novelxo Chapter 11-20
Chapter 11
Luna wound down the window and shouted at the minivans, “What is wrong with you people…”
Before she could finish, the two minivans’ doors opened, and eight masked men came out.
Athena’s first response was to wind up the window. She then said to Luna, “Ms. Crestfall, stay in the car. Don’t come out.”
Athena got out of the car and confronted the masked men.
The leading masked man wielded a dagger, waving it in front of Athena.
“Lady, our target is the girl in the car. If you don’t want to get hurt, leave.”
“You and your little ragtag group?” Athena scanned them and curled her lips into a scornful grin.
“Hmph! Don’t blame us!” The man thrust his dagger forward, aiming it at Athena’s weak point.
Luna screamed out of shock at the scene. In the face of danger, she lost her usual calm and her pitch for a slightly higher one.
It was eight versus one, and Athena was the underdog.
Luna suddenly realized that Andrius was in the car. She cried, “Andrius, go down and help!”
Andrius glanced at her before he got out of the car. He stood by the car and showed no intention of assisting Athena, which fueled Luna’s anxiety and nervousness.
She urged him, “Andrius! Go help!”
Andrius remained still despite her urging. As the Wolf King that dominated the battlefield, he was certain that there was a sniper in the area. The sniper hid so well that even Athena failed to spot him.
Therefore, Athena’s mission was to deal with the eight masked men, while Andrius’ mission was to find the hidden sniper.
Andrius picked up a pebble from the ground and pinched it between his index and middle fingers.
At the next moment, he shot the pebble in a certain direction.
“Argh!”
A painful cry sounded further away, followed by a body falling off the building. It was the hidden sniper!
After dealing with the sniper, Andrius returned to the car.
“Andrius, you…”
Luna could not believe that Andrius came back instead of helping Athena, and he even looked terrified. She was disappointed with his cowardice!
What a useless man!
She exhaled exasperatedly and turned her attention back to Athena. She wished Athena could win, or they would be in a tough spot.
Fortunately, Athena was powerful enough to defeat the eight masked men. She only had a cut on her forearm.
Luna immediately drove Athena to the hospital.
After Athena was bandaged, the three continued their journey back to Dream’s Waterfront.
Learning that Luna was ambushed on the way home, Harry brought the whole family to her place.
As soon as he entered the living room, he cried, “Luna, are you alright!?”
“Dad, I’m okay.” Luna turned to Athena. “Thankfully, Athena is here, or else things would have gone bad.”
“Thank you, Ms. Warland.” Harry then put a card into Athena’s hand. “This is for saving my daughter. Please take it.”
“Thank you, Mr. Crestfall.”
Athena then left the living room with the card.
After Athena left, Harry bellowed, “The Stormbrews must have sent the hitmen to assassinate you! We must hold them responsible for this!”
“Dad, calm down.” Luna pulled her father’s arm. She sighed and explained, “The Stormbrews are deeply rooted in Sumeria. We are not strong enough to face them directly.”
“Hmph!” Master Crestfall then expressed his dissatisfaction with his son. “Look at you, being so impulsive at a critical moment. Learn from your daughter! If I handed you my position, you would lead the family to its doom!”
“Father…” Harry looked dispirited after being scolded. He lowered his voice and explained, “If we don’t do something, the Stormbrews will probably do it again.”
His words silenced the entire family.
A moment later, Master Crestfall said, “The only way is to win the Valiant Institute’s project and get the local government’s protection. That way, the Stormbrews won’t dare to lay a finger on us anymore.”
“Father, but we are falling behind the Stormbrews…” Harry did not finish his sentence because everyone knew what he was referring to.
The Crestfalls’ proposal was decent, but the Stormbrews had better execution. Both families had their own advantages, or else the project bidding would not have dragged out for so long.
Some deliberate thoughts later, Master Crestfall said, “I have a plan.”
“What is it, Grandfather?” Luna asked hurriedly.
“Tomorrow is Mayor Freely’s birthday. The related department is holding a birthday event for him. If we can prepare a satisfying present and win his affection, it might increase our chances of winning the project over!”
Luna’s eyes gleamed when she heard the suggestion as if it was her last sliver of hope.
“It’s a good plan, but the event is invitation-only, and we can’t go in without one.”
“Everyone, contact whomever you know and see if we can get some invitations.”
The family reached an accord and left Dream’s Waterfront to do what they needed to do.
The development of the Crestfalls for the next twenty years would depend on the Valiant Institute project. If they could get the project, they would cruise into a bright future with ease; if they failed, they would have to face challenges from the Stormbrews.
Everyone in the family ought to do something to overcome the problem!
After her family left, Luna stood in front of the French window and started to contact her friends for help.
“Lambert, your father is working for the local government. Can you help us get an invitation to Mayor Freely’s birthday event? We can pay…
“No? Okay… Thank you anyway.”
She made more than a dozen calls, but none were fruitful. It started to ruin her mood.
Andrius then got up from the couch and said, “I can bring you guys into the event without an invitation.”
Chapter 12
Luna glared at Andrius. She said in a vexed tone, “Andrius, you are just a nobody from the countryside. Can you stop talking nonsense?”
Andrius drew a blank for a while before saying helplessly, “I’m telling the truth.”
“Heh!” Luna scoffed before she went upstairs.
After she witnessed Andrius’ cowardice earlier, the remaining fondness she had for him disappeared. To her, speaking a word to him was a waste of time.
