Chapter 9 This Is Extortion

• A fist, as large as a bowl, brutally swung toward Skylar's face. This punch was incredibly fierce, causing the wind to whistle as it cut through the air.
• Gordon didn't intervene as he wanted to gauge the depth of Skylar's abilities.
• A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Skylar's mouth. He was all too familiar with his opponent's move, which was none other than the Demon Vanquisher Fist, one of Steelpsych's Seventy-Two Ultimate Techniques.
• This fist technique was incredibly fierce and powerful. Even though the moves were not flashy, each punch carried enough force to break boulders. To be hit by such a fist would either result in death or severe injury.
• The reason why Skylar was so calm was because his confidence stemmed from Gilbert, a highly accomplished high priest who hailed specifically from Steelpsych Clan's Tomes Library.
• If judging by the name alone, Steelpsych Clan's Tomes Library was a place one might mistake for an institution akin to a library. In reality, it was a place where Steelpsych Clan martial artists delved deeply into various martial arts.
• Even in the talent-rich Steelpsych Clan, only the most outstanding martial artists had the privilege to enter the Tomes Library to study various martial arts.
• Skylar had mastered Steelpsych's Seventy-Two Ultimate Techniques, and even beyond these, he was thoroughly familiar with dozens of other Steelpsych Martial Arts.
• Although he couldn't fully execute all of these extraordinary skills, he had a deep understanding of Steelpsych Martial Arts. He was acutely aware of its strengths and weaknesses, and he knew exactly how to leverage it. Skylar was indeed very clear about this.
• Faced with Diego's attack, Skylar did not dodge or flinch but calmly awaited. When Diego's fist was less than a foot away from his body, that was when Skylar made his move.
• He abruptly lifted his left hand, three of his fingers tightly pressed together. Held between them was a triangular needle.
• The triangular needle was the thickest variant among the silver needles used in traditional medicine. This needle, akin to the thickness of a pencil lead, was incredibly sharp and was primarily used for bloodletting.
• At that moment, it was too late for Diego to change his tactics. His fist solidly collided with the silver needle.
• The triangular needle pierced through the gap between his index and ring finger bones. The entire needle was embedded, reaching directly into his wrist.
• The sensation was akin to throwing a heavy punch straight at an outward sticking nail.
• Diego felt a piercing pain radiating from his right hand, causing his entire right arm to violently convulse. The intensity of the pain nearly made him faint.
• “Ah!”
• With a heart-wrenching scream, he reacted as if he'd been electrocuted, his body violently jolting backward. He quickly dropped to the ground, clutching his right hand, unable to rise from his crouched position.
• At that moment, the silver needle was still lodged in his fist. His entire palm had been pierced, making it impossible for him to unclench his fist.
• Skylar spread his hands, helplessly shrugging his shoulders.
• “You all saw it, right? He was the one who hit me first. I was just defending myself!”
• His feigned innocence was incredibly irritating to Gordon and the others.
• Wallace found himself quite taken with his grandson-in-law. After all, it was the boy's quirky charm that made him so endearing.
• “Take him to the hospital and find the best doctor to save him!”
• Gordon gave his subordinates an order, then turned his attention toward Skylar, secretly grinding his teeth in frustration.
• “Go ahead and say what needs to be done before you'll hand over the antidote!”
• Skylar settled down into the chair, lifting his coffee to take a leisurely sip before he began to speak.
• “Old Mr. Weiss fell ill some days ago, and you took advantage of the situation, seizing thirty percent of the Weiss family's assets. My demands are not steep. Simply sell back the thirty percent shares to the Weiss family, and I'll provide you with the antidote's prescription!”
• Upon hearing that, the Weiss family immediately saw Skylar in a new light. Wallace was no longer in mortal danger, causing the Weiss family to cheer and celebrate. Furthermore, they had been preoccupied with cleaning up the mess from the previous day, leaving them no time to consider this issue.
• Unexpectedly, Skylar took the initiative to bring up this matter, even using it to pressure Gordon into returning the shares.
• The Burton family had managed to secure thirty percent of the Weiss family's business shares. Although they didn't have controlling interest, these shares were more than enough to interfere in the business operations at every turn. It was akin to a lethal tumor!
• Skylar knew that Howard was Gordon's lifeblood, his most precious possession. There was no way he would let his son die in a few years. Thus, Skylar planned to use this as leverage to force the Burton family to surrender their shares.
• “Goodness, this is a tough situation. To purchase these shares, we had to amass billions of funds. A significant portion of that money was borrowed, and the interest rates are through the roof. The reason why our Burton family wanted to buy shares from the Weiss family was because we saw great potential in the industries under their control. If we were to sell our shares back now, I'm afraid we'd be at a huge loss...”
• Almost simultaneously, Skylar and Wallace cursed inwardly, This Gordon is such a sly old fox!
• Despite being extremely worried about his son's safety, Gordon still managed to maintain his composure and negotiate with them.
• His son was his lifeline, but the same could be said about the shares in regards to the Weiss family.
• At that moment, Wallace spoke up.
• “Mr. Gordon, the Weiss family intends to buy back our shares. Rest assured, we won't let your Burton family suffer any loss. Name your price. As long as it's reasonable, we'll consider making a deal!”
• Gordon was brimming with satisfaction as he felt that he had seized the initiative.
• “Let's do it this way. I want all the shares from your Weiss family's enterprises - Platinum Real Estate and Platinum Home Appliances! Use the value of these shares as bargaining chips to exchange for that thirty percent stake in Weiss Group!”
• Upon hearing this, the faces of the Weiss family members changed instantly, with a few of them even seething with anger.
• The reason was simple - Gordon was utterly audacious in his demands!
• Platinum Real Estate, a leading real estate group, held the third rank in Jeahron. Nationally, it was also a formidable player, securing a spot within the top thirty real estate giants.
• Platinum Home Appliances was the third largest household appliances chain store in the country, with thousands of outlets nationwide.
• More importantly, these two companies were the most profitable among the Weiss family's businesses. In recent years, their income accounted for nearly seventy percent of the Weiss family's total earnings!
• In other words, the market value of these two companies even surpassed half of the total market value of the Weiss family's assets.
• Incredibly, Gordon had the audacity to propose trading a mere thirty percent of the Weiss family's business shares for complete control over these two companies. There was no way the Weiss family would ever accept such a proposition!
• Unable to bear it any longer, Finnegan burst out yelling, “Gordon, don't even think about it! This is extortion! Don't you care about your son's life?”
• “Hah! When it comes to business, I really despise haggling. I'm fixing it at that price, so take it or leave it. If you agree, we can make a deal. If you don't, then we can simply part ways! As for my son, if he dies, so be it. What's the big deal? I can just have a few more. After all, I've got plenty of women!” Gordon declared with a smug smirk, then he rose to his feet and gave a respectful gesture toward Wallace. “Take your time to think it over, Old Mr. Weiss. I'll take my leave for now!”
• Gordon, accompanied by his subordinates, turned to leave. It was at this moment that Skylar unexpectedly spoke up.
• “Mr. Gordon, don't be so hasty. There are a few things I need to clarify with you!”