After a brief thirty-minute nap with Seraphina, we both showered and walked downstairs together for lunch.
When we reached the grand dining room, I noticed an empty chair at the table. "Why isn’t Mr. Lin joining us today?" I asked the head butler.
"Sir, Mr. Lin’s lunch was brought directly to his room by the attending nurse," the maid replied respectfully.
"I see," I nodded, taking my seat at the head of the table.
As the meal was served, I noticed Sophia staring quietly at her plate, lost in thought. "Is something on your mind, Sophia?"
Sophia looked up, offering a faint, apologetic smile. "Nothing serious... I was just wondering if Daisy made any friends today, or if she’s adjusting well to her new classmates."
Seraphina smiled warmly across the table. "Oh, don’t worry about that at all! Daisy is such a bright, energetic little girl. She won’t have any trouble fitting in or making friends."
"Sera’s right," I agreed with a nod. "Besides, after our little chat with the principal, I doubt anyone in that school would dare let her have a bad experience. Relax, Sophia."
Sophia looked between Sera and me, her expression softening. "You’re both right. I’m just worrying too much."
After lunch, I asked the maid to bring a cup of hot coffee to my ground-floor study. Meanwhile, Seraphina and Sophia headed upstairs to my bedroom to chat about work, life, and household affairs.
Once the maid set down my coffee, I instructed her to close the heavy double doors behind her. Standing alone in the quiet room, I spoke into the empty air.
"Shadow."
A masked operative materialized silently. "Boss."
"Lock the door first, then sit," I commanded gently.
The shadow guard turned the lock, then walked over to sit in the leather armchair across from my desk. "What are your orders, sir?"
"Did you brief Mayor Grey and arrange tonight’s meeting?" I asked, taking a sip of my coffee. "What was his response?"
"Everything is arranged, sir," the guard reported respectfully. "Mayor Grey suggested setting up a concealed partition inside the VIP dining suite. You will sit on the other side of the partition, listening to Patriarch Young’s full proposition. Once you’ve heard enough, you can reveal yourself and handle the situation as you see fit."
I smiled faintly. "Good. At least Mayor Grey knows better than to trade long-term survival for short-term gains. He knows where his true allegiance lies."
The guard bowed slightly and vanished into the shadows as quickly as he had appeared.
Sitting back in my chair, I savored the rich taste of the coffee. To be frank, I hadn’t even unleashed twenty percent of the System’s full potential yet. In my mind, the path forward was already clear. First, I would completely crush the Young family and consolidate absolute control over Metro City. After absorbing their assets, I’d spend a month or two stabilizing the local economy and expanding the Cosmos Group.
Once Metro City was firmly in my palm, I would pack up and move to the capital—River City—along with everyone I cared about.
Smiling at the plan, I finished my coffee, unlocked the study, and walked upstairs to my room. Inside, Seraphina and Sophia were sitting on the couch, laughing together over something on a tablet.
"Sophia," I asked, leaning against the doorway. "Weren’t you going to pick up Daisy from school?"
Sophia looked up. "I was just getting ready, but Sera told me your driver already went to fetch her."
"That’s fine too," I smiled. "I’ll have the household staff set a permanent schedule so Daisy is picked up and dropped off safely every day."
"Thank you, Julian," Sophia said softly, her eyes filled with gratitude.
"Don’t mention it," I replied, turning my gaze toward Seraphina. "Sera, love, could you pick out my best suit for tonight? I have an important business meeting, so I need to leave by 7:00 PM. It’s already 5:30, so I’ll go freshen up. Just have the maids lay out the outfit in the dressing room."
"Consider it done, darling," Sera smiled sweetly.
Ten minutes later, a maid brought a tailored custom suit into the dressing room—a bespoke silk-blend suit paired with a diamond-encrusted luxury timepiece, hand-crafted leather dress shoes imported from Italy, and my favorite signature cologne.
I changed into the attire, adjusted my cuffs, and checked the time on my watch. It was 6:00 PM.
Stepping downstairs into the main living room, I found Daisy sitting on the rug, excitedly showing off a drawing to Sera and Sophia.
