Charlie did not expect that Autumn would turn him down as soon as he contacted her. However, he naturally would not give up so easily. So, he immediately replied: “I thought that you were back in the United States, Miss Hart. I did not expect that you would actually be in Syria instead. I wonder, why did you go all the way to Syria?”Autumn replied: “I came here with some of my university classmates to film a documentary about the war. We are preparing to use this documentary as an opportunity to launch an anti-war charity fund.”Charlie hurriedly replied: “Miss Hart, if you are interested to set up an anti-war charity fund, I can personally contribute and donate a sum of money to you too. If you would be willing to collaborate with me for the long-term, I am also prepared to transfer thirty million US dollars to your charity fund in a one-off transaction.”As he spoke, Charlie continued: “To be honest, you are a talent who majored in finance. So, why would you go all the way to Syr
Charlie smiled as he said: “Based on what I know, it seems as though the government and the opposition forces have already been in a deadlock war for a very long time. Moreover, their government is also short of money, food, weapons, and ammunition. They would also have inadequate training throughout the year, and they would certainly have very low combat effectiveness. Besides that, the government only sent a few soldiers over there to protect and ensure your team’s safety. In my opinion, that is basically useless. All of you are just unarmed and talented young people. So, if an accident were to happen, all of you would not even have the chance to escape at all.”Autumn replied a little hesitantly: “Well… I don’t think that it is that serious…”Charlie smiled as he said: “That is just your own assumption. If something were to truly happen, your assumption or opinion would not really matter at all.”As he spoke, Charlie suddenly remembered something, and he said: “I heard that merce
Autumn, who was far away in Syria, was indeed very tempted and moved after hearing Charlie’s words.During this time, Autumn and many of her classmates had encountered a lot of difficulties and dangers in Syria. Although they were lucky and fortunate enough to avoid all of these dangers by chance, every one of them knew very well that they were all facing very high risks simply by staying in Syria to continue filming the documentary.So, Autumn felt that if she could truly get the twenty million US dollars sponsorship from Charlie, that would be equivalent to a very great improvement to everyone’s personal safety, and it would be of great help to their filming expenses.As she thought about this, Autumn replied to Charlie: “Mr. Wade, why don’t we do this, then? I will bring up your proposal and suggestion to the people in my team and see what they think about it. If they agree to it, I will not have a different opinion.”Charlie smiled as he said: “That’s great! When will you guys
Yolden replied gratefully, “Charlie, thank you so much! You can rest assured that I will surely do my best to repay you when the time comes!”Charlie bowed slightly before he said, “Uncle Hart, you’re welcome.”After that, Charlie checked the time before he said, “Uncle Hart, you still have some classes on later, right? In that case, I will not disturb you anymore. We can continue chatting another day.”Yolden looked at his watch, and he hurriedly said, “Oh! I would have forgotten all about it if you did not mention it. I will have to conduct a class right away. Charlie, if you have nothing else to do, why don’t you stay in my office and wait for me, then? Don’t be in such a hurry to leave. We could have lunch together at noon after my class.”Charlie replied, “Uncle Hart, you must certainly be very busy with work. So, perhaps we could enjoy a meal together some other day instead?”Yolden waved his hand and said, “I might be busy, but I will always have time to rest. Besides, both
Charlie did not understand why someone would be investigating and looking into Kian’s affairs at this time.After all, Donald already knew that he was the mastermind behind Kian’s incident. As a stakeholder in this matter, the Webb family certainly would not do something unnecessary and come to investigate and look into this matter again.Therefore, the only possibility was that the people who were investigating and looking into Kian’s matter were not sent here by the Webb family.Charlie thought carefully about this matter. He was almost done dealing with all of the people that he had offended, and those that he was not done dealing with were just the Schulz family in Oskia and the Whittaker family in the United States.There were members from these two families who had suffered in Charlie’s hands. Moreover, these two families were still in the dark. If they wanted to find him, they would have to clear through layer after layer of mysteries before they could finally track him down
