CHAPTER 41: PERILOUS SITUATION

The third day of the week arrived, and a helicopter landed on the rooftop of the only hotel in Sardinia Island. Sardinia Island is a haven for the rich, which explains why there's only one hotel. The remaining structures are resort houses and villas. The hotel caters to tourists who want to experience the unique view of the city. The Wayne family is the only family to directly own a city in the area, and they built the hotel.

Wallace, as the leader of one of the most influential families in the country, was allowed to land directly on the hotel's rooftop. Most times, airplanes are not allowed on the island, but it is very large, so it has rails and trains for easier movement. Wallace and Antonio disembarked from the helicopter. The hotel manager was already waiting on the rooftop, accompanied by staff members. They bowed slightly as they greeted Wallace, "Welcome to our hotel, sir."

Wallace nodded as he was led downstairs, under the admiring gaze of the staff. They wondered which young tycoon had earned their manager's respect.

Wallace entered his room, "How many hours until the banquet?" he asked.

"The banquet will start at nine in the evening, so there are still a few hours," Antonio replied.

"Come pick me up by that time, then. I want to make my move tonight; there's no time to waste," Wallace said.

"No problem, but boss, the members are all here for the banquet, so it won't be easy if you want to get away," Antonio warned.

"Don't worry about that; I'll make the move," Wallace replied.

"Okay, boss," Antonio retreated from the room, leaving Wallace alone.

Wallace took off his shirt, revealing his perfectly sculpted body, and closed his eyes, drifting into a nice sleep.

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At the same time, Clark made his way into the top office of the Wayne Corporation building. "Wallace is already in the city," he informed Bruce.

"Will he be attending the banquet tonight?" Bruce asked.

"Yes," Clark replied.

"Let's just keep him in the city, then," Clark suggested.

"There are many strange forces attending the banquet tonight, and I think they're here for the ring. It's the only recent acquisition we've made, so let's be careful," Bruce warned.

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Around 8:30 that evening, Wallace walked out of the building, and Antonio was already waiting for him in a car. "Boss," Antonio greeted, opening the door.

Wallace got in, and Antonio closed the door before taking the driver's seat. The car drove away, pulling up in the park of the mansion. Many cars were already there, indicating a gathering of the rich.

Antonio got out and opened the door for Wallace, who stepped out and saw a lady wearing a red evening dress walking toward him. The lady was breathtakingly beautiful, catching the sight of everyone present. Wallace recognized her; she was Diana Prince, also known as Wonder Woman, an antique dealer, and museum curator.

"Welcome, Mr. Wallace. It's been some time since we met," she greeted.

Wallace nodded. "The last time we met, the meeting was not pleasant due to some disturbance, so I've decided to be your guide this evening. I'll grant any of your requests as long as they're not unreasonable," she said.

"I don't think I have any requests that need to be granted. I'll just attend the banquet and leave," Wallace replied.

"You must have a request, like the black ring we recently acquired," she said.

"Looks like you know about it already, so can I have it?" Wallace asked.

Diana nodded. "But on one condition."

"What's the condition, then?" Wallace asked.

"Before that, let's attend the banquet and deal with the formalities," she said, grabbing his hand and leading him into the large hall where various tycoons were gathered.

Not long after they entered, Bruce saw Wallace and made his way toward him. "Welcome, Mr. Wallace Ace," Bruce greeted.

Wallace shook hands with Bruce. He felt a hostile gaze and saw Clark looking at him while shaking the wine in his cup with no intention of drinking it.

"Mr. Wallace," countless tycoons approached him, introducing themselves.

Bruce looked at Diana and nodded; she nodded back.

After the pleasantries, Diana asked, "Do you mind dancing with me?"

"I don't mind," Wallace replied, taking her outstretched hand as they made their way to the dance floor.

As they danced, Diana twirled, and Wallace followed. "Mr. Wallace," she called out as her back rested on his solid chest.

"Hmm?" Wallace replied.

"Your chest gives off a secure feeling," she said.

"What's the matter?" Wallace asked.

"Do you know that, apart from you, there are also forces vying for the ring? They want to use this evening to take it," Diana said.

"Forces like...?" Wallace asked.

"Envoy John from America, the Undefeatable from London, Mrs. Athena from London, Mr. Cheng Yuan from China, and those from Japan. We don't know who they are, but they must be here, hiding somewhere. Not to mention those from the Order of the Enlightened and the secret ones we don't know about," Diana said.

"What's the secret of this ring?" Wallace asked.

"You don't know, and yet you're here after it?" Diana asked.

"Hmm," Wallace nodded.

"We just know that the ring contains terrifying energy undulations that have never been seen before," Diana said.

"Why are you telling me this, then?" Wallace asked.

"Join the Earth Justice Federation, and the ring will be yours," Diana said.

"I'm not joining," Wallace replied.

"Earth is our hometown, and it will always be our hometown. The five superpowers, with the aid of the forces behind them, whose origins are unknown, want to carve it up into five different places to rule over it. Apart from that, there are threats from outside the planet because of Earth's potential, and once anyone takes over it, the first thing they will do is get rid of the weaklings. Do you want it to be destroyed?" Diana persuaded, but Wallace remained silent, pondering her words.

"Just a week ago, we found a world generator hidden in America. The world generator is owned by the Tesla company. Do you know the function of the generator?" Diana asked.

"The world generator's function is related to the exploration of Mars. The leaders of the world will all go to Mars, while Earth will turn into a breeding ground. The remaining people on Earth, the normal people who are supposed to live a happy life, will all face extinction. The world generator will generate terrifying electrical energy that will be used to trigger her genes," Diana explained.

"Only less than 0.1 of the population will survive, and they will turn into weapons in the hands of these powerful organizations, used to form expeditions to explore and conquer other planets containing life forms in the universe," Diana said.

Wallace's eyes widened as he listened to her words.

"The Earth Justice Federation was established by Bruce Wayne to protect Earth from invaders, but we all neglected one thing: the ambitions of those on the planet itself, using the peace we fought a hard battle for to form more plans to achieve their ambitions. We decided to leave those mysterious organizations alone because they are indigenous to Earth, though we don't know their origins, and they have grown vastly powerful. It's too late to do anything about it," Diana said.

"I, Thor, Superman, Hulk, and Batman are the strongest members. We don't know the whereabouts of Thor and Hulk because they've decided to stop protecting the planet due to the disappointing attitude of humans. Superman and I have reached the cap of our strength; we can no longer grow stronger. Batman is getting older; no matter the supplements, he is just a normal human, so he is growing weaker by the day. I'm afraid that relying on us alone, we won't be able to resist those hidden forces if they join hands," Diana said.

"Is it that serious?" Wallace asked.

"We are in a perilous situation. Don't you want to know the answers to your questions? Join us, and we'll assist you in dealing with your enemies and finding answers. We'll also help you grow stronger; we won't place restrictions on you. With our help, you'll be able to reach unexplored places more easily, like Antarctica. We just ask you to be part of us so that you can help us deal with the enemies on Earth and protect our home planet," Diana said.

"If you decide to join us now, you'll get the ring immediately. We won't place any restrictions on you," Diana persuaded.

Wallace thought for a moment. "I can't join you," he replied.