On a blurry night, Ethan Ellison, the young master of the Yates Family, was celebrating his eighteenth birthday in a private room at a club.
Candles were stuck into the cake, and a number "18" sign sparkled brightly. Ethan called over the shot girl and ordered a bottle of Rémy Martin worth two hundred thousand. The teenagers in the room clapped, cheering boisterously.
The shot girl went to the bar and handed the drink order to the supervisor. Once the receipt for the two-hundred-thousand-dollar imported liquor was printed, the supervisor went to the cellar to fetch the Rémy Martin. Together, the two of them pushed the small cart carrying the liquor toward the private room. There were also six crystal glasses on the cart.
The group of teenagers finished the liquor, wiped their fingerprints and saliva off the glasses, and secretly threw them into the trash can in the restroom. Two boys then left the club. One of them hid the empty bottle inside his jacket, avoiding the gaze of passersby.
Iris Dalton withdrew her spiritual power. Her fair, slender fingers rested on the table, tapping rhythmically twice as if she were pondering something.
Within twenty-four hours, the surveillance footage had been overwritten. Three days had passed, and the data fragments were beyond repair. For an ordinary person, a situation like this would mean accepting defeat and paying off the other party.
But since Iris Dalton was here, she would definitely shatter the lies and tear away their disguises!
"Manager, is the robot I gave you last time still here?" Iris turned to look at the middle-aged man. She looked incredibly well-behaved, her fair, clean little face filled with anticipation.
The manager's heart melted. He truly wished he had a daughter like her, someone who could be his sweet and caring darling. He wore a fatherly smile. "The robot is acting as a greeter in the lobby. It's very popular!"
The thing had a cool design and clearly packed some high-tech features. With a humanoid body and a large fish head, it stood as tall as an adult. Sometimes it sang songs, told jokes, and chatted with the guests. It didn't have much practical use, but it was perfectly fine as a display piece to amuse children.
"There's surveillance data inside the robot," Iris said. She opened her phone and connected to the robot codenamed "Cuttlefish." The robot she had built with her own hands could be used as a big data storage base station. It was genuine artificial intelligence! In two seconds, the transfer was complete. She obtained the full surveillance footage and copied it onto a USB flash drive.
Iris handed the flash drive to the manager. "Ethan Ellison has passed his eighteenth birthday. He is now an adult and should bear the responsibilities of one." Her tone was indifferent, devoid of any emotion. "Call the police. Report him for fraud, extortion, embezzlement, and intentional assault!"
Did he think he could just use a bit of technical skill to do bad things? What a piece of trash. She wasn't about to enable his terrible behavior!
Inside a private room at the club, glasses clinked.
"She's never been to school, yet she thinks getting into Lumin-Umbra High School guarantees she'll get into a university? What a joke. Does she think she's a genius with an IQ of 180 like my sister?" Having downed two glasses of wine, Serena Sherwood was a little tipsy and mocked Iris Dalton brazenly.
Shaun Adler crossed his legs, a look of disdain on his face. "TCH, that unpresentable trash isn't even fit to carry Claire Sherwood's shoes."
Claire Sherwood was the top socialite among Stellan's wealthy families and the goddess in the hearts of countless men. Did Iris really think that returning to the Sherwood Family meant she could be compared to Claire? It was laughable!
A glint of malice flashed through Serena's eyes. She rubbed her temples, feigning helplessness, and sighed. "My sister is too wild and rebellious. Thankfully, Claire is abroad. Otherwise, I'm afraid she would have suffered at her hands too."
Sitting in the corner, Vincent Thorne's expression tightened, the light in his eyes turning faintly cold. He set down his glass, stood up, and walked out. Xavier Kendrick also stood up, following closely behind, and called out to him in the hallway.
"In a bad mood?" Xavier looked up at him, a cigarette held between his fingers.
Vincent leaned against the wall, offering a bitter smile as he shook his head.
