Coming from another tycoon, such words might seem performative or self-aggrandising. But Arnault was different. He had genuinely stopped a major terrorist attack, one watched globally via Tawana’s livestream.
With the crisis resolved and Tawana personally vouching for him, the impact was immense. Arnault didn’t just pay off terrorists; he took a bullet, risking his life. Who could call that acting?
At that moment, Bernard Arnault’s reputation reached new heights.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen lounged on a chair, casually watching the livestream on his phone.
This old man’s acting was top-notch. His righteous demeanour, paired with his weathered white hair and resolute expression, exuded charisma and conviction.
Despite his age, his fighting spirit was fierce, tearing into American reporters right off the plane. If he got to the UN, America would have a lot to handle.
Blackwater likely wanted Arnault gone, but they couldn’t touch him. The incident’s global attention was too great; his death would instantly be pinned on them.
Arnault wasn’t some nobody. As a former world’s richest man, his assassination would provoke France and the EU to act fiercely for their image, and the world would demand answers.
Blackwater’s executives were on edge, unsure what storm Arnault would stir at the UN tomorrow.
…
On the way to the presidential palace, Bernard Arnault’s face glowed with excitement and pride.
Today, he felt a unique sense of honour he’d never experienced before.
Previously, his pride came from achievements—wealth and global rankings. But such pride often met with lukewarm or negative public reactions.
Like a famous Chinese billionaire’s son, who saw wealth as his greatest honour, only to be rejected by the public rather than admired.
But Arnault’s current honour came from global acclaim. People hailed him as a hero, a first in his life.
This made him immensely grateful to Ye Chen.
Once, thoughts of this young man who’d cost him money made him grind his teeth. Now, Ye Chen felt like a brother. He wished to be sworn siblings, like Hamid, calling him Brother Ye while Ye called him Brother Arnault. If he could earn 50 billion experience points with Ye and exchange them for a Rejuvenation Pill, with fame, wealth, and longevity, every extra day would be a peak life!
…
At France’s Élysée Palace, the scene was grander than at the airport.
The president cancelled all afternoon engagements to personally receive France’s rare hero.
The last Frenchman to garner such global positive attention might have been de Gaulle, unyielding against Germany. Yet, de Gaulle’s legacy was more about resolve than tangible feats. France wasn’t lost or reclaimed by him; the Allies liberated it at Normandy.
But Arnault was different. He faced a massive crisis, resolved it, and did so under global scrutiny, as if the stage was tailor-made for him. Many have gained viral fame, but none matched Arnault’s global reach.
For a long time, he’d be a global idol, his heroics recalled with every future terrorist attack.
Thus, the president valued him, seizing the chance to bolster Arnault’s image and let France shine internationally.
The state motorcade stopped at the Élysée Palace’s main entrance. Supported by his wife, Arnault stepped into the opulent palace. The president, meant to wait, strode forward briskly.
Taking Arnault’s hand firmly, he exclaimed, “Welcome home, Mr. Arnault! You are France’s hero!”
