CHAPTER 49: SETTING UP.

Few days passed, and Terrence opened his eyes finding more gems turned into dust in his hand.

He wasn’t anywhere near the second stage yet, but each breath seemed to carry mana that pressed heavier against his veins.

’Weird. I’m pretty sure my body was never this tuned to mana before.’

Ever since he returned, he felt something off.

Now he was sure of it. This body was at least twice as good at drawing in mana as his old one.

And it wasn’t just the compatibility. His capacity had doubled as well.

’Don’t tell me it’s because my past and present self merged into one. Did that really double my potential?’

Right now, that was the only explanation he could think of.

’Whatever the reason, I should be glad. This means I can grow even stronger.’

Clenching his fist, he watched it turn into pale white marble like texture.

But before he could test his new strength, he got a text from Saul, asking him to come to the new office.

Wasting no time, he got ready to head out.

With Dr. Ivan’s support and Emily’s network, his plan to build the perfect underground shelter started to grow.

And with that came more expenses.

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An hour later, he stood in front of a four story building.

The building was already in excellent shape. It just needed some upgrades to look more classy. It wasn’t very big, but it was more than enough.

Inside and out, over fifty workers moved fast to keep the project on schedule.

Some of the workers glanced at him with curious eyes. It wasn’t every day someone climbed out of a sleek supercar in front of them.

A few paused what they were doing to watch him walk up the steps.

"Terrence, over here," Saul called out, waving an arm

He stood near a table covered in blueprints and tablets, surrounded by the engineers and site managers.

All of them gave polite nods , knowing that he was the real boss here.

"Are we on schedule?"

"Yes, it should be done by the end of the week since it’s only a renovation. We also assigned a lot of people here, just like you requested," the head engineer proudly declared.

Terrence gave a simple nod, but deep down, he felt disappointed by the progress. It was still too slow for his liking.

He made a mental note not to hire this firm when it came time to build his bunker.

Inside, most of the spaces were already usable.

The first floor had been turned into a receiving area, and half of the second floor had been removed to create a high ceiling.

Third floor served as the main floor, with rows of cubicles going in.

The dividers were built from high-end materials that made the place feel refined. The style looked like polished wood, and every workstation held three monitors.

His orders were simple—turn this place into something that would impress the rich.

As for the executive offices, they were divided by glass walls that could turn foggy for privacy with the press of a button.

"This is your office," The interior designer opened the glass door.

Inside, sunlight poured through a floor-to-ceiling window that opened up the whole room.

Cool air drifted from two air conditioners humming softly overhead.

Walking inside, he spotted a dark mahogany desk in the center. Its polished surface caught the light and gave the room a rich, finished look.

One wall was covered in real wood panels set in straight vertical lines . The white ceiling helped the space feel bigger.

"I like it." Terrence sat back in the black office chair and leaned into it, feeling like a real boss.

"That’ll be all for now." He gestured for everyone else to leave, except for Saul.

The lawyer straightened his collar. He wasn’t sure why, but staring into his young client’s eyes unsettled him more than any criminal he ever met.

Terrence saw this and pulled back his intensity, giving Saul a moment to relax.

"Give me an update on everything. The building, HR, legal stuff, and anything else."

Saul cleared his throat.

"The building renovations are almost done—just some wiring and final inspections left. HR has started interviews, and we’ve filled about half the positions.

"Legal paperwork is mostly in order. We filed all the permits, and the stock issuance is moving along. Anything else you want checked?"

Terrence tapped his chin and closed his eyes for a few seconds.

"You move fast. If there’s any problem with the permits, just buy the people giving it."

"Already handled. Here’s a breakdown of the expenses." Saul gave him a paper, and the word Expedite sat plainly among the charges.

Terrence gave a small nod and didn’t bother asking about the costs. It didn’t matter to him if Saul stole some petty cash.

"Good. I’m counting on you. And don’t forget to handle the rest of what we discussed."

"Kid, aren’t you putting a bit too much on me?" Saul protested because of the workload.

It got to the point where he stopped working as an attorney and turned into a full-time assistant.

"You said something?" Terrence placed a check on the table.

When Saul spotted the number, he straightened up, a bright grin replacing his weary look.

"You’ve got it. I’ll handle everything,"

He enjoyed working with Terrence. The guy threw around bonuses like the world would end tomorrow.

"Good. And hire more staff so this business is fully running by next week. I’m expecting a VIP clients to invest, so make the meeting room extravagant. Use only the best materials, and hang some eye-catching paintings."

"Oh, you better believe it. I’m gonna turn this place into such a masterpiece that five-star hotels will file complaints out of pure jealousy."

Terrence gave no further comment and rose from his chair.

As he walked out of the building, he noticed a group of young men and women gathered near the entrance. They looked fresh-faced, probably new employees still learning the ropes.

Their eyes followed him with admiration, as if they couldn’t believe someone like him owned this whole place.

He gave them a curt, formal nod .

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’I need some vacation,’ he muttered while sliding into his car.

Just then, a message arrived from the Russian doctor. It was about what they had discussed on the phone yesterday.

Then another message popped up from Emily, asking him again for another night session

She had been bothering him nonstop since last time. If he was being honest, he still hadn’t recovered from it. At least, not mentally.

’Shit. How do multi billionaires deal with all this pressure?’

He already assigned most of the heavy tasks to others, but twenty-four hours still felt too short.

Left with no better choice, he turned Emily down for now.

After that, he drove toward Dr. Ivan’s laboratory

The lab was located far from the city, hidden inside a secure compound surrounded by high fences and cameras.

To even get past the front gate, he needed a special access card.

Good thing Dr. Ivan had arranged it in advance, so the guards were expecting him.

"Son, come in," Ivan chuckled as he pulled Terrence into a hug and gave his future son-in-law’s shoulder a firm pat.