After all, Charlie’s appearance had subverted their perceptions of one another as master and apprentice. It had deeply impacted their enthusiasm. Nevertheless, Kazuki still hoped that Nanako could perform well. Even if she could not win the championship, based on her ability, she should have no problems getting the runner-up spot. However, if she could not perform well, she might not even be able to be the runner-up. Luckily, through the video, he found nothing unusual about Nanako as compared to her usual self.Nanako herself was not the type of player to be easily excited. Thus, before her big match, she was normally very calm, like how she was resting at the moment.Seeing that the time was almost up, Hiroshi spoke, “Miss, there’s still five minutes before you enter the venue.”Nanako opened her eyes, lightly nodded her head, and replied, “I know.”Hiroshi continued, “Miss, I am on a video call with Yamamoto-san, do you have anything to ask him?” As he spoke, he quickly switch
Nanako felt very mournful in her heart.After knowing that she had a limited outlook, all she wanted was to jump out of it. Unfortunately, Charlie would not give her this opportunity. Seeing her loss of expression, Kazuki hurriedly comforted her and spoke, “Nanako, now is not the time to think about this. You should win this game first. After that, we can consider the rest!”Nanako nodded heavily. Swiftly, she told Kazuki, “Master, I will enter the arena.”“Go on!” Kazuki encouraged her as he said, “You must give your best in this match no matter whether Charlie accepts you as his apprentice or not. You must let him see your ability! Therefore, in this match, try all you can to win as beautifully as possible!”“As beautifully as possible?”“Correct!” Kazuki affirmed. He continued, “Nanako, after Aurora defeated Joanna the last time, she became famous on the internet. I hope you will go to all lengths when you fight to unleash a killer move to defeat your opponent!”Nanako exclaimed, “
At that moment, the four players approached the two arenas respectively. One arena was on the left, and the other, on the right. Each arena was surrounded by spectators. Today, there were no empty seats. Before the match began, there were endless sounds of applause, whistling, and cheering.Charlie stood under the arena behind Aurora. This was also the spot for the Sanda coaches in the competition. The opponent’s coach looked at him nervously at that moment. He also looked at Aurora, who was in the area, from time to time. He had his towel ready in his hand. Once his apprentice could not support herself onstage, he would throw his towel in at the quickest time possible to admit defeat.In the arena, Aurora looked at her opponent, Victoria, with a callous expression.Before Charlie had helped Aurora to improve her body physique, she was indeed no match for Victoria. After all, this Australian girl was tall, and her body function was much better than Aurora.But now, Aurora was very c
Aurora’s voice pierced the air, shocking Victoria!She had seen the match between Aurora and Joanna, and she knew that Aurora had explosive power. With this kick, she was afraid would fly directly out of the arena, just like Joanna had. As a result, she quickly withdrew her right leg in a single step. Her left and right leg formed a triangle on the surface of the ground, and this would further strengthen the stability of her lower body. Next, she put both her arms in front of her, preparing to block Aurora’s kick with a blocking motion.Alas, she was not Joanna, and she did not have the slightest idea as to how strong Aurora’s kick was! She only felt her arms being hit by a tremendous force. The next thing she knew, she heard two crisp fracture sounds—both her arms had been broken by a single kick from Aurora! This was quickly followed by intense pain. She could not withstand that powerful force. Like Joanna in the previous match, she immediately rose high into the air! A huge excl
Charlie looked on from a distance. He could not help but feel surprised. He never thought that Nanako could be beaten by the American girl. Nanako seemed very passive and would not fight back.Furthermore, her beautiful face was also bruised and bleeding due to repeated hits, especially the corner of her right eye, which appeared cracked. Looking at her made one feel anxious.He could not resist coming over to the side of the arena. He carefully observed Nanako and noticed that even though Nanako was injured and very passive in the situation, both her eyes stared at the opponent’s every move intensely. He could not understand. Since Nanako was observing her opponent, why didn’t she fight back? What was she waiting for?At this moment, Nanako saw Charlie.Besides feeling amazed, she was also surprised. This was because she could see a bit of distress in Charlie’s eyes. She asked herself in her heart, ‘The distress in Charlie’s eyes, is it because of me? Is he caring for me?’ The ne
In the spur of the moment, Ito Nanako’s willpower gave her the strength to push forward. Even with the painful wounds on her body, she pressed forth. It was during that split-second, her body radiated with explosive energy!Immediately, Ito jumped from her position, and in midair, her body turned two hundred and seventy degrees before swinging her slender right leg across Michelle’s face.Michelle was surprised by Nanako’s performance. She didn’t expect her to suddenly strike her with that much energy and power.Plus, the sudden burst of energy in her which was released by Charlie took her by surprise.Nanako’s strike far surpassed her performance during her prime!Michelle gradually recovered from the shock and was about to defend herself against the incoming kick, but it was already too late. The reaction time that Nanako gave her had already passed.She felt as though a shadowy figure had struck her face with a lot of force. The moment she lost focus and tried to recover from it, th
