The Deceitful One



The reason why Bryan was trying to involve the two kids in his plan was that their families were business partners in a certain venture. And this venture just so happened to be in association with Nicholas Tenant.

Bryan had happened to glean this information by questioning Dillon in his dream. Of course, the latter didn't know anything about it. What he was looking for now was for their family to introduce him—Anthony Wayne—to the people behind Nicholas's new venture as an investor.

From there he could work his way up to meet up with the man himself. And then, once he's gained Nicholas's trust, he would rob him dry. He wouldn't even leave a penny behind. That was the plan that Bryan had come up with.

Of course, he could have done this whole thing without the involvement of Meryl and Dillon's family. But having their family introduce him made it that much more credible. And as for the backlash that their families might face after his heist, that was none of his problems.

He believed that the kids' families were big enough to deal with it. And indeed they were. And as for his identity of Anthony Wayne facing a backlash, he also had a contingency for it. One that would bear a good harvest if done properly. This was a long-term project and he had to meticulously plan every step of it.

And the first step of his grand plan was taking place right now. He looked at the young couple sitting across from him and asked, "So, have you decided which Path you both want to embark on?"

The couple looked at each other, and then Dillon replied solemnly, "We've both decided the Wisdom—"

However, before he could even finish his sentence, Bryan shook his head and strictly refused. "No, that is the one Path that I cannot introduce you both to."

The couple was taken aback. Meryl inquired, "But why not? We figured that you had the meditation technique and the potion formula related to the Wisdom Path…."

But, Bryan was adamant. "Nope, this is off the table." It wasn't that he was worried about the church coming after him—well, that was partly the reason—but the fact that he still considered himself to be a Silver Owl. He would never break any of their rules even if he didn't work for them.

Seeing that Bryan wouldn't budge, the young couple turned a little downcast. They had already planned to ask Bryan for this Path, however, it seemed that wouldn't happen.

Grace, who already knew the reason behind Bryan's decision, looked at Dillon and Meryl and asked, "Why did you both want to become Wisdom Path Transcendents?"

Dillon looked at her and meekly replied, "We thought it would make us wiser…."

Both Bryan and Grace looked at each other and could see the incredulity in each other's eyes. Grace had the urge to facepalm as she thought, 'These guys really are rookies.'

Bryan then said to them. "If that was your reasoning then you aren't looking at this the right way. Let me ask you, what are your hobbies?"

One could find out a lot about a person simply by knowing what they did in their free time. This knowledge could also be used to choose which Path they could potentially take. Technically, they could choose from any Paths, but if given the choice, why not take the one that would resonate with them the most?

For example, Bryan had a penchant for mischief and kleptomania, hence, he resonated with the Theft Path. A person who was into learning and acquiring knowledge could resonate with the Wisdom Path. Similarly, a person who was a mechanic could highly resonate with the Artisan Path.

Both Dillon and Meryl were taken aback by this random question by Bryan. However, seeing his serious expression, they knew he wasn't joking. Meryl hesitated for a while and then spoke in embarrassment, "In my free time, I like to grow plants… and tend to flowers."

Dillon also decided to speak the truth. "I like to just… laze around…."

Although the two thought that this was a stupid question. But in fact, it wasn't. Bryan was instantly able to glean enough information about them through their answers and now knew exactly what Paths to recommend to them.

He looked at the girl and said, "Meryl, I'd recommend you choose the Wood Path." He then turned to Dillon and continued, "And as for you, you may choose between the Wind Path or Cloud Path."

The couple were slightly taken aback but when Bryan told them the reasoning behind it, they thought that it indeed made sense. In the end, Meryl chose the Wood Path and Dillon chose the Wind Path.

"I don't have the meditation techniques or the potion formulas on me right now. Give me a week's time and I'll have it ready for you." Bryan said as he took a sip of his tea.

Dillon ad Meryl felt extremely grateful and sincerely thanked him. Then, Meryl solemnly asked, "Mr. Wayne, please don't hesitate to ask for what you want. We'll try our best to fulfill it."

