Chapter 5

"Barking all the way out into the street."

"Alright, William, then you remember this too: if you can't prove yourself, then *you'll* be the one stripped naked, with 'Worthless' carved on your face, barking like a dog as you crawl out."

My gaze swept over everyone, and a thought crossed my mind.

Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.

Humanity's greatest weakness often lies in arrogance.

I dropped my playful smile and sighed.

"Katie, what sustains the Wilson family? It's the sugar business, isn't it?"

After our falling out, Katie hadn't given me a single pleasant look.

She didn't speak, but that wouldn't stop the sugar business from dying very soon.

I pulled out my phone and called my people.

"The Wilson family's sugar business seems to be shrinking. Send out word that I will never purchase anything from the Wilson family's sugar business again. Once they know that, they'll know exactly what to do."

"Yes, sir!" Some people started scoffing, while others directly cursed me for being overly dramatic.

I paid no attention to their irritating chatter.

I would systematically dismantle the Wilson family, one step at a time, until they stopped smiling.

Katie saw that I wasn't just unafraid; I was actively sitting down and declaring I'd ruin her business.

"William, I was going to let you off easy, for old times' sake, but you're just begging for death."

Let me off easy? When had she ever considered that?

Insulting me, flirting with Jasper right in front of me, then threatening to fire me.

Did she really think I was a pushover? I said nothing, instead taking out a cigarette and putting it in my mouth. Smoke curled around me. Everyone watched, their hearts filled with a desire for revenge, waiting to see my downfall.

"William, even with your doom staring you in the face, you're still smoking? What, watched too many movies and think you're cool now?"

"Let him act tough for a bit."

"He's probably just using that cigarette to keep himself together."

"Hah, he's not afraid of death, is he? The Wilson family is, after all, one of this city's top players…"

"In three minutes, Katie will receive a call. It will be from the merchants who regularly cooperate with the Wilson family's sugar business, all terminating their partnerships permanently."

I interrupted the man's speech, giving them three minutes to struggle.

Those three minutes were also my last chance for them to admit their mistake, but they wouldn't take it.

They continued to ignore my words, still trying to curry favor with Jasper.

Three minutes passed. Just as Katie was about to start yelling at me, her phone rang.

To further humiliate me publicly, she put it on speaker.

"Miss Katie, this is George from Megma Corp."

"I'm not calling to catch up, but to inform you that our partnership is canceled, permanently."

With that, he hung up, delivering a fatal blow before Katie could even speak.

Everyone froze, the smiles on their faces abruptly solidifying.

Then a second call came in. She thought George had regretted it.

But it wasn't. It was a second merchant canceling their partnership.

Then came the third, fourth, fifth… all calling to terminate their agreements.

Katie began to panic, and everyone else was equally shocked.

I raised my hand and glanced at my watch, speaking nonchalantly. "The sugar business is done for. Next, the stocks."

My words startled them again, pulling them out of their daze.

"William, are you behind this?"

"But I don't believe it. He's just a kept man; how could he have such power?"

"But… but everything he said is coming true!"

"William, is it really you?"

Jasper stared at me, dumbfounded. I looked back at him as if he were an idiot.