The morning sun hit the glass windows of the Obsidian Tower, bathing Leon’s office in a bright, sharp light. It had been exactly twenty-four hours since the collapse of the Young family at the High Table auction.Today, the financial news channels were losing their minds. The headline scrolling across every major network read: [Sovereign Group Announces Strategic Buyout of Young Real Estate Debts. Mystery Investor Leon Steps into the Spotlight.]Leon sat behind his wide, dark walnut desk, casually swiping through the official ownership documents on his tablet. He wore a crisp, tailored black suit with a blood-red silk tie, his posture relaxed but radiating a heavy, suffocating pressure.Buzz.A smooth chime rang from his phone, flashing a new message from his personal account manager.[Verified Asset Valuation: $82,000,000.00 (Gold Vein Project + Golden Pavilion Revenue Line)]In less than a week, Leon had transformed from a bleeding orphan in a rainy gutter into one of the most dangerous financial players in the region. But he knew this was just the foundation. To ensure nobody could ever threaten him again, he needed to corner the entire luxury asset and investment market.The door to his office swung open, and Cynthia Murong walked inside. She wore a stunning, emerald-green business dress that matched her sharp, calculative eyes. Her usual cold expression was replaced by a look of sheer anticipation."The board of directors from the South-West Commerce Chamber just arrived, Leon," Cynthia said, setting a black leather folder on his desk. "They’re panicking. Lord Thomas Young’s arrest has created a massive vacuum in the city’s shipping and trade logistics. They want to know if The Sovereign Group is going to hostilely take over their remaining supply lines."Leon picked up his coffee cup, taking a slow, calm sip. "A hostile takeover is a tool for amateurs, Cynthia. I don’t force people to give me their assets. I make them realize that staying against me is financial suicide.""Well, you’re about to prove it right now," Cynthia smiled, a dark spark flashing in her eyes. "The emergency summit is starting in Room A. Every old billionaire who used to dine with the Young family is waiting for you. And they brought their top legal experts."Leon stood up, smoothing the front of his jacket. "Let’s go show them who owns the board."Five minutes later, Leon pushed open the double doors of the grand conference hall. The room was massive, featuring a long, oval marble table surrounded by twelve of the most powerful corporate leaders in the city. The air was thick with tension and the heavy scent of expensive cologne.The moment Leon walked inside, every single eye locked onto him. Some looked at him with intense anger, others with deep suspicion, but everyone had a hidden layer of fear."So, this is the boy who thinks he can disrupt the city’s trade," a heavy-set old billionaire named Director Vance scoffed, slamming his hands onto the table. He was the largest logistics magnate in the region and a long-time ally of the ruined Young family. "Listen here, Leon. You found a lucky gold vein, but real commerce requires decades of relationships. You can’t just buy your way into our shipping docks."Leon didn’t answer right away. He walked calmly to the head of the table, pulling out the massive leather throne chair, and sat down. He leaned back, resting his chin on his interlaced fingers, looking at Director Vance like a predator watching a clumsy prey."Decades of relationships, Director Vance?" Leon asked, his voice smooth, low, and completely chilling. "Is that what you call the secret, illegal tax-evasion agreements your shipping company signed with the Young Group three years ago?"Director Vance’s face turned entirely grey. He froze, his mouth half-open, a layer of cold sweat instantly breaking across his forehead. "What... what nonsense are you talking about?!"Leon quietly activated the Eye of Truth, his gaze scanning across every single person sitting at the table. Instantly, bright translucent screens flashed rapidly in his vision, revealing the darkest, deepest financial fraud and corporate secrets of every director in the room:[Person: Director Vance][Hidden Flaw: Has been secretly using offshore shell companies in the Cayman Islands to hide $14 Million in unpaid customs duties. The primary ledger is hidden inside an encrypted flash drive in his watch.][Person: Director Gable][Hidden Flaw: Is currently running a massive Ponzi scheme within his private insurance branch to cover a $9 Million deficit caused by bad stock investments.]Leon let out a soft, dark laugh that resonated through the silent, terrified room. He didn’t need to steal their companies; his eyes gave him the exact knife to cut their throats legally.Leon looked directly at Vance’s wrist. "The flash drive inside your luxury Rolex watch contains the exact offshore ledger for your Cayman Islands accounts, Vance. The one showing the fourteen million dollars you skipped in customs duties."Vance gasped, clutching his wrist as if he had been shot. The other directors stared at him in absolute shock, realizing Leon wasn’t guessing—he knew the exact, hyper-specific details of their highest secrets.Leon shifted his icy gaze to the man sitting next to Vance. "And Director Gable... should we discuss the nine-million-dollar hole in your insurance branch? The one you’re currently covering using your clients’ retirement funds?"Director Gable slumped back into his chair, his eyes wide with pure, unadulterated terror. He looked like he was about to have a heart attack.The remaining directors trembled in their seats, pulling their hands back from the table as if it were on fire. Nobody dared to look Leon in the eyes. In their eyes, this twenty-something young man wasn’t a human appraiser—he was a demon who could see straight through their souls."I didn’t come here to destroy you, gentlemen," Leon said, leaning forward, his shadow looming over the entire table. He tossed a fresh set of corporate contracts onto the marble surface. "I came to offer you a choice. Sign your shipping and insurance logistics over to The Sovereign Group at a thirty percent market discount. In return, your secrets stay buried in this room, and your companies survive under my banner."The directors looked at each other, their faces pale and defeated. They had come to this meeting planning to intimidate a lucky orphan, only to find themselves completely trapped in a cage of their own making.Director Vance was the first to pick up the pen, his hand shaking violently as he signed his name on the dotted line. "I... I agree to the terms."One by one, every single billionaire at the table signed their entire life’s work over to The Sovereign Group.Cynthia Murong stood near the door, watching the entire scene unfold. A brilliant, breathless awe filled her chest. She had seen her father handle corporate takeovers for decades, but she had never seen anyone crush an entire commerce chamber in less than ten minutes without firing a single legal warning shot. Leon’s power was absolute, terrifying, and completely magnificent.As the ruined directors quietly scrambled out of the room like beaten dogs, Leon stood up and walked to the massive glass window, looking out over his rapidly expanding territory.With the city’s trade networks and logistics fully under his control, his foundation was finally complete. The Sovereign Group was no longer just a company—it was a financial empire. And Leon was its undisputed king.
Chapter 7: The Master of the Board
The God-Level Appraiser: I Can See The Price of Everything!