Mr. Foster said, “Brother Clark, you must have heard of this Chad Sullivan's reputation before—dull as a pig, lazy and gluttonous, a complete good-for-nothing. With his abilities, how could he possibly develop a golden-yellow dye? This formula was clearly created by my The Foster Family after spending countless resources and money, yet this thief actually committed theft from within. The reason I expelled him from my The Foster Family was precisely because he stole things and even harassed the maids in my household. Such despicable character is unheard of, and now he’s managed to deceive you, Brother Clark.”

Yvonne Foster said softly, “If I’m not mistaken, he must have rummaged through my drawer, saw the formula, and secretly memorized it. Chad Sullivan, I know you resent my The Foster Family, but you shouldn’t have committed such a crime.”

The owner of Jinxiu Pavilion, Ethan Clark, bowed and said, “My apologies, Mr. Foster, I almost fell for this thief’s trick! I was puzzled at the time—how could this Chad Sullivan, so foolish, have such a brilliant formula? Turns out it was stolen, that makes sense. I’ll report this to the authorities right away and have someone come arrest this thief!”

Mr. Foster’s gaze was icy as he looked at Chad Sullivan and said, “Tell me the truth right here—did you steal the golden-yellow dye formula from The Foster Family? You only have one chance to speak!”

Yvonne Foster said softly, “Chad Sullivan, if you admit to this crime, then for the sake of our past relationship, we won’t pursue the theft. But if you stubbornly refuse to admit it, Father will be angry.”

Every hair on Chad Sullivan’s body stood on end, and it took several seconds before his pores relaxed.

He had anticipated a situation like this, but when it actually happened, it was still somewhat surprising.

The The Clark Family had always been a rival of the The Foster Family; the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Not to mention, the new formula Chad Sullivan brought to the The Clark Family was enough to deal a heavy blow to The Foster Family.

So how did things end up like this?

Chad Sullivan quickly calmed himself and said to Ethan Clark, “Boss Clark, may I speak with you in private?”

Ethan Clark nodded, “No problem.”

Then, Ethan Clark and Chad Sullivan went to the backyard.

Chad Sullivan asked directly, “Did you call Mr. Foster and Yvonne Foster here?”

“Yes!” Ethan Clark replied.

Chad Sullivan said, “Why?”

Ethan Clark said, “I knew this formula could deal a huge blow to The Foster Family’s business, but I still went and notified Mr. Foster to come, turning the tables on you.”

Chad Sullivan didn’t ask why again, but waited for his answer.

Ethan Clark said calmly, “Chad Sullivan, for ordinary people like you, having money is enough. But for us, money isn’t the most important thing—power and influence are what matter most. Without power and influence, no matter how much money you have, you can’t keep it; you’re just a pig or sheep waiting to be slaughtered.”

Chad Sullivan said, “If your The Clark Family becomes the silk supplier to the king, you’ll naturally have power.”

“No, that kind of power is too fleeting,” Ethan Clark said. “My son is studying at the Tiannan Martial Academy and is doing very well. He’s about to take the martial examination. His results in the exam, and what official position he’ll hold in the future, are far more important than how much money my The Clark Family makes. Do you know about Yvonne Foster’s new fiancé, Eric Bolton?”

A new fiancé? That fast!

The Foster Family had just kicked Chad Sullivan out, and now Yvonne Foster was engaged to Eric Bolton?

Ethan Clark said, “The Bolton Family’s backer is the Zhu family. You should understand the Zhu family’s status in the country.”

The Zhu family—top aristocrats in Yue, the queen’s maiden family, and Zhu Rong is the governor of Tiannan Province, wielding immense power.

But for Eric Bolton to marry Yvonne Foster, a wealthy merchant’s daughter, aside from her beauty, he probably values The Foster Family’s wealth even more.

Ethan Clark continued, “Eric Bolton’s father has just become the governor of Nujiang County, and Eric Bolton himself is highly skilled in martial arts, having just been appointed as the commander of the Xuanwu City garrison. If I use the new formula to take away The Foster Family’s business, I’ll offend the newly powerful The Bolton Family. What will happen to my son then?”

Chad Sullivan said, “Then you could simply not buy my formula and pretend nothing happened. Why betray me?”

The owner of Jinxiu Pavilion, Ethan Clark, laughed, “You’re just an insignificant nobody, not worth a thing. Your only value is the hatred Ethan Clark and The Foster Family have for you. By betraying you, I gain a favor from The Foster Family—why wouldn’t I? Besides, now that I have the new formula, I can share it with The Foster Family and we can do business together.”

Chad Sullivan said, “The Foster Family originally didn’t care about me at all, treated me like an ant, so there wasn’t much hatred. But when I sold the new formula to you and used it to ruin The Foster Family’s business, the hatred suddenly became real.”

“That’s right,” Ethan Clark said. “So, The Foster Family owes me an even bigger favor, and my son’s future is even more secure.”

“Boss Clark, you’re ruthless. I understand now,” Chad Sullivan said, then walked straight out.

……

He returned to the main hall.

Several warriors from the The Clark Family and several from the The Foster Family had completely surrounded Chad Sullivan.

Meanwhile, Charles Grant stood off to the side as if asleep, eyes closed.

And several officials from Xuanwu City had arrived.

One of the young officials was the registrar in charge of the city’s prison. Chad Sullivan couldn’t help but give him a long look—he had some memory of this person.