YM778.TV Chapter 154 Paths Crossed, But Never Walked Together
One week has passed since Christmas night.
The news of terrorists attacking the Lee Family mansion briefly shook the public. Various media outlets reported on this horrifying incident, and public opinions poured in from all directions. Some expressed sympathy, while others considered it a hoax.
Ironically, the incident quickly faded away with the arrival of New Year\'s Eve. The excitement of fireworks and trumpet sounds made people forget the tragedy that befell the Lee Family. Some even made jokes about them during a New Year\'s Eve interview.
Tragic news involving the wealthy tends to be disregarded. Social inequality leads people to choose whom they empathize with.
Nevertheless, Klaus and his family have moved on.
Steve purchased a new building in Greenwich Village, deciding to live close to the bustling city center. The delayed police response taught him a lesson about living near the heart of the city. He had to lay off most of the maids and security guards, retaining only a few trusted individuals like Luis Hernandez.
As a gesture of apology, Robert and Steve Lee offered donations as apologies to the guests, even though the company lost some partners. They feared that maintaining any further business ties with the Lee Family or LR Enterprise would make them targets in the future.
Though the Lee Family had recovered from the incident, Sylvia remained unconscious since her resurrection. She lay in a hospital bed, her physical condition showing signs of normalcy, but doctors couldn\'t explain why she hadn\'t woken up yet.
The members of Rays of Hope heard the news about Sylvia, and they were shocked, especially Akio and Michael. Their jaws dropped when they visited her. They still remembered the large hole in her chest the last time they saw the woman. Justin tried to explain her situation by giving them the same made-up story he told Olivia. However, they were not quick to believe it wholeheartedly.
Eventually, they accepted the stupid story, albeit with doubts. For them, it made more sense to believe that Sylvia was using an arcana that could create clones rather than accepting the fact that she had risen from the dead.
Also, Akio had already apologized to Klaus for his actions that night. He visited Klaus\'s office and submitted a resignation letter as recompense for his behavior. But Klaus rejected it and told him to work harder instead.
In other words, all the issues that occurred on Christmas night and Klaus\'s birthday celebration have been resolved.
Today is January 2nd.
On this chilly morning, New York woke up to a beautiful sight. Snow gently fell from the sky, covering the entire city with a captivating white blanket.
Klaus sat at his office desk with a furrowed brow. Surrounded by stacks of documents, he held a bundle of papers. He had been staring at it for a long time.
"Should I create artificial arcana for them as well?" Klaus muttered.
Director Logan had received some classified information that night.
The number of awakeners was increasing with time. People with superpowers could be found anywhere, and it was becoming common to witness a child overpowering three adults.
However, the growth of awakeners was accompanied by an increase in criminal activities. Many certified awakeners chose to venture into dungeons, seeking money by collecting crystal cores. On the other hand, those who remained unregistered were divided into two groups.
The first group consisted of awakeners who hid their abilities. They usually steered clear of violence and preferred to live peacefully like ordinary people. The problem lay with the second group: awakeners who chose to exploit their powers. They often ended up becoming criminals or joining syndicates.
The appearance of superpowered criminals was a cause of concern for society, especially for those who couldn\'t experience awakening themselves. The government couldn\'t rely solely on guilds for protection. They were responsible for the safety of their citizens, but only a few awakeners were willing to become civil servants.
If the situation continued like this, it wouldn\'t be long before awakeners dominated everything.
In order to safeguard national security, the government drafted plans to protect civilians when awakeners started to go out of control.
So, they came with Project Almadel.
Continuation:
One month passed since Christmas night.
The government was still dissatisfied with the Awakener Association. At the same time, the military was regarded with disdain, as the younger generation showed little interest in joining. However, the military remained the country\'s main defense in times of danger.
Therefore, the Pentagon initiated a project tender to create soldiers capable of facing awakeners, at least on a comparable level.
Several renowned guilds received invitations to participate, such as the House of Blacksmith, Morning Star, and Sunstrike. The project wasn\'t limited to weaponry but also involved potions. The Pentagon granted contractors the freedom to innovate, as long as it strengthened the military.
