“How are you?” Leo asked.
“I’m okay, not dead yet,” Maximilian replied, struggling to open his eyes, which were bloodshot with exhaustion. He forced a smile. “How about you?”
“I’m fine, of course,” Leo sighed in relief. “What about Zeke?”
“Dead,” Maximilian answered.
Leo had scanned the valley with his senses earlier and indeed found no trace of Zeke, who had evidently been obliterated in the explosion.
“And Knox? Is he alright?” Maximilian asked.
Leo remembered Knox and was about to search for him when someone came running from the valley entrance.
It was Roland!
Leo waved and called out to him.
Roland ran up and, seeing only Leo and Maximilian, asked, “Where’s Knox?”
Leo shook his head and then used his senses to search.
Soon, Leo’s senses locked onto a nearby ruin.
Together, Leo and Roland managed to dig Knox out from the debris.
Clay was also in the ruins but was already dead.
Knox was barely breathing and had fallen into a coma.
Leo said to Roland, “Roland, notify WONDER to send a helicopter for rescue and then go get Vivian. I’ll stay here to treat Knox and Mr. Ramsey.”
“Alright, see you soon.” Roland didn’t dare delay and ran back to the cave while contacting WONDER with their special communication tool.
Half an hour later, five people, including Charlotte, gathered together.
Another half hour later, a helicopter arrived with a roar, picked them up, and rushed towards WONDER headquarters.
When Leo returned to Langstel, it was already noon the next day.
Days flew by, and more than ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
One day, after finishing his morning consultations, Leo received a sudden call from Rosemary.
“Leo, do you have time now? Can you come to the company? A major client from the Goryeo Kingdom specifically requested to discuss business with you,” Rosemary said with a hint of confusion in her voice.
Leo was equally puzzled. Apart from some interactions with Jay Park and Sang Kwon from Goryeo, he didn’t know anyone else from there.
Not particularly interested in business matters, Leo replied, “I’m not really good at business. Maybe we should decline.”
“We can’t decline. This client is from Belle Epoque Cosmetics, the largest cosmetics company in the Goryeo Kingdom,” Rosemary quickly explained. “Belle Epoque Cosmetics has significant international influence. If our company can collaborate with them, it would greatly help us go global.”
Since it would benefit the company, Leo thought for a moment and decided to meet this major client from Goryeo Kingdom. “Alright, I’ll come over now.”
After hanging up the phone, Leo drove straight to Leo&Rose Cosmetics.
Upon arrival, he went upstairs to Rosemary’s office. Inside the spacious office were Rosemary, her secretary, and five others-four men and one woman.
Two men wore casual suits, one black and one white.
The other two men wore formal suits and had stern expressions; they seemed like bodyguards.
The woman wore a light purple professional outfit, likely a secretary.
“Leo!” Rosemary greeted him as he entered.
Leo nodded and looked at the two men in casual suits.
Rosemary introduced them. “Mr. Hayes, this is Mr. Bloomer, the major shareholder of Leo&Rose Cosmetics.”
The man in the black casual suit stepped forward, extended his hand to Leo, and smiled. “Mr. Bloomer, I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Justin Hayes.”
They shook hands briefly. Leo didn’t sense any business aura from Justin but rather a political one.
“Mr. Hayes, what position do you hold at Belle Epoque Cosmetics?” Leo asked deliberately.
Justin shook his head and smiled. “I don’t work at Belle Epoque Cosmetics. I’m from Cheongwadae.”
Justin’s Mandarin was impeccable, much better than Jay Park’s or Sang Kwon’s.
Everyone knew that Cheongwadae was the power center of the Goryeo Kingdom, similar to The White House in the United States.
Hearing that Justin was from Cheongwadae made Rosemary’s expression change slightly.
Before Leo arrived, Alberto Lee had been talking with her. Since Alberto Lee came with Justin, Rosemary had assumed Justin was also from Belle Epoque Cosmetics.
Justin’s answer revealed his true intentions to Leo. He asked directly, “Are you here for the competition between Korean Medicine and traditional doctors?”
“Yes,” Justin nodded. “I came here specifically on behalf of our president to discuss some matters with you.”
“Discuss? Discuss what? What is there to discuss?” Leo asked with a disdainful smile.
Leo’s expression made Justin’s face show a hint of displeasure. He turned and gave his secretary a look.
The secretary stepped forward and handed a document to Leo. “Mr. Bloomer, please take a look at this document.”
Leo hesitated briefly but took the document from the female secretary and began to read it.
The document mostly contained photos. The main building in the photos was a luxurious villa mansion with lavish interiors and beautiful surroundings…
Besides the photos, there was a green card, a special-looking passport full of Goryeo stamps, and some other documents.
Closing the folder, Leo had guessed Justin’s intention but still asked, “Mr. Hayes, what do you mean by this?”
Justin smiled. “Mr. Bloomer, may we sit down and talk?”
“I don’t have much time. Just get to the point,” Leo said impatiently.
A flash of annoyance crossed Justin’s face, but he forced a smile. “Mr. Bloomer, the villa in the photos is located in Seoul’s most beautiful area. We purchased it specifically for you. Additionally…”
Leo interrupted directly. “I can’t accept your generosity. I have no intention of living in your Goryeo Kingdom!”
“Mr. Bloomer, please don’t be so quick to refuse. Can you hear me out first?” Justin tried hard to maintain his smile.
Leo wanted to see what else he could offer and signaled him to continue.
Justin continued, “Besides the villa, green card, and some special privileges, there’s also a tax exemption agreement.”
“In other words, as long as your company sets up in Goryeo Kingdom, not only will all taxes be exempted, but we will also provide all policy conveniences.”
“I’ve done some research on Leo&Rose Cosmetics. It’s no exaggeration to say that if Leo&Rose Cosmetics enters Goryeo Kingdom, it would be like stepping into the international market. Your personal assets could easily double or triple.”
While speaking, Justin closely watched Leo’s facial expressions.