Chapter 222: The Ring

……

On Thursday morning, as soon as Li Mochen woke from his meditative trance, he received bad news.

The dormitory building and two stores of Sunrise Company had been attacked again in the early hours of the night. The attackers were fierce and on an unprecedented scale, deploying a total of thirty outlaws across the three locations.

This was Antonio's counterattack. If he had made no response after Black Axe Richard's death, he would have appeared weak to all his competitors and enemies in Atlanta, triggering a chain of consequences.

Fortunately, the Teutonic Cross Order watched over and contained the situation at the dormitory, along with some police forces controlled by the Targaryen family, preventing Antonio from succeeding. As for the stores, Zhang Wei and Sampson had anticipated the enemy's moves and evacuated all personnel and defense teams from all stores in the East District beforehand. Although the two stores were damaged, there were no casualties.

This outcome was still acceptable to Li Mochen. If the stores were damaged, he could just renovate them later, or find new locations if the landlord objected. But if people died, he would not only have to pay compensation but also severely damage the morale of Sunrise Company's employees.

With hundreds of millions of gold shields in hand, he had become more open-minded. As for the stores in the East District, Antonio could do whatever he wanted.

After all, that guy wouldn't dare touch the buildings themselves. Those who owned commercial real estate in Atlanta's bustling areas were not to be trifled with. At most, he would destroy the store decorations and then splash paint around.

The renovation costs afterward would be at most three hundred thousand gold shields, and the Sunrise Company's superstore plan would be slightly delayed.

For Li Mochen, this was already an acceptable price.

So after receiving Zhang Wei's call, Li Mochen showed no reaction, remaining calm and composed.

At this time, Carl Halton had also arrived early at the Unicorn Apartment.

“According to the latest information we have, your opponent today, Cadio Rhodes, has recently been in contact with Antonio's people. So in this afternoon's match, Amo, you'll likely face a guy whose strength has skyrocketed. The Dragon Witch Cult not only possesses many drugs undetectable by scientific methods but also a large number of forbidden arts. They have ways to maximize Cadio Rhodes' 'Ancient Tracing.' So the company hopes you can go to Nathan's Gate this morning for a comprehensive test at our sports laboratory.”

Li Mochen knew that tomorrow, November 1st, was Halloween, so this week's match day had been moved up to Thursday.

But he didn't care, eating the porridge and fried dough sticks Angela had made for him, responding casually: “Isn't it too late to test now? If I'm no match for Cadio Rhodes, what can the company do in time?”

Carl apparently thought the same, shrugging with a helpless expression.

Carl actually had many complaints about the company's information department. Those people, who usually thought themselves all-powerful, had not only spent a week failing to find Hazel but also overlooked the opponent's movements and missed crucial intelligence.

If Li Mochen lost this match, the company's information department would bear primary responsibility.

“If the company is worried, you can tell them that I am now a seventh-level magic swordsman. Even if Cadio Rhodes reaches the level of Felton Williams, he won't be my match.”

He also held a兼职 as a seventh-level Titan holy warrior and a seventh-level dragon-blooded warlock.

“Wow! Are you sure? But you were only fifth level a week ago.”

Carl thought that if this were true, it would be the best news he had heard today.

Angela, who was adding porridge for Li Mochen, also looked at him with surprise, equally incredulous: “Amo, you're just a little over sixteen now, right?”

“There's nothing strange about it. Angela, you and Lina are also seventh level now, aren't you?”

Li Mochen explained calmly: “I just wasn't on the right path before. Now I am, that's all.”

Angela thought, how could that be the same? She was a seventh-level magic warlock, but her father, with assets worth hundreds of billions of gold shields, had found her many rare herbs. He had even used his connections to buy several top-grade foundation-building pills from the Eastern cultivation world, allowing her to reach this level at sixteen.

As for Lina, that child had followed her elders into the dark world since childhood, growing up there, experiencing a brutal childhood. Through countless life-and-death trials, constantly stimulating her magical potential, she had reached her current level.

“You should have told us earlier. How about coming to Nathan's Gate tomorrow morning? Since you've advanced to seventh level, we need a complete test even more.”

Carl beamed with joy, and as he spoke, he placed a black jewelry box in front of Li Mochen: “As a reward for this good news, this gift is for you.”

“What is this?”

Angela, taking advantage of Li Mochen's focus on his porridge, opened the jewelry box first, then chuckled: “Are you proposing to Amo, Mr. Halton?”

“It's a ring the company had made specially for Amo.”

Carl Halton explained helplessly: “It has a permanent quick-directional teleportation spell, immunity to sub-legendary dimensional anchor magic, a legendary-level 'Divine Protection,' and five high-level instantaneous teleportation uses. In short, it's like the two magic scrolls given to Amo, but fixed on the ring and greatly enhanced to ensure Amo's safety. Besides that, it can summon a holy angel to help you fight, but only twice a year, one minute each time.”

Li Mochen had already sensed the powerful spiritual energy of this treasure on Carl. But he still finished his last piece of fried dough stick before picking up the ring and examining it carefully.

He rarely had the chance to eat this kind of Chinese breakfast since coming to this world. He knew he could find it in Chinatown or make it himself, but the problem was time. Angela, however, had a talent for cooking.

“May luck be with me? Wow, after the lucky bracelet, now a lucky ring?”

The design was quite beautiful. The green gemstone set in it looked like an emerald ring, and the inscription meant 'May luck be with me'—

“Its name is 'Andrea's Emerald Angel,' costing up to thirty-seven million gold shields. Such a ring can't be mass-produced, and our company isn't in the jewelry business. But we will commission several jewelry manufacturers to produce some cheaper imitations, not for sale, only as gifts. For example, if someone spends ten thousand gold shields at our stores in one go, they can get a replica of Andrea's Emerald Angel.”

Carl raised an eyebrow, his face full of pride: “What do you think of this idea, Mr. Wiltonshire?”

“Was this plan proposed by you, Mr. Halton?”

Before Li Mochen could express his opinion, Angela couldn't help but exclaim: “I see why Mr. Patton values you so much. This is truly a brilliant idea.”