Just as Manager Arnold took a step outside, his body suddenly froze, and then he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder as an immense force yanked him backward. It was as if he were soaring, but the sensation quickly turned into excruciating agony with a resounding crash.
Before Manager Arnold could catch his breath, he realized that Leo had his foot on his hand.
“Sir, spare me. They made me do it,” Manager Arnold, now fully aware of who the true boss in this room was, begged.
Leo exerted pressure with his right foot, and there was a sickening crunch as Manager Arnold’s hand suffered the same fate as the security guard’s.
“Ahhhh!!!” A blood-curdling scream filled the room, a sound of sheer horror.
“You deceived me, and this is the price you must pay,” Leo said coldly.
“Sir, please spare me!” Manager Arnold cried, tears streaming down his face.
Leo lifted his right foot, and Manager Arnold’s mangled hand was exposed. “Now, I’ll give you a chance to make amends. Take me to meet the developer of Cloud Dream Mountain Villa and ensure I obtain the qualifications to participate in the auction.”
Manager Arnold, now willing to comply, got up from the ground, his eyes stealing a glance at Antony and the others lying on the floor, before tremblingly saying, “Mr. Bloomer, I… I’ll take you to meet President Leacock and help you with the qualifications.”
Leo followed Manager Arnold out of the room, leaving Antony and others who resembled beaten dogs behind. They didn’t deserve another glance.
They took the elevator to the second floor and arrived at an office door. Manager Arnold’s voice quivered as he said, “Mr. Bloomer, this is President Leacock’s office. You can complete the qualification certification inside and obtain the eligibility to bid for the villa.”
“Knock on the door,” Leo ordered, his tone cold.
Manager Arnold extended his left hand and knocked on the door.
“Come in!” a man’s voice came from inside.
Manager Arnold used his left hand to push open the door and forced a smile as he said, “President Leacock, Mr. Bloomer is here.”
“Mr. Bloomer?” Devin Leacock glanced at Leo with displeasure. “What Mr. Bloomer? If someone hasn’t made an appointment, don’t bring them to me. Can’t you see I’m busy?”
“President Leacock, he wants to participate in the villa auction and is here for qualification certification,” Manager Arnold began, “His name is Leo Bloomer, and he is…”
However, Manager Arnold’s sentence was left hanging as he hesitated for a moment, realizing that this was a chance to leverage President Leacock’s power to deal with Leo.
“What is it?” President Leacock’s impatience was evident.
Manager Arnold’s voice grew louder by several decibels, “He is the son-in-law of Henley Group, President Leacock. His name is Leo Bloomer.”
“Henley Group? Son-in-law?” President Leacock paused for a moment, then quickly recalled, “You mean the worthless husband of Sophia Henley, the General Manager of Sophia Cosmetics?”
President Leacock had met Sophia before and had once coveted her beauty. So, he was aware of Sophia’s marriage to a worthless man four years ago.
Looking at Leo once again, President Leacock’s expression was filled with disdain. “Why bring a freeloader like him here? Get the security to throw him out. By the way, what happened to your hand?”
Manager Arnold was about to respond when he noticed Leo’s cold gaze fixed on him. Without hesitation, he turned and fled.
Leo raised his foot and walked into President Leacock’s office.
“I want to participate in the auction for No. 9 villa at Cloud Dream Mountain. I’m here for qualification certification today,” Leo said to President Leacock.
President Leacock’s office wasn’t empty. Apart from him, there were four middle-aged men: one balding, one wearing thick glasses, one holding two walnuts in his hand, and one with a cigar in his mouth.
When they heard Leo’s words, they burst into laughter as if they had just heard a toad say it wanted to eat swan meat.
After laughing for quite a while, they finally stopped, as if the joke had lost its charm. The balding man pointed at Leo and jeered, “I’ve heard that freeloaders who live off women need to work hard to please their mother-in-law. Now I see that you’re quite a talented comedian.”
“A freeloader like you trying to participate in the villa auction? Have you lost your mind?” the bespectacled man chimed in.
“I think it’s highly likely that once a man starts freeloading, he can only live under a woman’s skirt. Over time, his mental state is bound to deteriorate,” one of the men with a cigar in his mouth commented, a hint of scorn in his eyes. “Kid, if you’re not crazy, you better get lost. This isn’t the place for you.”
Leo paid no attention to their mockery, treating it as background noise. He focused solely on President Leacock and asked, “Manager Arnold said you’re the developer of Cloud Dream Mountain villas and also in charge of this villa auction. Do I need to undergo qualification certification here?”
Having delivered their jabs and jokes, the men had lost interest in Leo by now. President Leacock, with a disgusted expression, said, “Freeloading waste, stop pretending. It’s pointless. Do you know how much money you need in the bank to participate in the No. 9 villa auction? I suggest you be more practical and reincarnate into a wealthy family in your next life.”
“Money is not a problem. Don’t waste time. Have someone come and conduct my qualification certification,” Leo retorted, finding these guys overly chatty.
“Money is not a problem; the problem is you have no money! Take advantage of the fact that my mood is still okay, and get out of here, or I’ll have someone throw you out!” President Leacock impatiently waved his hand.
In a cold tone, Leo said, “I am determined to win the No. 9 villa at Cloud Dream Mountain! After I secure the villa, you all should shut up about what happened today, or else I will send every one of you to see God!”
With Leo’s statement, all five men were stunned. Strangely, they had wanted to laugh, but an intangible pressure prevented them from doing so. This pressure was making it difficult for them to even breathe, and a strange feeling was welling up in their hearts.
It was the feeling that Leo’s words were not exaggerated in the slightest, and he wasn’t joking either. Under this inexplicable sense of oppression and intimidation, the five men began to feel a growing sense of unease.
It was as if they had suddenly become helpless chicks, and the young man standing in the office had turned into a formidable eagle. Any slight movement on their part could lead to them being devoured by this eagle.
In simpler terms, they realized they had been completely wrong about Leo from the beginning. How could someone like him be a freeloading son-in-law?
Yet, he had indeed married into the Henley family!