The referee held the microphone to his mouth and spoke, “The Arena Winner is Japan’s very own ITO NANAKO!!!”“The battle today was spectacular! It was truly unexpected that both arenas would have winners that took out their opponents with a single blow! Both the winners are qualified for the finals!”“Firstly, our contestant from Oskia, Ms. Aurora Quinton! Previously she defeated her opponent, Joanna from Brazil! Once again, she has showcased her ability to defeat her opponents in a single strike! Amazing performance!”“Now, Ms. Aurora Quinton will go head-to-head against Japan’s contestant, Ito Nanako! They shall have their showdown during the finals!”“As for the losers of this round, Ms. Victoria from Italy and Ms. Michelle from America shall battle for third place! Stay tuned!”The crowd cheered and applauded!It was unexpected that the Oskian contestant would be able to make it to the finals and even perform extremely well in the competition! She was indeed the black horse of the
Every gift basket was the size of a business suitcase. The entire package was black with strings of gold, which made it look low-key luxurious.Charlie couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Why are the packages so big?”Isaac promptly replied, “Young Master, I purposely chose the best gift baskets which contained all of the most expensive gifts which are worth three hundred eighty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight dollars. It is the complete package with all their most exquisite products which includes the eye and face cream in big quantities as well.”Charlie nodded. “Thanks for the hard work.”Isaac replied hastily, “This is nothing, Young Master.”Charlie snorted, “Isaac, I’m heading over to Eastcliff for a bit. I’ll pass the stuff here to Albert and you. Please take care of it, especially my wife’s family. You must protect her from the shadows. The Webb family is still lingering out there, I’ve got a bad feeling that they are still unwilling to give up.”Isaac quickly excla
Vera kept her plan to investigate the identity of the abbess deep in her mind and told Charlie nothing.Instead, she smiled as she said, "It seems that it's both yours and Ms. Ito's good fortune that she has attained enlightenment. You've never had anyone who could attain enlightenment and master Reiki at the same time, so Ms. Ito will definitely be a great help to you in the future."Charlie chuckled and said calmly, "I'm not hoping for her to help. I'm simply happy for her with her enlightenment and excited to have another comrade in my solo ventures into the dark forests."Vera nodded in understanding, and she murmured emotionally, "I've lived for so long, and it's only when I opened my heart to you that I felt that sensation you described."There was a flicker of wistfulness in her eyes.She really did not expect to attain enlightenment before meeting Charlie.Years ago, she thought that she would eventually avenge her father.Now, she no longer hoped to murder Fleur Griffi
Vera was inwardly disappointed to hear that Claire was returning.That meant there were fewer chances of Charlie visiting the Scarlet Pinnacle Manor, as were her chances of seeing him again.Still, she didn't let it show, instead asking casually, "How are things at Champs Elys? Are the warriors improving at a rate to your satisfaction?""Well, most of everyone's improvement is within expectations…" Charlie explained, just as he remembered a certain someone. "By the way, there's something I haven't told you yet. Are you perhaps acquainted with the name Ito Nanako?""Yes," Vera smiled. "The Japanese lady who was with you. What about her?""She attained enlightenment days ago.""Enlightenment?" Vera did a double take and soon pressed, "Enlightenment in what sense? Essential Qi or Reiki?"After all, the former was the path to enlightenment in martial arts, while the latter meant enlightenment in cultivation.But despite the distinction between both domains, enlightenment was a comm
While Charlie had long since gotten used to Elaine and Jacob's bizarre marriage, being near the heart of the storm still took a toll on his senses—to the point that he felt physically sick.Leaving right away was therefore his best solution.Once he left, however, he realized he didn't have anywhere to go. Champs Elys was quite far, and it would take a lot of time.As he started to feel bored stiff, he remembered Vera for some reason and called her.Once Vera answered, she quickly asked in curiosity, "To what do I owe the pleasure? Lunch, perhaps?"Charlie chuckled. "Since you've put it that way… I haven't eaten either, so lunch it is!"Vera giggled. "Come over to my place, then. It's cold outside, and I was just lighting up a hot pot. I'll have Madam Marilyn prepare an additional portion.""Okay!" Charlie agreed to it without hesitation. "I can return her car too. Just wait, I'll be right there!"Once he hung up, he got on the Rolls Roycs he had borrowed from Scarlet Pinnacl
