Chapter 9

Tessa's face turned pale with anger. She hadn't expected Matthew to become so obnoxious. He was completely unreasonable. She said, "Take it from here, Randall!" Randall nodded and said, "Don't let it get to you, Tessa. It's not worth getting upset over this kind of trash. Step aside, and I'll teach him a lesson for you!" Tessa murmured in agreement and stepped aside. After that, Randall took off his watch, passed it to Tessa, and unhurriedly rolled up his sleeves. "You're nothing but a pathetic loser, Matthew. You couldn't hold onto Tessa, so you vented your frustration on Xavier. Apologize to Tessa right now! Otherwise, I'll make your life a living hell." When he saw how Randall and Tessa were getting along, Matthew got a rough idea of their relationship. "Who do you think you are?" With a furrowed brow, Randall said, "You still don't get it, do you? A good-for-nothing is truly a good-for-nothing. You completely lack self-awareness. "I'll show you the deadliest boxing style in the world. You better not beg for mercy when you get beaten up later!" A glint flashed in Matthew's eyes as he noticed that Randall had assumed an open boxing stance—it was the Valhallan Blitz boxing style! There were four stances in Valhallan Blitz. The open stance meant that Randall was underestimating him. When he noticed Matthew standing still, Randall sneered. "Scared now, huh? Well, it's too late for that now! I'm going to beat the living daylights out of you!" As soon as he said that, he quickly launched a high roundhouse kick toward Matthew's face. Heavy and lightning-fast, it was a kick that whipped out like a viper's strike. Matthew was moments away from being kicked in the face. All of a sudden, he kicked out with lightning speed, landing a kick squarely in Randall's stomach. Randall was sent flying more than ten feet away from the kick before crashing heavily onto the ground. After a long time, Randall slowly got up, his face contorted in agony. It took him quite some time for him to recover. "A sneak attack, huh? Fuck! You actually used such an underhanded tactic! I'll make you regret the day you were born!" Now, he was much more cautious than before. As he slowly approached Matthew and noticed that the latter wasn't paying much attention to him, he lunged forward with an elbow strike aimed at Matthew's face. At that moment, Randall moved with speed and agility, like a wolf on the hunt! Nevertheless, Matthew still landed another kick in Randall's stomach. Randall was sent flying backward faster than he had charged forward. Once again, he crashed heavily onto the ground. As he clutched his stomach with sweat beading on his forehead from the pain, Randall looked at Matthew in disbelief. "Y-you.. You… How can you be stronger than me? I've been training myself in the most authentic form of Valhallan Blitz, the most lethal form of boxing there is!" Matthew glared at Randall, his gaze intense and unwavering. "It's no use even if you use the most lethal form of boxing in this world. It's the person's strength that matters. You failed to avoid my kick not once, but twice! Pathetic!" "I—" Randall's face twisted in agony. Although he wanted to retort, Matthew's gaze stopped him in his tracks. A single word escaped his lips, but he quickly suppressed the rest of his intended response. Meanwhile, Tessa was stunned by what she had witnessed. Randall had been training in Valhallan Blitz since childhood and had even won awards in competitions. He was considered an absolute powerhouse! On the other hand, Matthew had never been known for his fighting skills. When had he transformed into such a skilled fighter? Could this possibly be the same Matthew as before? Matthew went up to Randall, raised his foot, and stomped on Randall's chest. "Are you the one who told me to kneel down and plead for mercy earlier?" Randall gasped for air, his face turning crimson from the pressure. "Y-you… Do you even know who I am? I'm from the Young family… Ouch! You're hurting me!" Tessa exclaimed in alarm, "What are you doing, Matthew? You'll kill him! Are you aware of what the repercussions of your actions are? You're courting disaster upon yourself!" With one swift kick to Randall's head, Matthew rendered him unconscious. After that, he glanced at Tessa, who was too stunned to respond, and said, "Randall brought disaster upon himself by crossing me!" A chill emanated from Matthew's eyes as he stood with an air of disdain. As he said that, he stood menacingly over the unconscious Randall. Matthew's commanding presence was too formidable, making it hard for people to meet his gaze. Tessa was