Ch. 1406..1410: The Secretly Rich Man Chapter 1406-1410

Chapter 1406

Gerald Crawford:The Secretly Rich Man Novel (Invisible or Poorest) Chapter 1406

Watching as Wes took in another deep breath, Peter then asked, “…A terrible cry? Also, how many corpses are we talking about here?”

“There… Weren’t that many, to be quite honest… Around eight of them, if I recall… I was too terrified by the terrible cries coming from the backyard back then to pay proper attention…!” replied Wes who was clearly still traumatized by that experience.

“…So… Following that, you fell into the well and simply stayed there till now…? Is that what happened?” asked Gerald as both he and Peter exchanged glances with each other.

Gerald believed in Wes’s words since he had earlier used his divine vision to detect any lies. As it turned out, everything that Wes had said was true.

“Indeed, Mr. Crawford! Also, not long after I fell into the well, I started hearing people running toward me! Fearing the worst, I instantly dived deeper into the well! I’m assuming that that’s the only reason I’m still alive!” explained Wes.

“…Who could be orchestrating all this…?” muttered Gerald before taking in a deep breath. His blood and qi were boiling by this point, and anyone would be able to sense the murderous intent emitting from him.

“Regardless, I eventually stuck my head out of the water and took a peek to see whether the coast was clear… However, I was immediately greeted by the sound of heavy things being dragged away… Assuming that the corpses were being disposed of, I was so terrified that I didn’t even dare reveal myself up till the point I heard your familiar voice, Mr. Crawford! Still… Why would something this terrible happen, Mr. Crawford…? With your family being so powerful, I can’t even imagine anyone daring enough to touch you!” cried out Wes, his voice filled with grief.

“…You mentioned something earlier about people learning that something had happened to the Crawfords before you arrived at this manor… Who exactly told you about that rumor?” asked Peter coldly.

“I-I found out about it from a few regional managers in Weston! From what I know, they were the first to know about the incident!”

“…I see. Speaking of, you said you had something to report to the Crawfords… What is it?”

“Y-yes! Well, I found out that a few managers from larger areas were transferring out properties of the Crawford family in secret. While I wanted to immediately report that incident, I couldn’t find anyone relevant! I truly hadn’t expected for something like this to have happened to your family when I first got here, Mr. Crawford…!” wailed Wes, still kneeling on the ground in tears.

“Managers you say… Seems like they know a thing or two about this incident!” replied Peter.

Nodding in response, Gerald then said, “I’ll be capturing and interrogating them about this immediately!”

“…No, let’s not do that first. It’s best not to alert the enemy before you further investigate the details regarding this incident. After all, the fact that the regional managers actually dared to transfer out the properties in secret is already highly suspicious. From what I know, the Crawford family’s regional managers always passed their trades down to the next generation, and each generation—up till this point—has been loyal to the Crawfords. With how loyal they are, betraying the Crawfords when they’re in danger seems highly unlikely. With that in mind, let’s not act impulsively yet till more of the incident comes to light,” replied Peter after thinking for a while.

Upon hearing that, Gerald nodded though he also began eyeing the man rather curiously before eventually asking, “…You seem to know quite a bit about my family, don’t you, sir?”

This wasn’t the first time Gerald had a hunch about that, and he was curious as to why Peter knew so much about him.

“…Did you get to know me from long ago, sir? Or did we meet when I was much younger?” asked Gerald.

Shaking his head with a smile, Peter then replied, “Well… The first half of your guess is true. See, I first got to know you when you were studying at university… Naturally, I kept a close eye on your daily experiences back then.”

Peter didn’t feel the need to hide all this anymore, and his statement was—as to be expected—greatly surprising to Gerald.

“…What? Have you been secretly observing me this entire time, sir?” asked Gerald in bewilderment.

“Well, observing isn’t really the correct term here…” replied Peter, seemingly thinking about something before his expression gradually turned solemn.

“But you know so much about me, sir… With that in mind, how else could you have gotten to know me so well if you hadn’t been observing me?” inquired Gerald, not understanding Peter at all.

