Janet’s poison, acquired in that secret realm, was terrifying, as witnessed by Jeff. Even a grand martial artist, once tainted by Janet’s poison, would be reduced to someone useless. With Giles and Greg’s demise and Janet’s poison unable to take down that young man, the situation had become somewhat complicated.
Janet’s voice was chilling as she spoke, “I can now confirm that there is indeed a secret of spiritual cultivation hidden within that young man. We absolutely cannot let him slip through our fingers.”
Jeff was thinking along the same lines. After a brief moment of contemplation, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. “When the Supreme Elder returns, I’ll personally request his assistance.”
The next day, after dropping Sophia off at work, Leo made a visit to the Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company. The new production line had been installed and tested, and the products were already in production. With Alvin overseeing production, everything was well-organized, and Leo didn’t have to worry much about it.
After leaving Alvin’s office, Leo paid a visit to the security office. A while back, he had given Curtis three volumes of the Seven Stars Sword Sect’s martial arts manuals, and he wondered how Curtis was progressing with his self-cultivation.
Outside the security office, Curtis excitedly informed Leo that he had already found his Qi sense. Although he hadn’t cultivated internal energy yet, his original strength had greatly improved.
Unfortunately, Roy and the others had not been able to find their Qi sense yet.
Finding one’s Qi sense was a significant step, and Leo knew Curtis had the potential to become a martial artist. He had touched the threshold of the martial path, but without a master’s guidance, he had yet to step into the world of martial cultivation.
Leo had a plan in mind. Once his own cultivation reached the Great Spiritual Master realm, he could use the Mystical Sky Bagua-Patterned Alchemical Furnace to refine pills. By then, he could make pills for Curtis and the others, using the miraculous power of the pills to help them become true martial artists.
Around noon, Leo decided not to dine at the factory’s cafeteria. Instead, he invited Curtis to join him for lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Inside the restaurant, they ordered a few small dishes and a bottle of wine. As they enjoyed their meal and conversation, Leo noticed a familiar figure. Upon closer inspection, he recognized Cherry, whom he had seen at the Cloud Dream Mountain villa sales center.
Cherry was having a meal with a greasy middle-aged man. She didn’t notice Leo’s presence.
Suddenly, a group of men and women entered the restaurant. The man leading the group, in his thirties, was dressed in casual attire and had a somewhat handsome appearance. He walked toward a large table as if he were a noble prince.
The restaurant staff hurriedly approached him and respectfully greeted, “Hello, Mr. Gregory!”
Ford Gregory was originally going to sit down, but he noticed the man sitting across from Cherry. He walked over instead.
“Hey, isn’t this Mr. Dutt?” Ford’s face revealed a triumphant smile. “I heard you were hospitalized for an illness, but here you are, casually picking up girls. Also, you didn’t even say hello when you saw me. Isn’t that quite rude?”
Cliff Dutt quickly stood up from his chair, forcing a smile. “I’m sorry, Mr. Gregory. I didn’t see you.”
“Wow, this restaurant isn’t that big. You didn’t see me even with your eyes? Your smile looks ugly, by the way,” Ford said, patting Cliff’s face. “Give me a better smile.”
Cliff seemed to be afraid of him and managed to force another smile.
“Still ugly,” Ford shook his head, dissatisfied. “It seems like you really don’t want to see me.”
“No, no, I feel honored to meet Mr. Gregory here,” Cliff hastily replied, fear evident in his eyes.
Seeing Cliff’s fearful demeanor, Ford laughed arrogantly. Then, his gaze shifted to the woman next to him, and his eyes lit up.
“Is this lovely lady your friend?” Ford pointed at Cherry and asked.
Cliff nodded quickly, “Mr. Gregory, she’s my girlfriend.”
Ford smirked, “I didn’t expect a greasy middle-aged guy like you to find such a beautiful girlfriend. Quite surprising.”
Cherry, sharp as ever, immediately grasped the situation. She stood up and greeted Ford with a sweet smile, “Hello, Mr. Gregory. I’m Cherry.”
Ford reached out, placing his hand on Cherry’s shoulder and said with a grin, “Miss Cherry, nice to meet you. Today is my birthday, and I’ve brought two bottles of Lafite Rothschild. Would you like to join me for a couple of drinks?”
As Ford spoke, his hand slid from Cherry’s shoulder to her waist and then down to her hip.
Seeing Ford’s hands on Cherry, Cliff quickly pulled her away a bit, saying, “Mr. Gregory, Cherry is my girlfriend. Could you…?”
“Smack!”
Before Cliff could finish his sentence, Ford delivered a solid slap to his face.
Cliff took a step back, covering his face with his hand.
“I was talking to Miss Cherry; why are you interrupting?” Ford snarled.
Cliff genuinely wanted to date Cherry and, after recovering from the slap, he raised his voice, “Mr. Gregory, she’s really my girlfriend. Could you please give me some respect?”
“Damn it, when did you have any face in front of me? Don’t even talk about your girlfriend; even if she were your wife, I could do whatever I want!” Ford pushed Cliff down into his seat and then reached out to embrace Cherry’s slender waist. “Miss Cherry, I hereby cordially invite you to my birthday party. I believe you won’t refuse.”
Cherry didn’t resist Ford’s touch; instead, she smiled sweetly and replied, “Today being Mr. Gregory’s birthday, how could I possibly decline?”
Although Cherry didn’t know Ford’s true identity, she could tell that anyone who made Cliff so fearful was not to be trifled with.
“Cherry, let’s go,” Cliff urged desperately.
Cherry refused without hesitation, “Go? Go where? You can go by yourself; I’m attending Mr. Gregory’s birthday party.”
Cliff stood up and reached for Cherry’s hand, saying, “Cherry, you can’t go!”
Cherry shook off his hand, her tone icy. “Cliff, my life is my own business. It’s not up to you.”
Cliff muttered a few curses under his breath but didn’t dare to do anything for now.
“Miss Cherry, shall we go? I’ll make sure you have a wonderful time. And if I enjoy myself today, I might even gift you a Mercedes-Benz G-Class,” Ford proposed, his hand roaming further.
Cherry pressed closer, responding with a sultry look, “Mr. Gregory, I promise to make your birthday unforgettable.”
“Cliff, I don’t want to see you right now. You have one minute to disappear,” Ford ordered, looking triumphant.