“Ms. Sharp doesn’t know much about the Peninsula Group contract, but she knows that the big shot living in Thodell Mansion has been helping me,” Madeline repeated their earlier conversation.
“What! It wasn’t War God who helped Rose?” Paulina exclaimed.
“The big shot behind the scenes likes you!”
Paulina was shocked and her hands trembled with excitement.
Living in Thodell Mansion on Plenilune Mountain.
Helped bankrupt Rose establish a company.
Attracted a billion-dollar investment, released a new drug, and enlisted the support of Roman and movie stars.
There was reason to believe that the mysterious big shot was on the same level as the War God!
And he liked her daughter?
The Kaur family seemed to be on the path to prosperity!
“Let’s go! To Plenilune Mountain!” Paulina pulled Madeline to leave.
Madeline opened her hand, her face blushing, “Ms. Sharp said to go in the evening, but we can’t enter the Plenilune Mountain villa area!”
Excited, Paulina said, “Buy binoculars! Isn’t there a small hill next to Plenilune Mountain? If we stand on it, we can see the gate of Thodell Mansion. Let’s keep watch!”
“After dinner, we’ll buy them and then keep watch!”
…
Flynn and Rose quickly arrived at the Swanson’s Group estate.
Braiden’s villa was located on the halfway up the suburban mountains, with picturesque scenery.
The pavilions and towers were all antique-style buildings, and Braiden spent over a hundred million on the decoration. Previously used for vacations, he now lived here to deal with Rose.
By the lakeside pavilion outside the estate, there were over a dozen yellow rosewood chairs arranged, with more than ten invited guests sitting down, chatting with each other, occasionally accompanied by laughter.
Seated at the main spot was Braiden.
Beside him was the divine doctor Garrett, and his chubby grandson Andrew occupied another seat.
Apart from the three, most were suppliers and distributors of the Swanson’s Group. The seats on the opposite side seemed a bit cold.
Two people were sitting there, a slightly plump middle-aged man, Rose’s herbal supplier, Corbin, the owner of Alpire Group.
Standing behind him was a rugged-looking middle-aged man.
Sharp as an eagle’s eyes, with powerful and robust hands, flattened knuckles, and ears resembling dumplings, he looked like a seasoned martial artist-Corbin’s bodyguard, no doubt.
The other was slender but sturdy, with prominent cheekbones and a soulful gaze. Sporting a goatee, he resembled a Taoist priest seen on television, appearing spirited.
He was Tristan from Blueworth Group, Rose’s distributor.
Seeing Rose approaching, the two nodded in acknowledgment, their gaze flickering briefly over Flynn without any expression.
Meanwhile, the grandfather and grandson, Garrett, exchanged a disdainful glance upon seeing Flynn. Their resentment toward Flynn surpassed that toward Rose, giving off a sense of wanting to eliminate him to find relief.
Flynn casually swept his eyes over the grandfather and grandson, finally fixing them on the middle-aged man to Braiden’s left.
Wearing a long robe and flat cloth shoes, the man had robust joints, a medium build, yet exuded an imposing presence while sitting there.
With disinterest, Flynn shifted his gaze away. Just as he approached the empty seat next to Rose to sit down, Andrew gestured to the servants.
Understanding his intention, the servants immediately moved the unoccupied yellow rosewood chair aside, removing the chair Flynn was about to sit on.
“Mr. Swanson, is this your way of hospitality?” Rose asked with a frown.
Andrew sneered, “Ms. Sharp, haven’t you seen who is present? He’s just a bodyguard, a watchdog. Does he have the qualifications to sit on an equal footing with us?”
Braiden chuckled, “Ms. Sharp, the head of security is standing. Your bodyguard can’t possibly sit, can he?”
“Moreover, I only invited you, not him!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Braiden’s business partners also chuckled.
Everyone present had net worths exceeding a billion, even a hundred billion. In essence, they were all bosses. What qualifications did Rose’s bodyguard have to sit on an equal footing with them?
“He is not only my bodyguard but also my business partner. Mr. Swanson, targeting him like this, isn’t it a bit petty?” Rose responded indifferently.
