Chapter 187: Graduation

Time whizzed by in a dizzying blur, each day flashing past like the frames of a fast-paced movie.

In the blink of an eye, a month and a half had slipped away, while life continued its relentless march.

People went about their daily routines, some living ordinary lives, others basking in extraordinary circumstances.

Yet, these two worlds rarely intersected; fate seemed to keep them apart unless it decided otherwise.

As for Arthur, his life was anything but ordinary. He couldn’t afford to simply sleep, eat, and wait for the inevitable; his responsibilities were vast and demanding.

As family patriarch, he juggled multiple businesses and commitments every day, darting between meetings and overseeing operations.

Sure, he had a highly advanced AI that could handle 90% of his workload, but there were still some tasks only he could tackle.

During this whirlwind month and a half, Arthur found himself shuttling between various companies, giving instructions here, approving crucial documents there.

He even bought a few cutting-edge technologies and products from the system mall, which he then handed off to uncles ,aunties and cousinsto complete.

Unsurprisingly, this led to some resentment among them; after all, they were working hard while Arthur reaped the benefits. They always glared at him whenever he brings in a few projects or work for them to complete.

But he always smiled awkwardly and said this is the last time but by the next day, he will continue to dump a few works for them to do.

Like that life continued to go on in this fast paced world.

He often thought about ordinary people as his chauffeured car slid through Neo-Luminara’s endless streets.

The office workers clutching coffee cups, the students laughing outside arcades, the elderly couples bickering over grocery lists, all moving through their carefully compartmentalized lives.

They didn’t have to calculate how many bodies a cement mixer could hold. They never needed to decide which one got access to military-grade neural interfaces.

Their biggest daily crisis might be a missed train or a burnt breakfast, not the delicate balancing act of maintaining a respectable family front while quietly annexing entire districts of the city’s underworld.

When not managing family affairs or delegating work (much to his relatives’ chagrin), Arthur was busy orchestrating chaos behind closed doors.

Using his cunning intellect and strategic prowess with Evolon, his trusted AI, he manipulated rival gangs into annihilating one another without so much as lifting a finger or shedding blood himself.

In just six weeks, he dismantled five gangs and seized their territories with Victor and Malik handling the ground operations.

Now controlling one-tenth of Neo-Luminara’s underworld made him one of its most formidable players.

By day, Arthur played the role of a humble family leader in Neo-Luminara; by night?

A shadowy puppeteer pulling strings from his study room,a bit like Bruce Wayne if Bruce had chosen villainy over heroism! What kind of hero schemes against others to expand power?

The truth is: Arthur preferred keeping his family blissfully unaware of this darker side of life.

But it wasn’t all serious business for him! Whenever he found some downtime, you could catch him barging into Liz’s room for some playful banter before diving into hours of League Of Legends together (where he’d mercilessly trash-talk her).

With every match won,, and with Liz’s glaring yet resentful eyes following him, he’d exit her room wearing a satisfied grin.

So yes, this past month and a half has been quite fulfilling for Arthur, a blend of power plays during the night and light-hearted fun during the day.

————

The morning sun hung low and heavy over Neo-Luminara University, casting a warm golden glow that filtered through the ancient oak trees lining the Grand Quadrangle.

The air was alive with the scent of freshly cut grass mingling with a hint of citrus from nearby limousines, a nostalgic aroma that always reminded Arthur of significant milestones.

He adjusted his sunglasses, trying to maintain some semblance of control as Liz, his little sister, bounced beside him like a coiled spring ready to launch into the crowd.

Her blonde ponytail swayed back and forth, matching her restless energy.

“Stop fidgeting,” he muttered, catching her by the back of her dress collar just as she attempted to duck under a graduating student’s robe. “You’re worse than a caffeinated squirrel!”

Liz stuck out her tongue defiantly. “And you’re worse than a grandpa!”

Ashley snorted beside them, nearly dropping the massive bouquet of glow-lilies she’d insisted on bringing along.

“Pretty sure Grandpa Osborn was more fun! At least he smuggled Solarian whiskey into family weddings.”