Mors Industries received an invitation due to the Elemental Gun. The Pentagon even placed an order for 10,000 units for their forces.
Naturally, Klaus was intrigued by the idea of winning this project tender. His company would receive a significant influx of funds. However, at the moment, his plate was full. Besides supplying the Divine Ursine Alliance, Klaus had already struck a deal with Hugo Musgrove to provide new arcana for Sunstrike.
Taking on this tender would burden Jonathan and the Research Team. He could hire more staff, but he wasn\'t sure if mass recruitment would yield qualified employees.
"It would be a shame to let go of this project," Klaus pondered.
Sighing, he couldn\'t find the right solution. For now, his company wasn\'t ready.
"I\'ll think about it later," Klaus decided to put the project aside.
As he was about to store it in a drawer, a flash drive caught his eye, reminding him of the orphanage incident. After rescuing the children from the Lab, he collected research data from there. It contained a copy of Miranda\'s research. He gazed at this tiny device for a long while.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Someone knocked on the door. He quickly closed the drawer and asked the person outside to come in.
A short-haired woman in a white blouse, Sheila, stood before Klaus.
"Sorry, boss, I called you, but you didn\'t answer," Sheila said.
Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Ah, I\'ve been too busy, Sheila. What is it?"
"Mr. Richard Dickson wants to meet with you."
Hearing the Guild Master of the House of Blacksmith, Klaus furrowed his brow.
"I told him not to come now. Why can\'t people understand what I say? Tell him to wait at the restaurant where we usually have lunch," Klaus waved his hand.
"But, boss, he\'s in Miss Alexa\'s office right now."
Klaus stood up. "What?"
He shook his head. Then, he put on the suit hanging on the chair and got out of his room.
As he arrived at CEO\'s office, a secretary asked him why he came, but he ignored her and barged in. Alexa and Richard were taken aback by Klaus\'s sudden appearance.
"Well, I guess my friend here forgot how to knock," Alexa remarked sarcastically.
"Sorry, Alexa, I\'m not in the mood for an argument right now."
The bespectacled woman nodded. "Okay, okay. I understand. The young master is in a bad mood."
Klaus pulled a chair and sat next to Richard.
"I heard the news about the terrorist attack. How are you holding up?" Richard asked with a humble tone.
Klaus snorted. "Cut the small talk. Didn\'t I tell you to never show your face at my place?"
"Well, I wouldn\'t have if you always answered your phone. Right now, I\'m in a desperate situation," Richard said with a serious tone. Meanwhile, Alexa shook her head as she watched Klaus speak impolitely in front of the House of Blacksmith\'s Guild Master.
The reason Klaus was so upset and told Richard not to come to Mors Industries was that it was the campaign season. In three months, the New York gubernatorial election would take place.
As per their agreement several months ago, Klaus would help Richard win the election. However, he wanted Mors Industries to appear neutral to the public. He would only assist Richard behind the scenes without displaying direct support in the media.
Richard\'s appearance in the building would only attract media attention.
Klaus leaned back in his chair. "So, what news do you bring? It better be something important."
Richard removed his smartlink from his hand and placed it on the table. Shortly after, a holographic projection appeared before them, showing two men and a woman sitting at a table in a luxurious restaurant. Seeing the woman\'s figure, Klaus widened his eyes.
"Liliana?" Klaus mumbled. Apart from his aunt, he also saw the Morning Star\'s guild master.
"As you can see, one of your family members is having lunch with Vincent. And the last man there is Jose Ancelotti. He is a gubernatorial candidate. You know what that means, right?"
"Yeah, my aunt is helping Morning Star."
"Exactly," Richard added.
Alexa lowered her head, while Klaus sighed.
He wouldn\'t be surprised if Noah was sitting there. Klaus was fully prepared for his cousin to betray them after conquering the orange dungeon. However, he didn\'t expect his aunt to be involved as well. Someone who had always been kind to him turned out to be his enemy.