In the afternoon, Luna asked Halle out instead of going to the office.
Halle had a wide connection in many different industries, so Luna decided to ask her for help.
Andrius also went out. He went to Crestfall Manor to look for Master Crestfall and ask for a Revolution Memorial Medal.
Master Crestfall was a veteran, so he had a medal that symbolized the revolution that he fought for. The medal would be the key to helping the Crestfalls win the Valiant Institute project!
After getting the medal from Master Crestfall, Andrius left Crestfall Manor. He then called Marcus, the mayor, and asked him for a meeting.
“Marcus, are you free to talk now?”
“Wolf King, anything for you.”
“Meet me at Dr. Artemis’ clinic in three hours.”
“Yes, sir.”
Andrius hung up the phone and flagged down a taxi to Dr. Artemis’ clinic.
Lyra was doing work at the reception when she saw Andrius at the entrance. She hopped out of her chair and strode up to him.
“Mr. Doctor!” she greeted him adorably.
Andrius did not see Dr. Artemis anywhere. He asked, “Ms. Artemis, where’s your grandfather?”
“My grandpa is at the Recovery Camp. Why are you looking for him? If you need help, you can tell me as well! Lyra is at your service!”
“I need some medicine to make something.”
Andrius then said a couple of professional terms for the medicine.
“Alright. Leave it to me!”
Lyra went to grab the medicine while Andrius prepared for the refining process.
Three hours later, Andrius crafted several capsules. The capsules were black and emanated a strange smell.
Lyra sniffed at it and asked, “Mr. Doctor, what are these capsules for?”
“It’s a supplement, specifically for treating gun and blast wounds.” Andrius picked one up and smiled at his creation.
“Mr. Doctor, are you hurt?” Lyra asked nervously.
“Not me. My subordinate was once shot and was heavily injured. This is for him.”
“Mr. Doctor, you were a soldier?”
“I am.”
“Then, your subordinate…” Lyra looked at Andrius curiously with her big eyes.
Andrius was, at most, in his late 20s, but based on his tone, he seemed to hold a high post in the military.
Then a series of footsteps approached, followed by a knock on the door. Lyra turned around and was stunned when she saw the person at her door.
It was Marcus, the mayor of Sumeria!
Marcus smiled. “Yes, I’m his subordinate.”
His words were like a clap of thunder, blasting Lyra’s ears with shock. The mayor of Sumeria, the most powerful person in the city, was Andrius’ subordinate?
Lyra looked at Andrius in disbelief. She was intrigued.
What kind of amazing life did the young Mr. Doctor live?
Looking at the stunned Lyra, Andrius said, “Ms. Artemis, why don’t you bring some tea for the mayor?”
“Ah! Yes, excuse me! Please hold on, Mayor Freely, I’ll go make some tea for you!”
After Lyra left, Marcus entered the room and asked respectfully, “Wolf King, what can I do for you?”
“I see your old wounds haven’t recovered, so I made some medicine for you.”
“Thank you, Wolf King.” Marcus took the medicine with both hands with excitement. The Wolf King’s medicinal skills were unmatched. With the capsules made by the Wolf King, his wounds that made him suffer for years would be cured soon.
After giving Marcus the capsules, Andrius switched the topic and asked, “Marcus, I heard there’s a Valiant Institute project that has been going on for a while now.”
“Yes, there is.”
A slight pause later, Marcus continued, “The Crestfalls and the Stormbrews are bidding for the project, and you still haven’t decided who is the best candidate for it.”
“Marcus, I have a gift for you. It’s from the Crestfalls.”
Andrius gave Marcus the Revolution Memorial Medal. “This medal belongs to Master Crestfall. He used to be an excellent soldier.”
Looking at the medal in his hand, Marcus immediately knew what this meeting was about. “Yes, sir. I understand. I will tell my men to put the Crestfalls in charge of the Valiant Institute project.”
Andrius hummed a reply. He then added, “There’s one more thing. I heard you are having a birthday party tomorrow night. The Crestfalls wanted to attend. Can you please make the necessary arrangements?”
“No problem! I’ll tell the guards to let them in without an invitation.”
A quick thought later, Marcus carefully asked, “Wolf King, I know you’re busy, but please attend the event if possible.”
“Then, send a car to pick me up tomorrow,” Andrius uttered.
Since he basically had nothing to do, it did him no harm to attend the event.
Marcus was over the moon. It was his honor to have the Wolf King at his birthday party as it would be an achievement that he could boast about for life in front of his peers.
After having tea that Lyra brought, Andrius left with Marcus.
Marcus respectfully invited him into the car, which shocked many passers-by. The mayor of the city invited a young man into his car with such respect! They wondered who exactly the young man was.
Halle also saw the scene as she was walking past the clinic after meeting Luna.
“H-how is this possible? Isn’t he a nobody growing up in the mountains? Why would Mayor Freely treat him with such respect?” Halle was deeply shocked. She stared at Marcus’ car in disbelief until it disappeared beyond her sight.
She only recovered her composure after a while.
She walked into Dr. Artemis’ clinic and asked loudly, “Hi, who was that man just now?”
Lyra had just returned to her receptionist position and heard the question coming from the entrance. She looked up at Halle and sized the woman up from top to bottom and replied, “You mean Mr. Doctor? He’s a soldier, and Mayor Freely used to be his subordinate.”
“U-used to be his subordinate?”