Braiden disdainfully snorted, not bothering to respond. As the eldest son of the Swanson family, his demeanor was naturally not petty. However, Flynn had thoroughly embarrassed him, especially with the Virginia incident, leaving him completely discredited.
For him, targeting Flynn in any way was not excessive.
Flynn casually remarked, “It’s okay; standing is also fine.”
Garrett sneered, “Ms. Sharp, we invited you here for important matters. There’s no need to waste time on a puppet! Every time this person appears, he steals the limelight, acting as if he’s unparalleled. Allowing him to sit down would only boost his arrogance.”
“Let him stand and cool off for a while, lest he can’t distinguish between master and servant.”
As soon as the words were spoken, there was a mocking atmosphere in the room.
Most of them had attended the Pharma Congress and were not unfamiliar with Flynn. That day, he had certainly drawn a lot of attention, acting like a big shot.
In a polite way, he was considered a puppet deceiving the public on behalf of the War God. In a harsher tone, he was nothing more than the War God’s lapdog.
Could such a character sit on an equal footing with them?
Although insulting Flynn was equivalent to disrespecting the War God, judging from the series of actions taken by the War God, he didn’t seem willing or daring to continue getting involved in the conflicts.
So what if they didn’t show respect to the War God?
Could he still confront them? They were afraid even the military wouldn’t be willing.
Moreover, they had Layla as their backing. Even if he stood up to them, the outcome would be a draw, not worth the trouble!
Braiden believed he had thoroughly figured out the War God and didn’t think the War God would do anything to them.
Flynn naturally understood their thoughts and couldn’t help but smile bitterly, glancing toward the north.
Cruz was also in a sorry state. Little did he expect that while handling military affairs in the Northern Territory, rumors would be spreading in his hometown in the south.
He must be sneezing non-stop by now!
The truth can’t be hidden forever, and Cruz probably knew about this matter soon. When he found out, he was likely to go crazy and rush back overnight to vent his anger.
The crucial point was that Rose only took some photos at Thodell Mansion, never mentioning Cruz from start to finish. It was the Swanson side that had been spreading rumors as if they were true.
Given Cruz’s explosive temper, he might give Braiden a severe tongue-lashing!
Flynn was happy to watch the show and even looked forward to the day when Cruz returned to Niarak. He was tempted to give Cruz a call.
Braiden stood up and said, “Alright, the purpose of inviting everyone this time is twofold. First, to welcome Mr. Howe and Mr. Calder.”
“Second, I heard that Mr. Calder’s bodyguard has excellent martial arts skills, and besides being a channel partner, Mr. Howe also has expertise in venomous medicine.”
“I happen to have two friends, one who is a master of Shape-will Fist, and the other a great venomous medicine expert. I thought we could have a friendly exchange during this gathering. What do you think, gentlemen?”
Braiden looked at Corbin and Tristan, a slight curve appearing on his lips.
Seeing Corbin and Tristan frowning, he continued, “Of course, to make it more interesting, we can’t do without a wager.”
“You both must know about my influence in Niarak, with me backing you up, no one dares to touch you. If you win, I’ll sponsor a five million prize, and ensure your business goes smoothly in Niarak.”
“If you lose, it’s also fine. Ms. Sharp, as your business partner in Niarak, should naturally help you out. Let’s make one ton of Bloodwort as the bet!”
Flynn’s face turned cold upon hearing this.
Braiden was really playing a big game!
The implied message was clear: With me in Niarak, I can decide your fate with a snap of my fingers. If you win, I’ll spare your lives. If you lose and still dare to cooperate with Rose, you should consider your personal safety!
However, Flynn was puzzled by one thing. With such high stakes, why did Braiden choose one ton of Bloodwort as the bet? It was a highly poisonous herb that can save lives or take them. Looking at the Swanson’s Group’s range of pharmaceutical products, none of them required Bloodwort.
If Braiden aimed to prevent Energence Pharmaceuticals from producing the Bone-Cleansing Pill, why did Garrett express an interest in buying Bloodwort at the auction when they didn’t know Energence Pharmaceuticals needed it?
Recalling Barney’s words at Ivory Grove Hotel, a dreadful thought crossed Flynn’s mind. Could they be procuring Bloodwort for the King of Poison?