Discovery

Mayor Bernard had left, but Myron seemed to have taken an interest in David and didn't leave. Instead, he began chatting with David about amusing things in Peilan City.

Hans watched from the side as David chatted with someone his own age, and a look of relief flashed across his eyes.

It wasn't that he'd never wanted to pave the way for David, but David's stubbornness and attitude toward him had made it nearly impossible for father and son to talk.

As David chatted with Myron, he recalled the Shadow Servant, which had been hovering above his head.

During that time, he paid particular attention to Gallen. Judging by Mayor Bernard's attitude toward him, Gallen was probably very powerful. If Gallen couldn't detect the Shadow Servant, then David basically had nothing to worry about from anyone else discovering it.

After the Shadow Servant appeared, Gallen continued chatting as before, without the slightest reaction. David finally relaxed.

"Hans, how have you been feeling lately?" David asked with concern when he saw a middle-aged man approach Hans.

But the moment David heard the man's voice, his whole body shuddered. He knew that voice all too well. It was the same voice as the boss who had spoken with Amos outside the Police Station that day.

There was no way he could be mistaken. David had heard it through the Shadow Servant, whose unusual hearing meant that once it heard a voice, it would never forget it.

"David, what's wrong?" Myron noticed that something seemed off about David and hurriedly asked in a soft voice.

"It's nothing. Who's that man?" David knew Myron had plenty of connections. He had just introduced many of the guests to him, so David quickly asked.

"You don't know him?" Myron looked at David with a puzzled expression and asked curiously.

"If I knew, why would I ask you?" David snapped impatiently, eager to get an answer.

"That's Mr. Steer, the owner of the Steer Hotel." Myron paused, then continued, "He's also Mrs. Hans's father."

David's pupils suddenly shrank. He knew that Mrs. Hans wasn't referring to his birth mother, but to his stepmother, Bertha.

It had never occurred to him that the man who had ordered Amos to follow him was Bertha's father.

His thoughts churned. Did Bertha know about the tailing, or had it been her decision all along?

Had Bertha also been behind his previous self's death?

With Steer's arrival, everything had become even more bewildering. The truth was closer, yet the situation had grown more complicated.

When Gallen saw Steer arrive, he didn't join them. He turned and came over to David, catching sight of his expression. A sigh escaped him.

He knew about David's situation, and he also knew that Steer's identity put David in an awkward position. So he gently patted David's shoulder.

"David, I'm a little tired. I heard you have a place of your own with plenty of spare rooms. I'll go rest there. Take me over, would you?" Gallen had never intended to stay long. He had only come out of consideration for Peilan City's reputation, so he took the opportunity to ask David.

"Uncle Gallen, you're welcome to stay!" David knew Gallen had misunderstood something, but he could also tell that Gallen was looking out for him. He smiled and nodded.

"Then I'll take you back!" Myron volunteered.

"Hans, David and I will head back first!" Gallen didn't refuse Myron's offer. He waved to Hans.

Without waiting for Hans to answer, he led David toward the exit.

As Hans turned to watch Gallen and David leave, a glint of murderous intent flashed in Steer's eyes, though he quickly concealed it.

Guests at the New Year's Eve reception usually stayed until midnight to welcome the new year. But few people at the reception knew who Gallen was, and David and Myron were both teenagers, so their departure attracted little attention.

Once they stepped out of the Steer Hotel, the cold wind cleared David's head. He knew another enemy had surfaced, but he didn't know whether Steer was the mastermind or if someone else was involved. So he didn't intend to tell anyone.

In truth, without evidence, telling Hans about someone like this probably wouldn't help. It would only worsen the relationship between Hans and Bertha, and little Edie would be the one to suffer in the end.

So David decided to investigate on his own. He would use his Electronic Warfare skills to find out what had happened, then decide what to do.

Just then, a brand-new Gladstone Type VI pulled up in front of them. Myron opened the door and let Gallen and David get in first, then took the driver's seat. He pushed the controls and started the car.

"Myron, how are you allowed to drive?" David knew Myron was about his age and, like him, a senior in high school. Yet Myron could operate the controls himself, so he couldn't help asking.

"Haha, I passed the Reserve Armored Warrior assessment, so I've had F-level clearance for ages. Driving a car is no problem!" Myron said smugly.

Gallen smiled without saying anything as he watched the two boys talk.

"Myron, can you lift eight hundred kilograms?" David asked in disbelief.

He was only halfway through his senior year, yet his strength had already reached eight hundred kilograms. That meant Myron had met Na'an University's minimum admission requirement some time ago. With Myron's family background, he was sure to have no trouble with the other requirements either.

"I'm already at eight hundred and fifty kilograms. I'm sure I'll reach nine hundred by graduation. And with Uncle Gallen's guidance, getting into Na'an University will be a piece of cake!" Myron said smugly.

David looked at Myron enviously. If David was content with having a little money, Myron was a true winner in life.

The Reserve Armored Warrior assessment wasn't something poor people could afford. Its only purpose was to give minors without any clearance the lowest adult clearance, F-level, ahead of time.

The Reserve Armored Warrior assessment cost one hundred thousand Credit Points. It was basically just buying F-level clearance.

Of course, the main reason most people didn't take the assessment wasn't the cost. It was the strength requirement. Eight hundred kilograms was the standard for a Reserve Armored Warrior, and only a small number of people could reach it.

And take the Gladstone Type VI they were riding in. Just looking at the interior, it was clear the car had been bought recently. It was worlds apart from David's secondhand Gladstone Type III.

Deeply humbled, David barely spoke to Myron for the rest of the ride. The Gladstone Type VI was fast, and they soon reached David's home.

"David, think I could stay too? That way, I could get Uncle Gallen's guidance!" Myron, whose shamelessness knew no bounds, had become more and more comfortable calling Gallen Uncle Gallen. Now he was making an even more outrageous request.

"David, let him stay," Gallen said before David could answer.

"All right, Myron, you can use the guest room on the first floor. Uncle Gallen, you can take the side bedroom on the second floor." Since Gallen had agreed, David went ahead and assigned the rooms.

"The first-floor guest room it is, then," Myron muttered, clearly displeased.

He knew Gallen's identity better than David did, so no matter what, he had to stay and receive Gallen's guidance.

"David, get some rest tonight. We'll start first thing tomorrow morning," Gallen reminded him before entering his room, guided by the Smart Butler, Emma.

"Okay, Uncle Gallen," David replied.

As the host, David couldn't simply ignore Myron. The Smart Butler Emma went to help Gallen settle in, leaving David to take care of Myron.

"David, I've found another thing we have in common!" Myron said with a grin.

"We have something in common?" David looked around. He couldn't see anything he had in common with a rich, powerful second-generation kid like Myron.

Although he still had a nest egg of 4.2 million, along with fewer than eighty thousand Credit Points left on his Identity Bracelet, it looked like a lot. But that 4.2 million was dirty money. It was fine to spend a little discreetly, but if he spent a large amount, people would soon start paying attention.

"Of course we have something in common. My Smart Butler uses Emma's voice too!" Myron pointed upstairs as if he'd found a kindred spirit.

"Myron, Emma has hundreds of millions of fans. I could find millions of people who share that with us," David said helplessly.

"David, Emma's coming to Panshi Planet in two months. She'll hold a concert in Na'an City, so let's go together!" Myron suggested.

"Myron, I'm just a student. I don't have permission to leave Peilan City." David had vivid memories of Emma and really wanted to go to the concert, but the circumstances wouldn't allow it.

"I'll figure something out by then!" Myron promised confidently.