I took a seat on the armchair and called out, "Daisy!"
The moment she saw me, her face lit up. She scrambled to her feet, ran across the room, and climbed right onto my lap. "Uncle Julian! Guess what? Do you know how many friends I made today?!"
"No idea, my little princess," I chuckled, stroking her soft hair. "Tell me, how many?"
Daisy held up five tiny fingers, beaming with pride. "Five whole friends!"
"Five? Wow!" I feigned surprise. "How did you manage to make five friends on your very first day?"
"During recess, I walked right up to them and said, ’Hello! I’m Daisy Starling, will you be my friend?’" she explained puffing out her chest. "And they said yes! They shook my hand, and now we’re a five-person team!"
"That’s my girl," I laughed, giving her a proud pat. "And tell me—did you like the driver uncle and the security sister who picked you up today?"
"Yep! They were super nice!"
"Good. From tomorrow on, they will be taking you to school and bringing you home every day," I said gently, looking into her eyes. "Remember, you’re only allowed to go with the people Uncle Julian assigns to you. Never talk to strangers, okay?"
"Okay, Uncle Julian!" she promised dutifully.
Just then, my chief shadow guard walked into the foyer, dressed in a sharp black suit. "Sir, it’s time. Traffic across the city is heavy tonight, so we should head out now."
"Right," I stood up, gently setting Daisy down. I leaned over to kiss Daisy’s cheek, pressed a soft kiss onto Sera’s lips, and flashed a warm, lingering smile at Sophia. "I’ll be back later tonight."
Half an hour later, our motorcade pulled up to the rear entrance of Metro City’s premier high-end hotel.
I was escorted directly into the private VIP suite, taking a seat in a comfortable leather lounge behind a seamless, one-way soundproof partition.
My chief shadow guard stood quietly beside me. "Boss, tonight, every waiter, manager, and security guard in this hotel has been replaced by our operatives. If Patriarch Young tries anything desperate when he’s cornered, we will lock the building down instantly."
"Good work," I murmured, crossing my legs.
A few minutes later, the main doors of the dining suite opened. Mayor Grey entered, accompanied by an older man with sharp, ruthless eyes—Patriarch Young himself.
The two men took their seats across from each other at the grand dining table.
Mayor Grey leaned back, raising an eyebrow. "So, Patriarch Young... what is so urgent that it couldn’t be discussed over the phone?"
Patriarch Young leaned forward, his expression full of calculated ambition. "Mayor Grey, I asked you here tonight because I have a proposition—one that will bring immense benefits to both of us."
Mayor Grey already knew what was coming, but he played his role flawlessly, feigning curiosity. "Oh? I’m listening."
"Help me crush Clara Carter and dismantle the Cosmos Group," Patriarch Young said coldly. "Once the Young family absorbs Cosmos Group’s market share and assets, I will personally guarantee you a 15% stake in the profits. Furthermore, my family will throw its full financial backing behind your political career, ensuring you rise far beyond Metro City."
Mayor Grey let out a low chuckle, swirling his wine glass. "Your offer sounds tempting, Patriarch Young. But you seem to be forgetting someone... the Chairman of the Cosmos Group. His wealth and influence far surpass anything you or I could dream of."
Patriarch Young scoffed, a contemptuous sneer appearing on his face. "The waters in Metro City run deep, Mayor Grey. The Chairman might have money, but I have deep-rooted alliances. Dozens of second-tier families in this city operate under the Young family’s banner. At my word, they will mobilize their full power to choke Cosmos Group from every angle!"
Mayor Grey feigned surprise. "Is that so? Which families are we talking about?"
Without hesitation, Patriarch Young began listing the names of every prominent family and business syndicate allied with his house.
Sitting behind the partition, a cold smirk spread across my face. I raised a hand, gesturing for my chief shadow guard to step closer.
Leaning in, I whispered directly into his ear: "Take our men and visit the heads of every single family he just named. Give them one chance to make a choice—either abandon the Young family and submit to me, or perish alongside them tonight now."