As he spoke, Carvalho said, “Besides, the reason why we came here this time is not because we intend to do anything to him. The Schulz family wants us to find out about his identity. However, I am not prepared to intervene or get involved in the fight between him and the Schulz family. So, even if we do find out about his true identity, I will never reveal it to the Schulz family.”Mason could not help but ask, “Great-grandpa, we came all the way here to investigate and find out the identity of the Schulz family’s enemy at the request of the Schulz family. If we refuse to help them, wouldn’t it be a direct violation of our agreement with them?”Carvalho glared at him before he said angrily, “Stupid! As soon as we decided to come to Aurous Hill, we are no longer acting on behalf of the Schulz family anymore!”After he was done speaking, Carvalho continued, “My purpose in coming to Aurous Hill is indeed to look for this powerful figure. However, I am here because I want to see if I co
Golden Arch Cafe was an authentic local dining brand in Aurous Hill. They had several branches in Aurous Hill, and they specialized in serving authentic local cuisines that were deeply loved by the locals.As soon as he arrived at the entrance of Golden Arch Cafe, Yolden gave a brief introduction to Charlie. “My ancestors were all natives of Aurous Hill for three generations. I have been living in Aurous Hill ever since I was born until my adolescence. After that, I went abroad to the United States to further my studies. After that, I settled down in the United States for a very long time. I recently returned to the country after spending decades abroad, and I suddenly felt that the food in my hometown is actually really tempting. I cannot seem to get tired of eating it at all. Although the cafeteria in the university would provide a variety of free food for the lecturers, I would always come here at noon every day so that I can have a bite of the most authentic Aurous Hill cuisine.”
Charlie was slightly surprised, but he did not show it at all. Instead, he naturally retracted his gaze.At this time, Carvalho and Mason did not know that the person that they were looking for was actually seated not too far behind them.Since they had arrived slightly earlier, their food had already been served, and they had already begun eating for quite some time.As they ate, Mason asked Carvalho, “Great-grandpa, do you have any preliminary plans on how long you intend to stay in Oskia this time?”Carvalho shook his head and said, “We will take everything step by step as it comes. I have a vague feeling that I will have a fortunate encounter during my trip to Aurous Hill this time. So, I have no plans to leave before this good fortune and opportunity appears.”Mason nodded lightly, and he was about to say something. However, he decided to hold back his words after looking around his surrounding environment. At this time, Carvalho’s cell phone suddenly rang.Carvalho glance
While Charlie was waiting for Claire at the airport, Jacob and Elaine were taken to the traffic police station.But even in the patrol car, Elaine did not stop lashing out at Jacob.As such, the traffic police had no choice but to call up another patrol car to bring them over separately.Charlie was hence left wondering what those two were up to this time as they were nowhere to be seen when Claire's flight was about to land and weren't answering his texts.Fortunately, Charlie never considered them reliable, so he was fine whether they showed up or not.If they did, they could all head home in the same car.If they didn't, he just had to take a cab home with Claire.It was past three when Claire's private jet landed, and Claire herself cleared the checkpoint in just half an hour, wheeling a trolley with her luggage.Seeing Charlie from afar, she couldn't help quickening her pace as she beamed.Charlie hurried toward her as well, and Claire shoved her trolley aside when they w
However, to Jacob's shock, Elaine wasn't misled at all as she growled icily, "Why would I ask anyone else?! If there's someone I must question, it's Matilda! She's getting married, isn't she? Good! I will be there and ask her why she hooked up with my husband!"Jacob turned pale right then.Matilda's son and even some of their old classmates would be attending her wedding.If Elaine went, he would be exposed, and he wouldn't be able to stay in Aurous Hill out of shame!His nerves gnawing at him, Jacob could only plead, "Please, just trust me this once! Anything else aside, she's getting married, anyway—there's no way that I'd have anything to do with her! That alone should prove my innocence!"Elaine snorted. "If Matilda returned when I was arrested, it means she has been back for a while! And you're saying nothing happened since? Hell, even if she's married, it doesn't prove that she wasn't up to some hanky-panky with you! Maybe while I was arrested and refused a divorce when you