Halle staggered and almost lost her balance. She thought that Luna had run background checks on Andrius and identified him as a poor man from the countryside.
How could he be Mayor Freely’s superior all of a sudden?
No. It was impossible.
Halle refused to accept the fact. Her shaking hands pulled out her phone and dialed Luna’s number.
Chapter 13
Luna had already returned home when she received Halle’s call.
“Halle? What’s the matter?”
“Luna, have you really done a background check on Andrius?” she asked.
“I did!”
The mention of Andrius’ name disgusted Luna. “He’s some poor guy growing up in the countryside.”
“But today, I saw him…”
“Hold on!” Before Halle could finish, Luna interrupted her and said, “Axel has agreed to help us. I’m in a good mood now, so please don’t talk to me about him. It will ruin my day.”
“Luna…”
“Halle, I’m going to choose the evening gown for the event. I’ll talk to you later.”
Luna then hung up the phone.
When Andrius returned, Luna had already selected her gown and was doing a facial in the living room. As soon as she saw Andrius through the door, she frowned. She got up and went upstairs without saying a word.
…
On the next day, Luna woke up early in the morning to prepare the present for Mayor Freely.
Andrius wanted to tell her that he had given a present to Marcus on behalf of the Crestfalls, but when he saw her frosty look, he simply zipped his mouth.
Luna would know what happened at the event later tonight.
After a hot day, the night finally arrived.
An uninvited guest arrived at Dream’s Waterfront—Axel.
After crashing the car on the slopes, Axel broke one of his legs and had to walk on crutches for a while. He limped through the entrance and asked, “Luna, I’m here. Are you ready?”
“I’m ready.”
Luna had changed into her evening gown and wore beautiful heels. She was stepping down from the second floor.
Axel’s eyes shone when he saw her.
Luna asked out of concern, “Axel, are you sure one invitation is enough to bring us all in?”
“Luna, my family is close to the mayor. One invitation is enough,” Axel said confidently as he tapped his chest.
“Thank you, Axel.”
Luna then walked to her garage and said, “Let’s go pick up my dad and grandfather first.”
Before they left, Axel turned to Andrius with a provocative gaze. “Even if you can speak fluent French and know how to race, you are still a poor guy from the countryside. Only I am worthy of Luna. I have the resources and the influence to help her in a pinch. You’d better know your own place and stay away from her, or else I will make you pay terribly.”
Axel then limped out of the room.
Andrius did not even bat an eye at Axel. The cripple was nothing but an annoying bug. If he was back at the Western Frontline, he would have slammed the bug dead.
After Luna and Axel left, a motorcade arrived in front of Luna’s house.
On top of that, all the cars had black license plates, which was a signature of the military. Marcus respectfully invited Andrius into the car and even became the driver himself.
Andrius got into the backseat and asked, “Marcus, is there an Axel Cloverfield attending your event?”
“Axel Cloverfield?”
Marcus pondered for a moment and answered, “I suppose so.”
Andrius said calmly, “I don’t want to see him there.”
“Consider it done!”
Marcus made a call.
“Inform the guards to stop someone named Axel Cloverfield. He is not to enter the venue!”
While Marcus was giving orders to his men, Luna had picked up her father and grandfather from the Crestfall Manor and was heading to White Swan Estate.
White Swan Estate was where Marcus held his birthday event.
Harry had bags of presents in his hands, seemingly wanting to win the mayor’s heart.
Meanwhile, there was already a large crowd at White Swan Estate. All of them were not invited, so they could only stay outside and peek into the event. There were countless media and reporters camping outside, doing a live telecast of the event.
Every guest that entered the estate would cause an uproar in the crowd. Only the most powerful and most influential figures were invited to the birthday event.
Harry, with his presents, walked proudly on the red carpet, enjoying the envious gazes from his surroundings.
The birthday party was an important one since it involved many influential figures, so armed soldiers were stationed at multiple entrances and checkpoints, serving as guards for the night.
Axel handed the invitation to the soldier at the entrance. Just when he was about to bring the Crestfalls in, the soldier stopped him.
“Hold on. One invitation for four of you?” the soldier asked.
The scene instantly attracted all the attention.
Axel calmly limped up to the soldier and said loudly, “I am Axel Cloverfield, and these are the Crestfalls. They are my guests. I have informed your superior about bringing them to the event with me.”
Marcus did give the order to treat the Crestfalls with respect and grant them entry even without an invitation.
When the soldier learned that they were the Crestfalls, he saluted and called out loudly, “Attention!”
Everyone else present was shocked.
“Damn!”
“A soldier’s salutation?”
“How powerful are the Cloverfields? One invitation for the four of them with a soldier’s salutation?”
This caused an uproar in the crowd, which surprised Axel.
In order to bring the Crestfalls into White Swan Estate, Axel spent a million to bribe the security captain for a smooth entry. He did not expect the captain to order his men to welcome him with such respect. A million well spent indeed. He even planned to top up another million to the captain after the event.
The thought boosted Axel’s confidence. He straightened his body and said proudly, “Master Crestfall, Uncle Harry, Luna, let’s go in.”
“Alright.”
Luna’s impression of Axel changed drastically. It seemed like Axel had changed and was no longer a playboy.
However, the soldier stopped Axel.
“Hold on. You are not allowed to enter.”
Chapter 14
Axel was stunned. He arrogantly shouted, “What the hell are you doing?”
