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A boat sped swiftly across the river. Atop it were the president, the prime minister, and one other senator. Several military men were also on the boat, standing guard.Beside them were two additional boats, each filled with fully armed soldiers. They were the finest troops from Panya, sent to ensure that the president reached Dell City safely.“Mr. President, what exactly happened to our men?” the prime minister asked.“I don’t know,” the president replied grimly. “They haven’t returned from the mission, and I haven’t been able to contact them either. I already sent other men to investigate. They should call me once they find anything. But for now, all we know is that the targets are still alive and healthy…”He clenched his teeth before finishing, “…and they are waiting for us in Dell City.”One could only imagine his shock when he received a call from Eric that morning. Soon, Dell came into view. He had already informed the city mayor of their arrival in advance to prevent any unne
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Samuel strolled casually around the island, watching as everyone tucked in their tents for the night.Nina had already set up her own tent, but when she noticed that Samuel looked as though he intended to remain outside, she frowned. She stepped away from her tent and walked over to him.“Aren’t you going to sleep tonight?” she asked softly.“No. Everyone can’t just sleep,” he replied in a low voice. “Someone has to guide the tents while everyone else is asleep.”“Then that should be me or Eric,” she said. “It’s your subordinates’ job to guide you, not the other way around.”“Eric is not my subordinate, and you are more than just a subordinate to me,” he said calmly. “In short, I no longer see you as one. Don’t worry about me. Nothing will happen even if I don’t sleep for days. Go and rest.”Nina walked a short distance away, picked up a rock, and placed it beside Samuel. Then she sat down next to him.Samuel looked at her in surprise, but he did not say anything to discourage her. Kn
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“Fine, but why would he scam us?” Eric asked.“A premonition. And my premonitions never go wrong,” he said firmly, offering no further explanation.Eric did not argue again.“Alright. I guess we should be extra careful in our dealings. I’m sorry I allow myself to trust too easily.” Based on his experience, Samuel’s intuition was always right. He still could not forget the day at the auction. The scenes from that day were still fresh in his mind.The two of them returned.“How is it, Eric? Have you spoken to your friend? Tell him I am not a businessman. I am a president. A president of an entire country.” He struck his chest, pretending to be deeply offended.“Mr. President, I understand your point, but we do have a reason that cannot be disclosed. I will be blunt with you. You really need this money. But if you don’t, then you can simply forget that we ever met. I will be heading back to my country.“There are other countries where we can obtain an island,” Samuel said before Eric cou
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“What’s going on?” he asked as he approached.Albert realized their loud voices had sent the wrong message.“I’m sorry to disturb you, Sam. It’s nothing serious. We’re just having some creative differences. I’ll have it settled now,” he assured him.Samuel nodded. He didn’t care about their internal affairs as long as it didn’t affect his plans. The two engineers immediately lowered their voices.Eric and Nina walked up behind him as they waited. After a while, Albert finally stepped away and walked toward them.“How is it?” Samuel asked.Albert was already fully informed about what he was here for.“The land here is good, although we would need to deploy large testing machines to get accurate estimates. Still, I can give a rough figure based on my experience.“Oh, go ahead,” Samuel said, nodding.“I think building a dock with six berths will cost around half a billion dollars,” he reported.“And for residences, power plants, factories, telecom infrastructure, hospitals, schools, and
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A Jeep drove them to the government house. It was a ten-minute journey. The scenery along the way was nothing to write home about, but as they got closer to the government house, it suddenly felt as though they had entered an entirely different city.The streets became more beautiful, with better houses and well-paved roads. Although it was still not as good as the streets back in his own country, the contrast with the area they had passed through earlier was extremely sharp.Samuel, Eric, and Nina were in the same military Jeep, while the rest of the group rode in another vehicle.“I pity the engineers,” Eric sighed. “They looked really scared and agitated. I wish you had seen their faces when we were surrounded.”“I think that’s understandable,” Samuel shrugged. “It was their first encounter with military men pointing weapons at them. I believe, for a moment, they thought we were about to be attacked. They are normal civilians, after all.”Soon, both Jeeps stopped in front of a huge
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“What’s it, Sheena?” Sophie asked in shock. Everyone knew she had always been best friends with Sheena.“You think I don’t know you have been giving information about all my movements to the sect leader?” Sheena said coldly. “You even told her who Sam is. You are the reason she became so invested in finding a husband for me.“It was never like this before. You ruined my life.”“How did you…?” Sophie asked, stunned.“I have my ways, Sophie.” Sheena smirked.“Listen, Sheena. I had your well-being at heart. Sam is not worthy of you. He’s just a very weak man. Besides, even if I didn’t tell her, you couldn’t possibly hide your relationship forever, could you?” Sophie reasoned.Sheena did not say another word. She was worried about her father, seeing that he looked like he was about to say something. What if he was punished because of her again?Harold seemed to understand her thoughts and stepped forward.“Where are you going, Harold?” Margaret asked coldly.“To speak to my daughter, of c
