Terra Family

The following day, Augustus, having rested overnight at the Travelers' Hotel, prepared to take the Heaven's Devils to the Family Sky Tower Terra Clara Terra's invitation. According to Augustus's pre-planned itinerary, he also planned to visit the Old Families who had not shown any obvious hostility towards the Mengsk Family during the week.

Tychus Finley, who had been out of contact, made contact with Augustus last night. After a curt apology Augustus, looking utterly exasperated, heard the loud music and screams of women from a strip club. At least two different women were panting, and the unpleasant sounds made him blush for Tychus.

"Augustus, Raynor said that the lady of the Terra Family has designs on you?" As Lisa Cassidy stepped through the massive bronze archway of the Terra Sky Tower, she looked at the Terra Family guards holding Electromagnetic Rifle and stun guns at the entrance.

"Lady Annabella is an elegant and reserved noblewoman," Augustus explained to Lisa. He didn't understand why he was explaining this to Lisa, nor did he even consider the question carefully, "How could she possibly do something so unseemly?"

"But I haven't said what it is yet."

Lisa smiled knowingly. She wore a white bohemian maxi dress and a fitted sleeveless silk blouse, the layered lace hem of her skirt undulating like waves with her light steps. Lisa was dressed beautifully today, and all the Heaven's Devils believed she had come prepared.

Nearly five months after quitting drugs, Lisa Cassidy is becoming more and more charming. When she walks through the sunflower garden in Sterling, wearing a long dress and a sun hat with a blue bow, she looks like a bright sun.

Augustus seemed to want to say something more, but as soon as he stepped into the hall, Clara Terra threw herself into his arms. For a moment, Lisa's smile twisted.

"My dear Augustus, you should give me a kiss." Only when she discovered that Augustus was followed by many "fierce and menacing" Heaven's Devils did Clara release Augustus and distance herself from him, extending her meticulously manicured hand towards him.

"I cannot kiss a noblewoman who is not yet engaged; it is a matter of etiquette." Augustus simply shook his head.

"It's alright, my father won't do anything to you." Clara said this, but still regretfully withdrew her hand.

Clara's father, Constantine Terra, the leader of the Old Families, is becoming increasingly enigmatic due to his eldest daughter's burgeoning teenage hormones as she grows older. He always harbors great hostility towards any man who appears around her.

"They're your men, the Heaven's Devils? I don't recall inviting them, but out of respect for you." Clara scrutinized the dark-skinned, larger-statured Rocket Soldier Connor Ward and the distinctive mohawk-haired Harnack, glancing a few more times at the rather handsome Josephine and Londerstein. She selectively ignored Raynor and the other soldiers, finally looking at Lisa.

"A woman? Augustus, you're such a killjoy." Clara tossed her long, dark brown hair that fell over her shoulder, snorted, and walked away with a pout.

Lisa gently raised her chin, leaning closer to Augustus as if she were a victor. "You shouldn't have brought us here, Augustus. This is the lady's invitation."

"This makes me feel a little safer. Maybe Annabella wants to devour me." Augustus followed Clara into the ground floor hall of the Terra Sky Tower without a care in the world. Clara, in a fit of pique, ran off quickly and disappeared in a moment.

"But we're not actually here to see Clara and her mother. I'm here to find her husband, Constantine, who is the real power behind the Terra Family."

So Augustus had to ask a passing servant for directions, and then walk through the magnificent halls and interconnected corridors to the elevator that led to the top floor.

No guards followed closely during this time; instead, they monitored Augustus and his entourage's every move through more sophisticated cameras.

The Terra Sky Tower, with over a hundred floors, is the second tallest building in Tarsonis City after the Tagore Family. Augustus was already used to this; none of the Sky Tower owned by the Old Families in Tarsonis were shorter than the Mengsk Sky Tower.

In the towering Tarsonis City, every Old Families strives to build the tallest, most magnificent, and most eye-catching Sky Tower to showcase their unparalleled power—only the tallest Sky Tower can offer the best view overlooking the entire Tarsonis City.

Augustus waited for Clara and Annabella in the top-floor reception room, but a dozen minutes later a middle-aged man with short blond hair appeared. He was wearing a black suit and a blue tie, exuding a capable professional image.

"Excuse me for interrupting your rendezvous. Oh, it seems you've brought quite a few friends to liven things up." The man who arrived was none other than Constantine Terra, the head of the Terra Family, who had just returned from the construction of the new factory in Palobog. "I didn't want to get involved, but I heard you're pursuing my daughter, Clara."

"You're quite the comedian, Mr. Terra," Augustus a smile to Constantine, sitting on the French sofa.

Constantine slowly sat down on the sofa opposite Augustus, glancing at the several Heaven's Devils behind Augustus: "Annabella said you were looking for me, Mengsk Family brat. Why aren't you back in your Korhal? What are you doing here? Aren't you afraid the agents of Tarsonis will find out?"

"I think there's only one possibility: you want to pursue my daughter Clara. Hmm, you're very good." Constantine looked at Augustus with great interest.

"But that's not enough. I will test you until you fail and choose to give up."

"No, I do not wish to pursue your daughter," Augustus.

"So your target is Annabella." Constantine seemed pleased. "Our marriage was a tragic political one; we didn't love each other, we even hated each other. Being with her always exhausted me. All the children were from artificial sperm implants. I also have my own mistress; it's no secret."

"I only expect you to satisfy Annabella, because her sex drive is unusually strong." Constantine crossed one leg over the other.

"Actually, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you," Augustus. "The Mengsk Family wants to collaborate with the Terra Family on some technological projects. My father hopes the Terra Family can establish some new factories in Korhal IV, and the Terra Group will enjoy several preferential policies."

