With the Windsor Cartel’s international shipping network fully absorbed into the Sovereign Group, Leon had successfully shattered the continental borders. He was no longer just a billionaire business magnate inside a single city; his shadow now stretched across the global trade channels. The digital screens lining the walls of his central boardroom displayed live updates of cross-border freight rates, all blinking in steady green.Leon stood at the absolute center of the obsidian room, wearing a flawlessly tailored charcoal-grey double-breasted suit. His expression was a portrait of pure, unshakeable indifference. He casually spun a solid silver fountain pen between his fingers, his eyes locking onto the large holographic globe rotating in the center of the air.Buzz.A crisp, high-priority alert illuminated the glass tablet resting on his desk.[Global Asset Growth: +35% Override Checked][Current Sector Lockdown: The Northern Sea Border has been heavily restricted by the Blackwood Syndicate—a multi-national steel and resource conglomerate based in Eastern Europe. They are blocking all metal imports required for Sovereign’s shipyard expansions.]Leon let out a low, cold laugh that instantly dropped the temperature in the room. "They think they can starve my foundries by locking the northern gates? Arrogant old men."The heavy mahogany doors slid open with a smooth, silent sweep. Cynthia Murong walked inside, wearing a striking, tailored midnight-blue blazer and dark silk trousers. Her face carried an intense look of concentration as she handed him a encrypted dossier."The Blackwood representatives just landed, Leon," Cynthia said, her voice smooth but deadly serious. "The head of their foreign operations, Director Marcus Blackwood, has taken over the entire top floor of the Golden Crown Plaza. He has publicly stated that the Sovereign Group will not receive a single gram of raw iron or industrial steel unless you hand over forty percent shares of your newly acquired shipping channels."Leon didn’t hesitate for a single fraction of a second. He walked over to his desk, tossed the silver pen down, and smoothed the cuffs of his shirt with an effortless swagger. "Forty percent? Marcus Blackwood must have spent too much time hiding behind his family’s old wealth if he thinks my grip is weak. Let’s go show this foreign cartel how real power operates."At 9:00 PM, a fleet of three armored black SUVs pulled up to the grand entrance of the Golden Crown Plaza. The entire luxury hotel was surrounded by private security forces wearing dark tactical suits and communication earpieces.Leon stepped out of the lead vehicle, his long designer trench coat catching the cool night wind. His posture was perfectly straight, radiating a heavy, suffocating pressure that forced the hotel staff to instantly bow their heads in respect. Cynthia walked right beside him, her sharp gaze tracking every guard in the lobby.They took the private elevator straight to the penthouse lounge. As the doors parted, the smell of premium cigars and aged whiskey filled the air.Sitting at a long marble table at the center of the lounge was Marcus Blackwood. He was a broad-shouldered man in his late forties with a sharp, scarred jawline and an intensely arrogant expression. He was casually pouring a drink, completely ignoring Leon’s arrival as his massive private bodyguards stood behind him like a wall of stone."Sit down, boy," Marcus said, his voice deep and raspy, dripping with artificial superiority. "I’ve read about your little victories over the local families. Very impressive for a provincial market. But the Blackwood Syndicate operates on a global scale. If you want our steel to build your shipyards, you will sign that contract on the table. Try to fight us, and I will ensure your shipping lines are starved of raw materials until your Sovereign Group goes completely bankrupt."A heavy leather folder containing the asset transfer sheets was pushed across the marble table by a bodyguard, stopping right in front of Leon.Leon didn’t even glance down at the papers. He walked slowly toward the glass wall overlooking the dark city harbor, turning his freezing, piercing gaze directly onto the foreign director."Marcus Blackwood," Leon said, his voice smooth, steady, and chillingly calm. "You traveled thousands of miles to threaten my firm because you think your steel monopoly makes you unstoppable. But you forgot that a mountain of iron is completely useless if the core is already rotting from the