After Gina's parents—the previous heads of the Aurantius family—passed away, Gina, fresh out of college, came to the U.S. to take over the mess they left behind.
Apart from the company struggling to find its footing in America, there was also her good-for-nothing younger brother.
At first, when her brother, Dragan, started going astray, Gina tried to pull him back.
She disciplined him strictly while giving him a position within the company.
However, instead of repenting, Dragan got hooked on gambling. After multiple failed attempts to talk sense into him, he even went so far as to falsify orders and embezzle company funds.
Thoroughly disappointed, Gina decisively kicked him out of the company. She gave him a sum of money and left him to sink or swim.
Later, in the original host's memories, the few times this scumbag uncle appeared were always to beg for money or help at their home.
But in the last two years—perhaps due to some method Gina used—Luca hadn't seen him at all.
Judging by his current appearance, he wasn't just gambling anymore; he was on drugs too.
"Why are you here!"
It wasn't Luca who spoke, but Shamila, who glared at him with hostility.
She stepped forward, shielding Luca behind her.
Clearly, Shamila knew exactly what kind of person he was.
Of course, Dragan recognized Shamila too. Noticing her undisguised disgust, a flash of anger surged in him, but he quickly suppressed it.
"Shamila! Don't forget, my last name is Aurantius too. Given the situation, naturally, I'm here to check on Luca."
As he spoke, Dragan glanced at Luca's empty sleeve and the tombstone behind him.
Seeing the disdain in his eyes, Shamila, who had watched Luca grow up, became furious.
Luca, who also noticed the look, didn't show much emotion.
He had gotten a bit too carried away during the Battle of New York and literally kicked his prosthetic arm away as a projectile.
That prosthetic was actually a custom-made, special mechanical arm ordered by his parents at great cost from Transia, an exoskeleton company that partnered with the Department of Defense.
While it didn't match the sensitivity of a real arm, it was quite "sci-fi."
Luca could have gotten a regular prosthetic to fill the sleeve and look normal, but it wouldn't offer much practical utility for daily life.
So, he decided to wait for Transia's after-sales service to build a new one.
Luca didn't care about being disabled, and he certainly wasn't going to get angry over someone else's judgment.
He gently placed a hand on the impulsive Shamila's shoulder to calm her, then looked calmly at his cheap uncle. His tone was cold.
"Uncle? I'll call you that for now. Thank you for coming to my father's funeral."
"But if I recall correctly, Mother cut ties with you long ago. As for Auntie Shamila, I think she's far more trustworthy than certain people."
Hearing Luca's words, Dragan straightened up.
He adjusted his collar, feigning concern for his nephew.
"Kid, New York State law doesn't recognize 'cutting ties.'"
"Besides, blood is thicker than water. With your sister in her current condition, as your uncle, I have to step up and take care of you."
As he said this, Dragan gestured provocatively toward Shamila with his chin.
"Isn't Gina just in a coma from her injuries?"
"Is he here to seize power?"
"This guy really thinks highly of himself, doesn't he?"
The guests whispered again.
Clearly, most people looked down on Dragan, who obviously wasn't a good person.
Only Dragan himself looked smug, glancing around at the guests.
Shamila, worried that Luca was too young to understand Dragan's true nature, was about to explain.
But before she could speak, Luca frowned.
Where did this guy get news about Gina?!
Gina Aurantius, Luca's mother, was injured and fell into a coma during the Battle of New York. Although she was sent to the hospital immediately after the battle ended...
The doctor's diagnosis was that Gina was likely suffering from "Synaptic Encapsulation Syndrome."
Essentially, continuous high-frequency energy impacts caused abnormal proteins to wrap around the nerve endings in the cerebral cortex, reducing signal transmission efficiency and putting the brain into a semi-dormant state.
This condition was extremely rare in medical history. Documented cases usually only showed symptoms like slow reactions, lethargy, and forgetfulness.
But during this Battle of New York, over a dozen victims suddenly presented with this condition.
Those with mild symptoms could barely take care of themselves, while severe cases died within days.
Gina, whose condition was somewhere in the middle, had no effective treatment options from either the hospital or private medical teams. They could only wait.
In fact, over the past few days, Luca had specifically asked Shamila to reach out to Stephen Strange—the future Doctor Strange.
He was currently considered the best neurosurgeon in New York.
However, upon hearing the diagnosis, Strange didn't even ask for a consultation fee. He simply claimed he was too busy and turned away the doctor Shamila had asked to make the introduction.
Now, Luca could only follow the doctor's advice: conservative treatment to stabilize her condition while hoping for a new treatment plan.
But logically, very few people knew this news.
Dragan, a gambling addict and junkie who had disappeared for nearly two years and was a complete waste of space... where did he hear this?
Seeing the situation threatening to spiral out of control, Luca ordered coldly.
"Auntie Shamila, escort him out. Don't let him cause a scene at Father's funeral."
Shamila immediately stepped forward, grabbing Dragan by the shoulder to drag him away.
But instead of backing down, Dragan shouted triumphantly.
"Heh heh, kid, are you scared? The law says... if someone has no civil capacity, the shareholders' meeting has to vote for a new decision-maker."
Dragan's nose twitched, his pupils constricting in excitement, his speech becoming more erratic.
"Don't think... just because you have absolute control... you haven't inherited those shares yet! Dead people and vegetables can't attend shareholder meetings!"
"What did you call her, you bastard!!"
Shamila's eyes went wide with rage. She grabbed Dragan by the collar and literally lifted him off the ground.
"Gina? A vegetable?"
"I thought Ms. Aurantius was just temporarily unconscious?"
Many guests had business dealings with Aurantius Industries or were employees. Hearing this news, they looked at Luca with shock and suspicion.
Luca ignored their gazes. He focused entirely on the implication in Dragan's words, his voice piercingly cold.
"Shareholders' meeting? What does that have to do with you? What makes you think you can influence the shareholders' decisions?!"