utterly stunned as she looked at him. It was her first time seeing this side of Matthew. She couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. Was this still the weak, kind, and easily manipulated Matthew she had once known? Before this, she had been able to make Matthew go to prison for her with just a few tears and gentle pleas. He had been at her beck and call. When she looked at Matthew now, she felt a surge of terror. At that moment, a man walked out of the elevator in the distance and spotted Matthew across the parking lot. "Are you perhaps Matthew Grant?" Given that they were separated by several parked cars, the man couldn't see that Matthew was standing over Randall. Matthew replied, "Yes, I'm Matthew Grant. And you are?" As the man beckoned at Matthew, he said, "I'm Larry Scott, the logistics manager. You're the new chauffeur who just arrived today, right? Come over with me. You need to fill out a form and submit a photo and a copy of your ID. I'll handle your onboarding procedures." After he hummed in acknowledgment, Matthew removed his foot from the unconscious Randall, glanced coldly at Tessa, and said, "Cross me again, and you'll regret it!" As soon as she heard that, Tessa took a few steps back in fear. Matthew made his way past the cars to the elevator and said, "I don't have a photo with me." Larry gestured upward and said, "If you have any photos on your phone, you can print them using the copier upstairs. Quickly get your paperwork ready and place it on my desk." Matthew responded with a sound of affirmation and stepped into the elevator. Tessa was left speechless and bewildered by what she had just witnessed. Chauffeur? She had thought that Matthew had become successful, but it turned out he was merely a chauffeur. After some consideration, it all suddenly made sense. After all, Matthew was an ex-convict now that he had served time in prison. No one in their right mind would form a business partnership with him. Moreover, Matthew didn't have a penny in his name. It was common knowledge that companies generally avoided hiring ex-convicts. Only positions with minimal pay, such as being a chauffeur, would have less stringent requirements. Yet, as a lowly chauffeur, he had actually dared to provoke Randall! Wasn't he just begging for trouble? With a few painful coughs, Randall sat up, his hand gripping his chest in agony, and saw that Matthew was no longer there. After getting to his feet, he asked Tessa, "Where's that bastard? I want him dead! I'll make a call and get it done right away! Otherwise, I won't be able to satiate my anger." Tessa was somewhat apprehensive about it. "We're at Wealthwave Group right now. If we cause a scene and upset them, the repercussions could outweigh the benefits." She was banking on a partnership with Rachel; she believed it could significantly impact Evergreen Group's trajectory. But Randall was reluctant. "Are you telling me to just let this go?" After all, he had lost to someone he deemed worthless, a lowlife who had even gotten his woman taken away from him. He was unwilling to accept it! Tessa chuckled and said, "How could I let you suffer, Randall? Here's some news for you. Matthew is working as a chauffeur here. You have connections in Wealthwave Group, right? It should be easy to fire someone with a criminal record!" Randall was taken aback. "Wait, he's working as a chauffeur here? Well. I happen to know Larry Scott, the manager of the logistics department. All the chauffeurs are under his supervision. One word from me, and he's out of a job. Let's show him what we're made of today." … After Matthew selected a photo from his phone and printed it out along with his ID, he made his way to Larry's office. Much to his surprise, he spotted Tessa and Randall coming out of the office. Upon seeing Matthew, Randall said with a sneer, "You're fired, Matthew. And losing your job is just the beginning. Our feud is far from over, and I'll be sure to make you suffer." When Matthew tried to stop Randall, Larry suddenly called him. "Matthew Grant! Get in here this instant! We need to have a word!" After watching Randall and Tessa depart, Matthew entered the office and said, "Mr. Scott, I've printed my photo and brought a copy of my ID. How do I go about finalizing my employment?" As he was seated in his office chair, Larry stared silently at Matthew. "Someone has reported that you have a criminal record. You've got some nerve applying to Wealthwave Group with a record like that. What do you take Wealthwave Group for? "There's no need to go through with your onboarding. You're not qualified to work here."