“Putting it frankly, I’ve been observing another person who’s been observing you this entire time!”

Chapter 1407

Gerald Crawford:The Secretly Rich Man Novel (Invisible or Poorest) Chapter 1407

“…What? There was another person observing me this entire time…?!” replied Gerald fearfully.

As it turned out, his university life hadn’t been as peaceful as he remembered it to be. Quite the contrary, in fact! To think that he had been closely monitored by others his entire time! Not only that, but he had just found out that people like Peter had apparently also been keeping a close eye on his observers!

Truth be told, Gerald had found Peter to be quite odd from the moment he woke up after being saved by him. After all, Peter knew him well, and it was definitely no coincidence that Peter had been present to save him that night.

Hell, after getting along better with Peter, Gerald had found that the man even seemed to have a good grasp on his temperament and characteristics.

While Gerald had occasionally wanted to ask Peter about that, every time he led the conversation in that direction, Peter made it very clear that he didn’t want to talk about it.

Following that, things got busy and Gerald didn’t have a chance to ponder about it again up till this point. Due to Peter’s slip of his tongue, it reminded Gerald to try his luck asking him why he knew so much about Gerald again. He truly hadn’t expected to finally get such a shocking answer today.

“Regardless, I found out that that person had already been keeping an eye on you—for who knows how long—by the time you left Serene County to start your freshman year. While he laid low for a while, he started appearing more frequently after your identity was exposed.”

“Unsure what he was truly after and worried that he would do bad things to you, I—in turn—began observing him. You know, for convenience, I even disguised myself like this and occasionally snuck into

the back kitchen of your university’s cafeteria under the guise of a worker there! Haha!” explained Peter as he revealed a wry smile.

“You even snuck into my university’s cafeteria? But I’ve never come across you!” replied Gerald, failing to recall ever meeting Peter before this.

Quite honestly, Gerald was in disbelief that such a remarkable man had been watching over him from his university’s cafeteria this entire time!

“Of course you wouldn’t have met me! There wasn’t any reason for you to pay attention to such a random person! Besides, I mostly remained in the back kitchen, and even if I went out, I made sure to do so sneakily!” said Peter.

“…I see. Speaking of which, you said you found out that he was stalking me when I first started university… Does that mean you had your reasons to be there as well? Also, who exactly are you, sir…?” asked Gerald, feeling that now was his best bet of getting the truth from Peter.

“Where to even begin… Truth be told, I hadn’t planned on reuniting with you till I managed to identify your stalker… Regardless, I have a feeling that he’s the one responsible for all the current incidents! I also suspect that he’s already noticed that I’ve been stalking him in return! You know, despite keeping a close eye on him for so many years, I never even told Jasmine about my observations on him for fear that that information would somehow get leaked to the stalker. By this point, however, I feel that hiding all this is no longer necessary,” replied Peter as he turned to look at the curious Gerald.

Following that, Peter placed his hand near his ears… Before slowly peeling off what seemed to be a mask made of human skin!

Despite the fact that Peter was still a middle-aged man, his appearance could only be described as being extremely handsome.

Even so, his good looks wasn’t the reason why Gerald’s eyes were now so wide open. No, Gerald was now trembling because he recognized that face anywhere.

“…S-second uncle…?” stuttered the bewildered Gerald. The man’s appearance bore a striking resemblance to his uncle in the photograph that he had!

As Gerald continued staring in disbelief at his uncle, Peter replied, “Now you finally know who I am, Gerald…”

“…So it really is you, Second uncle…! But… But didn’t you…?” muttered Gerald, his breath getting increasingly heavy.

“I’ll take my time explaining all this on a later date, Gerald. For now, let’s focus on finding out where my brother and sister-in-law are. We still have to look into the incident regarding the pledge of the holy water as well. To think that I still haven’t found his motivations yet, even after he’s kidnapped our entire family…! While I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried for them, I have a gut feeling that everyone from our family will remain safe for now, or at the very least, they won’t be in danger of being killed just yet. While his aim is still unknown, I’m certain that it isn’t to just kill people off!” replied Peter as he calmly analyzed what they knew.