Arthur opened his mouth to retort when the first notes of Pomp and Circumstance floated across the quad.

A sea of black robes and colorful sashes began moving toward the seating area.

Today was graduation day at Neo-Luminara University, the pinnacle of achievement in this vibrant city.

Neo-Luminara University is the top University in thr city were every high school student yearns to go. And also it’s one one of the top three universities in the country.

Those who can study are either those on top of their grades, geniuses, or rich and influential people.

The ceremony stretched on for three long hours, an endurance test filled with speeches, honorary degrees, and an endless procession of names.

By the two-hour mark, Arthur’s dress shoes felt like instruments of torture.

Liz had surrendered any pretense of decorum; she was now using Ashley’s shoulder as a pillow while engrossed in some absurd mobile game featuring animated characters.

Finally, Billy’s name rang out over the crowd as he made his way to the stage.

With effortless grace reminiscent of childhood days when it seemed like the world simply made room for him, Billy crossed that stage.

His robe billowed dramatically as he shook hands with the dean; Arthur couldn’t help but notice how several female graduates suddenly sat up straighter in their seats.

“Little brother’s all grown up,” Arthur thought warmly, an unfamiliar feeling blooming in his chest.

Liz startled awake, nearly elbowing Ashley in the ribs. “Did we miss it?!”

Ashley grinned mischievously. “Just the part where he tripped onstage.”

Liz gasped dramatically loud enough to earn them more than a few dirty looks from nearby families.

The reception area buzzed with chaos, families clustered around their graduates amidst laughter and tears punctuated by the constant click-click-click of holographic cameras capturing every moment.

Billy spotted them first; his face lit up with that lopsided smile Arthur had seen countless times after Little League victories or failed science projects or even first heartbreaks.

“Took you long enough!” Billy exclaimed, wrapping Arthur in a warm hug that carried the unmistakable scent of cheap academic robe polyester mixed with the citrusy cologne their dad always wore.

Arthur couldn’t resist ruffling his brother’s hair just to get under his skin. “Had to bribe three city officials to clear my schedule,” he joked, a grin spreading across his face.

Just then, Liz launched herself at Billy like a blonde missile. “You didn’t trip, right? Tell me you didn’t trip!”

Billy caught her mid-air and spun her around once before setting her down gently. “Only in Ashley’s twisted imagination,” he replied with a wink.

Ashley, ever the little troublemaker, pressed a glow-lily behind Billy’s ear. “Look at our little Billy, all grown up and employable!”

She said dramatically, pretending to wipe away an imaginary tear. “Soon you’ll be wearing sensible shoes and complaining about property taxes.”

Billy rolled his eyes at her antics. “Says the one who majored in art and thinks ’fiscal responsibility’ means remembering to eat before buying paint supplies.”

Ashley shot him a glare and pouted, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.

—

Five minutes later…

—

“Alright, everyone squeeze in!” The photographer commanded cheerfully as she maneuvered her camera drone into position.

Arthur found himself wedged between a grinning Billy and a wriggling Liz while Ashley playfully made rabbit ears behind his head. The drone flashed once… twice…

“One more!” the photographer insisted with enthusiasm.

“Mr. Billy, stop looking so smug! Littlegirl, quit trying to strangle that young lady! And Mr. Arthur, try not to look like you have a board meeting in five minutes! Perfect!”

As the drone captured this chaotic moment of laughter and love, Arthur suddenly understood: this messy, imperfect bundle of people was exactly what all those boardrooms and backroom deals were meant to protect.

Liz tugged on his sleeve eagerly. “Can we get ice cream now?”

Billy groaned dramatically.”You’re thirteen, not five!”

Ashley chimed in confidently, slinging an arm around Liz’s shoulders. “Excuse you! Ice cream is ageless! Besides, I know a place that spikes theirs with liquid nitrogen.”

Arthur sighed but couldn’t help smiling as he replied,”If any of you lose your tongues from that crazy concoction, don’t expect me to bail you out of the hospital.”

Yet here he was already trailing after them toward the gates, the weight of today’s celebrations mingling lightly with thoughts of tomorrow’s responsibilities resting comfortably on his shoulders.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep