Spellcasting Gods

Thinking of this, Zhang Cheng put away the ancient parchment books that were spread out on the table, casually placed them on the shelf, and pushed open the door to walk out of the study on the second floor.

Just as he was about to return to the first-floor hall to enjoy the breakfast prepared by the invisible servant, he suddenly bumped into Elizabeth, who had just left the bedroom.

"Ah!" The girl immediately covered her nose and screamed, then muttered a complaint, "Damn it! When did you get back? I didn't hear a thing!"

"Sorry, I've been dealing with a lot of trouble lately. I've been staying in the study since I got back last night, so it's not surprising you didn't hear anything." Zhang Cheng explained as he helped his girlfriend up, raised his hand and released a faint burst of holy light energy, instantly restoring her red nose to its original state.

Once the soreness in her nose subsided, Elizabeth looked up and asked with great curiosity, "What's wrong? Can you tell me?"

"No! The more you know, the more dangerous it becomes. I don't want you to be exposed to danger. Okay, stop asking so many questions. Let's go have breakfast together and tell each other about your recent campus life." Zhang Cheng decisively changed the subject, put his arm around the girl's waist, and carried her down the stairs, enjoying the brief peace and warmth of the moment.

"Ha! Campus life isn't as fun as you think! But a while ago a rich and handsome guy came, and he's got a lot of girls' hearts fluttering. Some even offered a reward of eight hundred dollars for the first girl or boy to win him over. But unfortunately, no one has succeeded so far. Also, I've noticed he seems quite interested in me." Elizabeth winked playfully.

Zhang Cheng clearly knew the girl was deliberately teasing him, and jokingly asked, "So, what about you? Did you give him any response?"

“How could that be! That guy is just a rich playboy, how can he compare to you? Darling, I think you have an obligation to reward my loyalty.” With that, Elizabeth pounced on him like an octopus.

The next thing to do is, naturally, to engage in sports that are popular with both men and women and beneficial to their physical and mental health.

After exercising and taking a shower, the two of them sat down at the dining table, feeling refreshed, and enjoyed a steaming hot breakfast.

Elizabeth skillfully forked a fried egg, took a bite, and said without looking up, "Oh, by the way, a woman named Maggie came to see you yesterday evening. She said she had something very important to discuss with you in person."

“Maggie?” A strange light flashed in Zhang Cheng’s eyes.

“That’s right! She doesn’t seem to be lying to me. You’d better go there yourself.” Elizabeth quickly swallowed the food in her mouth, showing her understanding side.

Although she was still very young, due to the awakening of her witch bloodline, she was not as ignorant and foolish as most American teenagers. On the contrary, she had incredible insight and could tell the relationship between the two at a glance, but she was smart enough not to point it out.

“Okay, I understand, thank you. Also, you don’t need to worry about Maggie. If one day I have to choose between her and you, I will choose you without hesitation.” After saying that, Zhang Cheng quickly finished the food on his plate, got up, changed into new clothes, and left the villa, ending this slightly awkward conversation.

However, he clearly did not expect that no sooner had he left than the black, cat-like creature he had brought back from the fragmented world jumped onto the table and proudly boasted in English, "How about it? Was my suggestion good?"

"Hehe! Cody is the best! But I have a question, how do you know that I'm number one in his heart?" Elizabeth wiped the breadcrumbs from the corner of her mouth, her face full of doubt.

"That's easy! By his attitude! Haven't you noticed? Among so many members of the opposite sex, he only relaxes his guard a little when he's with you, and at the same time, he experiences a lot of pleasure. Remember, make good use of this. As long as it's not too outrageous, he'll fulfill all your requests." The unidentified creature called Cody, mimicking the movements of a cat, elegantly picked up a jar of jam and licked it, his eyes revealing unparalleled enjoyment.

Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully: "It turns out our relationship is much closer than I imagined..."

“Intimate? No, no, no, my little darling, the relationship between you two is not just about intimacy, but is forcibly connected by some invisible force, and you can never be separated unless one of you dies,” Cody explained, wagging his tail.

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Elizabeth’s tone betrayed uncertainty.

