Billionaire in Kingsman with a Marvel System

William and Gareth shared a knowing smile for a moment. Both understood that this meeting was driven by mutual interests, with no conflicts between them. As for M's safety, neither of them was particularly concerned. Gareth might even hope for M to encounter trouble, as it could open up the position of the head of the Special Operations Bureau. Even if Gareth didn't take the role himself, he could push for someone from the nobility or someone close to them to take over. With careful planning, the opportunity wasn't out of reach.

After some casual conversation, a servant came to report that lunch was ready and they could be seated.

Lunch was French cuisine, with beautifully presented dishes. William found the taste to be just okay, but his mother Lena and Gareth were full of praise, enjoying the meal immensely. The head chef, Gordon Ramsay, was so pleased with their reactions that he kept expressing how honored he was.

In high spirits, Lena suggested to Gordon Ramsay the idea of opening a branch of his restaurant near Stamford Bridge, focusing on mid-range dishes.

William thought this was a good idea. With the stadium's foot traffic, as long as the food quality remained consistent, the mid-range dishes would surely be popular among fans and residents near the stadium.

For Gordon Ramsay, who only had one restaurant at the time, this was an excellent opportunity. It didn't take him long to agree verbally to discuss the details of opening a branch with Lena at a later date.

After lunch, William led Gareth to the drawing room, where Felix from the Swiss National Bank had been waiting for over an hour. Felix had arrived at the castle shortly after William and Gareth sat down to eat.

When William had heard the report from Sunday and the servants, he hadn't invited Felix to join them for lunch but had instructed the chef to send meals to Felix and his team.

Now that lunch was over, William was eager to see what good things Felix had brought along and took the opportunity to show off a bit to Gareth.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Devonshire," Felix stood up quickly to greet William as he entered the room.

"Good afternoon, Felix. Thanks for your hard work. How was lunch?" William asked cheerfully, eyeing the boxes on the table.

"You're too kind. Serving you is our bank's honor. Lunch was excellent. Gordon Ramsay is truly deserving of his newly awarded three Michelin stars. Sir, shall I introduce the handcrafted hunting rifles I brought?" Felix said with a relaxed demeanor.

"No need. I've brought in an expert," William said as a servant led a middle-aged man into the room. As the host, William stepped forward and shook hands with the somewhat shy man, saying, "Good afternoon, sir. I'm William Devonshire. Welcome to Devonshire Castle."

The man nervously gripped William's hand and replied, "Thank you, Mr. Devonshire. My name is Spencer, a fifth-generation gunsmith from the William Brothers Handcrafted Hunting Rifles. It's an honor to meet you at the castle. I'm here to take measurements of your hand and also to deliver a gift."

Spencer pointed to a gift box placed on the table by the castle servant. "This gift, you see, actually belongs to your family."

The box on the table was rectangular, similar to the boxes Felix had brought. William quickly understood that it contained a 60-year-old antique hunting rifle.

Walking over to the table, William gently opened the box to reveal a handcrafted hunting rifle inside. The stock was engraved with the Devonshire family's deer head crest and the letter "D."

"How much?" William asked directly without looking back. He was certain he wouldn't let this rifle slip away.

"Well," Spencer hesitated before explaining, "Mr. Devonshire, there's something you should know first. This rifle was custom-made by your great-grandfather at our workshop. The late Mr. Devonshire paid a deposit of £210 at the time, but the rifle wasn't finished before he sacrificed his life for the country. My grandfather informed Henry Devonshire about the rifle, stating that he only needed to pay the remaining £390 to collect it. However, Henry never responded. So, after my grandfather passed away, the rifle remained forgotten in our family's workshop until today when you called. While looking for a suitable gift, we found it in the storage, giving it a chance to see the light of day again. You only need to pay the remaining £390 according to the original agreement, and it's yours."

Spencer's words left everyone in the room astonished. No one expected the rifle to have such a remarkable story. They were also impressed by the Spencer family's integrity, having kept the rifle safe for 60 years without raising the price or trying to claim it for themselves.

William gently stroked the rifle, understanding why his grandfather, Henry, hadn't responded to Spencer's grandfather. Sixty years ago, Henry had been broke, nearly unable to inherit the title. He simply didn't have the money to worry about a hunting rifle.

Now, this transaction, delayed by 60 years, was finally about to be completed. For William, the money wasn't an issue. However, he wasn't shameless enough to pay the 390 pounds as agreed upon 60 years ago. Back then, it was the gold standard, with one pound worth 7.322 grams of gold, meaning 390 pounds was roughly 2.856 kilograms of gold.

At today's gold price, that would be around £80,000. Not to mention the inflation and sentiment over the years. So, William shook his head and said to Gareth, "Mate, you're the expert here. Help me appraise its value."

Gareth smiled and said, "No problem, but can I take a closer look at the rifle?"

"Go ahead," William nodded. The rifle wasn't fragile, after all.

Gareth carefully inspected every part of the rifle, assembling it with care. After a moment of consideration, he finally spoke under the eager gazes of everyone present, "This is an excellent rifle. It's been incredibly well-preserved. Judging by the rifling in the barrel, this gun has probably only been fired during testing and hasn't been used at all in the past 60 years. William, I must say, you're very lucky. Rifles in such good condition are incredibly rare on the market."

"Haha, thanks," William was inwardly delighted. From the moment Gareth had finished assembling the rifle, William had taken a liking to it. The steel parts of the rifle were intricately engraved with patterns of fleur-de-lis and crests. The bolt area featured three high-pointed stag heads. After Gareth handed the rifle back to William, he liked it even more upon seeing the Devonshire family's secret code engraved on the receiver.

The timing wasn't right, so William didn't dwell on the code. He maintained a calm expression, showing no signs of surprise, and waited for Gareth to speak with a faint smile.

After a moment of thought, Gareth said, "If this rifle didn't have the Devonshire family crest and initials, its market value would be at least £400,000 to £600,000. But with the crest and initials, it's hard to say."

Gareth then gave William a knowing look and a strange smile.

William laughed heartily, "Don't worry, Gareth, I know what you're getting at. The Devonshire family may have fallen from grace, and the family crest might not mean much to others. If this rifle went to auction without my involvement, it would likely fetch a normal price. But if I, the rightful heir, were to participate, it could easily sell for a sky-high price. Is that what you mean?"

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