Ultimate Tycoon: Building the Richest Empire with System and Heroines

"Well… she was my girlfriend."

The words dropped like a bomb.

Rhea, Natalie, and Jasmine stared at Ethan, their eyes wide. The air suddenly felt thick.

Rhea took a step forward, her face serious. "She was your what?"

Ethan raised his hands like a criminal surrendering. "Relax, relax!"

"No! Tell me the full story,f*cking now!" Rhea snapped, her tone fiery. Her eyes were practically burning holes into him.

Ethan sighed and mumbled, "Okay, okay… guess I really can't keep secrets anymore."

He glanced at the three girls. In his heart, he already knew, If I want all of them to truly be mine... there shouldn't be lies between us.

He took a deep breath.

"I used to live in this city. A different part of it. Back then, I was just… a dull boy. Weak. Always bullied. Nobody liked me. A coward."

The three girls were silent, listening intently.

"But then there was this girl. Serena. She was like light in my dark world. She always saved me. Every time I was pushed around, she appeared,like magic. One thing led to another… and we started dating."

He smiled softly, lost in the memory.

Then he looked directly at Jasmine. "You remember the rooftop fight with Axel?"

Jasmine blinked. "Yeah. That psycho. What about it?"

Ethan's voice dropped. "He was her fiancé."

Jasmine's mouth fell open. "What?!"

"Yeah," Ethan nodded. "Back then, Serena suddenly disappeared. No warning, nothing. And when she vanished, Axel was the last person seen with her. That's why he fought me. That's why he hated me."

Natalie frowned. "So… you met her again during the bus incident?"

He nodded again. "After years. That was the first time. She told me someone was trying to kill me. That she had been fighting from the shadows all this time. Risking her life."

He lowered his gaze. "According to what I've found… the night she disappeared, she told her best friend, 'If I don't do this, Ethan might die.'"

The girls all went silent.

Rhea, who was usually the most aggressive, seemed frozen. Her lips parted slightly. "So she's been protecting you all this time…"

Jasmine crossed her arms. "And what about the people after you? Who the hell are they?"

Ethan shook his head. "I don't know. But she said they're very powerful. Dangerous."

Natalie spoke up firmly, her eyes sharp. "Then we'll find out. I'll start investigating the bus incident again. Every detail. The camera footage. Witnesses. Nothing escapes me."

Ethan looked at her with surprise. "You'd really do that?"

She nodded. "Of course. That girl… Serena. She's fighting alone. And if you care about her, then we do too."

Rhea grumbled. "I'm still mad you didn't tell us sooner…"

Jasmine said, smiling gently. "We're in this together."

Ethan's chest felt warm. These girls… they didn't just care about him. They were choosing to stand beside him, even with danger on the horizon.

He smiled and said, "Thanks, all of you. Seriously."

Natalie cracked her knuckles. "Let's see who these hidden enemies really are. Nobody threatens Ethan and walks away."

Rhea gave him a light punch on the shoulder. "Next time, don't wait for us to demand the truth. Idiot."

"I got it, I got it." Ethan laughed.

Then he looked at the grand banquet hall ahead. "But for now, let's go back. Everyone's waiting."

As the group walked toward the hall together, shoulder to shoulder, none of them noticed a shadow watching from the distance.

As Ethan and the three girls,Rhea, Natalie, and Jasmine,walked back into the banquet hall, the atmosphere inside hadn't changed much. Laughter, music, and clinking glasses filled the air. Guests were still mingling and enjoying their food, but there was a noticeable undercurrent,a low buzz of whispers and subtle glances thrown in Ethan's direction.

He sighed inwardly.

Here we go. Now the old geezers will start asking questions. They'll want to pry into my past, into Serena… or worse.

But strangely… no one approached him.

Weird... Did someone bribe them to shut up?

Ethan wandered through the hall with a bored expression. The banquet, as luxurious as it was, offered no excitement. Just more of the same: people trying to gain favor, fake compliments, girls pretending not to stare, and young masters avoiding him like plague after the chaos earlier.

He leaned over to Rhea and whispered, "This is so dull. I was hoping some arrogant young master would pick a fight so I could at least stretch my legs."

She rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."

Just then—

"Sir Ethan!"

A group of six boys suddenly emerged from the side, dressed in matching cheap suits, all dropping to one knee in perfect synchronization like medieval knights.

"We've come to swear our loyalty!"

