William, who had long planned the use of the Mars gold, was more than happy to keep the entire fifty-plus tons for himself.
Twenty tons of gold, minted into 100-gram commemorative Mars coins, would yield 200,000 coins.
These coins would undoubtedly be worth far more than $400 million in the future—potentially increasing in value by several times or even tenfold over the coming decades.
After concluding his conversation with Richard, William only offered polite handshakes and words of gratitude to the others.
Fortunately, there weren't many who had the privilege of shaking hands with a duke, but even so, by the time the welcome ceremony ended, it was nearly noon.
Since he still had to visit Buckingham Palace to meet King Philip and attend a luncheon, several planned meetings had to be significantly shortened or postponed to the afternoon or evening.
As the group approached the parking area, William immediately noticed a line of over ten extended bulletproof vehicles.
However, these weren't Rolls-Royce Phantoms anymore—they were now branded as Aston Martin Phantoms.
Just as he was considering whether to ride with Lena, he turned and saw her chatting quietly with Selene and Nissa.
Noticing his gaze, Lena smiled and said, "Don't worry about me. You take Abby, Richard, and Wilson to meet Philip.
I'll head home with Nissa and Selene first. They're the true heroes of the Devonshire family."
After only a few seconds of thought, William agreed with his mother.
Selene and Nissa's status as vampires was known to very few within the English government, but Philip was certainly aware.
Under these circumstances, no matter how much William liked them, bringing them to Buckingham Palace was out of the question.
Not only would it make Philip uncomfortable, but if some uninformed royal guard blurted out their identities, it could cause unnecessary trouble.
Besides, having them attend a banquet in form-fitting spacesuits and battle armor was hardly ideal, and they likely wouldn't want to do it anyway.
Looking down at Abigail, who was dressed elegantly in formal attire and clearly eager to accompany him, William nodded.
"Alright, Mom. I'll head home after the banquet."
After seeing Lena and the others off and watching their convoy leave, William quietly asked Sunday about security arrangements.
Sunday's response came instantly.
"Rest assured, Sir. Lena's driver is Carlos from the Cross Guard, and the car is equipped with a Mark V battle suit.
The two escort vehicles ahead and behind contain Antonov's four-man squad, each equipped with Devonshire Type-3 battle armor.
Additionally, over a hundred Black Blade UAV carriers are on standby in the sky, with 1,200 drones patrolling at all times.
The Kingsman agents are also stationed along the route, ensuring complete security."
Hearing this, William finally felt at ease. He took Abigail's hand and entered an Aston Martin Phantom.
As the convoy left the aerospace center, William was surprised to see London citizens lining the streets, waving English flags and cheering for his arrival.
As they entered the city, the crowds grew even larger.
Looking at Abigail, who was clinging to his arm, William asked,
"Are all these people here voluntarily to welcome me?
This feels like a foreign head of state visiting London."
"This is nothing," Abigail giggled. "Just wait until we reach the city center. You'll see—half of London must be out celebrating and waiting for you.
The news reported that some people have been camping in parks near Buckingham Palace since the day before yesterday, just to secure a good spot to see you."
"That exaggerated?"
William burst into laughter, squeezing Abigail's hand.
She took the hint and slid onto his lap, gazing at him with glistening eyes.
If not for the constant flashes from cameras outside, William wouldn't have hesitated to take full advantage of the moment.
"I'll deal with you properly when we get home."
"Hehe."
Resting her head on his shoulder, Abigail nuzzled her face against his.
"I'll be waiting, darling."
—
"William! William!"
"Long live Devonshire! Long live Devonshire!"
Loud cheers jolted the couple from their intimate moment.
Abigail lifted her head and saw that they had entered the streets near Buckingham Palace.
Quickly, she gave William a peck on the lips before sitting up straight.
She adjusted his outfit, ensuring there were no visible lipstick marks, then tidied herself up as well.
Looking out at the massive crowd lining the streets, William smirked.
He was probably the most recognized person in the world at this point.
"Looks like I'm quite popular."
Still fixing her appearance, Abigail rolled her eyes and humored him with a teasing tone.
"Yes, yes, yes, you're the greatest."
The crowd was so dense that it took nearly half an hour for the convoy to reach Westminster. By the time they arrived at the palace gates, it was already 2 PM.
As soon as William stepped out of the car, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the plaza outside the palace.
Raising his hand, he waved to the London citizens, eliciting an even louder response.
Only after acknowledging the crowd did he turn back and chivalrously open the car door for Abigail, offering his hand to help her out.
"Thank you, darling."
Smiling sweetly, Abigail naturally took his arm as they walked toward King Philip, who was waiting at the palace entrance.
Before William even reached him, Philip extended his hand with a broad smile.
"Welcome back, William."
William shook his hand firmly with both hands and nodded.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
After exchanging pleasantries, Philip took William's hand and led him forward.
"Come, today you are the main attraction—our hero. There are so many people eager to meet you."
"Well..."
At that moment, even though William wasn't particularly fond of socializing, he had no choice but to put on a cheerful facade and engage in conversations with various guests.
The only silver lining was that, compared to previous occasions, the number of young women attending was significantly higher.
Unfortunately, none could compare to Abigail, and William was well aware of their intentions.
These noble ladies weren't just interested in him—they wanted the title of Duchess of Devonshire.
To William, aristocratic status was not an advantage but a warning sign.
The practice of old, struggling noble families marrying off their daughters for wealth had been a well-known tactic for centuries.
Even if he met a noblewoman as beautiful as a goddess, he would rather drown her in money than marry her.
So, as he made his way through the banquet, while his gaze occasionally lingered on some beautiful women, he never lingered too long or engaged in extended conversations.
This left many of the young noblewomen—and their scheming families—disappointed.
They had no choice but to grudgingly acknowledge William's remarkable self-discipline.
However, seeing Abigail constantly at William's side—elegant, radiant, and clearly his favorite—they lost even more hope.
Finding a noblewoman as stunning as Abigail was already difficult.
Finding one with her intelligence, education, and capabilities?
As a dual PhD holder who had successfully managed the Devonshire Group without any major issues, Abigail was leagues ahead of any noblewoman in her generation.
(End of Chapter)
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