The Protector (The Return Of The God of War) novel Chapter 201

The Return of God of War Chapter 201

They moved on to the next topic of conversation afterward.

“The legendary protector of Erudia, the God of War has arrived in North Hampton for so long, yet we’ve never met with him. I am deeply ashamed of myself!” Eric said helplessly.

“That’s right. We all wanted to meet with him just to have the honor of seeing his face with our own eyes!” Wallace added.

Grover Cooke laughed. “The God of War even rejected the wealthiest man in North Hampton, Winston Gonzales’s invitation, much less the rest of you.”

Xander Hoyles let out his laughter as well. “Let me tell all of you something unbelievable. I am supposed to be the highest-ranking officer in the North Hampton Warzone, but regretfully, even I have never seen the God of War in person. He’s active around the North Hampton’s warzone and even hosted a military practice. But he disregarded me and directly transferred the First Army to do his bidding!”

Grover was astounded. “You too? Oh my God!”

“To be honest, to him, I am just an insignificant person. I have to pay my respect to Azure Dragon and the other Kings of War despite their lower rank. They are the strongest military force in Erudia, after all!” Xander explained.

Eric and the others shook their heads in disappointment. “I guess there is no hope for us since even someone like Mr. Hoyles does not get to meet with him.”

Xander Hoyles flashed a pensive smile. “No, that’s not true. There is a chance for you to meet with him. There’s a ceremony to welcome the new commander-in-chief for the North Hampton warzone soon. The God of War will certainly attend the ceremony. There are a few seats open to the public to participate in the ceremony, so all of you can try to seize the opportunity then!”

“Really? That’s great! We can finally meet with the God of War!” Everyone else could barely contain their excitement.

Baldwin grinned. “I heard that not only is the God of War a young man in his twenties, but he is also single! Coincidentally, my granddaughter, Yara, is single as well. She can be the perfect match for him. They will be a great couple!”

Clifford retorted immediately. “Is that so? Are you saying that your granddaughter is better than mine?”

“Hey, all of us have granddaughters as well!” The others voiced out in displeasure too.

Even Xander took part in the heated conversation. “I have a granddaughter too. She’s in the army. Does that count as an advantage?”

“Ah, in that case, your granddaughter certainly has the edge over ours. We should’ve sent our granddaughters to join the army too in the past!”

Eric suddenly changed the topic of conversation. “Let’s talk about business now. Levi Group and the acquired Garrison Group will be changing their name to Morris Group three days later!”

“There’s no other way to handle this matter. We’ll have to sound out Morris Group’s capabilities!”

…

Zoey was made aware of the matter regarding Levi’s group name change into Morris Group’s.

“I heard Neil Atkinson is Morris’s uncle. No wonder he helped us through our crisis. Do you know anything about this?” Zoey asked curiously.

Levi shook his head. “I don’t know Morris has an uncle!” Levi could barely contain his laughter. These people are ridiculous. How can Kirin be Morris’s uncle when he’s clearly 7 years younger than Morris?

“I heard Levi Group will be hosting a name-changing ceremony three days later. Are you going to attend the ceremony to check out the situation?”

Zoey was busy with her matters of establishing a new company, but she was curious about that event. So she asked Levi to attend the ceremony instead.

“Sure. I’ll check out the event.”

What Zoey did not know was that Levi would attend the ceremony even without her reminder.

He decided to bring Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson too.

Levi informed Morris’s parents about that matter when he visited them at Bayview Garden Real Estate’s villa.

The Return of God of War Chapter 202

Levi told the aged couple he would pick them up in person three days later.

He saw Chloe the moment he exited the villa’s neighborhood.

She was there because she was introducing one of the properties there to a customer.

“I’m getting off work now. Why don’t I treat you to a meal if you’re free?” Chloe offered with a smile.

Levi suddenly remembered the promise he made after they were met with the impromptu situation the other day.