inside."Marcus’s hand paused mid-air, his glass hovering just inches from his lips. His smug expression cracked into a dark frown. "Watch your mouth, you lucky peasant. What do you know about our foundries?"Leon quietly activated the Eye of Truth, his eyes locking onto Marcus’s figure and the secure digital ledger sitting next to his briefcase. Instantly, the dark translucent system screens flashed rapidly, exposing the darkest corporate fraud, hidden crises, and absolute ruin of the Blackwood Syndicate:[Person: Marcus Blackwood][Identity: Director of Blackwood Industrial Group][Current Crisis: The syndicate’s primary steel foundry in Eastern Europe suffered a massive underground toxic leak three weeks ago, destroying their main production line and causing a hidden $400 Million loss. Marcus is desperately trying to steal Leon’s shipping shares tonight to use them as collateral to secure a massive bailout bank loan before their global stock crashes tomorrow morning.][Hidden Vulnerability: The official reports Marcus brought are completely forged to hide the toxic disaster from local buyers.]A brilliant, supreme wave of confidence rushed through Leon’s veins. The arrogant foreign cartel wasn’t a mountain of strength; they were a dying empire scrambling for a lifeline, completely unaware that Leon could see straight through their lies.Leon walked over to the table, leaning forward until his shadow completely enveloped Marcus’s drink."The main foundry sector in your Eastern European plant... should we talk about the massive underground toxic leak that destroyed your production line three weeks ago, Marcus?" Leon whispered, his voice slicing through the silent room like a razor blade.Marcus choked on his breath, his face turning a ghostly, deathly pale as he staggered back against his chair. The glass slipped from his fingers, shattering onto the marble floor and spilling whiskey across his expensive leather shoes. "You... how could you possibly know about that?! The leak was entirely contained! The government reports were sealed!"The private bodyguards immediately reached inside their suits for their weapons, but Cynthia Murong stepped forward with absolute composure, raised her arm, and snapped her fingers.CRASH!The glass skylight above the penthouse lounge shattered as ten heavily armed elite operators from Sovereign’s private security team rappelled down on tactical ropes, their high-grade assault rifles instantly locking their red laser sights onto the heads of Marcus’s bodyguards.Leon stood tall, adjusting the silver buttons of his vest with a terrifying, supreme aura of absolute control."Your seals mean nothing to me, Marcus," Leon stated flatly, his voice echoing with undeniable authority. "I have already sent the unedited, raw environmental logs of your toxic disaster to the International Trade Bureau ten minutes ago. By the time the stock market opens tomorrow morning, the Blackwood Syndicate will face a global trade ban."Marcus fell onto his knees, his hands trembling violently on the marble floor as all his corporate arrogance dissolved into pure, pathetic terror. If the trade ban hit, his family’s century-old empire would dissolve into absolute bankruptcy before noon. "No... please, Chairman Leon! Stop the bureau! We can sign a free supply treaty! I will give you all the steel you need for free! Just pull back the logs!"Leon looked down at the kneeling foreign director with a freezing, profound indifference."I don’t need your free treaties, Marcus," Leon said smoothly, turning his back on him as he walked toward the elevator gates. "Sign over seventy percent ownership of the Blackwood Syndicate’s international resource distribution lines to the Sovereign Group within five minutes. Do it, or spend the rest of your days watching your family empire burn from a federal prison cell."Without wasting a single second, Marcus frantically grabbed the pen, signing his name with shaking fingers and stamping the document with his official corporate seal, handing over a multi-billion dollar industrial network just to buy his survival.Leon stepped into the elevator alongside Cynthia, the doors closing on the image of the ruined foreign director weeping in the dirt. With the global steel and resource distribution networks now firmly under his heel, Leon’s iron circle was complete. The world was no longer just watching his rise—they were completely trapped beneath his shadow.
Chapter 12: The Iron Circle
The God-Level Appraiser: I Can See The Price of Everything!