Hearing that, Gerald looked at his uncle rather excitedly before nodding firmly and asking, “…You’re right! Speaking of which, have you ever fought against my stalker throughout his many years observing me, uncle? And do you have any clues about him…?”

 

Chapter 1408

Gerald Crawford:The Secretly Rich Man Novel (Invisible or Poorest) Chapter 1408

Upon hearing Gerald’s question, Peter momentarily averted his gaze. Clearing his throat, he then sheepishly replied, “…Regarding that… I haven’t had any reason to go into combat with him… As for clues about him, I don’t even know his true identity yet… Well, that was the case before we bumped into Wes, of course. From what Wes told us, it’s now safe to assume that the managers from the large areas will be the key to us getting our next clue! Also, I have a feeling that since he’s now starting to make his appearance, he’ll definitely be reappearing again!”

“Whatever the case is, I’ll definitely be capturing that stalker if he truly is the one responsible for all these incidents!”

It was at that moment when Wes—who had been shivering this entire time—flopped feebly to the ground before falling unconscious.

Seeing that, Gerald immediately lifted the fainted man up before saying, “With how long he’s been immersed in that freezing water, I’m sure his internal organs are now damaged! I’ll be saving him first, Second uncle!”

As Gerald walked off—with Wes in his arms—toward a room in the manor, Peter turned to face Zyla, a worried expression on his face.

Seeing that, Zyla knew that he realized that she had already caught on. With that in mind, she minced no words as she asked, “Judging from all that you’ve said… Could you be from Jaellatra too? Was it the Sun League who brought you there?”

“It appears that I can’t hide anything from you, Miss Lockland! Then again, it’d be hard to hide anything from your deity eyes!” replied Peter as he bowed slightly at Zyla.

“Well, your training is quite similar to Leo’s, so I had my suspicions that that was the case. Regardless, why didn’t you tell Gerald the entire truth just now?” asked Zyla, curious.

“If you’re talking about the stalker, it’s not that I didn’t want to… I just don’t want to place the blame on the stalker till I’ve absolutely confirmed that he’s the one responsible for all this. The other reason is because Gerald’s undergone enough hardships and mental suffering for the time being… I fear that if I tell him who I suspect the stalker to be, he won’t be able to accept it and end up in complete denial!” replied Peter as he shook his head in worry.

“The truth seems hard for you to accept as well.”

“Regardless, I hope that everything will continue proceeding for the best from now on!”

“Indeed. Still, despite all the hardships he’s had to go through, all of them are simply part of his destiny. From the moment he was born, he was already destined to be extraordinary. With that in mind, he’s never going to be able to live life as an ordinary person!” said Zyla.

“That’s true… Well, what do you think Gerald should do in the future?” asked Peter.

“Though his training is already at a terrifying level, his Dehlere Foundation is still ruined. In other words, it’s evident that he won’t be able to achieve a state that’ll enable him to deal against those people yet! With that in mind, I’m quite worried about what’ll happen next!”

Peter was honestly most worried about this.

From what Peter could tell, there was a high chance that his brother, Queta, and the others weren’t going to be in life-threatening danger any time soon… After all, Peter had a gut feeling that the person doing all this simply kidnapped them so that they could be used to threaten Gerald. Should that scenario come to be, Gerald would certainly have to face a lot of trouble.

This was due to the fact that at his current strength, there was simply no way for Gerald to even come close to defeating those truly powerful people.

At that moment, Gerald returned from the room and asked, “Zyla? Second uncle? What are you discussing?”

“We’re talking about your ruined Dehlere Foundation…” replied Zyla as she turned to look at Gerald.

“I know it’s ruined… But I really don’t have the time nor energy to let it recover! After all, the priority right now is to investigate where my family members are! The second I’m done with that, I’ll need to instantly begin investigating the pledge of the holy water next to look for my grandpa!” said the distressed Gerald.

“While I understand your urge to immediately begin investigating, even if you eventually manage to find the truth behind these incidents, I assure you that you’ll be facing great danger throughout that process. What happens if you lack the strength to defend yourself against that? With that in mind, you’ll be able to investigate without any worry of that issue should you heal your Dehlere Foundation first!” advised Zyla.