"From this day forward, we,Fatty Peng, Fatty Wang, Gutsy Li, Skinny Xu, Baldy Jiang, and Little Zhi.will follow you till the end!"

"We are the Rizz Harem!"

Ethan blinked.

"The what?"

"Please teach us, oh Lord of Unmatched Charisma! We want to learn your sacred ways!"

Ethan deadpanned. "What the hell are you morons doing? Get up."

Fatty Peng stood up dramatically. "We've seen the light. Three god-tier girls follow you like puppies, and you pulled a masked beauty. That's peak protagonist behavior!"

Fatty Wang chimed in, "You walked into the hall like a king. She kissed you like you owned the world."

Another guy shouted, "We were nobodies before today, but now we have a purpose,Rizz Up!"

"I'm not teaching you shit. Go home," Ethan muttered.

"Let's go, boys! As the Rizz God says: we should all f**k ourselves!" Gutsy Li declared proudly.

"Wait, what?" Skinny Xu frowned. "Are we sure he said that?"

Baldy Jiang leaned closer. "Bro, are you just saying that because you're secretly gay and want an excuse?" Love this story? Show your support on M9VLEMPYR.

"Hey! What if I am?" Gutsy Li snapped. "Love is love!"

"Alright, that's it. This is getting weird," Ethan backed away slowly. "Who are these clowns?"

The rest of the hall watched with confusion as the group dramatically saluted and marched away like drunk theatre actors.

Ethan shook his head. "What is my life…"

Meanwhile, inside a private Hayes family room—

Three powerful men sat quietly in an expensive, soundproof chamber: Alistair Hayes, Carter Zhang, and Walter Feng.

Their expressions were dark.

"She was really connected to him," Alistair murmured.

Walter added, "And with such a deep past. Serena... that girl may have bitten off more than she can chew."

Carter leaned forward. "She's already in the Raven family's crosshairs. And you know what that means. That man,he's not going to let this slide."

"She's fighting alone… for him," Walter said softly. "And once the Raven family confirms it, they'll make her their first target."

A soft knock.

The door creaked open. Natalie stepped in without hesitation.

All three men looked at her in surprise.

She didn't wait. "Grandpa, you knew. All of you knew."

Alistair frowned. "Knew what?"

She pointed sharply. "Don't play dumb. That whole conversation earlier—Serena, Ethan, the Raven family,I heard enough to know something bigger is going on. And now I see all three of you, the so-called 'Three Lions of the East', suddenly gathered at a banquet no one cares about?"

Carter's eyes narrowed. "You're jumping to conclusions, Natalie."

"No, I'm not. This banquet was just a cover. You knew someone was watching you, Grandpa. So you used this event to gather your old friends without raising suspicion. It happens every year, but this year you made sure Ethan was here too."

She took a breath, eyes burning with clarity.

"You knew Ethan was involved in all this. That girl showing up wasn't a coincidence. And now I know who's been behind it all."

Walter chuckled. "As expected. She's really your granddaughter."

Alistair smirked. "She's sharper than most adults I know."

"She's better than mine," Carter muttered under his breath.

Natalie crossed her arms. "So? Now that I've said it, tell me.who's behind all of this?"

There was silence.

Then Carter answered coldly, "No."

"What?"

"Even if I tell you, what can you do?" he said flatly. "Nothing. You're weak. We all are. Even we can't do anything about them."

Walter added, "Can you even use chi? No. Then how do you expect to fight something that controls in the shadows?"

Alistair sighed. "Admit it, Natalie. Right now, you can't stop what's coming. None of us can."

Natalie clenched her fists, biting back her frustration.

Walter's voice turned grim. "There's only one person who can stop this… and that's Ethan."

-------------------

In a dim, stone-walled jail chamber soaked in shadows, a man stood with blood dripping from his hands. Before him, several men knelt, trembling.

"Did you find the girl?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with deadly intent.

"N-No... not yet," one stammered.

His golden eyes narrowed. "Then find her. Fast."

A brilliant golden light surged up his arm. With a swift motion, he slashed the air.

Boom!

A wave of invisible force exploded outward. The kneeling men were thrown like ragdolls, crashing into the walls, coughing blood.

The man looked down at his glowing hand, unfazed.

"As expected... my chi still lacks perfection," he muttered coldly. "Master was right. My emotions make it unstable."

He turned his back on the groaning men, walking into the darkness. "You have one last chance. Fail again, and die."