I Offer 500 Million!

In two weeks, Christmas will arrive, and every corner of Coral City is brimming with a jubilant atmosphere. Marigold contemplates her holiday plans: first, she will return home to accompany her parents and younger brother for some shopping, then celebrate Christmas together. Afterward, they will drive to a countryside farm in the northeast outskirts for a vacation. There, she can have a wild time with her high school best friend, Kelly, who will also bring along her child. During the last few days, they might go mountain climbing or embark on a southern getaway. Truly, it will be a perfect holiday.

Just as she was busy arranging her schedule, a shattered dream arrived in the form of an invitation letter. It was an evening banquet invitation for the International Elite Investors Conference on December 24th, handed to her by Brian. Naturally, she was invited because Brian himself would be attending.

"But that's my holiday! My holiday!"

"I know, so I'll pay you five times your usual overtime rate. You must accompany me. I can guarantee you'll have an unforgettable Christmas there."

Brian always acted this way, disregarding her thoughts and desires. What was terrifying is that Marigold had grown completely accustomed to it.

What made her even more accustomed was that for the past two weeks, Marigold received a bouquet of flowers signed by Greywolf every two to three days. At first, she felt a bit embarrassed and tried to hide it. However, when she realized Brian merely sniffed disdainfully and made a few mocking remarks without any extreme reactions, she stopped concealing it. 

She even resumed her livestream on the Fantasy channel, hoping Greywolf would appear online again. But he never did. The number of fans in her livestream room kept increasing, and her channel was now individually managed, with explicit comments being prohibited. Her livestream room turned into a conventional channel.

Marigold felt somewhat disappointed. However, as the flowers continued to arrive without interruption, she had an idea. She trimmed the rose stems in the bouquets, brushed them with a fixative, and put them in the oven for a while to make dried flower decorations. She placed them on her desk as ornaments.

Every time Brian passed by, he would try to knock them over, using a cup or a file to block Marigold's view of the decoration. Marigold had to flip it back and rearrange it in a prominent position each time.

Later, Marigold briefly informed her parents about the need for overtime. When they heard it was a cruise ship, they immediately expressed their concerns about the vast sea and refused to let her go. However, Marigold was tempted by the fivefold salary increase and thought it would only be three days and two nights. She promised to video call them every day, and eventually, her parents reluctantly agreed.

On Christmas Eve, Marigold carefully chose her most dignified and luxurious gown—a black Dior dress—and boarded the grand luxury cruise ship, the Coral Queen.

However, as soon as she stepped on board, she felt immense pressure. All the men on the ship were dressed in tailcoats, and most of the women wore outrageously extravagant Victorian court silk evening gowns that could make one's eyes pop out.

"Brian!" Marigold whispered to the CEO beside her, complaining softly, "You didn't tell me it was this kind of occasion! Is this a royal ball?"

Brian smirked mysteriously, wearing his usual playful expression. "Oh, regretting it now?"

Marigold glanced at the ostentatious grand skirts rustling around her and sighed. "This isn't where I belong."

Just as they boarded the ship and stood at the railing, gazing into the distance, a coarse female voice came from behind.

"Move aside! Don't block the way!"

Marigold was about to change her position, but her high heels seemed to step on something slippery. With a loud "bang!" everyone nearby directed their gaze toward her.

A woman dressed in a verdant velvet court cake dress, adorned with an environmentally friendly simulated grand plume hat and heavy makeup, sat on the ground, wincing as she rubbed her feet. Marigold, who nearly stumbled, was securely caught by Brian and embraced in his arms.

Marigold, realizing the inquisitive gazes directed towards her, blushed deeply and quickly extricated herself from Brian's embrace.

"What's the matter with you? Can't you watch where you're going?" The woman sitting on the ground desperately tried to stand up but failed. Marigold extended a helping hand, but she only felt a heavy force pulling her downward. Marigold then employed techniques she learned from an Eastern martial arts master during her time serving in the overseas military. She centered her energy, exerted minimal effort, and effortlessly lifted the woman along with her garments, weighing over a hundred pounds.

"You!" The woman was about to vent her anger when she noticed Brian standing beside Marigold. Immediately, her demeanor changed, and she greeted him with a smile. "Mr. Bennett, it's truly an honor to being invited to this elite conference. You've brought an unparalleled radiance to this place."

Brian nodded slightly in acknowledgment. The woman continued to ramble on, introducing herself as the president's wife of the Emerald Chamber of Commerce, named Mary, among other things. Brian turned his head indifferently, offering casual responses. The woman grew tired of speaking and glanced at Marigold, glaring at her angrily. She then piled her luggage and belongings onto Marigold.

