As Ethan emerged from the cave by the same route, a blast of cold air hit him and woke him up instantly.But he was soaked through, and it was winter. Before the chill could sink in after the heat of the cave, he hurried to find a spot to change his clothes.No one had measured the water in the cave. But from the thickness of the steam, Ethan judged that the spring was close to 100°C. That would be more than enough to generate power.The cave itself was impressive, but the spring made it unusable as it stood. The temperature inside was far too high, and the air was thick with sulfur. He couldn't turn it directly into a fortress. It would need further work.While he was still thinking, Tyler came over in his dry clothes, laughing. "Brother, now you can pay me the rest, right? Being your guide was rough.""Of course, hehe. I should thank you for stopping me back there. If it weren't for you, I might have been in real danger," Ethan said with a smile. "Tell you what. On top of the four t

Victor and Owen were startled by the sneer, and only then did they notice Ethan lounging in the office chair.Remembering the icy tone Ethan had used on the phone a few days ago, a chill ran down Victor's spine. Without thinking, he took two steps back and hid behind his wife's wide frame.Linda was furious. She cursed him under her breath. "Useless."Then she stepped forward and said to Ethan, "Ethan, you've already been fired, and you still have the nerve to show up at our shop? Are you here to make trouble? Get out right now, or I'll call the police!""Go ahead and call. It'll be nice to have the police uphold justice for me," Ethan said with a faint smile."Ethan, you worked here for almost two years, and I treated you very well all that time. Do you really want to tear off the mask between us?" Linda said in a low voice, her tone much gentler now.Ethan rose from the chair, smoothed his clothes, and said calmly, "I only want my four months of wages. Pay me, and I'll leave right a

December 3rd, around seven in the evening.Ethan arrived at a lottery counter a few kilometers from his rented apartment.He pulled out a sheet of paper he had prepared earlier and slapped it down on the counter."I want five hundred thousand bets on these numbers," he told the shop owner.The owner frowned. "How many?""Five hundred thousand," Ethan said with a serious face."Go on, get out of here. Don't make trouble," the owner said impatiently.Over the years, he had met his share of lottery addicts, and he had even heard of people who spent millions to buy every possible combination. But that was a game for rich people with money to burn. The top prize was only ten million, and the smaller prizes were nothing. After tax, they'd take a big loss. Spending a million on a single set of numbers was plain foolishness. And this young man didn't look like someone who could produce a million dollars. He was obviously joking.Ethan wasn't angry, and he didn't argue. He took off his backpac

"Our bank recently launched a new wealth management product. I wonder if you'd be interested, Mr. Cole?" President Wells said as he poured Ethan's tea."I appreciate the offer, but I don't need it for now. I have other plans for this money. When I have more funds in the future, I'll consider your products," Ethan declined politely."Uh... Mr. Cole, this is no small sum! With proper management, money can grow." President Wells tried to persuade him further.Ethan waved a hand. "You'd better transfer the money to me as soon as possible."Seeing that, President Wells had no choice but to give up.After a series of tedious procedures, the $220 million prize was finally transferred into Ethan's bank account."Mr. Cole, having won such a huge prize, how much do you plan to donate?" a reporter asked him."Hehe, I'm not considering donating for now," Ethan said, shaking his head."Oh? Mr. Cole, there are still many children in our country's mountain regions struggling in poverty. You've won a

On the way back to Ravenmoor, Ethan looked at the two luxury SUVs escorting his car from the front and rear, and something felt off. Then he realized what it was.He himself was riding in a locally built SUV worth a little over a hundred thousand dollars, and it was a rental. Yet his bodyguards were driving luxury cars. Did that make any sense?"Sam, let's go to the car market first. I'll pick out a suitable car," Ethan told the driver in the front seat."Understood." Sam nodded crisply, without asking a single question. As expected of a bodyguard hired at a high price, his professionalism was top-notch.His full name was Samuel Walker. He was one of the eight bodyguards assigned by Ironclad Defense, and he also served as Ethan's personal driver.Besides Ethan and Sam, the car also held a bodyguard named Jack Morgan, who handled Ethan's close protection. Jack was the captain of the eight-man team, and he was quite remarkable. According to the manager of Ironclad Defense, Jack had serv