"This is a good thing for you, but it's hard to say for him. From the enemy's perspective, you are his exposed weakness and vulnerability, making you a relatively easy target. Also, just so you know, given how quickly your strength has increased recently, I need to complete my second evolution in the next few days and will require a long period of hibernation. It's best not to disturb me unless it's absolutely necessary."

After saying that, Cody threw away the empty glass bottle and leaped through the crack in the door.

"It's evolved again? Looks like I can consider finding another suitable pet..." Elizabeth muttered to herself.

Undoubtedly, Cody's transformation from a cute, adorable creature of the fragmented world into a magical being capable of speech is all thanks to a talent she recently awakened.

Simply put, it involves injecting a witch's blood and magical energy into a creature, causing it to undergo a genetic mutation and become a fully intelligent magical being.

Of course, this bestowal is not unlimited; the witch herself must reach a certain level of strength, otherwise there is a risk of being devoured by the pet.

However, the first pet has already evolved twice in a short period of time, which means that the degree of bloodline awakening is much higher than expected, and it can fully support raising another new pet.

Unlike the witch Catherine, Elizabeth's awakened abilities, aside from the most basic willpower, seem to be closer to the support-type "beast tamer".

However, the "beast tamers" in the underworld are not simply those who train wild animals, but rather those who endow ordinary wild animals with certain supernatural powers and command them to fight for them when they encounter danger.

Chapter 692 Game Time (Part 1)

It has been said that New York is the essence of the entire United States, and Manhattan is the center of New York.

In particular, Wall Street, which stretches from Broadway to the East River in the south, is known as the heart of the world's financial capital system. Every successful businessman aspires to own his own company or office building here.

Of course, given that large conglomerates such as Morgan, Rockefeller, and DuPont, as well as heavyweight institutions such as Nasdaq, the American Stock Exchange, and the New York Mercantile Exchange are all located here, real estate prices are among the highest in the world. At least since the bursting of Japan's economic bubble in the 1990s, no other place has been able to match it.

However, none of this mattered to Zhang Cheng. The reason he drove here was simply to find out what important matter Maggie had come to see him about.

According to their previous agreement, neither of them was allowed to interfere with the other's private life, let alone come to each other's door directly.

Clearly, something must have happened to make this usually mature and composed woman panic and break her promise.

Thinking of this, Zhang Cheng couldn't help but smile and shake his head. He stepped into the elevator alone, pressed the corresponding floor button, and entered the beauty and health products company with three capital letters printed on it a dozen seconds later.

As the company owner's only son and heir, he easily made his way through the bustling office, smiling as he greeted Maggie, who was wearily resting with her eyes closed on her desk: "Hey! Good morning, honey. Did you have trouble sleeping last night?"

"Oh my God! Damn it! You finally showed up! You know, the company has run into some big trouble lately. A lot of venture capital firms have their eyes on us, hoping to raise a large amount of money before the company goes public." Maggie quickly rubbed her dry eyes and issued a serious warning.

In the United States, a haven for financial capital, no company about to go public can escape the tearing and devouring by financial giants.

Whether it was Microsoft, which once dominated the scene, and its founder Bill Gates, or Google, Facebook, and Amazon e-commerce, which later rose to prominence, they all ultimately chose to bow to Wall Street financial capital and relinquish a large number of their shares.

Microsoft, in particular, was the first company to openly resist Wall Street financial capital, and it almost got broken up because of monopoly issues.

As many Americans jokingly say, talented entrepreneurs in this country may have a chance to make a fortune, but they certainly won't earn as much as the financial giants, led by banks.

The reason is very simple: once the latter discovers a company with potential, they will rush in like sharks smelling blood, waving money to buy up the founder's shares. Then, through repeated share dilution, they will legally take over the company.

If they're lucky, the founders might retain a certain percentage of shares; if they're unlucky, they might be kicked off the board.

As for those who dare to refuse financing from big capital firms, most of them will have grass growing three meters high on their graves a few years later. Even a powerful monopoly like Microsoft was eventually worn down and had no choice but to compromise.

It can be said that the major banking conglomerates centered around the Federal Reserve have almost monopolized every aspect of the United States, and they are involved in any profitable endeavor.

"Financing? That sounds interesting. Tell me, what methods did those guys use?" Zhang Cheng asked, stroking his chin with interest.