Xavier said casually, "In a few days, the application portal to join UmbraNet will close. Aren't you going to reconsider? Once the deadline passes, you'll have to wait another year."
Vincent's lips pressed into a thin line, and his tone was light. "I can earn five billion, but it's not under my personal name. It's company money."
The simplest way to join UmbraNet was to put up five billion in collateral. Vincent's entertainment company was very profitable, and he had accumulated a substantial net worth. However, he didn't quite have the deep pockets to produce five billion in cash for collateral. If one couldn't provide the monetary collateral, participating in the practical combat assessment was also an option. Hacking, combat, disguise, firearms, medicine and toxicology, gambling, hypnotism... Masters in any of these fields could apply to become a member of UmbraNet.
"If it weren't for your lumbar spine... Sigh, you definitely would have passed this year." Xavier glanced at his lower back, his tone tinged with sympathy.
Vincent had originally planned to take this year's assessment, but due to an accident, he had suffered a lumbar spine injury. He had undergone major surgery and was still recovering. The doctor had told him that his lumbar spine could never bear heavy loads again. So, it was likely he would never have a chance with UmbraNet in this lifetime.
"It doesn't matter. I never said I absolutely had to join UmbraNet," Vincent said calmly. He had gotten injured to save Claire Sherwood, and he felt it was worth it. If he hadn't shielded her in his arms when they fell from the fourth floor, Claire probably would have lost her young life long ago. He had liked her for many years and couldn't bear to let her suffer even the slightest harm.
"Look over there..." Xavier suddenly prompted, lifting his chin to gesture for him to turn his head.
A teenage girl wearing a white T-shirt and jeans stood there. Holding a baseball cap, she used her fair fingers to smooth out her waist-length hair. Even her side profile alone was breathtakingly beautiful. A slightly chubby middle-aged man stood beside her, handing her a VIP membership card.
"Bring your friends here when you have time. Everything will be on my tab." The middle-aged man's greasy face beamed, smiling so widely his face crinkled.
"Thank you, Manager." The girl nodded and took the card with a calm smile. Her beautiful little face was striking. Her skin was fine, fair, and so soft and supple it seemed to glow. She didn't look very old, resembling a middle school student.
Vincent frowned. Finding the scene particularly grating, a flicker of irritation crossed his eyes.
"TSK TSK, what a pity for the little girl," Xavier observed playfully, a malicious amusement glinting in his cold, detached eyes.
Vincent Thorne and Xavier Kendrick returned to the private room and took their seats. Two rich playboys entered, accompanied by their seductively dressed female companions.
One of the playboys approached with a bottle of liquor in hand, trying to cozy up to them. "Young Master Thorne, Young Master Kendrick, and Young Master Adler are all here. We came over to pay our respects to you three young masters."
Xavier glanced at the imported liquor worth over eight hundred thousand. His cold eyes lifted slightly as he drawled, "Are we too poor to afford our own drinks? Do we need you to offer them?"
"No, no, not at all! We just had a little matter to ask you three young masters about, so we rushed right over."
This playboy was a distant relative of Xavier's. Since Xavier was in a good mood tonight, he did him a solid and had the waiter accept the bottle. He raised his eyes to look at the playboy. "What is it? Spit it out."
The playboy sidled up like an obsequious lapdog, offering a sycophantic smile. "Young Master Kendrick, I heard that Young Master Crawford is coming to Stellan at the end of the month. Is the information accurate?"
Young Master Crawford's reputation preceded him, yet almost no one in Stellan had ever seen his true face. Recently, rumors had circulated that he would be visiting Stellan, sending the entire circle of wealthy families into a frenzy.
"Young Master Crawford, huh?" Xavier poured a drink and took a sip before beckoning the playboy with his finger. "Let me tell you. Not only is Young Master Crawford coming to Stellan, but have you heard of Master Dalton of the Lumin-Umbra Mercenary Corps? He's coming too."