“Sure. Let’s have a meal, but it’s going to be my treat!” Levi answered.

Levi was chauffeured to the villa earlier, so he did not have a car. He had no other choice but to let Chloe drive him to the restaurant.

They decided to have their meal in a high-end Chinese restaurant, where their patrons can only be those with the restaurant’s membership.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Macy! All the private rooms are fully booked. We only have open seats left in the hall.” The restaurant staff informed Chloe.

Chloe looked at Levi immediately to seek his opinion.

“Fine by me.” Levi nodded.

They sat at a table close to the window.

Chloe was a regular customer, and she was vaguely familiar with Levi’s preference too. So she ordered a few dishes that suited Levi’s taste.

Levi enjoyed the meal to his heart’s content.

“Is that really you, Chloe?” Someone exclaimed.

Two men dressed in suits stood a few feet away from their table. One of the men was clearly excited to see Chloe.

Levi felt that the man looked a little familiar. Oh, I remember him now! He’s one of my juniors from high school, William Hanks.

William studied Finance and graduated from a university in South City. Levi allowed him to enter Levi Group despite his lack of qualification due to William’s status as his junior.

William appeared to be in a neutral stance after Levi was met with trouble in the past, but he actually sided with Matthew Green.

Chloe did not like William because he was annoying and had been relentless in pursuing her.

He firmly believed he deserved Chloe especially now that Levi Group had regained its momentum.

“Chloe, let me introduce to you. This is the manager of Gatsby Group, Mr. Paterson. We are currently discussing a project that’s worth a hundred million!” William introduced the chubby man next to him to Chloe.

Mr. Paterson looked at Chloe lecherously.

At that moment, William noticed Levi.

He fell into a daze for some time before he addressed him subconsciously, “Mr. Garrison… wait, no. Levi Garrison, you’re here too?”

In William’s mind, Levi does not deserve any honorifics now that he had been reduced to someone with a lowly status.

“That’s right. You’re able to recognize me?” Levi smiled. William Hanks is considered half a traitor. There are still plenty of traitors like him among the current staffs in Levi Group. I have to utilize this name-changing ceremony to reassemble the company’s employees. I’ve regained control of Levi Group for some time now, but I’ve yet to remove these rotten people.

“Hahaha, of course! You were so glorious in the past! I even worked as your driver and valet when I first entered the company…”

William remembered everything that happened in the past vividly.

“I did not get any promotion while you were in charge of the company, Levi Garrison. You’ve never treated me like your junior, always asking me to do those hard and dirty chores! I was promoted and given important tasks to handle after you left, and can finally put my talents to good use! I am now the vice-director of the marketing department!” He pointed at Levi and continued, “Regretfully, you are no longer my boss. You are just someone who, at most, qualifies to clean my shoes…”

Levi and Chloe exchanged glances. Both of them snickered.

Levi scoffed. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I am still your boss!”

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William was stunned upon hearing what Levi said.

He regained his senses and sneered. “Are you trying to crack some joke, Levi Garrison? My supervisor is the director of the marketing department, Mr. Barclay Burns, while my boss is Mr. Neil Atkinson, who recently acquired Levi Group! Where do you think you fit into this equation?”

Levi did not say a word. He merely regarded William with a smile.

William curled his lips mockingly. “Perhaps you’re going to tell me that you are actually the mysterious Mr. Neil Atkinson? You can stop your day-dreaming! Levi Group is no longer related to you now. Moreover, the company is changing its name too. When that time comes, the company’s final connection with you will be severed too!”

Levi took a sip from his drink. “You will know sooner or later if I am still related to the company.”

William ignored Levi and turned to look at Chloe. “Why are you hanging out with him? Don’t you know? He was placed behind bars for the last six years because he tried to take advantage of his sister-in-law. He’s been blacklisted by all the companies in North Hampton, so he’s destined to fail now. Moreover, he’s got a wife. This man is clearly latching on to you with ulterior motives. You have to be careful not to fall into his traps! You’ll regret for the rest of your life if this piece of trash takes advantage of you.” William advised Chloe with concern.

