter in secret. Let’s ask Jack Smith to inform Liam to release Mr. Quinton and apologize to us since Jack Smith is Liam’s apprentice.” Azure Dragon suggested.
“Okay. You’re right. Mr. Quinton is not a fan of hassle.” Levi nodded in agreement.
“Bring Jack Smith here immediately!” Kirin went out to execute Levi’s order immediately.
Jack Smith, who was hanging out with his friends at that moment, was baffled by Levi’s summon.
He was frightened after Levi enlightened him of the on-going situation. Why did Master anger Levi Garrison out of so many people in this world?
Levi took out a piece of paper and wrote a few words, The God of War, Garrison.
“Hand this piece of paper over to Liam Macy and tell him to release Mr. Quinton right now. I want him to surrender his followers who’d hit those innocent people in the hospital too!” Levi commanded.
“Understood!” Jack Smith received the piece of paper with trembling hands and swiftly left Levi’s sight.
Meanwhile, over a hundred bodyguards had been positioned outside ‘the War God’s Mansion’.
The reason was that over a dozen people with high social statuses in North Hampton visited the place, in an attempt to rescue Benny, after Winston Gonzales and the people from the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce left.
Even Liam was impressed by Benny’s influence. Benny Quinton truly lives up to his reputation. It’s like I am the one who’s at fault here for offending someone as great as him!
However, Liam ordered his bodyguards to chase their visitors away because none of them was significant in Liam’s opinion.
“Is there any news on Mr. Nielsen?” Liam asked.
“Nope, father! I did not see any police here as well. I suppose they are turning a blind eye this time!” Nathan answered.
Liam nodded. “Great. I have nothing to worry about, as long as Mr. Nielsen stays silent.”
Jack Smith arrived right after a few groups of people were chased away by the bodyguards.
He was startled by the bodyguards’ formation in front of the Mansion.
“Who are you? Leave at once! Otherwise, we will not go easy on you!” One of the bodyguards bellowed, after noticing Jack Smith’s advance.
“I, Jack Smith, am here to visit my Master!” Jack Smith introduced himself.
“Oh, it’s you, Mr. Smith! Please, come in. My father welcomes you into the house!” Nathan welcomed Jack in person.
Inside the sitting room in ‘the War God’s Mansion’.
Liam was sipping on his cup of tea with Benny seated beside him.
“Why are you here, Jack?” Liam asked.
Thump!
Jack knelt before Liam before speaking a word.
Liam was taken aback by Jack’s unexpected gesture.
“Why are you doing this, Jack?”
Jack lowered his head and stammered, “Master… I… I do not dare to speak…”
“There’s no need to hesitate!” Liam was puzzled.
Nathan and Andy were caught in perplexity as well.
Benny’s lips curved upwards into a smile as if he knew what was going on.
“Speak!”
Liam raised his tone and grimaced.
Jack was shocked. He took out the piece of paper that Levi had handed to him earlier, as his body shuddered uncontrollably.
“Master, someone wants you to have this. He commands you to release Mr. Quinton immediately and apologize to him. He also wants you to surrender the few people who’d caused trouble in the hospital,” Jack spoke through gritted teeth.
“What? Who’s this outrageous b******? How dare he demand an apology from the Macy family? He must have a death wish!” Nathan and Andy responded.
Even the Gonzales family and members of the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce had to concede to the Macy family.
Liam could not think of another person who would have the courage to challenge his family in North Hampton.
He received the piece of paper without saying a word.
“The God of War, Garrison?” Liam read the words written on the paper.
Liam understood the message immediately. The Macy family’s trouble is here.
Logically speaking, the God of War was the only person, with the family name Garrison, who’d dared to refer to himself as the God of War in North Hampton.
Most of the elites in North Hampton were aware that the God of War’s family name was Garrison, after all.
Normally, any other person would have figured out the message written on the piece of paper instantaneously. However, the members of the Macy family were oblivious to that matter.
The reason was due to their misconception of the term, ‘God of War’.
Liam Macey’s nickname was ‘God of War’, so they would naturally think of Liam at the mention of the God of War.
None of them would relate the term to the God of War in the army.
The term varied between those two individuals.
‘The God of War’ was referring to a military rank, in Levi’s case, while that term was merely Liam’s nickname.
Liam frowned. “What does this mean?”