Maggie hesitated for a moment, then immediately replied, “They threatened to cut off our retail network if we didn’t comply. You know, the company doesn’t currently have its own brand stores; it relies entirely on counters in department stores across the US and Europe, so our sales channels are essentially being held hostage.”

"And what about my mother? What is she planning to do?" Zhang Cheng was clearly not nervous at all; instead, he exuded a sense of ease and playfulness.

For him, this kind of business competition and intrigue had long become a pastime to pass the time.

In fact, even the newly renovated and integrated entertainment venue, Violet House, has encountered various troubles and sabotages, including two poisoning incidents.

After all, in a country where the business world has been almost completely divided up, no matter what industry you are in, you will inevitably touch someone else's cake. Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents, so no matter what the other party does, it is not worth making a fuss about.

To be honest, Zhang Cheng not only doesn't dislike this kind of ruthless competition, but actually enjoys the back-and-forth exchanges with his opponents.

On the one hand, it can be an opportunity to relax and unwind; on the other hand, it can make him feel that he is still a person with normal emotions and physiological needs.

In contrast, Maggie was extremely nervous, explaining at breakneck speed, "The boss is a bit hesitant! Because the other party is asking for 45% of the shares! If we really decide to raise funds, then your original shares will be significantly diluted."

"Okay, I understand. Thanks for reminding me. I'll handle this."

Having obtained the information he wanted, Zhang Cheng turned to leave.

Before he could take more than a few steps, Maggie grabbed his arm from behind and whispered suggestively, "Don't you feel like you've forgotten something?"

"Oh! I almost forgot!" With that, Zhang Cheng turned around and, in front of countless people, forcefully kissed those bright red lips.

For a full minute, as the two slowly separated, he whispered in Maggie's ear, "Remember, Maggie! Don't go to my house again, and definitely don't appear in front of Elizabeth again, or I promise the consequences will be severe, understand?"

Upon hearing this, the latter froze completely, cautiously probing, "Is she that important to you?"

"That's right! Also, don't think you know me well. You only know the cowardly and incompetent me of the past, not the me now..."

After saying this meaningful sentence, Zhang Cheng kissed the other person's cheek again, then turned and left without making a sound. Throughout the whole process, he did not show the slightest bit of awkwardness, just like before, and maintained a very close relationship.

But Maggie sensed fear from the fleeting, deep gaze in his eyes—a fear that came from the depths of her heart, as if this once-familiar man would kill her without mercy the next second.

She couldn't understand what could cause such a huge change in a person's personality, as if they had been given a completely different soul.

At the same time, Zhang Cheng pushed open the door and walked into the office that belonged to his nominal mother, and said in a half-joking tone, "Mom, you seem to be in trouble. Do you need any advice?"

Chapter 693 Game Time (Part 2)

"Huh? Maggie told you about the financing?" Zhang Zhi, who was sitting at her desk, looked up, her slightly pale face showing no surprise whatsoever.

As a powerful and controlling woman, she was well aware of the ambiguous, mutually exploitative relationship between the two, and she also knew that Maggie would 100% side with her son when it came to the distribution of power within the company.

Because she was the one who pushed for all of this. Initially, she thought that if her only son couldn't inherit her business, it would be good to have a strong daughter-in-law take charge.

But to this ambitious mother's surprise, after a series of chaotic events, her son finally demonstrated the courage, vision, and ruthlessness that a qualified capitalist should possess. In some aspects, his talent and luck even exceeded expectations, which in turn helped her achieve her career ambitions.

Zhang Cheng smiled and nodded: "Of course! If she doesn't even inform me about things like this, I'll start to consider whether I should replace her with a prettier, more obedient girl. After all, honesty and loyalty are very important qualities. In my opinion, they are much more important than talent. At least in the senior management of a company, it's always necessary to retain one or two loyal people to better monitor and manage the company's operations."

"Well said!" A hint of satisfaction flashed in Zhang Zhi's eyes. She then crossed her arms in front of her chest and asked directly, "How is the breeding base doing? I heard you haven't shown up for a while. Don't forget the most important thing."

"Don't worry, the cultivation is going smoothly, and we'll be able to harvest soon. Besides, the partner has been secured, and I now own all the shares in the entire biological laboratory," Zhang Cheng replied, feigning confidence.