Mr. Paterson added, “That’s right. You are a successful, young, and beautiful woman. You need to settle down with an outstanding man as soon as possible to prevent a scum like him from attaching himself to you. Look at William. He’s young and accomplished. I think he’s quite a perfect match for you, Ms. Macy.”

Chloe responded coldly, “I’m sorry, but I do not need the both of you to worry over my matters. Besides, I think Levi is a great man. He’s even treating me to dinner tonight.”

William laughed out loud. “Are you kidding me, Chloe? Levi is treating you to a meal? The signature dishes you’ve ordered will cost you at least twenty thousand. How is he going to pay for that?”

“That’s none of your business!” Chloe was enraged.

William and Mr. Paterson had no other choice but to leave resentfully.

Levi and Chloe left afterward.

William hurriedly followed them.

“What? That poor loser doesn’t even have a car! He needs Chloe to fetch him!” William chided.

Mr. Paterson was mad as well. “How can you let an ex-convict like him to surpass you, William?”

William punched the wall forcefully. “Levi Garrison is too cunning! I have to find a way to teach him a lesson! Ah, that’s right. I just got an idea…”

William’s eyes shone with excitement.

In the subsequent two days, the news of Levi Group’s preparation for the name-changing ceremony became heated.

After all, they were a force that could threaten the North Hampton Chamber of Commerce’s long-standing influence.

A day before the ceremony, Levi received a call from an unknown number. William’s voice was heard after the call connected. “Good day, my ex-boss!”

Levi was puzzled by William’s politeness.

“I am here to inform you of wonderful news. After the name-changing ceremony tomorrow, all employees in Levi Group will receive an increment in salary and benefits ranging from twenty to forty percent. All the people who worked for you previously will receive an average of thirty percent increment, so we decided to throw a party to express our gratitude toward you, our ex-boss! You mustn’t reject our invitation because we deliberately hosted this party for you. Everyone is eager to reunite with you.”

A thought popped into Levi’s mind as his lips curved upward. “Sure. I’ll be there!” He agreed to attend the party.

“Alright then. I can’t wait to see you there!”

The Return of God of War Chapter 204

Over a dozen executives of Levi Group hosted a party in the largest private room in Galaxy Hotel that night.

They prepared a lot of champagne inside the room.

All the executives present were once Levi’s subordinates.

Melissa Floyd replaced Matthew Green as the vice-president of Levi Group after his disappearance.

Melissa used to be Levi’s personal secretary. She was an elite who was selected by Levi among one thousand candidates.

She was a capable person. Her accomplishment of receiving a promotion from a personal secretary to the vice-president position reflected her abilities.

In the past, Melissa tried to seduce Levi countless times and even borrowed the strength of the media to spread baseless scandals about herself and Levi. Her underhand tactics nearly caused Levi and Zoey to break up back in the day.

After that, Levi exposed her tricks and demoted her to an average employee. So she had always harbored hateful feelings toward Levi.

Melissa also participated in the scheme to cause Imperial Meadows’s bankruptcy.

She could not care less about Levi with her current status, but William Hanks offered her an opportunity to humiliate Levi. So she decided to attend to the party too.

She wanted to witness Levi’s current condition with her own eyes.

The others who attended the party were Barclay Burns, the director of the marketing department, Eileen Barn, the director of the PR department, Leroy Bird, the director of the legal department, as well as the director of the HR department, Kennelm Pitt.

All of them underwent vigorous training while Levi was their boss because he wanted to cultivate them. They did not receive speedy promotions. Instead, they were forced to learn and experience more as an average employee in the company. However, none of them understood Levi’s intention. They hated Levi because they felt he was bullying them and restricted their growth in the company.

So they were the first group of employees to turn against Levi and joined the Rogers family’s rank after Levi’s imprisonment.

