Mindy quickly cut in. "Mr. Soller!"She couldn't let Aria reveal the truth. If Aria's identity were exposed, everyone's perception of her would change. Mindy, quick on her feet, knew exactly how to handle the situation. She gave Dylan a disapproving glance and said, "We're here to evaluate artifacts, so leave our family and identity out of this. The only thing that matters here is our skill."Mindy's reprimand earned her many supporters. At the very least, the audience wouldn't blame her for Dylan's actions."Melody, let's continue." Mindy maintained her resolute demeanor. "I'm sure Mr. Soller will prove himself in the later assessments."The audience agreed with her on that."That's right. We're only on the second item. Let's see who wins after all ten.""Although Mr. Soller seems questionable, there's nothing wrong with the aspiring relic restorer. Her achievements are real. Leon's sister should be more careful with her words.""What achievements has she made?""You don't k
On camera, an elderly man dressed in a white suit walked up to the stage. Despite his gray hair and age, he carried an air of refined elegance. However, at this moment, he appeared visibly angered. His gaze fixed on Dylan and Mindy with a look of hostility."Why are you here?" Hugh exclaimed, quickly walking up to him.In the cultural relics community, reputation was everything. People typically made a name for themselves by discovering or appraising rare and valuable items.Don, an expert in the field, had spent his entire life searching for cultural relics. He had been working overseas, with his greatest ambition being to recover all of Farshya's cultural relics through his influence and connections.Everyone in the community respected him. Despite his fame, Don maintained a low profile and rarely appeared in public. In recent years, believing he still had much to learn, he sought hands-on experience by spending up to a year in tomb sites. His living conditions were notoriously
Instantly, the entire studio erupted with excitement. The audience widened their eyes in disbelief, and even the director and the show's host, Melody, were left stunned.The staff exchanged nervous glances, their hands trembling. Could it really be what they thought it was?The show's executive producer was the first to snap out of his daze. He elbowed the cameraman urgently. "Get all the cameras zoomed in on Leon's sister's face now!"It would be a mistake to continue filming the Carver family's adopted daughter. After all, the person Don considered his senior was about to shock the entire cultural relics community. The producer knew exactly what the audience craved. Online comments flooded in, nearly breaking the internet.Those who had previously criticized Aria—accusing her of seeking fame, disrespecting her seniors, and being uncultured—were now staring at their phones in shock.This was so unexpected that it couldn't possibly have been scripted. Aria was actually Don's sen
Don said, "There are some old items I've always wanted to restore, but I'm worried I might damage them with my poor eyesight and trembling hands. Could you come with me after the show if you have time?" No one could believe those words came from Don's mouth.Stunned into silence, the people on stage didn't know how to proceed. Unable to interrupt the two heavyweights, they looked at Leon, their eyes silently asking if he realized how remarkable his sister was.Leon, however, maintained a composed expression. As a top idol, he had to stay calm in any situation. Yet, underneath the table, he was texting furiously."Did you guys see that? Mr. Hendricks actually called Aria his senior! This is the Don Hendricks we read about in textbooks! And what does Aria mean by knowing a thing or two about cultural relics? Thanks to her, I have a feeling I'll be headlining the entertainment news tomorrow!"Leon appeared cool and elegant on the surface, but his text message was far from that image
A new comment appeared online. "He didn't fake his qualifications, did he?"Dylan was sweating profusely on stage. The pressure was overwhelming. When he saw Owen preparing to leave, he called out in desperation, "Mr. Carver, can you help me out? You were the one who asked me to help Ms. Mindy deal with this."Online comments quickly escalated."What does he mean? Is there some inside story here?""I suspected something about Mr. Soller when he acted so dismissively earlier. Today, he seemed determined to undermine Leon's team, especially targeting his sister, as if he wanted to paint them as uncultured.""He's so ruthless! Thank goodness Aria is capable enough, or he'd use his status to manipulate anyone he pleased.""Most importantly, he's calling on Mr. Carver! Is the Carver family involved in this?"The cameramen now focused on the audience, and when Owen noticed, he raised his hand to block the shot.His demeanor had shifted dramatically from when he'd confidently exited t
Ivan didn't dare speak his thoughts, even if he had guessed the truth. Landon's power and presence were undeniable, and his very appearance said it all.Owen, after all, was supposed to be Landon's father-in-law. Yet Landon showed him no mercy.Ivan shivered at the thought. He vividly recalled Owen's request to give special treatment to Mindy. Luckily, Ivan found it troublesome and declined. If he hadn't, he might now be on Landon's blacklist.He silently praised himself for sticking to his principles. Regardless, the production team still had to explain the situation to the audience.…Meanwhile, Dylan was still shouting. "Mr. Carver, don't go! Mr. Carver!"Aria chuckled. "Mr. Soller, are you trying to get Mr. Carver to use his family's legal team? There's no need to trouble yourself." With that, she took a step back and said, "I've already called them here." Footsteps echoed from behind the curtain, and the cameramen quickly panned toward the source.Standing in formation