"Why are you so oblivious? Can't you assist me with my luggage? Go and place it in the L31 lounge for me. Here, take this as a five-follar tip."

"Um, hello, but I am not a service attendant. You can find the staff wearing thistle badges; they are the actual service attendants."

The woman named Mary immediately widened her eyes in anger, placing her hands on her hips, and scolded, "If you're not a service attendant, how did you manage to board this ship? You're both ugly and unsophisticated. If you dare to argue with me again, I'll have the security throw you overboard!"

Marigold looked surprised, holding the pile of luggage that had been tossed at her. She turned awkwardly and exchanged a glance with Brian. Clearly, she was mistaken for a service attendant on the ship. Brian, visibly angry, walked forward quickly, snatched the luggage from Marigold, and forcefully threw it all into the sea.

"Thunk!" The LV-embossed suitcase and several heavy woolen cloaks swiftly sank into the dark abyss of the sea.

Mary screamed loudly, and the ship's security arrived promptly, inquiring about the incident.

"My...my luggage..." However, by that time, the ship had sailed a considerable distance, and she couldn't identify where her belongings had been discarded.

Brian, filled with anger, sarcastically remarked, "If it weren't for the need to abide by the law, I would have thrown you overboard instead, Mary. Not everyone can bear that name. Madam, it doesn't suit you."

Brian, taking hold of Marigold, pulled her close, embracing her, and sternly addressed Mary, "This is my secretary and companion, and potentially my girlfriend and beloved in the future. She is my true Mary. If you utter another disrespectful word to her, the next one thrown into the sea will be you."

Marigold tugged at Brian forcefully, preventing him from taking any further extreme actions.

"Brian, that's enough! Please, say no more!"

Marigold explained the situation to the ship's security. Seeing that it was Brian, they too found themselves in a difficult position. It turned out that the Bennett family was the organizer of this investment conference. The ship's security could only offer consolation to Mary and promise to send a small boat to help her search for her discarded belongings. Mary sobbed all the way back to her cabin.

Marigold waited for them to leave, secretly tugging at the front of Brian's shirt, and said indignantly, "It was just a small matter. Why did you treat her like that?"

"She was bullying you. I retaliated, that's all."

"But you went too far."

"Remember, Mary, the upper echelons of society can be cruel like this. If you can't excel in every aspect and demonstrate absolute superiority, you will be overthrown. Just like a wolf pack, if the alpha wolf isn't ruthless enough, being dethroned is only a matter of time."

"Enough! Humans are not like wolf packs. The ancient sapiens dominated the world through teamwork and mutual support, forming powerful alliances."

"But the upper society in Coral City cannot be considered human." Suddenly, a dangerous glint flashed in Brian's eyes, a signal that frightened Marigold. "This is a world of wolves. Everyone is tearing everything apart, exposed and vulnerable."

Marigold suddenly regretted taking on this hard-earned job. But Brian didn't give her a chance to think. He returned to his handsome and energetic CEO self, grabbed her wrist, and ran forward.

"On that note, it's time to show you some fairy godmother magic."

As the lights came on, a grand auction was underway in the eight-story hall of the ship.

An exquisite Clint gown was displayed in a glass case, supported and illuminated by delicate lights on the exhibition stand.

On the other side of the stand, the auctioneer detailed the origins of the gown.

"This is a custom-made dress for Princess Sophia, the twin sister of Queen Cecelia III. The princess tried it on once when the dress was still unfinished, but after its completion, she was married off to The Ash Kingdom due to royal arrangements. She never returned to claim this dress until her passing. Now, with the permission of the shop owner, John Tygerson, this gown is being exhibited and auctioned at this conference to commemorate the dazzling yet short life of Princess Sophia."

"You can see that this dress is adorned with precious materials such as pearls, mother-of-pearl, and coral, mined from the depths of the Kuory sea. Elaborate patterns are sewn with gold and silver threads, using Felink silk fabric, which costs 500,000 follars per square meter, making it a unique and unparalleled masterpiece."

There was a buzz in the audience. Many wealthy women felt their hearts fluttering. Owning such a dress would make them the pinnacle of the social elite, even if they didn't wear it publicly.

"Now, let the auction begin. Starting price, 1 million follas—"

"1.5 million!"

"2 million!"

"5 million!"

"500 million."

In the crowd, a numbered paddle, labeled as 001, calmly rose.

Suddenly, the entire audience was in awe.