“Are you Axel Cloverfield?”
“Yes, I am.”
“You are prohibited from entering the venue,” said the soldier.
The situation took a drastic turn.
A moment ago, he was greeted by a soldier’s salutation, but now he was being prohibited from entering.
He couldn’t wrap his head around the situation.
Embarrassed, Axel turned to Luna and said, “Hold on, Luna. I’ll deal with this.”
He then looked at the soldier and bellowed, “I know your superior. All I need to do is make a call, and you won’t be able to stay in this city anymore!”
Thud!
The soldier stuck the barrel of his gun at Axel’s forehead and said, “I said, you are prohibited from entering. Can you understand human language?”
With a gun at his forehead, Axel broke out in a cold sweat, but if he stepped back, he would be embarrassed for life, especially in front of Luna. The thought gave him enough courage to argue back. “Shoot me if you have the nerve!”
Bang!
The soldier kicked Axel to the ground and fired a shot in between his crotch.
“Aaaah!” Axel was scared witless.
After that, the soldier saluted Luna, her father, and her grandfather. “Master Crestfall, Mr. Crestfall, Ms. Crestfall, please enter. You are our VIP guests for the night.”
“This way, please.”
The soldiers on both sides of the red carpet saluted en masse.
The crowd finally understood that the salutation was not for Axel but for the Crestfalls!
With that, Luna, her father, and her grandfather entered White Swan Estate. They felt it was surreal; none of them could believe what just happened.
“W-what happened?” Luna looked around but was stumped.
Harry and Master Crestfall were both just as confused.
Harry said, “Forget it, we must meet Mayor Freely first.”
“There are a lot of VIP guests here. I hope we can meet him,” Master Crestfall said.
Even though Master Crestfall was a well-known businessman, there was still a wide gap between him and the mayor.
Then, Luna received a text on her phone. She got excited after checking the text. “Grandfather, Dad, the local government office has given us the Valiant Institute project! I just received the statement and agreement!”
“What?”
Harry and Master Crestfall were both stunned before excitement took over. They finally got the project that they had been fighting for all along.
A piece of exciting news indeed.
After some deliberate thoughts, Luna said, “Grandfather, Dad, I think someone is helping us. This mysterious person must also be responsible for what happened just now!”
“I believe so.”
Master Crestfall took a deep breath and said, “This person is our family’s savior! We must find out who he is!”
With that thought in mind, Master Crestfall contacted the person in charge and asked him for more details.
The person in charge sighed and said, “Master Crestfall, you are really lucky to have this person as your benefactor.”
“How so?” Master Crestfall asked curiously.
“Your benefactor is also Mayor Freely’s benefactor. Because of him, Mayor Freely decided to give you the Valiant Institute project.”
Master Crestfall was over the moon after learning the details.
Harry added, “Can you please introduce us to him? We would like to meet him face-to-face and thank him ourselves.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know who this person is either, but Mayor Freely is going to invite him up on stage later. You will know who he is then.”
“Thank you very much.”
The three of them chatted with the person in charge before they went to their seats and waited for the event to start.
At the same time in a VIP room within the White Swan Estate, Marcus brought Andrius a cup of tea. He bowed and asked, “Wolf King, I have a question.”
“What is it?” Andrius sipped on his tea.
“You command a million Lycantroops to fight off enemies of the country, and you hold absolute power that no one can imagine, yet you are here being matchmade with Luna Crestfall. Why?” Marcus’s voice grew softer as he continued, “And I’ve checked with the local court that your registration with her is fake.”
“My old man is in debt to Master Crestfall, so he requested me to marry Luna to repay the favor,” Andrius said as he facepalmed himself, looking helpless.
“I see!” Marcus finally understood what brought Andrius to Sumeria. No wonder he would come all the way here just to marry a woman.
Some thoughts later, Marcus added, “Wolf King, I have another request that I would like you to fulfill.”
“Go ahead.”
“The event is starting soon, and I would like to introduce you on stage…”
“I…” Andrius wanted to reject, but when he met Marcus’ anticipating gaze, he nodded helplessly. “Fine.”
“Thank you, sir! I’ll make the necessary arrangements!”
Marcus sent several orders to his men before going out of the room to get prepared.
The event finally started. The venue’s lights dimmed down, allowing the only spotlight to highlight the stage.
Marcus strode to the center of the stage and was welcomed by thunderous applause.
He waved at the crowd to silence them. He then said into the microphone, “Thank you, everyone, for attending my 50th birthday party. Please enjoy yourselves and have fun!
“I would also like to take this chance to introduce someone important to me: my benefactor, to be exact. Without him, I wouldn’t be able to stand here today as mayor of the city. Let us welcome him with a round of applause!”
All the spotlights shone on the left wing of the stage.
Thunderous applause followed.
A young man came into everyone’s sight as he stepped on the red carpet that symbolized power and wealth.
All the young ladies screamed in excitement when they saw the man.
“Oh my gosh! He’s so young!”
“He’s Mayor Freely’s benefactor? I’m sure he’s someone important as well!”
“Look at his outfit. It’s simple and plain. I bet he’s wealthy but humble. He doesn’t like to show off his status and wealth!”
“If I could marry him, I would be happy for the rest of my life!”
Luna was also intrigued when she heard the other girls talking about the young man.
As she concentrated on the young man walking to the center of the stage, Luna clenched her fists and muttered to herself, “That’s what my man should be! A respected and powerful person, not a poor guy from the countryside!”
