Opening his eyes wide, Neil was surprised as Klaus gave his answer. The white-bearded man was about to laugh, thinking Klaus was cracking a joke, but Neil undid it as he saw the seriousness of Klaus.
In the fifty years he had lived in this world, Neil had never seen such a sharp, deep look in a young man's eyes. In fact, Klaus' eyes were deeper than any person he had ever met.
For some reason, it was like Neil talked to an old man with much experience.
"Ruling the whole world, huh? That's a word I usually hear from drunks. But it's strange. I feel like what you're saying is serious." Neil squinted.
"I'm serious," Klaus replied. "LR Enterprise is not my final goal. It's just a stepping stone."
"How old are you? 22? 23? 25? You look so young."
"18."
Naturally, Neil was taken aback. He then laughed loudly in front of him. Not a mocking laugh or a silly laugh. It was a laugh of surprise.
And Klaus just looked at the man with a flat face.
"I can't believe I'm saying this; somehow, I took you seriously. They'd laugh at me if I told anyone else about it."
"So be it," Klaus retorted.
Neil caught his breath after laughing loudly. Not long before, the man stood up and fastened the buttons on his suit.
"All right, then. It seems I failed to persuade you to join me. I don't know how you'll accomplish your goal in your current state, but I look forward to it." Neil extended his hand.
Klaus shook the man. "I've prepared a plan. You can sit back and watch. You'll be fine if you don't get in my way. I mean it."
"I won't get in your way. But I still haven't given up on you. Be careful. I can get you and your company anytime."
The white-haired man left. Suddenly, Nel stopped and turned towards Klaus.
"Ah, one more thing, Klaus. The partnership of my guild and your grandfather's company has been in the works for a long time. I told you so you wouldn't think I was after you from the beginning. And be careful of your grandfather. That old man is very tricky. He told me to do this."
Neil winked before he left. That man did not return to the hall, but exited the hotel.
Opening his eyes wide, Klaus was shocked after he learned of his grandfather's involvement. Later, he sighed as he thought of why his grandfather did it.
"Did he do this to each of his grandchildren? He's crazy." He shook his head.
Klaus returned to the feast.
As he entered the hall, it was different from before. The lights were out, and the only light left shone on the stage, and a woman sang there as merry music swirled. Some guests danced, and some just watched.
Klaus saw his uncle and aunt dancing on the stage. It was rare for him to see Liliana dancing in front of people. His eyes darted around to see where his father was sitting. However, he found his grandfather sitting in the corner of the room with no one to accompany him.
Without thinking twice, he approached his grandfather.
"You told them to dance on the stage?" asked Klaus as he sat beside him. He was referring to William and Liliana.
"Yes, I did. By the way, how is your business with Neil going? Did it go well?" asked Robert.
"Yeah. He invited me to join his guild. He openly said he wanted me and my company. But I turned him down."
Robert nodded.
"And he said that you told him to," Klaus continued.
The old man remained silent. His eyes were glued to the stage where his offspring were dancing. Klaus was still waiting for an answer.
"Sometimes, the people who disappoint you are closest to you. And worst of all, you can't get rid of them because you love them. You know what I mean, Klaus?"
"I don't know. I have a mom and dad who always have my back. I don't see the point, Grandpa."
That was the best answer Klaus could give him.
He had never had such an experience before. If he were his old self, he wouldn't hesitate to get rid of anyone who got in his way.
"Then I'm grateful that one of my children raised his son properly."
"So what? You feel like you failed to raise your children." Klaus spontaneously said so.
Robert laughed. "I didn't know you had such a sharp tongue," The old man's expression turned wistful. "But you're right. I failed as a father."
The old man then began to tell Klaus the regrets of his life.
Robert loved his kids very much. He educated them very hard so that they would become strong individuals. The world was cruel, and he didn't want bad luck to befall them.
However, his efforts were fruitless. He gave his eldest son great responsibility and expectations, but it burdened him and made William give up easily whenever he faced a problem. As a result, that man became incompetent.
Of his three children, Robert loved Liliana the most. The old man wanted his only daughter to enjoy life and avoid the competitive business life. He pushed his daughter to become a mother, wasting her potential and talent. Robert realized that when LR Cosmetic got surplus after she joined the company and his marriage was not harmonious.
The same thing happened to Klaus' father. Steve was originally a shy child. He was an introvert and could not get along. Robert saw this as a weakness. Thus, he was very strict with him compared to his other two others. As a result, Steve could not express his feelings properly, and he was bad at connecting with people.
Seeing how his son and daughter did not grow up according to his expectations made Robert disappointed in himself. His love for them gradually turned into frustration.
Even worse, he saw his sons and daughter hating each other. He knew how William vented his emotions by taunting Steve and saw how Lilianan was disgusted with her eldest brother. But Robert didn't do anything about it.
The old man chose to close his eyes, devoting all his thoughts and energy to the only child who had never let him down, LR Enterprise.
"And I'm going to die soon, Klaus. I need to ensure the person who inherits my company is the right person. Raising a company is like raising a child. You devote your time and energy so they can grow."
"So that's why you told Neil to recruit me? To see if I would sell my company or not. Is that so?" asked Klaus in a sarcastic tone.
"Yeah, if you don't mind selling your company or guild, you should be willing to sell mine. I'll never give you the company if you ever do. Like that fool Noah."
It turned out that Robert knew the deal between Noah and Vincent. The old man knew Noah sacrificed his guild to get resources from Morning Star to win the inheritance battle.
It was enough to make Klaus surprised. He didn't expect that Noah would be that stupid.
"I would never give my company to an idiot like him. But I still included him because Liliana controls her son well. He's just a puppet."
Klaus smirked. "Thank you, grandfather, for sharing your thoughts with me."
Robert chuckled. "Somehow, I feel like talking to a friend. I'm grateful to have a grandson like you. You and Edward, at least, make me feel a little calm."
Klaus raised an eyebrow. His grandfather still held hope in Edward despite his father's incompetence. In his judgment, Edward was not the typical person who was good at business and intelligence. That young man was just a nice guy who many people liked.
If Robert still had hope in Edward, it meant that the old man was still betting on the talents of the awakener.
"Now I know who my rivals are," Klaus muttered.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
In the middle of their conversation, the smartphone in his pocket vibrated. Klaus squinted as he saw Sheila's number calling him. He asked his grandfather for permission to leave before he left the hall.
Klaus picked up his phone.
"How is it, Sheila? They've already given the money. If not, we'll discuss it tomorrow."
"Sheila's not here."
Klaus narrowed his eyes as he heard a strange voice. It was a voice changer. Instantly, a bad feeling filled his chest.
"Who the hell is this?" asked Klaus angrily.
"She's fine. At least for now."
Naturally, Klaus wrung his hands. He could guess what the person behind the phone would say next.
"Bring me monster cores worth 1 million dollars at the address I send you later. Don't call the police or guilds if you want her alive."
It was the first time a stranger blackmailed him. Blood boiled in his head, and a black aura began to emanate from his body. Some of the hotel staff were terrified when they saw him.
Klaus calmed his anger, taking a deep breath, keeping his power from seeping out. He refocused on the person behind the phone.
"Look, I usually don't say this. I don't know who you are or where you are. But I will find you. And I will fucking kill you!"
Beep!
Klaus hung up before the person on the other end could speak.
