The Alchemists

Disregarding the tumultuous atmosphere that he had just caused, Alaric began the meeting by discussing the important things he wanted to convey. He did not have time to take care of trivial matters and explain himself to others.

Sophia only watched as her cousin interacted with the directors. Afterward, she smiled proudly. She was very confident that Meier Group will become more well known in the next few months.

She and Alaric had discussed this matter and they entered into an agreement to work together for the next 10 years. Sophia would enjoy life, have fun and use a new identity, and leave all the family matters to Alaric. She would only actively assist Alaric in the clan once he decided to take the position of the Alchemist clan leader.

This afternoon, her cousin and she would have lunch with Ned and Portia and talk more about it. Sophia felt impatient. She was already dying to see what Caspar's face would look like once his position as the clan leader fell into the hands of a purist like Elios Linden.

When the meeting was adjourned, one by one, the director resigned from the meeting hall. At first, they wanted to shake hands with Alaric, but when they stood up, he had already raised his hand and showed them out. He truly didn't want to be touched.

After they left the meeting room, the directors immediately discussed what had just happened inside. All of them still felt shocked and seemed unable to believe the developments that they had just witnessed. The hottest topic of discussion was Elios Linden and all the mysteries surrounding his identity.

In a short period of time, news and gossip about the new leader of the Meier Group reached the ears of all employees and even spread outside the group. Everyone could not wait to see how the new leader would lead the group.

"See you at Ned and Portia's place," Alaric said as he left Sophia. He wanted to tour around the town for some time in his car and look around. The lunch appointment was still an hour away.

"Aleksis, where is the best place to enjoy some fresh air?" Alaric asked as he waited for the elevator to take him down to the ground floor.

"Certainly not in London," Aleksis was heard laughing. "The level of pollution here is already very worrying."

"I don't need a smart-ass assistant," Alaric chided. "Just answer my question."

"Ugh .. you're really impatient. I'm not done talking," Aleksis sounded like a girl sulking. "People say the best place to enjoy fresh air in London is the park around the St. Laurent Hotel."

Alaric knew the hotel chain, St. Laurent, belonged to the Schneider Group. They were known to be very concerned about the environment and the quality of service provided to their guests, which made all the St. Laurent hotels around the world become the first choice of the upper-class people to stay.

While Alaric's Meier Group and Rhionen Industries controlled the media, pharmaceutical, weaponry, and modern technology, the Schneider Group focused on investment, banking, infrastructure, transportation, and tourism.

The two were only involved in one industry, namely space technology, and they could be said to be competing fairly and tightly to dominate this new trade. Alaric knew, if he really wanted to rule the world, he must first beat the Schneider Group.

"Take me to the park near the St. Laurent Hotel," Alaric ordered. Aleksis readily set the destination of their car to the location desired by her master.

When he got there, Alaric stepped out of the car as Aleksis had already arranged its own parking. The two androids escorting him walked casually to accompany Alaric by keeping a distance of several meters from him.

At the moment, Hotel St. Laurent London was the grandest hotel in England and around it was a beautiful park, something that was very rare in many big cities of the world today.

Alaric had to admit that the park was built with great detail and was providing a healthy and fresh ambiance for the people visiting it.

When he walked near the fountain in the middle of the park, he stopped in his tracks after seeing that there were some beautiful bonsai plants arranged nicely near the koi pond. The sight made him remember a place he loved in Singapore.

For him, the place stored many beautiful memories of him and Aleksis, even though he only briefly stayed there with her.

Hmm ... he had to go back to gardening, he thought. His house now had a very beautiful garden, but there was not a single plant in there taken care of by himself. It's time to go back to doing the things he liked.

Alaric sat on a park bench and wallowed in his thoughts. At the same time, he was absentmindedly watching his surroundings.

This was the world he left behind for several years. He had so many plans for this world. First, he had to reconfirm his position in Rhionen Industries and enter the Alchemist clan.

"Uncle..."

A girl's voice knocked him out of his stupor. Alaric turned his head and found a little girl, around 4 years old, standing beside him. She had an agitated expression on her face.

"What's wrong, little girl?" Alaric asked in a soft voice. He subconsciously felt sorry for the child as she looked scared and agitated. "Are you lost?"

The little girl nodded. "I ran away to avoid my mother because she is so scary. But now I can't find her. I regret leaving..."

Alaric stared at the beautiful girl with brown curly hair and witty appearance. Right now, her face was wreathed in worries, and her big round eyes were almost filled with tears. This made Alaric feel touched. He always had a soft spot for young children in his heart, so he smiled sweetly to calm the little girl down.

"Hmm ... I will help look for your parents. Hold my hand, we will walk around this park." He attentively grasped the little girl's hand and led her into the beautiful garden. To reduce her anxiety, he requested the little girl to talk about anything.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Jean-Marie, Uncle." the girl replied, her voice starting to calm down. She knew this man would help her find her parents.

"What a beautiful name," Alaric praised. He did not mind holding Jean-Marie at all. Actually, because the little girl walked slowly, he even carried her on his shoulder. "If you're at a high place you will be able to find your mother more easily."

"Ahhh ... thank you, Uncle. I like it most when you carry me on your shoulders!!" Jean-Marie exclaimed joyfully as her body got placed upon Alaric's shoulder. Her voice that was hoarse from crying turned cheerful and full of enthusiasm.

What a wonderful child, thought Alaric in his heart. For a moment he remembered Aleksis and thought of their what-ifs. If the girl was still alive, they would definitely talk about having a child together. It would be nice to have an adorable little human being like Jean-Marie at home.

Ugh ... he quickly got rid of that thought. Subconsciously he would always inflict pain on himself every time he thought of her and ended up missing her.

Like he always said to his assistant, Luna, he knew that success would be his, but not happiness. So it would be better for him to let go of those such silly wishes and focus on his bigger goals.

"Mummmyyyy .... !!" Jean-Marie started yelling with all her might in all directions, calling for her mother.

"Psshh ... don't make a scene in a public place," Alaric said. "This isn't the jungle, okay. We can go around the park to look for your mother, and if you still haven't found her, we can go to the information center so your mother would be notified."

"Oh ... I'm sorry, Uncle ..." Jean-Marie realized that she was being too haphazard, and this beautiful garden was indeed not a jungle. Although she was free to act like a little monkey at home, it did not mean she could go around like a monkey in public places.

"It's okay. I'll take you to the information center now," Alaric softly answered. However, before he could move, a voice rang from behind him.

"Little Monkey! There you are!!"