It must be said that as the impersonation went on for longer and longer, he became more and more accustomed to the identity and role he played, and subconsciously he no longer felt any aversion to it.

“Excellent! I’m so proud of you. Now, what suggestions do you have for the company’s current situation? Or do you think we should bow down to the Wall Street financial groups?” Zhang Zhi pursed her lips, a half-smile playing on her lips, as she posed the question to her son, wanting to give him a little test.

Zhang Cheng was undoubtedly well aware of this, and he sneered sarcastically, "Bowing down? Are you kidding me? What kind of people are Wall Street financial capitalists? To put it nicely, they're hungry wolves; to put it bluntly, they'll devour people without spitting out the bones. If we show even the slightest weakness, the same thing will happen again. Financing, diluting shares, expanding equity, restructuring the board of directors, hostile takeovers, etc.—these are all tricks they use. So no matter how they threaten us, we cannot give up more than 20% to 25% of our shares and equity; otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable once we go public."

"Good analysis! It seems you've indeed matured. But the problem is, our retail supply chain is currently experiencing issues. How do you plan to resolve this problem?"

"Hehe! It's very simple! Since the traditional retail network is being held hostage, why not try new sales methods? For example, the internet! We can completely utilize the increasingly mature e-commerce to replace traditional retail. In addition, we can find agents in various regions to cooperate with through agency sales, breaking their ridiculous blockade. No matter how powerful Wall Street's financial capital is, it cannot completely control the entire United States. There will always be people who stand up against them for wealth. The only thing we need to give up is a small amount of profit. Compared to a rising business empire, this amount of effort is nothing."

After saying that, Zhang Cheng plopped down in a chair and began to look around the uniquely decorated office.

It must be said that this ambitious mother has quite a refined taste. Both the decoration and the furnishings strictly adhere to the style of the Renaissance period, especially the bronze sculpture at the entrance, which is definitely an antique worth millions of dollars.

"The internet?!" Zhang Zhi clearly showed surprise.

Although she already had a contingency plan, she never dreamed that her son would come up with another bold idea.

It's important to remember that it was only the beginning of 2004, and e-commerce was still a relatively new phenomenon, just starting out. Many large traditional American companies were dismissive of it and wouldn't gradually accept and join it for another two years.

It wasn't until around 2008 that this industry fully matured, destroying and replacing traditional retail at an alarming rate, becoming a truly valued commodity distribution and sales channel by countries around the world.

"Yes! The internet! Haven't you noticed? Since the US government opened the internet to the public in 1991, allowing the development of commercial applications online, the internet industry has developed rapidly in just ten years. By 2000, e-commerce transactions had reached $5.3 billion. Amazon, a leading company in this sector, had a net profit exceeding $50 million last year and is projected to earn $300 million this year. Of course, it's still far behind traditional retail, but judging from its profit growth rate and transaction volume, it will inevitably become an internet giant in the future. Most importantly, this company is in its business expansion phase and will certainly be eager to cooperate with us to achieve its goals of promotion and market dominance..."

As someone who has been through it all, Zhang Cheng is naturally familiar with the development of the internet and understands the enormous changes that will occur in future sales channels, so talking about this topic is incredibly easy for him.

In just a few minutes, he shared his insights on e-commerce, social media, and other related topics.

Zhang Zhi, unusually, did not interrupt or ask questions. She simply sat in her seat and listened patiently, occasionally looking up at her somewhat unfamiliar son.

About ten minutes later, she took a deep breath and said in a slightly emotional voice, "You've given me a surprise! A huge surprise! You know what? I always thought you seriously lacked a keen business sense and vision, but I was wrong. Since the internet has such a promising future, why don't we get involved before it gets on the fast track?"

"What do you mean?" Zhang Cheng blinked uncertainly.

"What I mean is a share swap! We'll exchange a portion of our shares for a portion of Amazon's shares. Since we're going to cooperate anyway, why not make it more comprehensive, and also teach those Wall Street financial capitalists a lesson?"

As she said these words, a dangerous glint flashed in Zhang Zhi's eyes.

She's not the kind of woman who would smile even when threatened.

On the contrary, from the very beginning she had planned to teach the enemy a lesson.