Nodding in agreement, Peter then said, “What she said is true, Gerald. Your priority should definitely be to heal your Dehlere Foundation. Do note that Miss Lockland and I both have our hopes on you…”

\Chapter 1409

Gerald Crawford:The Secretly Rich Man Novel (Invisible or Poorest) Chapter 1409

“…I understand, Zyla, Second uncle… Still, while you told me that the Mackusion could be used to heal my Dehlere Foundation, how exactly do I initiate the healing process…? Now that you’ve said all that, I’m adamant on fully healing my Dehlere Foundation before anything else!”

“Speaking of the Dehlere Foundation, after doing a bit of research, I found that even a slightly unstable Dehlere Foundation can be very difficult to heal… If what I read was true, then it also leaves a very major flaw to one’s training journey!” said Gerald, clearly feeling that the chances of him fully recovering his Dehlere Foundation was slim, even with the help of something as magical as the Mackusion! The recovery process was simply too difficult from what he had managed to investigate!

“While you’ll undeniably have to face many hardships in order to heal your Dehlere Foundation, know that a full recovery isn’t entirely impossible! The Mackusion is key in your recovery, and for you to initiate the healing process, you’ll have to utilize the Mackusion’s ability to pull the strings of time and space!” replied Zyla with a nod.

“…Pull the strings of time and space…?” asked both Peter and Gerald in unison.

“Indeed! From what Liemis told me back then, the true power of the Mackusion lies in its ability to pull the strings of time and space… By utilizing that ability, you’ll be able to return to a time before your Dehlere Foundation was ruined! Once that’s achieved, you should theoretically be able to undergo the awakening of heaven earlier before the culprit manages to ruin your Dehlere Foundation!” explained Zyla.

“Not going to lie, that sounds rather unimaginable… If it truly is capable of that, then the Mackusion is a one-of-a-kind oddity…!” replied Peter as he nodded in bewilderment.

“It truly is… In any case, doesn’t that also mean that while time traveling, I’ll be able to mend any of my past regrets…?” asked Gerald curiously.

Shaking her head in response, Zyla then replied, “I’m afraid you’re wrong there. While it’s true that the Mackusion is capable of pulling the strings of space and time, the second you time travel the first time, the Mackusion will only have a fixed amount of time before all its powers deplete! Once that happens, the Mackusion itself will cease to exist, and you’ll be forcefully pulled back to the present!”

Watching as Gerald nodded, Zyla then added, “Still, to think that the current conditions of the situation would be this vague… With the King of Judgment Portal definitely not giving up on recapturing you that easily and the masked old man restlessly acting behind the scenes, we truly don’t have time to spare, Gerald… The situation where the pledge of the holy water is being held—which is also where the entrance to Jaellatra is—isn’t any less complicated either… With that in mind, before you have the strength to rule, I advise you against heading there without careful consideration. One wrong step and all your previous efforts could easily come undone! By that point, it’ll truly be too late to fix anything!”

Hearing that, Gerald found himself gradually calming down.

He had honestly been worried about his grandfather this entire time since he wasn’t even sure if he was still alive at the pledge of the holy water. Had Zyla and Peter not been present to advise him against it, he would’ve definitely rushed off to look for his grandfather by this point.

Zyla was right, and understanding that calmed Gerald down greatly. It was true that he still didn’t have the power to rule, and if he simply tried to brute force his way to the pledge of the holy water, it would surely result in a scene similar to how Hogan had almost slaughtered him a while back. If he truly did end up dying there, then there’d certainly spell doom for his family, grandfather, and Mila…!

“…While I agree with what you’ve said, I’d like to delay the time travel for another week, Zyla. Until I investigate the incident regarding the regional managers, I fear I won’t be able to rest easy at all,

subsequently affecting my concentration when I go back in time!” replied Gerald.

Regardless of how strong a person’s nature was, nobody would be able to remain calm if they knew that their family members could possibly be in danger or even dead! The fact that he already had a clue to explore now definitely made Gerald keener on dealing with this issue first.

