The Rise of a Master: It Starts With Rejection

After an hour's flight, Felix landed at Hermestown Airport, where someone was already waiting to picknoveldrama

him up.

"Mr. Zeller, does this car work for you?"

The arrangements had been made by George. It was a piece of cake for someone like him.

Looking at the sleek black Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Felix gave a nod of approval. "It'll do."

"There's one million dollars in cash in the trunk. Take care, Mr. Zeller."

Driving the Cullinan for another hour, Felix found himself mesmerized by the scenery along the way. Rolling mountains and lush greenery stretched as far as the eye could see. Clearly, the environment was a top priority for Naomi, judging by where she lived. Finally, the car arrived at the destination she had sent him: Juno Village.

From a distance, Felix spotted a familiar figure. It was Naomi Lovelace.

Although her head was wrapped in a scarf and she was dressed like a farmer, it did nothing to mask her beauty, especially when she smiled. She was as captivating as ever, and Felix felt a wave of nostalgia.

""Mr. Zeller, you're here," she greeted.

As Felix stepped out of the car, Naomi came forward, followed by about a dozen villagers.

Everything had been discussed in advance, so Felix naturally played along. "Hmm, these must be the representatives of Juno Village?"

"Yes, that's right."

Opening the trunk, he pulled out two boxes and lifted the lids. The sight of cash instantly brought smiles to the villagers' faces.

"This is one million dollars. Please distribute it among yourselves."

A middle-aged man, likely the village chief, stepped forward and said, "Mr. Zeller, the amount our entire village can accept is 930,000 dollars-no more, no less."

Felix chuckled. "It's fine. The carrots you grew were excellent, and I made a good profit. I'd like to give a little extra. Use the remaining money as you see fit-help families in need or support kids attending college. Either way, I won't be taking it back." Hearing that, the villagers were filled with gratitude, especially toward Naomi, whom they genuinely admired.

Once everything was settled, Felix followed Naomi to her home. Compared to the village, it was more secluded, but the tranquility made it worth it.

"I have to say, Naomi, since when did you become an agricultural expert?"

Naomi looked a little embarrassed.

"Well, I thought it'd be easy, but it turns out this really is a specialized field! Don't worry, though. Give me another year or two, and I promise I'll cultivate a carrot variety perfect for this land. Juno Village will be thriving in no time."

She sighed again and added, "But the first batch was a mess. No one wanted to buy it, so I had no choice but to ask you for help. Don't worry. I'll pay you back."

Out of Felix's nine fellow apprentices, Naomi was probably the only one who ever lacked money. Felix couldn't help but smile wryly at the thought.

In fact, as far as he knew, she was also the least interested in conflict. Whether or not she even practiced martial arts, or what Gerald had taught her, remained a mystery to him.

"We're family. Paying would be odd," Felix replied.

Glancing around the courtyard, he admired its peaceful ambiance before getting to the point. "Naomi, has Mr. Hoffman called you recently?"

To his surprise, Naomi simply lowered her head and gave a soft "mm-hmm". Felix didn't even notice anything unusual about her reaction.

"So, what exactly did he ask you to do? I'm totally in the dark here."

Before he could press further, Naomi suddenly turned and dashed into the house, saying, "You're annoying."

Annoying? What did Felix even say? Did he cross some kind of line?

A moment later, she called from inside the house. "Stay the night. It's getting late. I'll cook some pasta for you."

"Sure thing, Naomi. I've been craving your pasta for ages-they're unforgettable!"

As the sun set, Felix was served a steaming plate of delicious pasta. In that peaceful moment, he wished for his life to be as simple as the pasta.