Things were not going as Mindy had hoped. The Carver Group's legal team didn't show up without a reason. They came armed with evidence proving that Dylan had faked his qualifications. But that wasn't all—he had also exploited his position as a lecturer to gain personal benefits from students.Take Mindy, for example. Her talent in cultural relic restoration paled in comparison to most of her peers. Yet, because she paid off Dylan, she received opportunities that should have gone to more deserving students, including prestigious awards.In their field, awards and competitions were everything. Mindy could have funded her own exhibition, but instead, she chose to steal opportunities meant for others. Worse still, she even claimed credit for work done by her group members—with Dylan's help.When Don saw the incriminating documents, his hands trembled with fury. "Do you even understand what cultural relic restoration is?" he yelled, throwing the papers at Dylan.Don was passionate abo
Barty came from a small town and was celebrated as the top graduate of his county's high school. His parents and the entire village pooled their resources, hoping that his university education would bring prosperity to their community.However, once Barty started studying under Dylan, he realized how harsh reality could be. For students like him, coming from humble backgrounds, achieving success was far more challenging than expected.At first, Barty believed he could endure until graduation. Dylan was his mentor, and he convinced himself that persevering through the hardships would pay off. He even imagined that once he had juniors under his guidance, he could help them avoid the same fate.Barty had planned to quietly blend in, graduate, and leave. But Dylan had other plans. Dylan became more oppressive after securing a connection with the powerful Carver family. Every achievement Barty and his team earned was attributed to Mindy, who took all the credit, even their awards.Dyl
Nova shrank timidly but murmured, "I don't want Luna to suffer."The scene was heart-wrenching.If Luna's family took her body away, the police might lose crucial evidence. Despite the officer's clear explanations, the couple seemed unable—or unwilling—to comprehend. Some younger officers began to grow restless.But did they truly not understand?Aria's gaze shifted to the phone tightly clutched in Nova's hand. The screen flickered repeatedly with incoming messages.Raising an eyebrow, Aria stepped forward. "Mr. and Mrs. Hanson, is it?"Nova frowned. "And you are?"Aria lied, "I'm Luna's classmate."At this, Nova and Nico exchanged wary glances. They'd heard that Luna's classmates had taken her to the bar, and hostility flickered in their expressions."Classmate? Students like you are nothing but bad influences!" Nova snapped. "All you care about is plastic surgery and partying."Aria remained silent as Nico interjected, his tone bitter. "Everyone knows Luna went to the bar l
A scene like this naturally drew a crowd. A middle-aged man sat on the ground, wailing loudly. "Come, everyone, see for yourselves! I can't even bring my daughter home. They even shoved me!"Dealing with people like him was never easy. In an age when anyone could record videos and spin narratives, law enforcers had to tread carefully. They couldn't afford to be too aggressive, especially when the other party had valid grievances.The commotion had already attracted onlookers snapping pictures and whispering among themselves."It's not that you can't take her back. The investigation is still ongoing," a law enforcer explained patiently.Nico Hanson's anger flared. "Ongoing? You brought us here to tell us she jumped off a building after partying at a bar. Everyone knows what happened, yet you're saying the case isn't closed? How could you treat us like this?"Poor people's lives mean nothing to you, huh? But do you have to torment us this way?"His fury stemmed from the suggestion
Sam was still fiddling with his keyboard. Looking up, he noticed Landon watching him with a piercing gaze. Instinctively, Sam adopted a defensive posture. Landon raised an eyebrow and pulled out his phone. At the sight of the familiar motion, Sam's eyes brightened.At first, Sam thought of turning around to let Landon scan his QR code. But then he realized there was no QR code on his shirt.Sam pursed his lips and signed for Landon to wait. He had neither his watch nor phone with him.As Langon glanced outside the bar, one of the York family's Dark Shadow guards immediately entered. "Boss, here is the new phone you ordered."Sam was overjoyed after getting a new phone.Landon stood there elegantly. "Go and take a walk."Sam started to leave but paused when he noticed the crow. His sharp eyes flicked toward it, contemplating whether to take it with him.Finally, Sam decided to bring the crow along, worried it might escape. If it did, he'd miss his chance to enjoy the roasted cr
