Read Novel Full Chapter 758: Scam
Chapter 758: Chapter 758: Scam
Before coming here, Gwen had already investigated Annie’s entire past. She knew everything.
She also knew that Annie had suffered greatly while growing up.
Originally, Gwen had intended to use those painful memories to trample Annie emotionally.
That was precisely why she had spoken those words. To her surprise, Annie’s adoptive brother simply nodded with another dazzling smile.
“That’s right. It was me.”
He scratched the back of his head sheepishly before laughing.
“Are you angry because I accidentally made life difficult for your sister? You really are a good sister.”
Wen’s face immediately darkened.
“I’m not her sister,” she replied through clenched teeth. “Don’t you dare associate me with her.”
……..
While all of this was unfolding, the entire world had already descended into complete chaos.
People from every country began discussing the shocking revelations.
The government had officially confirmed that mutated humans possessed far greater combat abilities than ordinary people.
Yet ironically, there were now very few mutated humans left.
The announcement instantly ignited endless debates across the globe.
Many people wondered whether everything had been an elaborate scheme created by the governments merely to frighten the public.
Others believed it had to be some kind of massive movie promotion or social experiment.
The more information continued to emerge, the more suspicious people became.
Countless individuals started investigating the truth themselves.
Some insisted it was all an enormous conspiracy orchestrated by powerful organizations.
Others feared that this was simply the beginning of another apocalypse waiting to descend upon humanity.
Regardless of what people believed, one thing became painfully obvious.
The prices of vegetables skyrocketed once again. The prices of grains surged even faster.
People began panic-buying everything they could find, stuffing their homes with supplies.
Even the value of gold soared to unprecedented heights.
Watching the situation spiral completely out of control, governments around the world finally realized the core problem.
People had become far more focused on hoarding wealth and resources than improving their own strength.
If this continued, then even with Ivy’s sacrifice, humanity would have absolutely no chance of surviving.
Without further hesitation, governments jointly decided to reveal the complete truth.
They officially announced that everything circulating online was real. The world truly faced an unimaginable catastrophe.
Humanity now had only one priority: prepare for the upcoming invasion.
Once the international summit concluded and representatives from numerous countries jointly addressed the public, countless people felt as though their entire world had collapsed.
However, that was not the only terrifying discovery.
Experts from the geographical and astronomical departments soon noticed an incredibly strange phenomenon.
The clocks across the entire world were all exactly one minute behind.
It was Henry Hensley who first discovered the discrepancy after comparing multiple international timekeeping systems.
At first, many believed it was merely a technical malfunction.
However, after repeated verification, countless people checked their own watches, clocks, phones, and digital devices.
Every single one of them had somehow shifted backward by exactly one minute.
An eerie silence spread across the globe.
Soon, people began wondering whether this mysterious one-minute delay was another warning, a sign urging humanity to finally take everything seriously.
……..
While the outside world was drowning in fear and uncertainty, someone else was also on the verge of a complete mental breakdown.
That person was none other than Asher.
Ever since his brother had dumped an overwhelming number of responsibilities onto him, Asher felt as though his previous life had been nothing more than a luxurious vacation.
Now every burden rested squarely upon his shoulders. Having no other choice, he trained relentlessly day and night.
One evening, after another grueling day of training, Asher slowly walked back toward headquarters with a weary expression.
Suddenly… Bang!
He accidentally collided with someone.
The young woman stumbled backward in fear before grabbing onto his sleeve with trembling hands.
Her entire body shook violently, her face pale as paper.
“Please… please save me,” she begged desperately, tears streaming down her cheeks. “There are several thugs chasing me.”
Asher frowned slightly and quietly looked at the frightened woman standing before him.
The woman was exceptionally beautiful.
Perhaps because she had been running for quite some time, her long hair had come loose from its tie, and several damp strands clung to her flushed cheeks.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she struggled to catch her breath, and her watery eyes, combined with her trembling figure, gave her an incredibly fragile and innocent aura.
