CHAPTER 501: CHAPTER 501: WITH CONDITIONS

After driving for more than an hour, the car entered a tree-lined road. A cold, full moon hung in the sky, and the branches cast fleeting shadows across the car window. Every scene outside was tinged with tension.

Ethan Sterling sat in the back, flanked by two men in suits, with a blindfold over his eyes, rendering him completely unaware of the situation outside. Apart from knowing he was in the car, he was clueless about everything else. Due to the boredom, he fell asleep sitting upright, but he awoke when the brakes were applied, without the two beside him noticing.

After getting out of the car, he walked for about an hour with a mask on before hearing a door open. He then walked for another ten minutes along a winding path akin to cobblestones. He continuously heard the sound of water and soft tapping, reminiscent of the shishi-odoshi devices in Japanese gardens. Finally, he heard a door open once more, indicating they had reached the main entrance.

Once Ethan Sterling’s blindfold was removed, he felt the brightness outside even without opening his eyes. Shielding his face with his hand for a moment to adjust,

he then lowered his hand and formally looked at the man seated on the sofa opposite him.

"Mr. T," he called out.

T raised a hand casually, "Have a seat." He hadn’t expected Ethan Sterling to seek him out, nor was he sure what his visit was for. However, thinking of how medieval men often used duels to resolve significant issues, a subtle excitement stirred within him.

Of course, his willingness to see Ethan Sterling was entirely due to Ruby Sullivan.

Without ceremony, Ethan sat on the sofa beside him and straightforwardly said, "I came to ask for your help with a problem Wenny is facing."

T raised an eyebrow, surprised, yet not entirely.

He was surprised that Wenny was in trouble and unsurprised that it was Ethan Sterling, not Wenny, who approached him. Had she come to him, she wouldn’t have been the woman who captivated him.

"What’s happened to her?"

Ethan Sterling handed him a screenshot of a notice from Nirvana, "It’s that woman named Gina causing trouble. I heard she initially defamed Wenny in various public settings because she was infatuated with Dr. L. Now, out of admiration for you, she’s become envious and spoke recklessly at The Jasmine Festival."

Both men, clad in dark suits, spoke sternly without a hint of a smile, and the classical gravity of the Italian language brought to mind scenes from The Godfather. It seemed as if the next moment, these two men would decide on a matter influencing the global landscape.

Yet in reality, this decision only concerned a small company and a young woman.

After a moment of silence, T calmly said, "I can help, but on one condition."

*

Three days later, Ruby Sullivan received a call from Ethan Sterling, telling her he’d be home the next afternoon and to prepare a sumptuous dinner as he was bringing a friend over.

This was the first time Ethan had ever asked her to prepare dinner and bring a friend, so she left work early to go to the market for premium ingredients.

The two little ones were thrilled to hear their father was returning home because he was sure to bring gifts.

In the afternoon, while Ruby was busy in the kitchen, Alex suddenly called.

"Darling, a miracle has happened," he exclaimed, a hint of excitement in his voice.

"A miracle?" Ruby was confused. Though she sensed something was amiss, she didn’t dare hope, fearing her wishes would be dashed.

"Yes, but first, did you enlist someone’s help?"

Since T spoke on Ruby Sullivan’s behalf, Alex no longer underestimated her. She wasn’t just backed by Ethan Sterling, who supported her like an ATM, but also had men like L and T to help her in critical times. He realized that receiving others’ help didn’t equate to weakness; having such connections was a testament to extraordinary talent. Collaborating with someone like her was truly his privilege.

"No," Ruby said, a bit uneasily, "I really didn’t do anything myself."

"Wow..." Alex couldn’t help but marvel.

He believed Ruby’s words yet found it hard to fathom such a miracle happened without any effort. After all, even a change in authority wouldn’t typically allow a previously rejected application a second review.

But thinking of the powerful figures behind her, he realized that while she might know nothing, someone had resolved the issue invisibly and seamlessly.

"Anyway, I’ll plan a trip to Celestia soon to discuss the Gallia market strategy with you and bring the contract. You’ll need to revise the new product proposal quickly to be ready for sign-off at any time."

"Okay." Ruby knew she wasn’t dreaming. Even though she responded with just one word, she couldn’t help but smile after hanging up.

She had thought her dreams would be dashed, yet within days, she saw a change, a new opportunity emerging.

Unable to contain her joy, she called Ethan, enthusiastically recounting what Alex had just said.

"Are you happy now?"

"Of course! Even though I was ready to give up Gallia, there was still a knot in my heart." After speaking, she slyly probed, "Does this have anything to do with you?"

Ethan chuckled bitterly, "Didn’t I already say I couldn’t help?"

"True..." Ruby, recalling the two people Alex mentioned, felt it couldn’t be T since he wasn’t in the fragrance world and wouldn’t even know about this incident. The likely candidate to receive the information quickly would be L, perhaps acting out of a change of heart.

Moreover, L had previously asked if she needed help with the collaboration with Alex, leading her to believe it was probably L.

But Ruby decided not to dwell further; even if it was L, she wouldn’t thank him.

By five o’clock, Ethan arrived home, followed by a man in a baseball cap, wearing a mask and sunglasses, dressed in sportswear and basketball shoes.

Honey saw him and hesitated, then hid behind her father’s leg, peeking out to softly ask, "Are you a big star?" In her judgment, only big stars would dress like that.

T removed his glasses, "Good evening."

Honey covered her mouth in surprise, "Oh my, Uncle T!"

Hearing Honey’s exclamation, Ruby ran out of the kitchen, looking in disbelief at the man at the door, "Is it really you?"

"Hi," he greeted with a smile and a wave.

With Ethan Sterling around, arranging a proper visit visa for Bellaza for T was manageable.

"Weren’t you always regretting not being able to have him over? I met him in Bellaza and brought him back." Ethan explained, his tone as if T were a gift for his wife.

"Thank you!" Ruby also found his tone somewhat annoying and deliberately emphasized her voice, instructing Honey to take Uncle T to wash up since dinner would soon be ready.

Indeed, having dinner is a truly delightful thing!