Rise of the Great Emperor - Chapter 418: Preparation for the Banquet

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

Luke is a half-beast who grew up in the twisty streets of a large city called Oukiwa. Abandoned by his parents as a child, he soon had to learn the arts of thievery to survive.

Even on the fringes of a super-powered society, he has followed a single rule all his life: never get involved with the Adventurers.

However, this rule is broken when his gang begins to hatch a plan to rob the most powerful family in town.

And so begins the chronicles of Luke Lange, a thief with no ancestors who in the future becomes one of the strongest men in history, with powers that are rivaling even the gods.

Ryzel, a nineteen-year-old guide, was expecting to marry Dwight, but the man changed his mind a month before the wedding.“I’m sorry, Ryzel.I wanted a nice and compassionate wife, so I am going to marry Sean instead.Unlike you, who were usually preoccupied with other things, he always showed concern for me.Not to mention how highly compatible we are with one another.I've actually met him before, but he persuaded me to date you because he feels sorry for you.”Without even waiting for Ryzel's response, the man left.Ryzel, who was left behind, can't even bother caring about his heart because he's been dealing with a lot of issues as a result of the sudden rejection.He was turning 20 in a month, which meant he had to be married according to the federation's laws.After he reaches the age of 20, the government's assistance will cease, leaving him to fend for his own expenses.If he is not married to a powerful sentinel, he will not be able to reclaim his inheritance and will be forced to die on the front lines.He instantly began looking for solutions, but his hope kept dwindling as his birthday approached without a proper solution to his problems.On the day he felt all hope was lost, his ex’s superior, General Lewis, proposed to him.“I'm not gentle and kind; my priority probably won’t be you; our compatibility may not be high; do you still want to marry me?” Ryzel questioned, fixing his gaze on the general.“It's okay, I don't need my wife to be gentle and kind. Our compatibility is also high. You can focus on your studies, job, or dreams. As long as you remember that you are my guide.”“Okay, let’s get married.”------------------------This is the story of Ryzel's advancement in career and love life, even with all the troubles surrounding him.

Lan Xi made a mistake during her interstellar travel and landed on Earth.

As the princess of Planet Moyi, she decided to save herself. First, solve the money problem.

So she took out the “Guide to Conquering Earthlings 2003 Edition” that experts from Planet Moyi had carefully compiled years ago –

“Chapter 1 How to Elegantly Make Money”:

“Beginner’s Guide: Find a high-end building, take a broken bowl, and sit there for a day to elegantly make enough money to spend for one day.”

However, after sitting bitterly for a day, Lan Xi didn’t make a penny and was driven away by security guards –

“Don’t sit here begging, President Xie already criticized us for negligence! Besides, it’s not that era anymore, beggars use QR codes now!”

No problem, there’s still –

“Intermediate Guide: Find a luxury car, pretend to be hit by it, lie on the ground paralyzed, and you can elegantly make enough money to spend for three months.”

However, before Lan Xi could lie down, a driver got out of the car –

“We have dash cams installed! Move away quickly, President Xie is in a hurry. I’ll sue you if you try this scam again!”

This tactic also failed. But no worries, there’s still –

“Ultimate Guide: Find a rich Earthling, conquer him, marry him, and you can elegantly make enough money to spend for a lifetime.”

Very well, might as well go all out and get it done once and for all!

Lan Xi already had a perfect candidate in mind, the boss of the company she begged at on the first day, the owner of the luxury car – Xie Cheng!

Xie Cheng met a strange beautiful woman.

On the first day, she begged at the door of his company;

On the second day, she staged a car accident scam on him;

On the third day, she blocked him in an alley, with a face of great mercy –

“I really like your money, I hope it becomes mine.”

“So I’ve decided to marry you.”

She coughed –

“Are you going to voluntarily be conquered by me, or be forcibly conquered by me?”

[Story background is Earth in 2023 AD]