"That sounds very tempting, but the Korhal Senate has been restricting large-scale entry of Tarsonis businesses in order to protect local enterprises. What does Angus want to do at a time like this?"

The Terra Family is a giant in the field of intelligent robots and has monopolized all related industries of robot research, development, manufacturing and maintenance. Only Umojan's robots can surpass the Terra Family. At the same time, the Terra Group also monopolizes the virtual imaging industry and is the setter of all product grades and quality inspection standards for virtual imaging projectors.

Recently, Terra Group has been venturing into the Hover Car and hoverbike industry, but in this industry, Terra Group has a formidable rival in Tarsonis – another Old Families that has monopolized the Hover Car industry for nearly a century.

The partnership with the Mengsk Family will help Terra Group develop more advanced and comfortable Hover Car to capture market share, while opening up new markets in Korhal will bring unimaginable profits.

But everyone knows that Korhal is in complete chaos, and anyone investing in Korhal now is either crazy or insane.

"Angus has never contacted me. Why would he send you to discuss this? Are you really the Heir to the Mengsk Family?" Constantine said.

"I know there's a riot breaking out in Korhal, and the workers there will cost me dearly if they strike for even a day, and they're more likely to tear down my factory." He sat up straight, staring into Augustus's cold, gray eyes.

"Personally, I don't like your father's remarks, but the riots in Korhal are none of my business. I don't want another war, because Terra Group's assets have been steadily shrinking during the guild wars."

"That's entirely up to you," Augustus. "My father needs to negotiate further with you, Mr. Terra."

"If he can guarantee that the rioters and the rebels won't destroy the Terra Family's factories, I might consider it." Constantine then smiled, "But is that even possible?"

"You can contact my father to discuss deeper cooperation." Augustus's words stunned Constantine, whose eyes widened in surprise, looking like those of a dead fish.

"A closer cooperative relationship."

"Boss, I think Constantine Terra's daughter is really interested in you. You should go for her right away, then we can go find the next one." Josephine approached Augustus mysteriously as they walked out of the Terra Sky Tower in search of a hovercar for hire.

"I've inquired, and the daughters of the Tagore, Bennett, and Holt Family families all..." he said softly.

"Once all the noble ladies and wives have submitted to your whip, Korhal IV will be safe."

Augustus was momentarily at a loss for words.

"I think I heard you talking about the Bennett Family." As Josephine was enthusiastically explaining her plans to Augustus, Rick Kydd, the sniper from Heaven's Devils, suddenly thrust a pen into Josephine's lower back with a grim expression. Josephine jolted and raised her hands.

Rick's Psionics abilities are not enough to grant him telepathic powers. While Psionics of level seven or higher can use their psychic powers to move objects or use them as a means of attack, his eyesight and hearing are far more acute than those of ordinary people.

It was only then that Josephine remembered that Rick Kydd was a descendant of the Tarsonis Old Families, and that he had fled his family to join the Federal Marine Corps to escape his overly strict father. His real name was Yaco Bennett, the second child of Eero Bennett, the patriarch of the Bennett Family.

"What do you think of my sister?" Rick said to Josephine with the cold ruthlessness of a sniper. "I'm going to strangle you, throw you in a burning garbage can, and then have a team of Cyvo robots dance on your grave!"

"That's hard to say. It's not that I have feelings for her, it's the boss!" Josephine said, moving the pen out of Rick's hand and pointing at Augustus beside her after she realized what was happening.

"I saw Guo Tou staring at Tara Bennett's photo for a long time. Besides lusting after Tara's beauty, he must also be after the Bennett family fortune— the Bennett Group owns the largest shipyard in Tarsonis, controlling shipbuilding, port construction and operation, and all businesses related to interstellar routes."

"By taking control of the Bennett Family, Korhal could immediately possess a Fleets."

"Is this true?" Rick asked Augustus.

"I do hope to gain the support of the Bennett Family, but I certainly do not intend to unite the Mengsk and Bennett families through a political marriage." Augustus denied Josephine's claim. "That would take too long, and the Bennett Family is unlikely to agree, unless their leader, Eero Bennett, is still unaware of the situation."

Augustus simply analyzing the possibility of this statement with a very rational mind. It seemed that if the marriage with Tara was indeed feasible and the benefits far outweighed the risks, he would do it without hesitation.

"Rick, you are also one of the Heir of the Bennett Family. I hope that you will lead this family and guide them towards a bright future."

"That's impossible." Rick was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "My sister is far more capable than me."

"Compared to that, you're more likely to succeed in marrying my sister."

"What are you talking about?" Lisa, whose pace had quickened, caught up with them, Josephine immediately retreated in embarrassment.

Just then, Augustus's personal terminal suddenly began to vibrate. When he opened it, he found that the vibration was coming from an unknown terminal— the Tarsonis public telephone booth.

"Damn it, Mengsk, you need to get someone to come save me right now!" It was Tychus calling.

"Where are you?" Augustus asked. "How many men and how many guns do they have? Did you not pay them?"

"Phone booth number 4, Luther Cross Alley, Slum 11," Tychus said into the phone. "I only owe them a little money, and they're going to dissect me alive and sell my organs. Mengsk, you have to come and save me."

Tychus's voice abruptly stopped.

"Augustus, did you hire someone to mess with that bastard Finley?" Raynor overheard as well. "I don't think you're capable of doing something like that."

"I'm not that bored," Augustus said, shrugging.

"Shall we go find Tychus now?" Rick asked Augustus.

"No, we don't have any Power Armor or guns," Augustus.

"Let me call the police," he said after thinking for a moment.

"The police station isn't far from here; we'll just take a car there."