However, Asher remained completely expressionless. Without saying a word, he calmly shifted his gaze toward the group of thugs chasing after her.
The moment he saw them, he almost laughed.
Instead, he lowered his eyes toward the woman who was clutching his arm tightly, practically pressing herself against him while her body trembled.
“Are you absolutely sure these thugs are trying to kidnap you?” he asked in an unusually calm voice.
Veronica nodded repeatedly, her face full of panic. “Y-Yes! They’re trying to take me away!”
A faint smile slowly appeared on Asher’s lips.
“Then,” he replied leisurely, “may I know the beautiful lady’s name?”
The girl blinked in surprise before a slight blush crept onto her cheeks. “My… my name is Veronica.”
Asher nodded thoughtfully.
“Veronica,” he began, folding his arms across his chest, “here’s the thing. You’re probably the most sixth person to carry out this kind of scam.”
He paused before glancing toward the thugs once more. “But don’t you think you should at least hire different thugs next time?”
The moment those words left his mouth, Veronica’s entire face turned deathly pale. The fear in her eyes instantly transformed into disbelief.
Meanwhile, Asher simply sighed inwardly. ‘Indeed… it’s the same trick again.’
This was hardly the first time a beautiful woman had rushed into his arms while pointing at several thugs, claiming they were trying to harass or kidnap her.
The very first time it had happened, he had genuinely believed the girl.
He had heroically rescued her without hesitation. Only afterward had she shamelessly demanded that he take responsibility for “ruining her reputation” and marry her.
That was when Asher finally realized the entire thing had been nothing more than an elaborate scam. Ever since then, whenever something similar happened, he no longer interfered immediately.
Instead, he first exposed the deception. And today, history had repeated itself.
When Veronica realized that Asher had completely seen through her scheme, the pitiful expression on her face disappeared.
Instead, she looked at him with pleading eyes.
“Asher… please,” she begged softly. “I know you’re an influential person in this base. Please help me survive. I’ll do anything you want.”
Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
“Yes… those thugs were hired by me. But I have an enormous debt hanging over my head. If I fail to repay it, my mother and younger brother will be harmed.”
Hearing her confession, Asher did not even spare her another glance. Instead, he looked toward the leader of the thugs.
“Mr. Thug,” Asher smiled politely, “would you mind giving me a brief explanation of this woman’s situation?”
The leader of the thugs stood there with an expression that looked as though life had played an especially cruel joke on him.
‘Seriously…? Again…?’
This was already the sixth time he had accepted this kind of acting job.
And somehow, every single time, he had ended up standing right in front of Asher.
Taking a deep breath, he forced an awkward smile.
“This woman is lying,” he replied honestly. “She borrowed a huge amount of money through illegal lending channels and wasted most of it on luxury handbags and expensive cosmetics. Now she’s searching for an innocent lamb who can pay off her debt.”
Asher nodded slightly before looking back at Veronica. Her face had completely lost its color. She trembled with both fear and humiliation.
“Now that everything is clear,” Asher spoke indifferently, “would you kindly step aside, or should I personally submit a report to the police station? If necessary, I can also have you expelled from this base.”
Veronica’s entire body shook violently.
“N-No… there’s no need,” she stammered hurriedly. “I’ll leave immediately.”
Without waiting another second, she lowered her head in embarrassment and hurried away, disappearing into the crowd within moments.
The leader of the thugs slowly walked over before patting Asher’s shoulder sympathetically. “It must be exhausting being you.”
Asher let out a helpless sigh.”You have no idea how much I’ve suffered because of these kinds of people, brother.”
Both men shared a bitter smile before going their separate ways.
By the time Asher finally reached his residence, the orange glow of the setting sun had already painted the streets with long shadows.
Sitting quietly near the entrance of his house was another woman. The moment Asher noticed her, his eyelids twitched.
He rubbed his forehead helplessly. “Not again…”
Thinking that yet another woman had come to throw herself at him, Asher sighed and began walking toward her, intending to politely ask her to leave.
However, the instant she noticed him, the woman suddenly stood up and sprinted in his direction.