The young man stood beside Mayor Freely and showed his face to the crowd.
When the Crestfalls got a clear look at his face, they were stunned beyond words.
Luna, Harry, and Master Crestfall were dumbstruck.
How?
Mayor Freely’s benefactor was actually Andrius!?
Chapter 15
Seeing Andrius beside Mayor Freely, Luna drew a blank in surprise.
A moment ago, she wished for her man to be a respected figure and not someone as poor as Andrius. Now, the respected man on stage turned out to be the man whom she looked down upon!
Master Crestfall was stunned when he saw Andrius on stage.
Harry reacted the same. His lips twitched helplessly as his heart skipped a beat.
“How? Why is it him? He’s just a poor guy from the countryside. How did he end up as Mayor Freely’s benefactor? Have I underestimated him?”
***
1/2
Everyone fixed their eyes on Andrius on stage, trying to keep his face in mind.
If he could be the mayor’s benefactor at such a young age, he must be a capable man. If they could win his attention, it would definitely benefit their families.
Andrius felt uncomfortable having that many eyes on himself.
Countless nobles and royalties tried to invite the Wolf King to their events or parties.
Once, there was an oil dealer from Saudi Algoria who offered a third of his oil fields just to have dinner with him.
Andrius never loved all these occasions, so he rejected the invitation.
If it was not for Marcus, who served the country before and got hurt in the process, he would never have attended the event, let alone go up on stage just to support him.
Marcus looked back at Andrius and asked under his breath, “Sir, do you want to say something?”
“Not really…” Andrius shook his head.
Seeing Andrius‘ lack of interest, Marcus then thanked the guests once more and announced the start of the feast.
Dishes were served on each table.
At the main table, Marcus proposed a toast to Andrius to express his gratitude. “Thank you, sir. Thank you for attending my humble event. A toast to the Wolf King!”
Andrius had a sip and then said, “Marcus, there are a lot of guests here just to meet you. Why don’t you go show some hospitality?”
“Alright. Please excuse me, sir! You enjoy yourself!” Marcus grabbed his champagne glass and
went to the crowd.
After Marcus left, Andrius‘ eyes narrowed. He sensed killing intents approaching. He remained seated and showed no intention of moving.
Before long, a big hand suddenly landed on his shoulder. It was a hunk in a suit, making him look
like a suited thug.
“Yes?” Andrius asked without turning around.
The man said coldly, “Dude, you’ve meddled with things that you shouldn’t have. I need you to come with us.”
Andrius turned around and spotted several other men watching him.
Similar to the hitmen from before, these men must be from the Stormbrews.
Since the Stormbrews decided to come after him, there was no reason for him to hold back
anymore.
With the thought in mind, Andrius followed the hunk away.
Andrius was brought to a small village within the city.
The village was the dirtiest place in the city. Due to the jammed sewers and unclogged pipes, the place reeked terribly.
The hunk pushed Andrius into an alleyway and said coldly, “Dude, what did you do to make Mayor Freely give the Valiant Institute project to the Crestfalls?”
Andrius said calmly, “It seems like I’m right. You people are from the Stormbrews.”
“We are from the Dragon Gang, and the Stormbrews are our big supporters. Of course, we would have to obliterate their obstacles.”
The hunk threatened him by saying, “Dude, be honest and I’ll grant you a swift death…”
“If
you people are from the Stormbrews, then I have to destroy all of you.”
Before the man could finish, Andrius snapped his finger.
A dark figure emerged from the alleyway. At lightning speed, the figure dashed toward the Stormbrews‘ men.
Before the men could even react, excruciating pain enveloped their limbs and attacked their nerves. The pain knocked them out cold.
Chapter 16
The dark figure was none other than Noir. It had only been half a minute since his emergence to the men passing out cold.
“Noir, run checks on this Dragon Gang.”
“Yes, sir.”
Noir blended into the shadows and disappeared swiftly.
Andrius darted a glance at the unconscious men on the ground before he headed out of the village.
As soon as he stepped out of the alleyway, he heard sirens. Three police cruisers came in and stopped in the center of the urban village.
A female officer came out of one of the police cruisers. She had a small face but a valiant expression. Her ponytail brought out her clean and strict demeanor. However, she wore a frosty look all the time.
“Freeze!”
The female officer pulled and pointed her gun at Andrius. She then said to her colleagues, “Go in and have a look.”
The other officers dashed into the alleyway and then came back with heavy expressions.
“Madam, there are a few unconscious and injured men inside.”
“Call an ambulance.”
“The rest, take the suspect down!”
The female officer gave her orders in a swift manner.
Andrius was helpless as the other officers approached him. He was facing the local police officers, not enemies who invaded the country. There was no way he could resolve the matter with the brutal methods he used on his enemies.
He got into the police cruiser as required.
Back at White Swan Estate, Marcus came back to his table and noticed Andrius‘ absence. Right when he was about to call the waiter nearby to ask where Andrius went, someone called him from behind.
“Mayor Freely! Hold on!”
Marcus turned around and saw the Crestfalls.
Before this, the Crestfalls had not been worthy of his time at all. Things were different now.
For the sake of Andrius, he put on a smile and replied, “Master Crestfall, is there anything I can do for you?”
“Mayor Freely. We want to thank you for acknowledging our efforts. We will never let you down!