“Master, you’ve offended someone very powerful this time. I think that you should quickly release Mr. Quinton,” Jack suggested.
He did not reveal Levi’s identity for his own selfish reasons.
Jack had never successfully surpassed his Master, Liam, no matter how hard he had tried, or how influential he became, due to Liam’s constraint.
So, he wanted to seize that opportunity for Levi to eliminate Liam.
In that way, Liam’s family business would fall into his possession.
Jack could finally be the one true king of North Hampton.
Jack was deliberately provoking Liam to let the latter’s ego overwhelm his rationality.
“Are you warning me?”
Andy surmised, “The meaning behind this message is clear as day. You are the God of War while this person with the name Garrison desires to rescue Benny Quinton. He’s trying to threaten you with a family name!”
Liam and Nathan laughed aloud after listening to Andy’s analysis.
“A person with the family name Garrison in North Hampton? Could this person be from the Garrison family? That Garrison family that requires the Rogers family’s support? How dare he threaten the Macy family?” Liam roared.
“Bring me a piece of paper and pen!” Liam ordered.
Liam wrote a few more words on the back of the piece of paper, The God of War, Macy, Death.
The meaning behind the message was simple. Anyone who had the courage to defy the Macy family would have to face death.
Liam Macy was well-known in the underworld, as well as the upper-class society in North Hampton.
Anyone who was acquainted with Liam, sought out his help whenever they had faced trouble in recent years. Liam would often leave them with a piece of paper. Written on the piece of paper were the words, The God of War, Macy.
Those few words were all it took to resolve all their predicaments.
Any party that saw the message would be fearful because those words were like a direct threat coming from Liam himself.
No one had the guts to go against those who were under Liam’s protection.
Jack had relied on that matter, on multiple occasions, to instill fear in his enemies. They knelt before him once they had seen Liam Macy’s name printed on Jack’s fan.
“Return this piece of paper to that person. Now!” Liam ordered coldly.
Even Winston Gonzales and the members of the Chamber would have to yield before that message, not to mention a mere Garrison family member.
“Understood, Master. I’ll do as you say right away.” Jack received the piece of paper with shaky hands.
Jack made a swift return, to Levi.
Levi and the others were stunned as they read the few words written on the back of the paper.
“He’s so arrogant?” Levi uttered with a smile. Then he gave Jack a meaningful look.
Jack felt as though his intention was exposed, as Levi fixated his piercing gaze on him.
“What a daredevil, Liam Macy! How dare he refer to himself as the God of War?” Kirin was mad.
Levi lit a cigarette and smiled. “I’d wanted to resolve this matter peacefully, but he’s not accepting my kindness! Kirin!”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Transfer your Special Operations Regiment here. Let’s go!”
“Yes, Sir!”
A bizarre scene was observed on the main streets of Hampton City swiftly after.
A convoy of tanks sped in the direction of ‘the War God’s Mansion’.
Many passers-by gathered around to watch, but they were unaware of what was happening.
Over a hundred bodyguards were still blocking outsiders from entering the Mansion at that moment, as they continued to chase away groups of people.
The bodyguards chuckled as they thought to themselves, These people should learn to know their place. Even the wealthiest man, Winston Gonzales, has to yield to the Macy family, not to mention, what more of people like them?
Then, the bodyguards saw Jack Smith marching toward the entrance again.
However, this time, a few people were following behind him.
“Please head back, Mr. Smith. Mr. Macey had given us some orders. You are not allowed to go into the Mansion,” the leader of the bodyguards informed Jack.
Jack was wearing an odd facial expression. His voice trembled as he muttered, “No… It’s not me. They are the ones who want to enter the Mansion.”
The bodyguards turned to look at Levi and the others after listening to Jack.
The bodyguards’ leader sneered, “Please go back. No one is allowed to enter the Macy’s family house today!”
His subordinates stared at Levi and the others menacingly.
Levi beamed at him. “What if I am determined to enter?”
“Then you’ll have to face death!”
Kirin met with the leader’s eyes all of a sudden and took out a gun from around his waist. Then he aimed the gun at the latter’s head and questioned him, “What about now? Can we enter the house now?”
Anxiety crept into the leader’s chest as he did not expect Kirin to draw his weapon.
Crash!
The rest of the bodyguards shuffled anxiously while eyeing Levi and the others angrily.
