Chapter 663: Link Together
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Bastard!”
Even after Clement’s figure disappeared into the night, Edmund’s chest was still heaving up and down vigorously. He was clearly still livid.
“How on earth did I give birth to such a dimwit? What a great misfortune for my family!” Edmund rattled on, his face full of disappointment about Clement.
Lucas wanted to comfort Edmund, but he didn’t know how to start.
After all, Clement was really foolish beyond Lucas’s expectations, and he could fully imagine how frustrated Edmund was now.
He knew that Clement was prejudiced against him and would definitely try to find trouble with him. But he didn’t expect that Clement would actually barge into Edmund’s residence and criticize him right in front of Edmund.
Lucas didn’t know what to say about his behavior.
“Lucas, I’m really sorry. It’s my lack of proper discipline that resulted in my son saying such unpleasant things to you. Please don’t take it to heart!” Edmund said to Lucas apologetically.
Lucas shook his head. “It’s fine. I don’t care about it. Don’t take it to heart, Mr. Cole, lest your health gets affected.”
Edmund took two deep breaths, and together with the burst of calming herbal fragrance emanating from the bodhi bead bracelet on his wrist, he finally gained control of his emotions.
“Ah, God knows what sins I committed in my past life to end up with a son like him. If he had some brains, I would have left the Coles in his hands long ago and stayed in this place or gone to the countryside to spend the rest of my retirement in peace.” Edmund’s tone was full of dejection and somberness.
Lucas couldn’t make a judgment about this matter, so he could only stand at the side silently and hand a cup of tea to Edmund.
Edmund took the cup of tea, drank it slowly, and let out a long sigh before changing the subject. “Speaking of which, tomorrow is the day the California Elite Business Exchange will be held. I heard that you also received an invitation. What do you think about this matter?”
Lucas’s gaze was focused. “I also just learned about the existence of this Elite Business Exchange. It’s said that it’s only held once every three years, and the organizer this time should be the Watsons and not the Kingstons. It should have been held in a month too, but it was suddenly brought forward.”
Edmund nodded with a solemn expression. “You’re right. That’s why I have a feeling that the Elite Business Exchange this time isn’t that simple. Moreover, I have an ominous premonition that something will happen.”
In fact, Lucas also sensed the peculiarity about this Elite Business Exchange.
Lucas had to keep his guard up, especially since the organizer of the exchange this time was the Kingstons, who had just formed a feud with him and obtained the hosting rights from another family.
“My network of connections may be a bit wider than yours. According to the information I received, figures among the eight giants of DC may be here at the Elite Business Exchange this time. Their agenda is very likely to be all of California,” Edmund suddenly said.
Lucas was a little surprised. “The eight giants of DC? Are some of them planning to take action in California?”
“That’s very possible,” Edmund said with a grim expression. “In the past few years, there has been lots of competition going on among the eight giants of DC, especially in the areas around it. Many of them have been divided up between the forces of the eight giants, who are also secretly supporting many other families.
“But California had been a neutral area over the years. It became an area that no one dared to touch because everyone wanted a share of it, so they restrained each other. Although there are some families in contact with the eight giants, California doesn’t belong to any family.
“However, I’m afraid this situation is going to change soon.” Edmund’s eyes were worried.
The development of California in recent years had been relatively peaceful, and the Coles had also reached a tripartite balance with the Kingstons and the Walkers. Although they had minor conflicts every now and then, they were all getting along relatively peacefully.
But if the eight giants of DC suddenly intervened, the calm and peace of California would definitely be broken. In fact, there was a high probability of another power reshuffle.
When the time came, it would be difficult to say what would become of the various families.
“I heard that the rules of the Elite Business Exchange stipulate that the invitees are limited to the top-tier families in California, so I was surprised to be invited this year. Can people from the eight top families in DC participate directly?” Lucas asked in confusion.
Edmund smiled and explained, “It’s not surprising that you were invited. Although you haven’t established a top-tier family yet, the power you have in your hands has long been enough to qualify to get an invitation. So it’s not truly a violation of the rules.
“But the people from the eight top families of DC probably won’t resort to any extreme means to intervene. I’m guessing that they’re probably going to find a suitable family within California and support it in order to gain control over the state. The people from the eight top families will just need to control the family and tell them what to do.
“Therefore, I think that this time’s Elite Business Exchange is precisely for this purpose. The family whom that family wants to support is most likely the Kingstons, who snatched the hosting rights from another family.”
After all, Edmund was an experienced businessman who not only had broad horizons but also sharp judgment. So he quickly managed to find the crux to this.
Through the information given by Edmund, Lucas silently combed through the information in his mind.
In the beginning, there was no feud between him and the Kingstons. But the Kingstons had instigated the Taylors of Orange County to abduct Karen and then make her do the live stream with the intention of destroying the reputations of Lucas and the Stardust Corporation.
In order to bring back Karen, Lucas broke into the Kingston residence in San Francisco, killed two of the Kingstons’ elite bodyguards, and crushed Marc’s legs.
Later, Marc jumped to his death. His father, Moses, hated Lucas for it, so he threatened Karen and tried to abduct Amelia in order to use her as a bargaining chip. But his plan fell through, so Moses ended up shooting himself dead.
Immediately afterward, the Smiths, one of the eight top families in DC, suddenly appeared. After Lucas had some conflict with Roy, a scion of the Smiths, because of Maddy, a person who claimed to be Mrs. Smith’s bodyguard suddenly appeared in front of Lucas and tried to kill him. But Lucas crippled his limbs in the end.
But Lucas did find out from the bodyguard that Mrs. Smith was Marc’s biological mother and Moses’ former lover. Thus, the reason she sent someone to assassinate Lucas was to take revenge for her ex-husband and son.
Afterward, Roy suddenly died, and Lucas subsequently received an invitation to the Elite Business Exchange.
All these matters wouldn’t mean anything alone. But after Lucas pieced everything together, it was obvious that there was an issue.
The Kingstons and the Smiths! A cold glint flashed in Lucas’s eyes!
Edmund had been watching Lucas’s expression. Seeing this, he asked, “Lucas, what did you think of?”
Lucas looked at him. “Mr. Cole, do you know a person called Mrs.. Smith from DC?”