Damian Prescott held the Soul Nourishment Pill between his thumb and forefinger, examining it against the light streaming through his office window. The amber pill with its delicate golden swirls seemed ordinary, yet it had turned Havenwood City upside down in just a matter of days.


    "It''s definitely the same one," I confirmed, watching his face carefully. "The exact formtion Liam Knight showed me."


    Damian''s expression tightened. "And you rejected his partnership offer."


    I winced at the reminder. "A mistake I''ll be paying for the rest of my career."


    Mayor Lee chuckled from his seat across the room. "Don''t be so dramatic, Alec. You''re hardly the only one suffering from Knight-rted regrets these days."


    The other businessmen in Damian''s luxurious office nodded in agreement. We''d gathered here – the so-called pirs of Havenwood''s economy – all of us suddenly finding ourselves scrambling to adapt to a market revolution none of us had anticipated.


    "I heard Roman Volkov bought himself a penthouse yesterday," Councilman Wilson said, swirling his brandy. "Cash purchase. No mortgage."


    Mayor Lee snorted. "At this rate, he''ll surpass you as the city''s wealthiest man within a month, Damian."


    Damian''s eye twitched slightly. "Let''s not exaggerate."


    "I''m not sure it is an exaggeration," I said. "The lines outside his office grow longer every day. People are flying in from neighboring cities just to purchase these pills."


    Damian carefully returned the pill to its jade container. "What I can''t understand is why Knight would choose someone like Volkov as his distributor. The man was practically a nobody before this."


    "Perhaps that was precisely the point," Mayor Lee mused. "Someone with no previous connections, no obligations to Havenwood''s establishment."


    The implication hung heavy in the air. Liam Knight had deliberately bypassed all of us – the city''s traditional power brokers.


    "Well," Damian said, rising from his chair, "I''ve arranged a meeting with Roman tomorrow. Perhaps money can still solve this problem."


    I didn''t share his optimism. Something told me Liam Knight wasn''t motivated by money alone.


    ---


    Across town, Roman Volkov''s previously modest office now buzzed with activity. Security guards controlled the flow of people entering the building while a line of luxury cars stretched down the block. Inside, his newly hired assistants struggled to manage the crowd of wealthy individuals all desperate for the same thing.


    I sat behind my impressive new mahogany desk, enjoying the transformation of my status. Justst week, these same people wouldn''t have given me the time of day. Now they practically begged for my attention.


    "Mr. Volkov, Senator Williams is offering double your asking price for priority ess," my assistant whispered.


    I smiled politely. "Please inform the Senator that the price remains the same for everyone. Three hundred dors per pill, one per customer, no exceptions."


    The woman''s eyes widened slightly. "He says he''ll donate fifty thousand to your favorite charity."


    "My position remains unchanged," I replied firmly, remembering Liam''s strict instructions about maintaining equal pricing.


    As my assistant retreated, I couldn''t help but feel a surge of satisfaction. People who had once looked down on me now waited hours for the privilege of spending three minutes in my presence.


    "Mr. Howard, thank you for your patience," I called out to the next customer, a financial district executive whose hands trembled slightly as I handed over the small jade container.


    "Is it true these pills increase absorption rates by thirty percent?" he asked.


    "The exact effects vary by individual," I answered smoothly, using the script Liam had prepared. "But many users report significant improvements."


    Afterpleting the transaction, I nced at my watch. Nearly noon – I''d been at this since seven this morning. The stack of bills in my safe grew by the hour.


    "Sir," my security guard interrupted, looking ufortable. "There are two gentlemen here who insist on seeing you immediately. They won''t wait in line."


    Before I could respond, the door burst open. Two men strode in – one tall and imposing with cold, calcting eyes, the other slighter but with a nervous energy that set my teeth on edge.


    "Roman Volkov?" the taller man asked, though it clearly wasn''t a question.


    My security guards moved forward, but with a casual flick of his wrist, the man sent them flying against the wall with a burst of cultivation energy.


    My blood ran cold. These weren''t ordinary businessmen – they were trained cultivators.


    "Sebastian Hawthorne," the man introduced himself, straightening his immacte suit. "And my associate, Gideon ckwood."