The bodyguards’ leader was equipped with a tough mindset. He responded with a smile, “Don’t be rash. This gun does not guarantee your entry into the Macy’s family house!”
The other bodyguards jeered at Kirin. What a fool. How dare he provokes us, at ‘the War God’s Mansion’? He’s obviously tired of living. We are talking about the Macy family, after all! The most influential family in the city!
“Does that mean that we are still not allowed to enter the place?” Kirin asked.
“Of course! Winston Gonzales and the people from the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce failed to enter too!” The leader announced, mockingly.
“Okay. Advance!” Kirin waved his hand.
Deafening noises erupted from behind them all of a sudden.
Twenty tanks entered everyone’s vision and rumbled forward, towards the entrance.
All the bodyguards were scared out of their wits at the sight of the tanks. They could only stare at the scene in a daze.
They hurriedly moved backward as the tanks advanced in their direction, without showing any signs of stopping.
The tanks finally came to a halt as the bodyguards had their backs stuck to the wall.
Whoosh…
A platoon of fully-armed special troops alighted the tanks. They wore custom-made masks to cover their faces.
The Special Operations Regiment consisting of three hundred members lined up in a few rows and marched toward the War God’s Mansion.
The bodyguards’ leader peed his pants in fear while Kirin continued to press the gunpoint against his head. I’d thought that he was a mere fool. But d*** it! I did not expect the Special Operations Regiment to be here! Is this even real?
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
All the bodyguards groveled on the floor while covering their heads with their hands. There’s no way we can fight them. He has summoned the entire Special Operations Regiment!
“Aren’t you too full of yourself, Liam Macey? Why are you not welcoming the God of War when he’s at your doorstep?” Azure Dragon sneered.
“Pfft! The only person who can qualify the title of the God of War in North Hampton is my grandpa! Everyone else is nothing but trash!” Andy bellowed furiously after hearing Azure Dragon’s voice.
He pushed the door open and charged forward in an imposing manner as he retorted.
However, Andy was dumbfounded when he took in the Special Operations Regiment’s formation outside the house, as the sound of the soldiers marching reverberated beside his ears.
“This, this, this…”
Andy could not recover from the impact he received after witnessing the Special Operations Regiment lined up before him.
His subordinates following behind him were about to shout unwelcoming speeches at the people outside the house when they were immediately pinned to the ground.
His men did not even have a second to react.
The soldiers charged into ‘the War God’s Mansion’ and even dragged Andy along with them.
Anyone who stood in their way was dealt with and shoved aside.
Levi and the others entered the Mansion, after the Special Operations Regiment cleared away all the hindrances.
The bodyguards inside the Mansion thought that someone had barged into the house.
They wanted to counter the intruder at once.
To their misfortune, the sight of the soldiers scared the life out of the bodyguards.
In less than thirty seconds, all the bodyguards inside ‘the War God’s Mansion’ were subdued.
Moreover, the soldiers infiltrated the Mansion without making any excessive noise. They had successfully taken control of the place without anyone else noticing.
Kirin’s harsh training was effective, as he had turned the normal soldiers into an elite troop.
The soldiers lined up in two rows from the house entrance to the meeting hall after they conquered the War God’s Mansion.
Levi, Azure Dragon, and Kirin marched forward.
Inside the meeting hall.
Liam sipped on his cup of tea while sitting calmly in his chair.
Nathan was slightly worried. “Could something bad be happening outside the hall?”
Liam smiled. “Don’t worry. Andy is more than capable of handling everything!”
Benny merely put on a pensive smile without saying a word.
Boom!
The door to the meeting hall was knocked over, by a huge force, as soon as Liam spoke.
A dozen soldiers rushed into the meeting hall the next second.
They quickly lined up into two rows inside the hall.
Liam and Nathan were startled by that sudden scene. Why are there soldiers inside my house? Moreover, these men appear to be a well-trained army!
“Aren’t you a daredevil, Liam Macy?” A group of people entered the meeting hall, echoing a thunderous roar.
The soldiers saluted the people who had walked through the door at once.
Liam was terrified by what he had just witnessed, while Nathan’s legs almost gave way.
Members of the Macy family should have had experienced all kinds of occasions in life. Nonetheless, the sight of the soldiers was too scary and incomprehensible to them.
What on earth is happening?
Benny stood up only after he saw Levi.
