Chapter 77: Action

Enzo had thought this wasn’t the kind of response one would expect unless there was some kind of grudge between them.

Eva also looked at her mother in confusion.

What terrible thing had her mother done to make the governor react like that?

Gracie froze for a moment before chuckling again.

However, she didn’t continue speaking because Miya suddenly gave her a look that clearly told her to stay quiet.

"Mr. Lopez, do you have high hopes for Oliver’s research?" Miya suddenly asked the governor, causing a complicated expression to appear on his elderly face.

After remaining silent for a moment, he replied, "You must understand what this means to us. It’s like seeing an oasis in the middle of a desert. In this world, only cultivation truly matters. Even sealing ourselves away just to stay alive requires cultivation."

"That’s true. It’s like an oasis in the middle of a desert. However, what appears to be an oasis is often nothing more than a mirage."

"Are you saying it’s just a mirage?" The governor was surprised by Miya’s words.

However, the woman offered no further response, merely smiling.

Beyond the entrance was a spacious, circular hall filled with numerous tables where people gathered, discussed business, and enjoyed drinks.

That was clearly the main purpose of the event.

The most prestigious tables didn’t have ordinary chairs but instead featured sofas.

At one of them, Enzo spotted a striking blonde woman wearing a short, dark blue dress. She was sitting among several intimidating-looking middle-aged men.

One of them was the military commander of City Z, so the others were probably high-ranking military officials as well.

Rather than appearing uncomfortable, the woman, Alice, seemed cheerful as she chatted with them.

Enzo had thought she would be with Oliver, but the man was nowhere to be seen.

He had actually been planning to give Oliver a few punches before Miya slapped him in the face.

A moment later, everyone at that table turned their attention toward Miya.

Some of them even nudged each other.

"Lady, please head over there." The governor pointed toward a table prepared for Miya and her entourage. It was just as luxurious as the others, but situated some distance away.

Miya nodded and started walking toward it.

However, Enzo headed in a different direction.

"Wait a moment," he told Miya before walking toward Alice’s table alone.

"What is he trying to do?" Gracie wondered aloud, surprised by the direction he had taken.

Aaron knitted his brows and looked at Miya.

"Little sister, it seems he wants to cause a scene," he said.

Although it wasn’t obvious, his experience with intelligence operations had given him an instinct for recognizing when someone was about to cause trouble.

"Just let him be," Miya replied.

"Little sister, this could lead to even bigger problems."

Although Aaron had previously suggested that Miya teach Oliver a lesson, he didn’t like the idea of Enzo drawing attention to himself.

"So what if it leads to bigger problems?" Miya replied indifferently.

The earlier provocation had naturally changed her mind.

Her dignity needed to be defended, too.

As her husband, Enzo was perfectly entitled to act on her behalf.

With Miya responding like that, Aaron naturally had nothing more to say.

The governor hadn’t heard their conversation.

He wasn’t sure why Enzo was heading toward that table either.

The people sitting there looked at him with interest.

Their pride was immense because they came from the military. Other people would feel nervous simply walking past their table, yet a young man approached them calmly.

"Neighbor..." Alice greeted him with her usual cheerful smile.

However, in the very next instant, Enzo, who had still been several meters away from the table, was already standing beside her sofa. He grabbed the collar of her dress and lifted her off the seat.

Everyone present was utterly dumbfounded by the sight.

Alice, this living Barbie doll, was being held up like that.

Naturally, Alice herself was the most shocked of all.

She simply couldn’t believe a man would do something like this to her.

After all, despite the many unsavory rumors about her circulating among the elite, she was still admired and adored for her beauty.

The number of men who wanted to make her their lover was practically countless. They came from all walks of life, ranging from wealthy businessmen to talented young Cultivators.

"Neighbor, what are you doing?" she asked, still managing to maintain her friendly expression.

She had no difficulty speaking because Enzo was only holding her by the collar of her dress.

"Where is Oliver?" Enzo asked in response.

Alice froze slightly upon hearing the question.

"Why are you looking for him?" she asked.

"I want to beat him up," Enzo replied, maintaining his expressionless face as everyone else around him froze.

"Ahem..." One of the military officials suddenly cleared his throat. He was sitting right beside the military commander of City Z.

He appeared older than the others.

Naturally, he also held a higher position.

He was the military commander of the Southeast American State.

This position was generally held by a two-star general with strong political connections.

Unless a higher-ranking military official was present, people would generally address someone in his position as General.

"Young man, how can you talk about beating someone up in front of so many people?" he said, furrowing his brows.

"It’s fine. I’ve already received permission," Enzo answered immediately.

"Permission, you say? What permission?" The general was stunned.

"Permission from my wife."

"You?"

The general’s eyes widened, and anger was clearly visible on his face.

However, just as he instinctively began to rise from his seat, the military commander of City Z grabbed his arm.

Enzo smiled at all of them.

He wasn’t afraid of anyone who lacked cultivation.

Naturally, none of the military officials here possessed it.

Although they could generally bully lower-level Cultivators, fighting him was nothing more than a pipe dream.

After all, he had a wife whom they could only afford to fear.

"Mr. Muller, please calm down. Let’s discuss this properly. Why do you want to beat up Mr. Green?" The governor approached and spoke gently.

At his own birthday celebration, he practically had to step forward whenever trouble arose.

His communication skills were truly remarkable. They were one of the reasons he had so many friends, and even Miya showed him a measure of respect despite suspecting that he wanted to support Oliver’s research.

"That’s right. Could you please put Miss Howard down first? She might get hurt if you keep holding her up like that," he added.

"Governor, don’t worry. Everything will be fine. You just need to stand aside and watch."

"..."