The destruction of the Ghost Syndicate and the sudden acquisition of the Northern shipping lines completely cemented Leon’s position as the undisputed king of the local business world. But to the international conglomerates watching from across the ocean, he was still just a provincial player who had taken over a small sandbox.Leon stood inside the private VIP lounge of the Sovereign Group’s new overseas operations wing, located at the city’s international harbor. He wore a sharp, custom-tailored obsidian-black suit with a dark grey silk vest, his hands resting calmly in his pockets. Through the tinted glass wall, he watched massive container ships flying foreign flags unloading goods from the West.Buzz.The secure tablet on the table illuminated with a fresh data stream from his global intelligence desk.[Sovereign Logistics Network: 100% Active][Current International Border Lock: The Euro-Asian Trade Coalition has officially blocked Sovereign Group’s first major overseas cargo shipment at the mid-ocean checkpoint, citing fake customs irregularities.]Leon’s eyes narrowed into a cold, dangerous line. A low, freezing chuckle escaped his lips. "They think they can use cheap political blockades to starve my expansion?"The door opened with a swift, clean slide. Cynthia Murong walked inside, looking incredibly striking in a sharp white designer blazer and dark tailored trousers. Her tablet was displaying real-time stock drops for foreign logistics firms."It’s the Windsor Cartel, Leon," Cynthia said, her voice dropping to a serious, low tone as she stood next to him. "They are the oldest, most ruthless multi-billion dollar shipping dynasty in Western Europe. They have controlled the international mid-ocean shipping channels for over fifty years. Their heir, Lord Christian Windsor, just arrived at the harbor’s Grand Imperial Hotel. He explicitly told the port authorities that if you want your global cargo released, you have to meet him at his table and hand over fifty-one percent of the Sovereign Group’s northern docks."Leon didn’t show a single hint of hesitation. He turned around, his presence radiating a heavy, suffocating pressure that made the air in the lounge grow still. "Fifty-one percent? Christian Windsor has lived in his family’s old palace for too long if he thinks my iron is soft. Call the escort cars. Let’s go teach the West how we play the game here."At 8:30 PM, a single armored black SUV pulled up to the private entrance of the Grand Imperial Hotel’s penthouse lounge. The entire top floor had been completely locked down by foreign private security forces wearing tactical ear-pieces and sharp tailored suits.Leon stepped out of the vehicle, his trench coat flowing around him, his posture completely straight and filled with an undeniable authority. Cynthia walked gracefully beside him. As the golden elevator opened onto the penthouse floor, the soft sound of classical violin music filled the air.Sitting at a grand glass table overlooking the glowing harbor was Christian Windsor. He was a young man with sharp European features, slicked-back blonde hair, and an incredibly arrogant aura. He was casually cutting a premium steak, a glass of expensive red wine resting near his hand, completely ignoring Leon’s arrival."Sit down, Leon," Christian said, not even looking up from his plate, speaking with a heavy, condescending accent. "I usually don’t meet with local startup owners, but your little stunt with the Vance family caught my father’s attention. Let’s make this quick. Sign the dock transfer deeds on the table, and your ships can pass the ocean tonight. Refuse, and I will ensure the Windsor Cartel buries your Sovereign Group under international trade lawsuits for the next ten years."Two massive foreign bodyguards stepped forward, placing a heavy silver fountain pen and a stack of international trade contracts right in front of Leon.Leon didn’t pick up the pen. He didn’t lose his cool or shout. He calmly walked to the edge of the glass railing, looking down at the massive cargo ships in the harbor, before turning his freezing gaze back to the Western heir."Christian Windsor," Leon said, his voice smooth, low, and terrifyingly steady. "Your family spent fifty years building a monopoly on the mid-ocean channels. But you forgot that a monopoly is only strong as long as your own foundations are clean. You came all the way across the world to steal my docks because your family’s main European shipping line is facing absolute annihilation."Christian’s hand froze mid-air, the steak knife rattling slightly against the porcelain plate. He looked up, his arrogant expression cracking into a mix of surprise and irritation. "What nonsense are you talking about, you provincial peasant?"Leon quietly activated the Eye of Truth, his gaze locking onto Christian and the secure encrypted laptop sitting open on the side counter. Instantly, the dark translucent system screens flashed rapidly, revealing the hidden corruption, massive crises, and dark secrets of the Windsor Cartel:[Person: Christian Windsor][Identity: Heir of the Western Windsor Shipping Cartel][Current Crisis: The Windsor Cartel secretly smuggled three tons of illegal, untaxed radioactive industrial materials inside a commercial cargo liner named ’The Sea Monarch’, which is currently docked at Leon’s Northern Docks right now. If the local authorities scan the lower hull, the Windsor Cartel will face a global ban and a $2 Billion international fine.][Hidden Objective: Christian came here to control the docks specifically to erase the cargo tracking logs before the port inspectors do their routine check tomorrow morning.]A brilliant, supreme sense of total victory filled Leon’s chest. The arrogant Western dynasty had brought their dirtiest secret straight into his backyard, entirely unaware that his eyes could see through every wall.Leon walked over to the table, leaning forward until his shadow completely covered Christian’s plate."The commercial cargo liner The Sea Monarch, currently sitting at my Northern Dock Number 4... should we discuss the three tons of illegal radioactive industrial materials hidden inside its lower ballast tank, Christian?" Leon whispered, his voice sending an immediate, icy shock straight through the heir’s spine.Christian stood up so fast his chair flew backward, crashing onto the marble floor. His face turned a ghostly, deathly pale, all his aristocratic arrogance completely vanishing in a single second. "You... how do you know the name of that ship?! That document is encrypted on the cartel’s private main server!"The foreign bodyguards immediately reached into their jackets for their weapons, but Cynthia Murong stepped forward, waving her hand as twenty heavily armed Sovereign Group security operators poured out from the service elevators, their tactical lasers instantly locking onto Christian’s men.Leon stood tall, adjusting his silver cufflinks with an effortless, terrifying swagger."I don’t need your servers to see your crimes, Christian," Leon stated flatly, his voice echoing with absolute authority through the silent penthouse. "I have already ordered my private port security to seal Dock Number 4. The international maritime inspectors are already on their way to scan the hull. By midnight, your family’s fifty-year dynasty will be blacklisted from every port on this continent."Christian fell to his knees, his hands trembling violently as he reached for Leon’s suit trousers. The realization of absolute ruin crushed his spirit completely. If The Sea Monarch was exposed, his family would lose everything before sunrise. "No... please, Chairman Leon! Stop the inspectors! We can share the ocean! I will give you full access to the Western channels for free! Just save the ship!"Leon looked down at the ruined Western heir with pure, freezing indifference. The people who thought they ruled the world were always the quickest to beg when the tide turned against them."I don’t share the ocean, Christian," Leon said smoothly, turning his back on him as he walked toward the elevator. "Sign the absolute ownership of the Windsor Cartel’s entire mid-ocean shipping network over to The Sovereign Group within ten minutes. Do it, and I might allow your ship to quietly clear out of my waters. Refuse, and your family can watch their empire sink from a prison cell."Without a single second of hesitation, Christian frantically snatched the pen, scratching his signature across the emergency asset transfer sheets, handing over a multi-billion dollar international shipping monopoly to Leon just to buy his survival.Leon stepped into the golden elevator alongside Cynthia, the doors closing on the image of the ruined Western heir weeping on the marble floor. With the international shipping lanes now firmly under his control, the Sovereign Group had officially broken through the border. Leon was no longer just the king of the city—he was the master of the global frontier.
Chapter 11: The Global Frontier
The God-Level Appraiser: I Can See The Price of Everything!