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n“Manhattan Community Board?” Bella held her forehead, almost speechless, “Do you think calling someone from the Manhattan Community Board is going to be of any use?”

nWhat kind of person is Travis?

nHandling him would surely be beyond the capacity of the Manhattan Community Board, especially for just a Deputy Director!

nBella really wondered what was going through William’s mind.

nWilliam, however, said, “He asked me to wait for him here for ten minutes.”

nBella said, “Tell him not to come. Come with me; I believe he will give me some face.”

n“I think Deputy Director Wenzel has more influence than you,” William replied and found a sofa to sit on. He now believed in resolving issues through official channels rather than violence.

nAlice didn’t ask too many questions and said, “You guys wait; I’ll go get my painting.”

nThe painting William had given her was still stored at the exhibition center. She wasn’t entirely comfortable leaving it for someone else to bring, so she decided to take it with them when they left.

n“Good, I’ll sit for a while.” William sat on the sofa, having decided to wait for Deputy Director Wenzel.

nBella and Evelyn had no choice but to sit down as well.

nAlice took her time and eventually emerged carrying a framed painting, securely wrapped in hard paper. She recalled Evelyn hadn’t seen the painting, so she didn’t know what was written on it.

nIn front of Evelyn, she was still William’s cousin.

nBoth Bryant and Travis followed them out, taking the elevator down together. The two had subtly faced off in the elevator, but neither could get the upper hand, ending in a draw.

nOnce out of the elevator, they acted as if nothing had happened.

nThey probably thought William would leave the club directly, but after descending, they found him leisurely sitting on a sofa on the ground floor.

nBryant smirked at Travis, “You’re not thinking of killing someone to steal the painting, are you?”

nTravis laughed and said, “Have you taken a liking to that painting?”

nBryant couldn’t help but scoff, “Aren’t you?” 𝐨𝘃𝗹.

n“Not really!” Travis stopped playing coy and said, “How about this, you take the painting, and I take the person.”

nBryant, lacking William’s discerning eye, didn’t recognize Travis’s method of enhancing his abilities and simply asked, “Which person do you want?”

nTravis squinted, “Alice!”

nBryant directly responded, “No way!”

nIn fact, up to this point, Bryant still didn’t know who Alice was.

nHowever, being a longtime friend of Charles Turner, he couldn’t just sit idly by when someone was targeting his granddaughter.

n“Do you really think I’m afraid of you?” Travis’s face was gloomy and unpleased.

nIt was one thing for Bryant to compete with him for the painting earlier; Travis had given him enough face, but Bryant remained relentless.

nDid he want everything?

nWhat did he take him for?

nBryant didn’t waste words with him and walked directly towards William.

nAs he approached, he also sized up Bella and the others.

nAll three women looked very beautiful; he couldn’t tell which one was Alice.

nAccording to William, Alice was incredibly ugly without makeup.

nBut the three girls in front of him all seemed to have pleasant appearances.

nAs for whether they were wearing makeup?

nBryant really couldn’t tell.

n“William, I didn’t expect to run into you here,” Bryant greeted William with a smile as he approached.

nWilliam smiled, “Neither did I.”

nBryant went straight to the point and asked, “By the way, which one of you is Alice?”

nAlice looked at Bryant in confusion and asked, “And you are?”

nBryant looked Alice up and down; the young girl looked quite pretty, and she had a good figure.

nWhat a pity! If her natural appearance was like this, it would have been great.

nBut one’s appearance isn’t something one can decide.

nThinking of this, Bryant couldn’t help but sigh, “Alice, I’m friends with your grandfather; you can call me Mr. Phillips.”

nAlice asked, “Are you Walker’s master?”

nBryant nodded, “My apprentice has been causing trouble for you guys in New York.”

nAlice hurriedly said, “No, not at all, Walker has been behaving quite well here.”

nBryant secretly clicked his tongue, realizing that this girl must have fallen for his apprentice. That lad was truly something, leaving romantic debts wherever he went.

nCharles Turner had a good relationship with him; it wouldn’t be easy to explain if Charles Turner’s granddaughter got emotionally hurt because of his apprentice.

nHowever, it’s better not to meddle in the affairs of young people.

nIf the two young people were fond of each other, he certainly couldn’t break them up because of Alice’s appearance.

nAlice could hardly imagine that the old man in front of her had so many thoughts running in his mind.

nHe had already started disapproving of her appearance.

nIn the end, Bryant could only say, “Let’s go, what are we still sitting here for?”

nWilliam also stood up, calculating the time; Deputy Director Wenzel should be arriving soon.

nBryant turned around and exchanged a glance with Travis, the message was clear; he was protecting these people, and if Travis wanted to make a move, he would have to get past him first.

nTravis shook his head with a smile at Bryant, turned around, and didn’t follow any further.

nBut his intentions were also very clear; Bryant, you can’t protect them!

nWas someone he targeted easily protected just because someone else said they would?

nWhat about Charles Turner’s granddaughter?

nThe woman he fancied, he would get by any means necessary.

nWilliam followed Bryant out of the club and met Wes Wenzel face to face.

nThe moment Bryant saw Wes Wenzel, he paused.

nWes Wenzel glanced at William, without wasting words, and said to Bryant, “Bryant, come with us.”

nAt this time, a pretty young girl, who looked about eighteen or nineteen, was standing beside Wes Wenzel, staring expressionlessly at Bryant.

nBryant was so nervous that he couldn’t speak for a long time.

n“What… What have I done?”

nBefore Bryant could finish speaking, in the next second, the girl had already punched him in the abdomen, followed by a judo throw, throwing him harshly to the ground.

nThe ground was indented, and then she stepped on Bryant’s abdomen.

nBryant, being an intermediate Soulmancer, didn’t even have a chance to fight back. He was knocked out and dragged away like a dead dog.

nAlice and the others were nearly popping their eyes out, watching the slender figure of the young girl, speechless for a long time.

n“Sorry, our Manhattan Community Board Director has a bit of a temper,” Wes Wenzel said to William. “Don’t worry, I believe he won’t bother you again in the future.”

nWilliam nodded, staring blankly at the retreating figure of the young girl.

nHe hadn’t expected that the 13th Bureau would have such a capable person.

nThat girl just now was quite special! She is not a Soulmancer; the technique she used to enhance her abilities seems to resemble a method from millions of years ago by William!

nHow could that be??

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