    The name Hawthorne hit me like a punch to the gut. Everyone in business knew the Hawthorne family – pharmaceutical giants from Shince City, notorious for crushingpetitors.


    "What can I do for you, Mr. Hawthorne?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady.


    Sebastian smiled, but it didn''t reach his eyes. "I''ll be direct. I want the form for the Soul Nourishment Pill."


    "I''m afraid it''s not for sale," I managed.


    Sebastianughed softly. "Everything has a price. I''m prepared to offer one hundred and sixty thousand dors."


    The amount was insultingly low for a form worth millions. I almostughed myself.


    "I appreciate your interest, but—"


    Before I could finish, Sebastian snapped his fingers. Two more men appeared from the hallway, moving with frightening speed to position themselves behind me.


    "Let me be clearer," Sebastian continued. "This isn''t a negotiation. You''re going to give me the form, and in exchange, I don''t cripple you."


    Panic flooded my system. "I—I don''t actually have the form."


    Sebastian''s eyes narrowed. "Do you take me for a fool? You''re distributing the pills."


    "As a middleman only!" I blurted out. "An old Chinese medicine doctor approached me to handle distribution. He''s the creator!"


    Sebastian studied me for a long moment. "And where can I find this... doctor?"


    My mind raced frantically. I needed time – time to warn Liam. "He travels between cities. But he''s scheduled to meet me again in three days."


    "Three days," Sebastian repeated slowly. "Very well. You''ll arrange a meeting. If you''re lying..." He made a small gesture, and one of his men gripped my shoulder painfully.


    "I''m not lying," I gasped. "Three days, I swear."


    "For your sake, I hope not," Sebastian said softly. "The Hawthorne family doesn''t tolerate deception." Please read this chapter on its original tform—*.


    After they left, I copsed into my chair, shaking uncontrobly. The eager customers and newfound wealth suddenly seemed meaningless in the face of this danger.


    Without bothering to exin to my confused staff, I grabbed my keys and rushed out the back door. Twenty minutester, I burst into Liam''s study, gasping for breath.


    "Sebastian Hawthorne!" I managed between gulps of air. "He came to my office. Threatened me. Demanded the form!"


    I expected panic, perhaps even fear. Instead, Liam looked almost bored as he listened to my frantic recounting of the confrontation.


    "And you told him an old Chinese medicine doctor would meet with him in three days?" he asked when I''d finished.


    I nodded miserably. "I didn''t know what else to say. They would have hurt me, Liam. These aren''t ordinary businessmen – they''re dangerous cultivators."


    To my astonishment, Liam actually smiled. "You handled it perfectly."


    "What?" I stared at him in disbelief. "They''re going to kill me when they discover I lied!"


    "Who said anything about lying?" Liam replied calmly. "The Hawthorne family''s involvement was inevitable. I''ve been expecting it."


    I couldn''tprehend hisposure. "You... you expected this?"


    "Of course," Liam said, as if it were obvious. "The Soul Nourishment Pill threatens their market dominance. Did you think they would simply ignore us?"


    My mind struggled to keep up. "So what do we do?"


    Liam''s eyes glinted with something I couldn''t quite ce – determination, certainly, but also something darker, more calcted.


    "Call Sebastian back," he instructed. "Tell him you''ve made arrangements with the doctor. But suggest arger venue for the meeting."


    "Larger venue? Why?"


    "Because," Liam said, his voice taking on a steely edge, "you''re going to invite everyone who wants this form – the Hawthornes, Damian Prescott, Mayor Lee, all of them. Tell them toe to the No. 1 Grand Mansion in three days."


    "And then what?" I asked nervously.


    Liam''s smile turned predatory. "And then I''ll choose a capablepany to cooperate with."


    I stared at him, suddenly understanding. This wasn''t a crisis – it was an opportunity. Liam hadn''t just anticipated the Hawthornes'' move; he''d manipted events to create precisely this situation.


    What I''d feared was a disaster was actually an invitation to the lion''s den – except in this scenario, Liam Knight was the lion, and Havenwood''s elite were walking straight into his jaws.