The other subordinates who were loyal to Levi were either drove to their deaths or forced to resign.

Barclay and his peers had the potential, so they managed to climb up the corporate hierarchy and landed jobs as executives.

Even now, they were still not grateful for Levi’s cultivation. They were still under the impression that Levi mistreated them. So they loathed Levi deeply.

They blamed Levi all the more because they were promoted immediately and received a high salary the moment Levi was gone.

In their mind, Levi nearly ruined their lives. They were all insignificant employees of the group under Levi’s management. But all of them became successful people with an annual salary of over a million after Levi’s departure.

So they always shared a private joke among themselves: Thank God Levi went to jail!

“Is he here yet?” Everyone was getting impatient.

Levi and Morris were extremely strict in the past, so their employees did not have the courage to even look them in the eyes. But the high and mighty Levi Garrison six years ago was now an average Joe in the city.

They could not wait for Levi to witness their achievements. All of them wanted to humiliate Levi to their heart’s content.

“Oh! Our ex-boss is finally here!” William announced cheerfully.

Levi followed behind him.

He entered the room with an indifferent appearance while giving off an overwhelming presence.

Most of the people inside the room were almost suffocated by his domineering aura.

Everyone was dazed as they did not expect Levi to still carry his imposing manner from before.

They wanted to direct volleys of insults at Levi the moment he entered the room, but they simply could not utter a word.

The first person to break the silence was Melissa Floyd. She came to a halt in front of Levi in her high heels and said with a smile, “My beloved Mr. Garrison, you’re finally released from prison? This is not really favorable since that place suited you the most. Why didn’t you stay there for a few more years? Personally, I would suggest that you stay behind bars forever!”

The atmosphere inside the room turned heavy after Melissa addressed Levi with the harsh words.

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Kennelm Pitt, the director of the HR department scoffed. “That’s right. Didn’t you always admire the military management style, Mr. Garrison? Life in prison suits you the best!”

The director of the PR department, Eileen Barn added, “That’s true. You must’ve stayed behind bars for six years because you enjoyed the environment!”

…

Everyone greeted Levi with insults.

“Please, come in, my beloved Mr. Garrison!” Melissa ushered Levi into the room.

Upon entering, Levi saw the decorations inside the room immediately.

They even hung a couple of banners on the wall.

The first banner read: Thank God for your imprisonment, Levi Garrison. We would not achieve our success today if you did not go to jail.

Printed on the second banner were the words: We hope you stay in prison forever, Levi Garrison.

…

Levi noticed a lot of champagne inside the room as well, but he did not understand the reason behind the large amount of drinks.

Everyone was disappointed to see Levi’s reaction because he was not infuriated after looking at the banner.

They asked Levi to sit down, then proceeded to surround him.

Melissa said, “I have to thank you, Mr. Garrison. You forced me to start from the bottom of the company with a monthly salary of a little over four thousand and an annual salary of fifty thousand. Do you know how much I am making per year now? My current annual salary is fifty million!”

Eileen added, “You turned us into a bunch of cheap labors by using the excuse of trying to cultivate us. I did not receive a salary of close to ten thousand previously, but look at me now! My yearly bonus alone is already at least ten million!”

The marketing director, Barclay chided, “Thank you so much, Levi Garrison! I used to go to work on a scooter, but I am now driving a Lamborghini to work!”

The director of the legal department, Leroy was furious. “This is all your fault, Levi Garrison! You nearly ruined our lives. Do you see how terrible our lives were? You were the cause of our miseries!”

Kennelm shouted, “Serves you right for facing jail time! It was because of that only did we get the opportunity to flourish in our lives!”

“Levi Group has been doing so well since the Rogers family took control. The company is worth at least seven billion in the market now!” Someone mentioned.

Levi suddenly laughed. “The company’s value increased only a mere three billion in six years, and yet you’re so proud of that achievement?”