 

Chapter 1410

Gerald Crawford:The Secretly Rich Man Novel (Invisible or Poorest) Chapter 1410

“You’re free to do so, of course, but remember, the process of using the power in the dragon blood jade pendant to refine the Mackusion requires—at minimum—a whole day and night to complete. With that in mind, please return as quickly as possible once you’re done. Your Second uncle will stay to help me guard the process!” said Zyla after thinking for a while.

“Not a problem, Miss Lockland. However, I do wonder… Even if Gerald will be able to return to the past, which period of time should he return to? And how long can he remain there?” asked Peter.

“That’s a good question. After all, Gerald needs to return to a perfect point in time—before his Dehlere Foundation was ruined—to undergo the baptism of heaven in order to achieve the most optimal effects. Truth be told, Gerald underwent his baptism of heaven rather late into the game… Due to that, he wasn’t able to activate his Dehlere Foundation—during the baptism— since it had already been ruined ages ago!”

“Regardless, after previously analyzing Gerald’s condition, I’d say he has to go back at least two and a half years ago to get to a time when his Dehlere Foundation was still intact. As for the time-traveling process itself, it depends on Gerald’s tacit understanding of the dragon blood jade pendant. Once there’s a clear understanding, the Mackusion will send Gerald back to the time period he wants to go to. Now, regarding how long Gerald can remain there… Regardless of how things go, you’ll be staying there for a whole week. In other words, you’ll only have seven days to undergo the baptism of heaven before you’ll be forced back to the present!” explained Zyla.

As Peter nodded in response, Gerald found himself wondering, ‘Two and a half years ago, huh… I was still a pauper back then… Regardless, the Zircobsite is located within Mountain Top… I wonder if I’d end up disrupting the order if I revealed my identity upfront…’

Worried about that, he then asked Zyla about it.

“Hmm… That’s another thing to look out for. Once you’ve returned to the past, you can’t alter anything that you already know will happen… For example, let’s say something happened to your friend back then and you end up intervening—whether directly or indirectly—to prevent some incident from happening… If it gets to a point where you end up altering the ending of that scenario, you’ll most probably get forcefully sent back here.”

“Now, regarding you revealing your identity a bit earlier to obtain the Zircobsite… I feel that the Mackusion won’t force you back since it’ll only be a matter of time before the past you decides to reveal his identity anyway. In other words, the results will end up the same, even if you choose to reveal your identity a little earlier. The Mackusion will essentially just consider that to be the process of you completing your transformation from a poor student to a rich heir,” explained Zyla.

“That’s reassuring to hear… After all, I bought Mountain Top Villa under the identity of Mr. Crawford. In other words, even if I buy it a little earlier after going back in time, it shouldn’t really matter as long as I use the same alias when buying it, correct?”

“That should be the case, yes. Speaking of which, there are two other things you need to know about time travel… Since returning to the past isn’t something natural, there’s a high chance that your presence there will cause spatial and temporal anomalies… In other words, there’s a very likely chance that incidents in the past won’t end up happening in the order you remember them. With that said, there’s a high possibility that you’ll end up getting caught by surprise if you only expect things to happen in the way they previously did! Due to that, I implore you to be extra careful when tackling any situations you come across!”

“I’ll keep that in mind!” replied Gerald with a nod.

“Good. Now for the second thing, know that there’ll be another you—the you from the past—walking around once you successfully time travel… You’ll need to find a way to make the old you disappear, at

least temporarily. Following that, you can take his place and things will go much smoother for you. Do note that both of you can’t see each other face-to-face. If he does end up seeing you, then the Mackusion will instantly shatter and all our plans will truly be for naught!” said Zyla.

“I understand, Zyla!”

“Excellent! Now, if there isn’t anything else, hurry along and we’ll begin our separate missions! Remember, you have to return here before midnight tomorrow!”

Nodding in response, Gerald then instantly began dashing toward Mayberry, not wanting to delay things any more than he needed to.

After his cousin had taken over the economic area of Weston, the headquarters were relocated to Mayberry. With that in mind, he needed to return to that place again if he wanted to look for them…