"You are lucky that you don't know the boss' problems. Sometimes even the monetary benefits aren't enough to compensate for the stress," The woman sighed as she shook his head.

"Every job has stress and troubles. We all believe our problems to be worse," Ryder responded with a smile.

The bartender served the drinks before them.

"That's true as well. Anyway, I'm Herriet," the woman replied as she extended her hands towards Ryder.

"Ryder," Ryder replied as he reached out his hand to shake her hand.

Something strange happened, though, as soon as Ryder's hands touched the hand of Herriet. His whole body felt a terrifying shock. He instantly retracted his hand as he looked at her with a stunned look on his face.

"What happened? Why are you looking here like I am a ghost?" Herriet asked as she glanced at Ryder.

"N-nothing. I just felt like there was current coursing through my body as soon as I touched you," Ryder muttered as he shook his head.

"Hahaha, is this a new flirting line that guys are using nowadays?" Herriet started laughing at Ryder's response.

'This is really strange. What just happened?' Ryder wondered as he glanced at the woman.

"Did that line work?" Ryder smiled as he asked the woman who was sitting before him. He knew that he would be seen as crazy if he insisted on what happened.

"That was refreshing, I must say. Thanks for making me laugh," Herriet thanked Ryder as she picked her glass.

Ryder also picked up his glass.

"Cheers," They both touched their glass before they drank the alcohol in one sip.

"One more."

Both of them ordered more at the same time. The bartender picked up the glasses.

"Which business do you own? Also, which deal did you lose? Maybe I can give you some ideas? You don't have to tell me if it's too personal," Ryder asked her.

"I work in the Aviation Industry. We develop commercial planes. We had received the order for 50 planes. We even took out loans and stuff, but the client suddenly canceled the orders. We are going to the court to sue them, so I don't think you can help me," The woman shook her head.

"Are you the owner of Air Connect limited?" Ryder asked her with a surprised look on his face.

"Yeah, How did you know?" Herriet asked in curiosity.

"I read an article about the order of 50 planes. So I took a guess," Ryder let out as he smiled.

He didn't tell her the truth that he knew about her from the previous timeline. In fact, her company was a part of his bigger plan to boost his company further.

He knew how this lawsuit went. The Air Connect Limited lost the lawsuit. Things started going south for them. They were in such a bad condition that she didn't have any choice but to sell her company. No one brought it, though. Ryder knew about it because it was a big deal at that time, and many media outlets covered it.

It was also a big deal because of the rise of Air Connect Limited after the fall. It was something that no one could have expected.

This time, Ryder wanted to change history. He wanted to buy the company when it was at its worst and mix them in his group of companies.

If he weren't wrong, the results of this lawsuit would come in less than a week, and in three weeks, the company will declare bankruptcy. Their shares will hit an all-time low. Ryder wanted to buy them at that time.

No matter how much he wanted to help someone, he didn't want to spoil his plan, so he didn't tell Herriet any of this. He only comforted her that things would go better.

He decided that after he owned the company, he would still keep Herriet as the CEO of the Aviation branch of his Divine Corporation.

"I hope so," the woman let out as she took another sip.

"I should leave now. If I get too drunk, I would not be able to drive back. Bye, Mr. Ryder. It was fun chatting with you," Herriet said as she stood up.

She paid the bartender before she left the bar.

"Air Connect Limited..." Ryder muttered as he glanced towards the door of the bar. "Tough times are ahead, but I would not let them last long for you. For my own benefit, though. Be with me on our rise together."

He ordered another drink. He sat there for around an hour before he left as well.

He drove back home.

Alice was already home when he stepped inside the house.

She stepped out of the kitchen.

"You are back? Where were you?" She asked Ryder.

"I was out with Shu," Ryder replied to her.

"That smell... Did you drink?" Alice inquired, glaring at Ryder.

"Ah, a little. It was like men's day out," Ryder answered her with a wry smile on his face.

"Go and eat on Men's day out as well. You're not getting anything to eat here today," Alice snorted as she walked back to the kitchen.

"Hey, sorry. I wouldn't do it again, I promise," Ryder said as he followed after her.

"I'm not listening. You can cook for yourself if you want," Alice answered as she refused to look at him.

"I heard some friends say that their wives treat them like this after they go home drunk. Don't be like their wives. I promise you that I would be more careful next time," Ryder insisted as he sat on the dining table.

"Hmph," Alice did not answer, but Ryder could see that she was angry.

Ryder stood up and walked closer to her. He placed his hand on her shoulders and turned her back to face him.

"I am sorry," he said in full seriousness.

"Why are you crying?" he asked her as he saw tears in her eyes.

"You know what the cops said, right. Even though it was the truck owner's fault, our family would not be dead if they hadn't gone out to drink at a party. It was fine before as you weren't driving and took cabs, but now that you have a car, if you still don't stop, one day, I might lose you as well," Alice let out while looking down.

Ryder hugged her firmly.

"I promise that you won't lose me. Even the god of death can't separate me from you," Ryder said.

Suddenly, he saw a scene of something similar. He was hugging a woman and said the same thing.

Surprisingly, he recognized the woman. The woman looked like the Goddess of Nature, whose statue Ryder had seen in the Dark Elves Ancestral Temple. The woman that Ryder had found to look just like Alice.

___________________________________

The End (JK)

IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTE: From now on, there is going to be a change in release schedule that will take place from today.

There will be 2 chapters every day released unless some unexpected circumstances prevent that. Thank you for reading and please vote. Each one of your votes works as a miracle for motivation :)