NOVEL NEXT Chapter 373 Secret Gathering
In the era before the Abyss Descent, capital controlled a substantial portion of the discourse in the human world.
Only a few sovereign countries were not completely infiltrated by capital.
The ASE Alliance was a force composed of families at the top of the pyramid, families that had amassed enormous wealth, representing the largest capital alliance.
One could say that in that past era, even if a country changed dynasties, these families with immense capital would not perish.
The Planter family once ruled the Lion Heart Empire for over 400 years during the 11th century; that dynasty was called the Plantanite Dynasty, which had 15 kings in its lineage.
How significant was this dynasty in the history of the Lion Heart Empire?
To give a few examples, this dynasty signed the Great Charter of the Lion Heart Empire, established the Lion Heart Empire Parliament, promoted the development of Gothic architectural style, and founded Cambridge and Oxford universities.
Ten centuries have passed, and the Plantanite Dynasty has long vanished into the river of history, but the Planter family has persisted, now possessing enormous wealth and being a Level 33 family in the ASE Alliance.
Level 33 is the highest level among ASE Alliance members.
These families once set the capital game rules for the human world, and the entire world operated under the rules they established.
Under this set of world rules, the ASE Alliance could even control the lifelines of developed countries, making it possible for someone to seek death in the face of utter despair.
Because in that past era, no one could break the rules they established.
Now, the times have changed.
However, this era has just begun, barely two years old, and most people have not understood the game rules of the Abyss Era.
Even those high-ranking individuals in the ASE Alliance have not comprehended it.
They are still using the old rules and methods, attempting to suppress Superpower Users, seize wealth, and cultivate Superpower Soldiers as enforcers.
Once, the ASE Alliance controlled the top ten media outlets worldwide, holding narrative authority and the means of communication, making the entire world hear only their voice.
Under the rule of this information dissemination medium, cultural trends in the human world were influenced for nearly fifty years, and even Da Xia had generations affected by this foreign-admiring trend.
It is now already the second year of the Abyss Descent, in August.
The ASE Alliance is still using public opinion, media, rumors, and slander to attempt to defeat a Superpower User with peak combat power.
If someone with a fragile psyche were to see so many voices of abuse against them, they might indeed collapse.
However, when Lu Heng saw these insults, he simply found them laughable.
Hearing these voices repeatedly, Lu Heng also got a bit annoyed.
Having lain low for such a long time without truly showing his strength to those at the human world's table of power, it was about time to step forward.
So Lu Heng gave the order: "We go directly for the Planter family."
Once the order was issued, the other three members of the team knew what to do.
Gather intelligence, prepare weapons and supplies, identify targets, formulate plans.
In fact, much of the intelligence was already available.
The Dragon Might Mercenary Group itself was a special corps with a military background, although in the mercenary sequence, it had the authority to acquire advanced intelligence.
Therefore, Lu Heng only needed to ask, and the required intelligence would be laid out before him within half an hour.
Once the intelligence was obtained, the next step was the official action.
...
Outside a private port in the azure Celtic Sea, a luxurious cruise ship was anchored near the coast.
The lights on the cruise ship were dazzling, like a resplendent gemstone under the night sky.
This cruise ship was named Margaret, and its owner was Lady Margaret, one of the three most important figures of the Planter family, holding nearly half of the family's discourse.
Tonight, Lady Margaret was hosting a banquet, inviting key members of the Planter family, as well as leaders of consortiums, organizations, and forces closely associated with the Planter family.
Guests began boarding the ship starting in the afternoon.
Some arrived by port tender boats, some by helicopter.
At this moment, a helicopter was landing on the Margaret cruise ship's helipad, and a bald man in his sixties disembarked.
Accompanied by two bodyguards and a secretary, the old man boarded the ship and entered the banquet hall.
As soon as he entered the door of the banquet hall, Lady Margaret, alerted by her assistant, raised a glass of red wine to greet him.
"Old Henry, you're late."
Lady Margaret opened her arms and gently embraced Henry Marshall.
She called Henry Marshall "Old Henry," but in fact, they were about the same age.
However, on the surface, Lady Margaret now looked as if she were in her forties, under fifty, while Henry Marshall was already bald, looking every bit over sixty.
Lady Margaret had been using methods to slow aging, especially after the Abyss Descent, utilizing special methods that made her appear more vibrant than before.
But no matter how much she could slow aging, she could not change the fact that she was already sixty, which was evident in her eyes that showed inescapable aged irises.
Henry Marshall was another significant figure of the Planter family, the actual behind-the-scenes controller of a globally top-ten capital investment company.
Hearing Lady Margaret call him "Old Henry," he was not offended.
During the embrace, he remained calm, but he couldn't help recalling Lady Margaret's figure from thirty years ago, particularly from behind, nearly perfect.