We will put in 120% effort in the Valiant Institute project.”
Master Crestfall even bowed to the mayor, and Harry and Luna followed suit.
Marcus generously said, “The Crestfalls have a good reputation in Sumeria. I believe you and your family are the best to take over the project.”
“Thank you for your trust, Mayor Freely.”
The Crestfalls were flattered. They bowed again out of gratitude. With the Valiant Institute project in hand, the Crestfall would form a direct link with the local government. Henceforth, the Stormbrews would no longer dare to target them in the open.
From a wide perspective, the Crestfalls could use this project to strengthen their roots here in Sumeria.
Therefore, of course, Master Crestfall thanked Marcus for the opportunity.
“You’re welcome. Is there anything else?” Marcus said with a wave of his hand.
Luna respectfully asked, “Mayor Freely, I have a question that I would like you to enlighten me…”
“Go straight ahead.”
With Marcus‘ permission, Luna took a deep breath and asked, “Mayor Freely, you said Andrius is your benefactor. I wonder who he is to you.”
“Andrius?” Marcus responded with honor and respect when Andrius‘ name was mentioned.
Who was Andrius Moonshade?
He was the Wolf King that commanded a million Lycantroops!
It was obvious that the Crestfalls were not in the know.
Marcus wondered how they would react if they found out he was the prestigious Wolf King.
Chapter 17
However, Marcus decided not to reveal Andrius‘ true identity.
The reason was simple.
His daughter, Noelle, had come back from abroad, and her looks rivaled Luna’s.
Three to four months later when Luna officially announced her divorce, Marcus would seize the chance to introduce his daughter to Andrius.
The Wolf King was busy defending the Western Frontline, so there were only so many women around him.
Marcus believed his plan had a high chance of success.
Moreover, his daughter always admired a strong and rigid soldier, so the Wolf King would be the perfect man for her.
With that in mind, Marcus simply came up with an excuse. “When I was serving at Western Frontline, I got shot and hid in the mountains. It was Andy who saved me.”
“I see.” Luna nodded. She added, “So, you gave us the project because you want to thank Andrius?”
“Not entirely true.”
Marcus reached into his pocket and revealed a medal in his hand. “I gave you the project because of this. Andy gave me a very special present on behalf of your family.”
Luna glanced at the medal in the mayor’s hand. Her eyes gleamed as she was shocked. “Isn’t this the medal the army presented to my grandfather?”
“It is.”
Marcus held the medal tightly and strongly said with excitement, “The monetary value of this medal might be close to nothing, but its memorial value symbolizes something important. It represents the revolution that our country has gone through in the past.
“When I saw the medal, it reminded me of my days fighting in Western Frontline and how my brother–in–arms and I fought our way through the enemies. This is the main reason why I decided to give your family the project.”
The sudden epiphany rushed into Luna’s head.
Aside from saving the mayor, the medal played a big part in winning them the project. The main Teason was Master Crestfall’s medal, and Andrius saving the mayor’s life was just a little boost. Nevertheless, Andrius was a lucky man for saving the mayor.
Luna looked around and asked, “Mayor Freely, where’s Andrius?”
“He…”
Marcus looked at the table but did not see Andrius.
Where would he be?
Where could the Wolf King have gone?
As he pondered, Marcus‘ phone rang. He pulled it out to check on the text he received.
His eyes widened in disbelief!
The honorable Wolf King was arrested by local police officers!
Anxious, Marcus immediately contacted his driver to prepare the car for the police station.
“Huh?”
Marcus leaving in a hurry baffled Luna. She asked, “Mayor Freely, you haven’t told us where Andrius is…”
Master Crestfall stopped his granddaughter. “Just let Andrius explore the city for a while.”
“Your grandfather is right. He’s still new in this city. Let him have a stroll around to see how rich people in the city live their lives,” Harry echoed.
“Okay.”
The three of them then went on mingling with other guests.
All the invited guests were influential figures, so mingling with them would only benefit their family.
On the other hand, Andrius was arrested and locked up in an interrogation room.
A series of footsteps from leather shoes broke the silence, followed by the door opening.
Andrius looked at the person at the door. It was the female officer who had arrested him at the village.
The woman seemed to have received rigorous training based on her lifted chest and straight posture. She would easily pass as a professional soldier in the army.
However, the more he looked at her, the more familiar she seemed. He believed he had seen the woman before but just could not remember where.
Chapter 18
Then, another female officer came in. “Noelle, the injury report is here.”
The woman named Noelle took the report.
Andrius noticed the calluses on her hand. They were proof that she was skilled with a gun.
Noelle then slammed the report on the table. She wore a strict look on her delicate face and asked, “What’s with that smile on your face?”
“What? Smile? I’m not smiling.” Andrius shook his head.
“Hmph! Andrius Moonshade?”
“Yes?”
“You are hereby suspected of starting a gang fight, injuring eight men in the skull, causing internal bleeding and severance of their veins. You will be charged for your crime.”
“Madam, I just stood there and did nothing,” Andrius explained with a sincere look.
Noelle pressed her hands on the table. Her huge breasts lowered and heaved strongly. “You are saying that you simply stood there and these eight men injured themselves?”
“It is what it is.” Andrius nodded.
Bang!
Noelle slammed the table once more. “This is your last chance to confess!”
Andrius sighed helplessly. He did not lie; he had just stood there, and it was Noir who had taken
out the men.
