The Shelter Game: Me, Starting with a Tenfold Drop Rate

As time slowly trickled away, Irving's anxiety mounted, despite the steel resolve he had cultivated from his trials in his past life.

Like any man, he was innately possessive.

Vicky was now his woman and without his permission, nobody had the right to harm even a single strand of her hair.

"The Taylor family and her Uncle... they won't give up that easily." Irving had long since recognized this.

Despite Anna having publicly announced his role as the lead advisor last time, it wasn't enough to pacify these families. They might not dare to act openly, but that didn't mean they wouldn't resort to underhanded tactics in secret.

Irving had first tried to reach Vicky through several calls, but the only response was a constant, "The number you dialed is busy..."

After a moment of hesitation, Irving decided to go downstairs and have a look. Just as he opened the door, he saw Vicky returning.

"Irving?" Vicky stood there, carrying groceries she had just bought, along with some prepared foods like roast chicken and bread. She paused briefly, then smiled and explained, "I was wandering around the supermarket and lost track of time. I'll cook for you right now."

"Wait a moment." Seeing Vicky hurriedly heading to the kitchen, Irving stopped her.

As soon as Vicky walked in, Irving had noticed the traces of tears at the corners of her eyes. Although she had wiped them away, these subtle changes did not escape his keen observation.

The most important fact was that her phone had been busy just moments ago, and now she had suddenly returned home. There was definitely something amiss.

"Are you sure you want to hide things from me?" Irving asked quietly.

His words struck Vicky like a bolt of lightning. She stood frozen, and the next moment, tears welled up in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks like pearls off a broken string.

She threw herself into Irving's arms, sobbing and shaking her head, "I'm sorry, Irving, I didn't mean to..."

Irving felt the heat from her tears seeping through his shirt. He looked down at Vicky, gently stroking her back, and calmly asked, "It was your uncle who called you, wasn't it?"

"How...how did you know?" Vicky stared at Irving in disbelief, then silently nodded her head. "My uncle just called me asking where I was and demanded I go home immediately or I'd be removed from the family tree. I'd never be allowed to return..."

Vicky's father had died in a car accident. By rights, she should have been the sole heir, but her uncle's interference had completely disrupted this plan.

To fully control the Ocean Group, Joseph had first forced Vicky to marry a man she didn't love, and now he was using the threat of expulsion from the family to make her comply.

"What a vicious scheme!" A glint of cold light flashed in Irving's eyes.

"Irving, the only person I still care about in that family is my grandfather." Vicky continued as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "He started from scratch and single-handedly founded the Ocean Group. He went through a lot of hardship and his health suffered as a result. So, he's been living in a nursing home these past few years."

"Next week is my grandfather's 85th birthday. I want to see him. There are some matters that only he can resolve." Vicky said.

Her father's car accident was also related to Ocean Group.

Over these past months, the man in front of her had taught her an important lesson: avoiding problems only makes them worse. She no longer wanted to be submissive; she wanted to reclaim everything that rightfully belonged to her.

Vicky knew that her grandfather's 85th birthday next week was her only chance!

"Alright, I'll go with you next week." Irving said gently, patting her shoulder.

"But..." Vicky felt a surge of joy in her heart at Irving's words, but she didn't want him to get entangled in her problems any further.

"No buts, it's decided." Irving said firmly. "Now, go make dinner. I'm starving."

Soon, the sounds of cooking emanated from the kitchen, and Irving returned to the sofa, lost in thought. The international situation was currently unstable, and although the authorities were doing their utmost to maintain order domestically, impending chaos seemed inevitable. When doomsday finally arrived, unrest and turmoil would become the world's new normal.

He had to make all necessary preparations before that day arrived... and one of the most crucial steps was stockpiling resources!

Although the authorities had promised Irving, as their chief advisor, a supply of essential goods, he wasn't putting too much faith in that promise.

Firstly, there was no guarantee that official organizations would still exist when doomsday came. Secondly, he didn't want to have any vulnerabilities that could be exploited. Rather than relying on the authorities, it was better to take action now.