"Go and remind Priscilla to send some gifts to the Gibson family," Orion ordered disgruntedly. "We can't afford to turn enemies with them, especially since we were once in-laws. My ex-brother-in-law is fortunate, though. With the higher-ups at odds, he's been promoted significantly."He's quite useful for our current project. Once we secure it, the Chamber of Commerce will be ours. Tell my foolish sister to fix the mess she made with the Draycott family. She knows exactly how she got her medispa."His secretary, Arlo Finch, nodded. On the surface, Ludwiten seemed unchanged as the Carver family prepared to return. Yet, some small merchants had subtly shifted, though it was hard to pinpoint the exact nature of the changes.Arlo sensed that the Carver family still held some lingering influence, but he wasn't sure how to broach the topic with Orion. After all, the Draycott family would be in trouble if the police found any evidence at the bar.Thankfully, everything seemed under cont
The insidious wave of online comments, designed to sway public opinion, threatened to bury the truth forever. In most investigations, such a barrage of negativity would undoubtedly hinder the police's progress. However, Aria's rapid understanding of the intricate web of corruption within Nocturne and her discovery of the influential individuals orchestrating the cover-up had prompted a swift escalation of the case's confidentiality level to the highest degree.Beneath the surface of a seemingly tragic suicide lay a massive scandal, a tangled web of collusion between powerful officials and unscrupulous businessmen. Not only had the Special Missions Unit been dispatched, but even the Supreme Court was poised to intervene.Meanwhile, the orchestrated public outcry continued to simmer, fueled by the relentless dissemination of fabricated information.Orion, however, remained unfazed, his focus solely on the desired outcome. His secretary, ever efficient, delivered the news. "Mr. Drayc
The passage was short. Aria reached a door after walking about 60 feet. When she was about to open it, she realized it was locked from the other side.In most situations, one would instinctively search for the lock mechanism and attempt to unlock it. However, Aria, ever vigilant, paused, her senses alert. A faint sound, a muffled whisper, emanated from the other side of the door, indicating a presence within.She raised her hand to signal Landon to pause.Aria, well-versed in criminal psychology, knew that criminals often returned to the crime scene, whether to dispose of evidence or for other, less discernible reasons."It's just as you said," a voice whispered from within, "no one has investigated this place. I knew I could trust you. See you tomorrow at the Chamber of Commerce."Aria knew she couldn't intervene immediately. However, she had confirmed the presence of someone within, a crucial piece of evidence.These individuals were arrogant, believing the surveillance cameras
The crow, despite its limited understanding of Chaos' words, sensed a growing unease. It feared Landon's lies and carefully constructed disguise might soon unravel. The crow was uncertain how Aria would react if she discovered Landon's true identity. Landon, seeking a missing fragment of his soul, had come to Ludwiten. This fragment resided within the city, making it crucial to ensure Landon's safety.As these anxieties weighed on him, Landon approached, his demeanor casual. "Mount Dracotigris," he explained, "possesses a sacred ground dedicated to the Decatorian way. Surrounded by dense woods and imbued with potent spiritual energy, it remains largely unexplored by humans due to the presence of various beasts. I believe Sam was there."Aria raised her eyebrows. "There is a place like this in Mount Dracotigris?""Yes. It's just that it was never made public."When Aria turned to Sam, he nodded, confirming his recollection of the place. Suddenly, a memory surfaced, and he swif
Aria, who just came over, was stunned by the scene. Landon's pose reminded her of the man covering his nose with a white handkerchief in a manifestation in Ludwiten, but the person seemed more wicked than Landon. For some reason, Aria felt it wasn't a coincidence they were brought to Ludwiten. In fact, they were led there. Sam shook his head indifferently as he examined the surveillance cameras. When he saw Aria, however, he immediately dropped everything in his hands and fled to her side. He seemed to have a lot of things to say to Aria. He stretched out his hands and kept gesturing. Aria raised his face and squished his cheeks with one hand. She then glanced at his teeth. "Not bad. You didn't simply consume anything."Sam puffed his chest out proudly as if saying he had listened to her words.Relief washed over Aria as she enveloped him in a tight embrace, stroking his hair and grounding herself in his presence.Aria's bond with Sam transcended the ordinary. It was an unbr
In the meantime, an expressionless small figure was moving things in the first-floor corridor. He would occasionally look up at Landon as if asking when he could meet Aria. The officers were bewildered by Sam's presence, completely taken aback by his extraordinary strength. The child seemed unable to speak, communicating only through gestures.The wine barrel beside him was undeniably real, yet he effortlessly lifted it with a single hand. It defied all logic as if the laws of physics no longer applied. Was this some kind of superhuman feat? Was he perhaps a god?Sam ignored the eyes on him. He remembered awakening in a hot spring deep in the woods. It felt comfortable, but he was hungry.Sam stamped his feet on the ground, then leaned over the water to inspect his reflection, meticulously checking his teeth. Only after this self-assessment did he begin to survey his surroundings.There was nobody else other than a bunch of souls. When he backed a step away, the souls would follo