Charlie shook his head. "It's alright, Dad. You can go ahead if you're busy—I can pick up Claire on my own.""No way!" Elaine promptly snapped. "It's been so long since she came back. We are all going to the airport!"Jacob sighed in exasperation. "Well, I'm sticking to my schedule—first the Calligraphy and Painting Association, then I'll be back an hour before to pick you guys up before going together to the airport."Elaine was left fuming. "Is there no getting through to you? You really have to go to that stupid association, don't you? Okay, fine. If you must go, I will be going with you!""You're their honored vice president who will be promoted to president soon, no? As Mrs. Vice President and the future Mrs. President, is there an issue if I went for a look?"Jacob shuddered at the thought of Elaine going to the Calligraphy and Painting Association as he absolutely didn't want her to humiliate him with her antics. People would talk, asking how a proper gentleman like him c
Jacob yawned, stretching his arms and smacking his cheeks, before finally retorting in contempt, "For Pete's sake, woman—don't make dissing me a habit. Or does it please you so much?"Elaine pursed her lips. "You call that dissing? It's all facts—do you think I don't know you? Tell me, what qualifications do you have? Your knowledge about calligraphy is skin-deep, and even the frauds working on Antique Street could beat you.""Only you would have the audacity to take the role of vice president at the Calligraphy and Painting Association—heaven's above, how blind is the president to appoint you as his second fiddle? Still, you'll be packing your things as soon as he realizes the truth.""Oh, Elaine, poor Elaine…" Jacob grinned smugly at her right then. "I'm afraid things won't go the way you want. Mr. Bay's been chasing a promotion lately, and once he gets it, I will take his place as president. That means I'll be the top dog instead of second fiddle!""Bullshit!" Elaine snapped in
Jacob slept in the next day while Elaine got out of bed past ten as well.However, in the case of the latter, she wasn't drunk and was simply watching livestreams and video clips on her phone—a hobby she had picked up recently.As for Charlie, he had initially planned to visit the Champs Elys hot spring villa and train Nanako in her Reiki control. However, since Claire would be arriving in the afternoon, he stayed home, planning to leave for the airport when it was time.Elaine appeared groggy as she emerged from the elevator, rubbing her eyes while holding her phone in the other hand.Seeing Charlie cleaning the living room, she asked in curiosity, "Not going out today, Charlie? Aren't you usually going out to meet clients?"Then, she became concerned in an instant, "Wait, don't tell me—the Feng Shui business is falling off? Are we going to be affected altogether?"Charlie laughed. "You're just getting paranoid now. Things are going fine—I'm just giving myself a day's leave.""
"Anyway, we have an issue," Helena continued. "Two days ago, Nvidia launched the B100 processor, their latest product, just two hours ago—a next-generation chip that will outperform our H100 considerably. I've instructed Harrison to pull some strings and preorder a batch from Nvidia before the B100 hits the market, at least ensuring that we can get our hands on 20,000 in the first quarter when the B100 circulates."Charlie asked, "What are Harrison's thoughts on the matter?" "Of course that old fox is going to be reluctant," Helena snorted. "But with the B100's processing strength outclassing the H100's, many AI institutions and multimedia giants are waiting with their wallets wide open. He's complaining that after pulling strings to get his hands on so many H100s, he is too embarrassed to do it again for the B100.""Bullshit," Charlie chuckled. "He's just not keen on us raising our prices after that previous agreement.""Exactly," Helena laughed as well. "He's about the shrewdest
By the time Jacob was sent home, he was almost passed out drunk.As Charlie took him off Walker's hands, Jacob's eyelids were but narrow slits.With his rough facial features, his flushed cheeks, and that strange smile of his, he looked just like those sleazy middle-aged men often seen in animated cartoons.Still, seeing that Charlie had come out of the house to get him, he chuckled drunkenly, "D-Dear boy… Your dad… was so amazing!"Charlie shook his head in exasperation. "You're drunk, Dad—get some rest already. Otherwise, you might wake Mom up and get an earful for this.""Earful?" Jacob's eyes widened ferociously as he snorted, "S-She'd never dare!"Charlie chuckled as he said quietly, "Come on, keep it down—Elaine is plenty daring. And in your state, you stand no chance if she starts to beat you."Despite being drunk a second ago, Jacob suddenly shuddered from the shiver running down his spine, and he promptly corrected himself, "A gentleman… never lays a hand on a woman! T-
Naturally, neither Mr. Bay nor Hal argued with this, thus following Albert and Jacob to the Diamond Room—the grandest room of Heaven Springs.After Albert led the trio there and smiled, "Gentlemen, if you would please take your seats, my people will be delivering Big Red Robe tea and our menu to your table shortly. I've spoken to the kitchen as well, and they will be preparing appetizers first. Please feel free to enjoy a game of poker until everyone arrives, and the main courses will be delivered right away."His arrangement was utterly detailed, and the trio were awash with gratitude.Hal and Mr. Bay especially were looking upon Jacob worshipfully, as if he was an unassuming bigwig on Charlie's level.Soon, as the invited guests arrived, Albert personally brought two bottles of 3-liter Moutai that cost an arm and leg to the Diamond Room.For politeness's sake, Hal ordered two more bottles of one-liter Moutai, meaning that it was one liter for the eight persons in attendance.Th