Ocean Group was a leading force in the capital, primarily engaged in the business of resource transportation and trade...

"Dinner's ready!" Vicky called out as she emerged from the kitchen, setting three hot dishes and a soup on the table. Although she had never cooked before, there were plenty of tutorials online these days.

Cooking came naturally to women, and with dedication, the results were seldom disappointing.

After dinner, they had plenty of time left in the evening. Since yesterday's events, Vicky had moved into the master bedroom. Half an hour later, the room was once again filled with passionate sounds.

On the large, soft bed, their bodies entwined. Unlike the first time, Vicky had become more adept under Irving's guidance. She even took the initiative, straddling his veined thighs and moving her sexy waist seductively.

...

As night fell, the Taylor family group's headquarters in the center of the capital city was dimly lit.

In the top-floor office, Gary's old face was plastered with a sycophantic smile as he gazed at a man in black sitting across from him. His aged eyes flashed with a trace of fear.

The man in black wore a mask, obscuring his features, but the chilling aura he exuded sent shivers down Gary's spine.

"When did you arrive in the capital? You could have at least given me a heads-up." Gary said hastily.

If anyone else had witnessed this scene, they would have been shocked. Given Gary's status, there were few in the entire capital who could make him speak so deferentially.

"Do we need to inform you in advance when we decide to come?" The man in black asked with a cold voice.

"Uh..." Gary was taken aback, quickly waved his hand, "I, I didn't mean that, I just wanted to prepare to welcome you."

"There are two things for which I am here." The man in black disregarded Gary's flustered defense and pulled out a photograph, placing it on the coffee table. "Do you know this person?"

Gary promptly glanced at the photo, and his aged face revealed utter disbelief. Once he gathered his wits, he quickly said, "I do know him! This rascal caused a commotion at the party last time. As far as I know, this brat is the chief advisor of the official Angel Group."

The man in the photo was Irving.

Ever since Gary returned from the banquet, he was so furious that he was trembling all over. If it weren't for Irving's sudden appearance, the marriage alliance with the Smith family would have been settled by now. His interest in this marriage was not solely for the sake of a good daughter-in-law for his son...

However, all his plans had been thwarted.

"Good that you know him." The man in black let out a cold laugh. "We already know what happened that night. The first thing is that we want the Taylor Family to take action and get rid of him."

Gary was taken aback at these words. If it hadn't been for the sudden appearance of an official at the banquet that night, he would have wanted to tear Irving to pieces. However, the title of Chief Advisor to the Angel Group was indeed problematic for him.

Although there is turbulence abroad, the domestic authorities still hold absolute authority. With the current strength of the Taylor family, they dare not openly defy the officials.

"He sabotaged our plans and killed our people, so... he must die!" The man in black's eyes, dark as ink, flashed with cold light. "Don't worry, I will send a few powerful individuals to accompany you. As for the officials, you need not worry. They probably won't have time to deal with such trivial matters."

Gary immediately understood the hidden meaning in these words. He had some hesitation but was fully aware of the means of the forces behind this man in black.

If he outrightly refused, he might not even have the chance to leave this office alive.

"The second thing," the man in black didn't give the still-dumbstruck Gary a chance to respond. "A few days ago, a user named[Lucky Pretty Boy]appeared on the forum. You are aware of this, right?"

Gary nodded subconsciously: "Of course." He seemed to guess something and quickly added, "You are late, the equipment he had for sale has already been removed. They must have been bought."

Ever since the forum user[Lucky Pretty Boy]posted about selling thousands of equipment, the whole country was shocked. Many people tried to find information about this mysterious player, but in the end, no one found anything...

"The equipment is not important." the man in black continued. "According to the information we got from inside the officials, this user is in the capital city. Your task is to help us find this person and hand him over to us, but you must ensure his safety. Do you understand?"

The cold voice echoed once again in the office.

Gary's forehead was unknowingly covered with a layer of cold sweat, and he nodded in a somewhat rigid manner.

It wasn't until the man in black left that he slumped onto the sofa, looking as if he had lost all his strength.

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