The rain outside drizzled down; this heavy downpour, originating from the south of France, blanketed the entire country. Looking out the window of the Rare Club building, one would see the once tranquil Mediterranean Sea now a raging torrent, with towering waves crashing against the shore. No ships dared to venture out, and valiant petrels circled in the lightning.

"Let the storm rage on!" Gorky said.

Duanmu Ci also wanted to say the same thing.

How similar was the current situation to the outside world? Morgan had instigated a war, and the peaceful and tranquil situation had instantly collapsed into turmoil. He and his Duanmu family were at the eye of the storm, with no way to escape. He could only grit his teeth and face it head-on, swirling with lightning in the storm, hoping to see the light of day again.

In this sudden war, there are clumsy penguins, cowardly seagulls, defiant lightning, and brave petrels. Each one has its own role, and it is incredibly precise.

The Baker and Robert families are cowardly seagulls, the Morgan family is a defiant lightning bolt, and the Duanmu family is a brave seagull. As for Ivan in front of him, he is undoubtedly a stupid penguin.

Rather, they were the kind who overestimated their abilities.

After Duanmu Ci returned to the Rare Club, Ivan had calmed down. After all, as the son of Russia's richest man, he couldn't possibly be unable to handle this. What he couldn't handle wasn't the financial aspect, but rather the issue of his reputation.

The son of a prominent oil tycoon lost so much money at the casino that he had to borrow money for a ride...

However, he quickly found a way to retaliate: if you're doing well at the casino, you're bound to fail in the business world...

Ivan watched Duanmu Ci enter. He suddenly laughed, "I heard your property on that street in Chicago was sold? And at a very reasonable price. You got a good deal?"

“Yes, the government’s price is very fair,” Duanmu Ci said. “It’s a full five percent higher than the market price.”

"The government?" Ivan laughed, his expression mocking. "You really think your buyer is the Chicago city government? They're almost as poor as Detroit, where would they get the spare money to buy your land? Your buyer is someone else!"

"Oh? Someone else?" Duanmu Ci asked, puzzled. "Who else could it be?"

"Hahahaha—" Ivan burst into wild laughter, his hands trembling so much he could barely hold his wine glass. "To be a seller and not even know your real buyer, what a joke! Your Duanmu family's business has been booming all these years. I'm afraid it has nothing to do with you, right? It's all thanks to your beautiful housekeeper?"

When Ivan mentioned Qi Tongxun, his expression suddenly turned venomous, his eyes almost spitting fire with jealousy. He had a great fondness for that Eastern woman and had even pursued her. Unfortunately, when faced with the flowers from the son of Russia's richest man, she completely disregarded them, saying that she had to serve others and had no time for romance.

This immediately enraged Ivan. The person he regarded as a goddess was actually "serving" someone else—how could he not be consumed by jealousy and resentment? If it weren't for this past entanglement, he wouldn't have so rashly stood up and mocked Duanmu Ci's current situation; after all, it was a rather ungentlemanly thing to do.

As the heir to a family that made its fortune selling counterfeit alcohol, Ivan values ​​manners even more than traditional nobles, even if it's just on the surface.

Duanmu Ci simply smiled upon hearing his words. "You know that too? But you're right, this is all thanks to my housekeeper. But what does it have to do with you?"

Ivan's maniacal laughter abruptly stopped.

“Morgan!” Ivan said viciously. “Your real buyer is Morgan, Morgan!”

"Morgan?" Duanmu Ci said, seemingly confused. "Why would Morgan want to buy my street? Besides, why would he need the Chicago city government's help? He could just talk to me directly."

Ivan looked at Duanmu Ci as if he were an idiot. "Talk to you personally? Don't you know the current situation between you and them? If you go in person without someone's help, aren't you just waiting to be slaughtered? It's different when the government intervenes; they'll have some reservations. It's a pity you don't know anything, and you've given away your most important bargaining chip, missing a good opportunity to negotiate."

"Commercial fraud! This is a classic case of commercial fraud!" Duanmu Ci suddenly became furious. "I'm going to sue him, take him to court. Morgan will receive a lawyer's letter."

"Sue him? How?" Ivan scoffed. "The Morgan family's legal team is full of industry elites, and they specialize in economic disputes. Do you think you can win? Besides, their paperwork is flawless. Can't the Chicago government resell it for a profit? I heard that Morgan paid an extra $100,000 when they took over TheMagnificent from the Chicago city government. That's perfectly fine."

"How treacherous!" Duanmu Ci sighed to the sky, drank the wine in his cup, and looked helpless and sad.

Ivan suddenly felt a pang of pity, thinking how pitiful this man was, and he couldn't help but applaud his own noble compassion. Ivan glanced at his watch, deciding it was about time, so he pulled Duanmu Ci to a seat and turned on the television on the wall in front of them.

Television, a popular form of leisure, would naturally not be on the entertainment list of these powerful and wealthy individuals. Their entertainment consists of various luxurious themed parties and yachts, and at the very least, golf and adopting female celebrities. The time of the aristocracy is very precious, and they will not waste it on boring things like watching television.

However, since Ivan took the initiative to watch TV, he must have his reasons, so Duanmu Ci was happy to accompany him, since he watched TV all the time anyway.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!