“That…” Everyone was stunned.

Levi continued, “Levi Group was already worth four billion during its first year of establishment. We were growing at an exponential rate. We even did a simulation to project our company’s growth. Levi Group would be considered a failure if the company failed to achieve a market value of less than fifty billion after 6 years!”

Everyone was rendered speechless. They knew Levi was indeed telling the truth because they were informed of the company’s potential in the past.

But Levi Group’s growth turned negative during its second year after Levi’s imprisonment. The company only showed gradual improvements in its performances for the subsequent years.

None of Levi Group’s employees knew that their core technology and advantages in the market were taken away by another party.

William retorted immediately when he saw that everybody had fell silent. “Nonsense! What you said was all hypothetical. How can you rely on that to survive in the business world? Can you guarantee a positive return every year?”

Melissa recollected her thoughts as well. “That’s right! There are so many changes in the market every year. You cannot possibly predict every turn of events!”

Eileen frowned. “Let’s be honest, Levi Garrison. We would only stay as mere lowly subordinates even if the company developed into a fifty billion corporation. There’s no way we would be as successful as we are now.”

Leroy, Kennelm, and the others agreed. “He’s right. Your achievements have got nothing to do with us. We wouldn’t be making as much money as we are now if we stayed under your management!”

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Melissa said, “You may not know this, Levi Garrison, but Mr. Atkinson has decided to increase all the employees’ salary since he acquired the company. I will be receiving a thirty percent increment as the vice-president of the company. You can calculate the additional amount yourself!”

“That’s right! Look at how generous Mr. Atkinson is. Don’t you feel ashamed by how petty you were?” Others mocked Levi.

Levi put on a wry smile. How can I be oblivious to this? I was the one that made the arrangements, after all.

Melissa lifted Levi’s chin daringly. “My beloved Mr. Garrison, I am not embarrassed to say this. You rejected me when I confessed to you when I was still working as your personal secretary. Do you regret your decision now? Do you still think that Zoey Lopez is better than me?”

Levi beamed at her. “That’s a given. Zoey is and always will be better than you.”

Melissa laughed out loud. “You’re a fool, Levi Garrison! That woman is close to announcing bankruptcy!”

“But she had received the necessary investment.” Levi firmly believed in Zoey’s capabilities. He knew she merely lacked the opportunities to prove herself. So he gave her the opportunity she needed the most.

“Hahaha…”

Everyone inside the room burst into laughter after listening to Levi.

“You’re hilarious, Levi Garrison! Don’t you know which company was the one that invested in Zoey’s company?”

“It’s our company, Levi Group, that provided her with the capital!”

“Although Mr. Atkinson proposed to invest in her company, most of the procedures are handled by us! Ms. Floyd has to sign the papers, and the investment has to go through the Director of Finance Department, Mr. Snyder! They are the people who will decide the fate of that money now!” Everyone sneered.

Melissa pointed at Levi. “To tell you the truth, Levi Garrison. We have the authority to decide whether Levi Group will invest in Zoey’s company. We can always pull out of the deal or postpone the date to transfer the money to them. Perhaps I can pull some tricks so that Zoey has to compensate us in return for violating the contract!”

William patted Levi’s shoulder. “Did you hear that, you arrogant scum? We are the ones that are in control of you and Zoey Lopez’s fates!”

“That’s right. You have to follow our orders obediently, Levi Garrison! Otherwise, we will force you and Zoey to the brink of desperation!” Kennelm laughed wickedly.

“Are you threatening me?” Levi could hardly contain his urge to laugh. I planned to expose these traitors tomorrow at the company. Well, they certainly saved the trouble by surrendering themselves now.

“Of course! Levi Group will pull out of the deal immediately with a single order from me! I will also include Zoey’s company on the blacklist. No one will dare to invest in Imperial Meadows after that. All she can do by that time is to wait for bankruptcy to knock on her door!” Melissa boasted.