Bryan put his teacup down and replied, "You both know I'm new here. I'm looking to invest in some business ventures. Since both of you hail from entrepreneurial families, I hope that you can introduce me to some of the businessmen in the city."

Both Dillon and Meryl were shocked. The former asked, feeling a little speechless, "T-Thats it?"

Bryan chuckled, "Did you think I'd ask you for a large amount of money or something?"

"N-No," Meryl stuttered, "I mean yes. N-No, what I mean to say is, isn't this too cheap?"

Bryan burst into laughter seeing the girl panic. "You may think it's a small thing, but networking with other people goes a long way."

Dillon tried to understand the profundity behind Bryan's words but couldn't make heads or tails of it. He didn't know if Bryan was joking or actually being serious. Meryl, however, knew that what Bryan said was indeed the truth. She had also heard her father say something similar in the past.

Once again she was in awe of the level of wisdom that Bryan displayed. His business acumen was truly great for his young age. Hence, she solemnly nodded. "I shall introduce you to my family and ask them to introduce you to others in their circle as well."

"Thank you," Bryan smiled. "My expertise lies in communication technology. I hope you can relay this to your parents."

Dillon was pleasantly surprised. "Communications? As in telecommunications?"

Bryan nodded. "Precisely."

Meryl spoke up. "What a coincidence! Our families are working with Nicholas Tenant on a new project."

'I know!' Bryan inwardly mocked. However, on the surface, he showed a surprised expression. "This truly is a coincidence." The three of them then continued to talk about this new project headed by the inventor of the telephone.

Meanwhile, Grace who was sitting beside Bryan was actually shocked. She couldn't help but think, 'So, this was your whole plan….'

All the while she was wondering just why he had called her here today. Only now did she realize that her presence would give further credibility to his image when Dillon and Meryl would introduce him to their parents. After all, who wouldn't want to befriend a person who was a close friend of one of the Wilsons?

When she realized this, she felt a little bitter in her heart. She was beginning to feel that Bryan was also just like the rest of the people whom she met—people who only wanted to take advantage of her status.

Hence, for the rest of the duration, she remained quiet. A few minutes later, Bryan and the young couple had already hammered out all the details. In the end, Bryan saw them off. When he returned to the gazebo, he saw Grace sitting there in a grumpy mood.

He knew exactly the reason behind this, hence, he went up to her and solemnly said, "Grace, I know what you're thinking. But if everything works out just like I've planned, not only will it help me, but it will also help you. Tremendously."

Grace didn't believe Bryan. She looked at him and grumbled, "How the hell will it help me?"

Bryan's lips curled up into a mischievous smirk. "It will help you with your family succession."

Grace was taken aback. "You… what do you mean?" Bryan then began to lay out his grand plan. Of course, he didn't tell her the whole thing, only the tidbits that would be enough to convince her.

The more Grace listened to Bryan, the more her eyes widened. Until finally she stood up from her chair, her face etched with utter disbelief. "Bryan… h-how did you—"

Bryan cut her off with a chuckle. "Naturally, I have my ways.

Grace couldn't believe what Bryan was planning. If she heard his whole plan, she might just faint. But just the parts that Bryan had disclosed to her, caused her to be utterly shocked. She never knew Bryan to be such a schemer.

From what she just heard, she realized that not only Bryan had the astute senses to plan and scheme but she also got to know about his ambition. And it was grand, to say the least.

Suddenly, she thought of something and reminded solemnly, "Bryan, if this fails, the consequences will be very dire."

"Hehe, you won't bear any of the consequences," Bryan chuckled.

"No, that's not what I mean," Grace shook her head. "I'm worried you won't be able to deal with the repercussions."

Bryan's heart warmed sensing the concern in his friend's voice. "Don't worry, I have a lot of contingencies in place."

Then, an ear-to-ear grin spread across his face. "Besides, without a little risk life gets boring."