It seemed like the woman before him could not be reasoned with. Now he had to wait for the higher–ups to send someone over to deal with the matter.
Andrius‘ silence fueled Noelle’s anger. “Fine! Having tight lips, are we? Great! My toolbox.”
The female officer then handed her the ‘toolbox‘.
Noelle opened the toolbox in front of Andrius and took out a ‘nail clipper‘.
“Look at this. The pain that this thing can cause is not something that you can endure. I’ll see how long you can keep your mouth shut!”
Noelle slowly moved the ‘nail clipper‘ closer to Andrius. She was never going to use it on him; she simply wanted to scare a confession out of him.
As the top student who graduated from a famous military school abroad, she majored in criminal psychology and was skilled in breaking suspects‘ mental defense with all kinds of methods. She was particularly fond of the ‘nail clipper‘ because it had never failed.
It had only been three months since she came back and joined the local law enforcement team. Her methods helped her solve multiple cases and made her the fastest newbie to be promoted to captain.
Chapter 18
2/2
She believed Andrius would not be able to handle the mental torture.
Andrius‘ expression turned cold all of a sudden, and his gaze turned sharp.
The honorable Wolf King was being tortured by some woman?
He could not allow that to happen!
As Noelle approached him, he started to clench his fists to break out of the cuffs. It would only take him less than three seconds to break the cuffs and subdue Noelle.
Right before he could exert his strength, the door was kicked open from the outside.
Bang!
Marcus dashed in nervously. His forehead was glistening with sweat.
When he saw Noelle approach Andrius with the ‘nail clipper‘, he shouted at the top of his lungs,” NOELLE, STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!”
Chapter 19
Noelle looked back and saw Marcus. She asked coldly, “What are you doing here?”
“If I weren’t here, were you going to use that on him?”
Marcus’ heart pounded wildly. If he was half a second late, things would have gone terribly.
Aside from the fact that he could never arrange for his daughter to meet the Wolf King, torturing the Wolf King alone would put his daughter in a dangerous position as the million Lycantroops would certainly retaliate.
The thought fueled his nervousness. His forehead was glistening with sweat and his expensive
shirt was drenched.
“Why are you two standing there? Release him!” Marcus shouted at the other two officers in the
room.
“Release him?” Noelle glared at Marcus and grumbled. “He is a suspect in a gang fight. Eight men have been injured…”
“Nonsense!” Marcus stopped her right away. “He is someone with a special identity. He did not do whatever you claimed he did, so release him immediately!”
“Special identity?” Noelle scoffed. “Tell me, how special is his identity?”
“He’s the W-”
The words were stuck in his throat.
“Heh! What’s wrong? Can’t speak?” Noelle continued provoking Marcus. “Or did he bribe…”
Slap!
Before Noelle could finish, Marcus slapped her on the face.
The loud slap silenced the noisy interrogation room immediately.
Everyone looked towards them in disbelief.
“You slapped me?” Noelle covered her swollen face and questioned him with a trembling voice.
“I…”
Marcus was helpless. His stammering prevented him from speaking properly.
“I thought you were just an unqualified husband and father, but now it seems that you are also unqualified as mayor!” Noelle shouted at him. “You have failed this city!”
She then strode out of the interrogation room furiously.
Marcus signaled the others to give him the room. He uncuffed Andrius personally and explained,” Sir, I am so sorry about this. I apologize on behalf of my foolish daughter. It is my fault for not teaching her well.”
“Punish me instead if you want to,” Marcus bowed and apologized.
“Marcus, you don’t seem to get along well with your daughter,” Andrius said as he exercised his wrist.
“Sigh. I left her and her mother when she was just five to serve the country at the Western Frontline. In the second year after I was in service, my wife passed away due to illness, and I didn’t get to send her away. Then, I sent Noelle abroad to study and she just came back recently.”
Marcus sighed again and continued with a bitter expression, “The girl has always hated me. To her, I was never a good husband or a good father. It’s difficult to handle family affairs despite being mayor of the city.”
Andrius tapped on Marcus‘ shoulder. “I’ll let this go for now.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Marcus ordered his driver to drive Andrius back to Dream’s Waterfront. When he arrived at the gate, he saw Luna standing at the door.
“Mayor Freely sent you back himself?”
“Yeah.” Andrius nodded.
Luna went in and sat on the couch. She looked at Andrius who was removing his shoes and said, “I already know what’s going on between you and Mayor Freely.”
“You do?” Andrius frowned.
“Yes. I have to admit that you are a lucky guy, saving Mayor Freely in the mountains,” Luna explained.
Andrius chuckled. He tacitly knew that Marcus did not reveal his true identity to the Crestfalls.
“Now that Mayor Freely has helped us once, don’t go to him anymore for any more favors.”
“Why?”
“The more powerful the person, the heavier they viewed debts of gratitude. You saved Mayor Freely once, and he introduced you in front of some of the most influential figures in the city. I take it as his way of returning the favor, so there won’t be anything between you two anymore.”
Andrius was not overly bothered. “Marcus and I are quite close. You are thinking too much.”
“Andrius, this is how city people do things. It’s not like in the mountains,” Luna said seriously. She despised Andrius‘ frivolous attitude.
Only someone who had never experienced the harsh realities of the modern world could think so simplistically about human nature. He really thought that saving Mayor Freely’s life made them friends.
How naive!
“It’s up to you whether you believe me or not.”