Clarity washed over Liam. That’s the person whom Benny Quinton is waiting for. The person that is capable of inflicting trouble upon my family!
“I’m glad that you’re alright, Mr. Quinton!” Levi grinned.
“Yes. They did not give me any trouble,” Benny relayed.
Nathan felt his strength seeping away from his body as Azure Dragon fixated his gaze on him. No words came to Nathan at that moment. Who the hell are these people? Do people like them exist in North Hampton? Why haven’t we heard anything about them?
Liam was a veteran in life. He was able to regain his composure and asked, “Who are you?”
“I am the person who’d sent you the note earlier,” Levi answered.
“The God of War, Garrison?” Liam frowned. He was bewildered. “Please forgive my foolishness. I did not know that there was someone as accomplished as you in the Garrison family from North Hampton.”
Liam and Nathan were caught in perplexity.
“Mr. Macy, why don’t you let your imagination run free for a moment. A God of War with the family name of Garrison who is currently staying in North Hampton…” Benny reminded Liam.
“A God of War with the family name of Garrison? I don’t know this person. God of War? Garrison? Wait…”
Liam’s face turned ashen, as he was shocked to his core.
He looked at Levi and exclaimed in astonishment, “Don’t tell me you’re the legendary God of War?”
Levi exclaimed, “No, no, no. You’re the real God of War!”
Boom!
Liam almost passed out from fear, listening to Levi’s comment. The God of War? This is just a nickname given to me by people in the underworld. This is completely different from the real God of War. I can’t believe something as melodramatic as this is actually happening today! The God of War had warned me by sending me a note, yet I did the most ridiculous thing to threaten him! Wait, something’s not right. I think Jack Smith screwed me over!
Liam glanced at Jack. He knew that his apprentice was setting him up. Jack could have explained Levi Garrison’s identity to me, but he did not. He’s trying to eliminate me by utilizing the God of War’s authority.
Thump!
Liam got down on his knees.
“Sir, everything that has happened today is just a misunderstanding! I invited Mr. Quinton to my place because I’d needed treatment.” Liam explained in a hurry.
Levi sat in Liam’s seat and responded with a smile, “Okay. Let’s put aside this matter related to Mr. Quinton. How should we address the incident that has happened in the hospital?”
Liam looked at Andy immediately. “Hurry up and summon the men whom you’d assigned to the hospital earlier!”
All eight men were brought forward after a short while. All of them knelt on the floor in fright.
“This is just a misunderstanding! We were impatient just now!” The men shivered fearfully.
Liam piped up after noticing their conditions, “Sir, I will make sure that they receive the appropriate punishments for hitting those innocent people by following the law.”
Levi’s lips curled into a sneer. “Well, I want to deal with this matter by using my way today because of a reason!”
“Reason?” Everyone was astounded.
“Do you remember hitting a female doctor?” Levi asked.
The men exchanged glances with one another.
The only person who had fitted Levi’s description was Benny Quinton’s assistant, who had tried to stop them from leaving at that time.
They nodded after a moment of consideration.
“Oh, just so you know, that person is my mother-in-law!”
Dreadful silence filled the air after Levi spoke.
Everyone was stunned.
So, they hit the God of War’s mother-in-law? Where did they find the courage to do something like that?
Liam was drenched in a nervous sweat, as his face turned pallid, after a split second.
He had never been more afraid in his entire life.
Liam and Nathan finally understood how terribly they had raised Andy, by constantly showering him with affection, fulfilling his every wish.
Andy grew up to become an arrogant, self-centered brat who would do anything as he pleased.
Now they had to suffer the consequences of their bad parenting.
Andy, soaked in a cold sweat, regretted his decision as well, for accidentally harming the God of War’s mother-in-law.
“Who hit her?” Levi asked.
All eight men, groveling on the floor, shuddered. None of them dared to admit their sins.
“So, you’re not confessing?” Levi’s voice was heard again.
The rest of the men took a step back to expose the culprit.
The culprit, Tig, shook with fear.
“Did you hit my mother-in-law?” Levi questioned him.
Tig wanted to answer him, but he could not utter a single word.
Bam!
Levi kicked Tig in his face as the latter flew a few meters across the hall.
Tig was dragged to Levi’s feet again.
Slap!
Levi slapped Tig’s face forcefully and sent him flying across the room again.
Then, he was dragged to face Levi’s wrath again.
