I am the King

Chapter 24

After hearing about over 100 million in investment, even Clement couldn’t help but get excited.

It was almost equivalent to the entire liquid assets of the Joseph family before their downfall. For Armand to offer such a substantial amount meant that the Joseph family's assets in England were far superior to Clement’s.

"Really? That’s fantastic! This could be our chance to rise again!" Norman exclaimed, his face alight with excitement.

Seeing the elated expressions on their faces, Corey quickly composed himself and said sternly, "Don’t get too excited just yet. We’re willing to invest this money, but there are some conditions."

Norman, suddenly cautious, asked, "What conditions?"

Corey pulled out a contract, "It’s simple. After re-establishing the Joseph Group, my grandpa will own all the shares. Everyone working in M City's Joseph family branch will be employed by us. If you agree, sign here."

“What?!” Norman and the others were stunned. They assumed Corey was there to help them revive their family. They hadn’t expected that he intended to use this opportunity to take them over completely. In an instant, their elation had turned to sheer disappointment.

"Get out! We’d rather starve than work for Armand Joseph!" Clement finally lost control; he stood up and shouted angrily at Corey.

The agreement Corey presented was like a death sentence, trampling all over the dignity of the entire Clement family.

Corey sneered, "What’s wrong? Don’t want to sign? Fine, I’ll take this money back to Clonlow and report to my grandfather." With that, he turned to leave.

“Wait!” Norman shouted desperately as Corey made to leave.

“Oh? Have you changed your mind?” Corey turned back, looking at Norman with a mocking expression.

Norman gritted his teeth. "We’ll sign the contract." For Norman, losing their dignity and becoming employees of the Joseph family in the UK was preferable to remaining in poverty.

"You despicable traitor! I’d rather die than agree to this!" Clement shouted in fury.

Norman looked at Clement with a defeated expression. "Dad, you need to face reality. We’ve lost everything. Do you really want to see us end up living in the slums?"

"Yes, Grandpa! I’m still young. I haven’t even gotten married yet. I want to continue the Joseph family lineage. I don’t want to die!" Edison chimed in, pleading with her Grandpa.

Stacey cried out, "Dad, please sign it. We have no other choice!"

"You all..." Clement looked at Norman and the others, feeling a wave of sorrow wash over him.

‘Could my beloved son really do this? I never thought he'd force me to sign such a shameful contract!’

In that moment, Clement's mind drifted to Franklin and his family. Clement had never liked Franklin because, in his eyes, Franklin's timid nature would surely lead the family to ruin if he ever took charge.

‘But Franklin always listened to me. If he were here now, he’d never force me to sign this contract.’

Tears streamed down Clement's face as he realized the depth of his despair.

"Fine, I'll sign," Clement muttered, biting back his anger as he scribbled his name on the contract. As soon as he finished, he collapsed into his chair, feeling utterly defeated.

Corey laughed heartily. "Now that’s more like it! Finally, you seem to have found some sense!"

Norman, eager to please, asked, "Dear nephew, now that we’ve signed, when will you start helping us rebuild our family?"

"Don’t worry. Tomorrow, I’ll begin preparations to reestablish the Joseph Group," Corey said, pocketing the contract with a smug grin.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" Norman and the others were visibly thrilled.

Suddenly, Clement spoke up, "Armand and I haven’t spoken in years. For him to agree so quickly to help us, he must have another motive. Tell me, what does Armand really want?"

Corey sneered. "You still have some wits about you, old man. Yes, there is another purpose. It's simple. We plan to use your family’s resources to bid for the M City industrial park project and extend our family’s influence into the United States."

Clement laughed bitterly. "Haha! My dear brother, I knew I could never match you. After fighting you for decades, I’ve become nothing but your puppet. You’re ruthless..."

Suddenly, Clement coughed up blood and collapsed to the floor.

"Dad!"

"Grandpa!"

Norman and the others rushed over, shouting in panic.

Corey glanced at the fallen Clement with cold disdain. "He’s truly a born loser. He can’t even handle this little setback. How disappointing."

An ambulance soon arrived and took Clement away.

Meanwhile, at the Mercedes-Benz Center in M City. 

A convoy of Hummers roared down the street, drawing the attention of onlookers. Many stopped to watch and some even pulled out their phones to record what they thought might be a military exercise.

Vincent stepped out from the middle Hummer and walked into the showroom. 

It was filled with numerous display cars.

"I’m here to buy a car," Vincent said, summoning an employee.

Felix Matthew approached him, showing him the utmost respect. "Hello, sir. We just received a new shipment of cars yesterday..."

"What’s the most expensive car you have?" Vincent interrupted.

"The most expensive car?" Felix was taken aback.

"Yes, the most expensive car," Vincent repeated firmly.

"Sir, follow me. This is our store's most expensive car, the limited-edition Mercedes-Maybach. There are only three in the world, valued at 100 million dollars each. The other two owners are the queen of Europe and the CEO of International Peace Corporation..."

"Yeah, I know. I have one in my garage in the Fiji Islands," Vincent casually remarked.

Felix couldn’t believe such wild claims. He thought the man was just bragging. Initially, he was hopeful for a big sale, but now, he thought this was all some big joke. With a scoff, Felix turned to leave.

"Take me to get the car, then. I'll buy it," Vincent spoke up.

Felix stopped in his tracks, visibly surprised.

"What?"