Luna then took a card from her purse and tossed it to Andrius.
Andrius caught it with only two fingers and asked, “What is this?”
“I know the main reason for us getting the project is because of Grandfather’s medal, but the mayor being in debt to you made things easier. Consider this a reward for your effort. There’s twenty grand on the card.”
Luna then headed upstairs.
Looking at the card clamped between his fingers, Andrius smiled slightly.
She was a fair and righteous woman who could separate right and wrong. Her unreasonable side seemed to have disappeared for the night.
However, if his troops learned that a favor from the Wolf King was worth only twenty thousand, they would have caused an uproar.
Many people spent a fortune and even their entire savings just to ask for a favor yet failed.
As the night fell, the lights in Castlerock Corporation’s chairman office were still on.
The chairman, Solomon, was smoking an expensive cigar in front of the ceiling–to–floor window. His expression was as gloomy as the dark clouds outside the window. His gritted teeth left a mark on his expensive cigar.
A while later, his personal secretary came into the office. There was a mix of beauty and professionalism on her face.
“Mr. Stormbrew. We got news from the Dragon Gang, saying that all the men were hospitalized,” she reported.
“Huh?” Solomon looked back at his secretary. “Dragon Gang’s hitters are all well–trained men, and you are telling me they are all hospitalized?”
The secretary nodded. “Yes, sir. I sent men over to the police department to gather some news, and they said the men were defeated by a man called Andrius Moonshade.”
Bang!
Solomon threw a heavy punch to the window. He grunted with gritted teeth, “It seems like this Andrius Moonshade guy is tougher than I thought. Run checks on his background. If we can scout him to our side, maybe things will work out; if we can’t, then…”
Solomon put his finger across his neck.
The secretary caught on to him immediately. She asked, “What about the Valiant Institute project?”
Solomon curled his lips into an evil grin. “We’ll let the Crestfalls have the project for now, but I will make sure they give it to me when I want it!”
Chapter 20
Early the next morning, when Andrius woke up, Luna had already gone out.
He then went out to buy breakfast and headed to the New Moon Corporation office.
When he arrived at the CEO’s office, he grabbed a spotless cloth and started cleaning. Luna somehow made him her personal janitor of her office.
After cleaning, Andrius sat on the couch and started scrolling through military news.
Bang!
All of a sudden, the door flew open.
Luna stormed in furiously. Her expression spelled anger.
Her secretary, Danni, followed in with a cup of Americano.
The expensive Americano could help to burn body fat, which was why Luna would have several cups in a single day.
Slam!
Luna flung the coffee off her table and snapped, “Out! Everybody out!”
Andrius frowned as he walked out of the office.
“What’s wrong with her?”
Danni sighed and said with a bitter expression, “Ms. Crestfall had a meeting with the board and suggested changes to the Valiant Institute project, but the board members unanimously rejected her suggestions.”
“Why?”
“Because the Valiant Institute is a project for the discharged soldiers, Ms. Crestfall tried to persuade the board members to lower the profit margin since it is for a good cause, but the members, especially, Mr. Seaview, disagreed.”
“Hmmm…”
Andrius hummed a reply before he left. He seemed calm, but deep down, he felt uneasy and restless.
The reason why he made Marcus choose the Crestfalls for the project was because of the discharged soldiers he saw in the Recovery Camp.
With Master Crestfall being a discharged soldier himself, Andrius believed the Crestfalls would do a good job. Now that New Moon Corporation had secured the project, the board members tried to give Luna a hard time.
There was no way Andrius would turn a blind eye to it.
In the spacious meeting room, the meeting was forced to pause with Luna leaving.
The board members of New Moon Corporation filled the seats, except for the main seat in the
front.
Next to the main seat was a middle–aged man, the leader of the other board members, Donovan Seaview. He was the second largest shareholder of the company other than the Crestfalls.
A soft screech was heard as the door opened, and Andrius came in. Under everyone’s surprise gazes, he sat down in the main seat.
Baffled, Donovan narrowed his eyes and sized Andrius up. “Who might you be?”
“Me? I’m just Ms. Crestfall’s office assistant.”
Donovan was displeased and uttered, “If you know who you are, who gave you the right to come
in?”
“I came in of my own accord,” Andrius said as he glanced at Donovan.
Bang!
Donovan slammed the table. He bellowed, “Boy, you’d better get out of the room immediately!”
Andrius ignored Donovan’s threats. He scanned everyone at the table in an imposing manner and said, “I am aware that Ms. Crestfall is in a sour mood, so I think I should come in and talk to you people about it.”
“This is a board meeting for shareholders only! An assistant to the CEO has no right to speak here!
say this again: get the hell out of this room immediately,” Donovan yelled.
וויר
Andrius glared at him coldly and stated without haste, “I am not here to meddle with New Moon Corporation’s business, I am here about the Valiant Institute project. All of you should listen to Ms. Crestfall and accept her suggestion.”
“What if we refuse?” Donovan argued.
“I am not here to warn you. I am here to threaten you.” Andrius smiled. His tone grew heavier as he continued, “If all of you refuse to listen to Ms. Crestfall, then Sumeria has no place for you and I will make sure of that myself.”
“Hahaha!”
It was as though Donovan heard the funniest joke in the world. He cackled and almost burst into
tears.
“Boy, are you drunk? Who do you think you are, telling me that I have no place in this city? If you can do that, a pig can fly in the sky!”
“Hahaha.”