The process was repeated by at least twenty times.
Tig’s face had turned into a bloody mess after Levi was done. His facial features became misshapen and disfigured.
Everyone else inside the hall was petrified by Levi’s ruthlessness.
Even the big boss of the underworld, Liam, was trembling.
The matter spread to the public before Iris had time to contain the news.
The media and newspaper publishers swiftly reported Morris Group’s error as a headline topic, The medical devices endorsed by the national treasure, Benny Quinton, were deemed defective. Use of the medical devices in a clinical setting had resulted in the death of a patient!
That news became an instant sensation that spread all over Erudia.
Benny’s appointment as Morris Group’s ambassador had boosted Morris Group’s reputation and sales to the top in the business field.
The company’s market value increased steeply as well.
Morris Group’s exponential growth had limited the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce’s control over the market.
Unexpectedly, a disaster occurred just after a few days of success.
A patient’s death was a taboo in the medical field.
Unfortunately, Morris Group had to face the predicament.
At eight o’clock in the morning.
Quebec’s Department of Business and Management, Department of Work Safety, Consumers’ Association, Department of Commerce, Department of Commercial Products’ Quality Assurance, and State Police Department joined forces to investigate that matter.
They halted Morris Group’s factory production and operations at once.
All six departments had assigned a special task force to Morris Group, temporarily suspending Morris Group’s business license.
The entire organization that was running smoothly before had collapsed, all of a sudden.
Iris and the other executives were discussing ways to deal with the issue when a group of people marched up to the meeting room.
The door to the meeting room was forcefully pushed open.
“Can I meet with the person-in-charge in this place? We are from the special task force established by the six main departments in Quebec. We are tasked with the investigation of the grave error found in your company’s products!”
The man leading the group of people was Keith York, the deputy director of the Quebec Police Department. He was nicknamed ‘Justice Keith’, for his righteous personality.
No one expected a special task force to be established with the sole purpose of handling that matter. So, it was clear to see the impact of the flaw in Morris Group’s medical apparatus.
Iris stood up frightfully and explained, “I am the vice-president of Morris Group, Iris Anabelle. I am the person-in-charge for now.”
Keith introduced himself in a cold tone, “I am the captain of this special task force, Keith York. Request for your company’s president and chairman of the board to show themselves at once!”
“This…”
Iris was caught in a difficult position.
All the other executives were exchanging glances, one amongst the other because even the majority of them had never seen Morris Group’s big boss.
Their president, Neil Rhodes, was not frequently seen in the company as well.
“Mr. York, I am the main handler of Morris Group at the moment. You can speak to me directly if there’s anything urgent,” Iris relayed.
Keith sneered, “A vice-president is running the entire company? Maybe Morris Group’s faulty internal management is to blame for this flaw in the company’s production! I am now suspecting Morris Group’s owner to be on the run after committing a crime!”
“No, that’s not it…” Iris hurriedly shook her head.
“Okay. Then why don’t you tell me what’s going on?” Keith stared at her.
“I…” Iris did not know how to describe Morris Group’s management style because their big boss and president, Neil Rhodes, were extraordinary men.
“So, you can’t tell me anything?” Keith jeered at Iris.
“I hereby announce all on-going processes in Morris Group to be halted and every member of the company to be subjected to inquiry. The employees related to the production department will undergo rigorous questioning. The police will now begin to inspect Morris Group. Anyone who is involved in this fatal incident will be severely punished!”
All members of the company’s upper management were anxious after listening to Keith’s speech. If the police can prove Morris Group’s negligence in this matter, the company will meet its downfall, and all of us, executives, will certainly face time in prison.
Iris and her colleagues defended themselves, “I hope you will uncover the truth, Mr. York. There is absolutely nothing wrong with our products. We’d even received multiple certifications from the Quality Control Department. Moreover, we even have Mr. Quinton to guarantee our products’ quality. There must be someone out there who’s trying to frame us!”
Chapter 1
Velador country.
Over the airport in Case York city.
A private jet is about to land.
There are hundreds of fighter jets circling and escorting around!
The airport was blocked even earlier.
The special fighters with live ammunition stood everywhere, three floors inside and three floors...
Has anyone heard or read the novel Awakening of War God, I have read around 20 chapters and looking for more. If anyone has any information kindly share, you have my gratitude in advance🙏