The driver was left dumbstruck—this wasn't how it was supposed to go.Still, he blurted, "C-Crashing into a Cullinan? I might end up dead instead…""Fine! Then let's change cars, and you crash into ours—how about that?!" Elaine promptly retorted before continuing, "Or we could just stand right in front of your car while you run into us! I just happen to have a death wish, but if you don't kill me now, I'll kill you! Don't think about getting away either—I know your car plate! I'll sell this car and use the money to put a bounty on your head! I don't care what happens to me now! I'll claw my nails into the devil's face even if he shows up!"The driver was actually quite experienced, but even he had yet to meet someone as ridiculous as Elaine.Barely able to keep his hands steady, he threw them up as he apologized, "I'm so sorry, ma'am—I just lost my cool. I'm merely a humble driver of a Honda Civic while you own a Rolls. Hell, I spent fifty bucks buying that red emblem from Amazon,
Elaine may have led a life as if she was above the rules, but beneath that tough exterior lay crippling insecurities and a horrific inferiority complex.She was always afraid of being belittled—but more than that, of being ostracized and betrayed.Over the years, the greatest source of her complexes could all be traced back to Matilda.After all, Matilda had been a star back in their school days. Because Elaine was a close friend of hers, many boys would get chummy with Elaine, but only because they were interested in Matilda.Being from a poor farmer's family, Elaine had been scorned plenty and therefore felt exceedingly inferior around Matilda.It was from that sense of inferiority that Elaine had inadvertently developed a one-sided rivalry against Matilda, and she believed her greatest triumph over Matilda in this life was the moment she had stolen Jacob from her.However, while Elaine presumed that she could hold that victory over Matilda's head, Lady Wilson had soured that v
Moreover, given Elaine's ridiculous temper, Jacob knew she would definitely go overboard and destroy him.He wouldn't even have a place to live at that point, and it would really be game over if she held a grudge and stormed the Calligraphy and Painting Association!Under such circumstances, he couldn't ask for a divorce—hell, he might even refuse a divorce if Elaine asked for one!However, that was when Elaine laughed coldly. "Oh, my… You're really not going to divorce me?""Come on—how long were we married?" Jacob quickly reasoned. "Getting divorced at our age? People would laugh at us."Elaine scoffed. "Now I'm curious… Matilda's quite old too, and she's a divorcee marrying again. Won't people laugh at her?""Technically, she's a widow—"Jacob blurted out, but soon turned pale, tensing up again not a second after he had just calmed down, asking gingerly, "W-Why would you suddenly mention her?'Elaine stopped pretending right then and snapped, "It's actually impressive that y
Horrified, Jacob promptly grasped the steering wheel and brought the Cullinan back under control while not hesitating to snap, "Are you crazy?! We're on the highway—that could have killed the both of us!"However, Elaine ignored him and seized the moment to open the armrest box, pulling out the large white envelope.As she opened it, she muttered, "So, it really was a wedding invitation… You really are a terrible friend, Jacob Wilson, hiding a wedding invitation like this! What's the point? Just look at that nervous face of yours—would I suspect you of having an affair with the bride-to-be?"She flipped open the card and was experienced enough to check the names first while disregarding the usual preamble. She wouldn't care about the venue or the time either, focusing solely on the professor who had somehow made Jacob very nervous.That was how Elaine found the names in less than a second: Yolden Hart and Matilda Hall.Matilda?!The name could well be knives stabbing Elaine in th
Jacob's brain blanked out, leaving only a dull hum as soon as Walker mentioned 'Professor Hall'.Already feeling nervous in the first place, he quickly said, "Okay, okay—I got it. Anyway, I'm hanging up if there's nothing else!"With that, he promptly pressed the button to hang up.Nonetheless, Elaine was soon asking in curiosity, "Who's Professor Hall?"If Jacob had any semblance of composure, he would have said 'a colleague at Senior University' as if it was perfectly natural, and the matter would have been forgotten.But the reality was that he didn't—in fact, he was the champion when it came to dropping the ball as a casual question from Elaine left him sweating all over his brow.Even as he slid nervous glances at her face, he stammered uncontrollably, "N-Nobody…"Elaine promptly noticed his strange reaction and frowned. "I'm talking about Professor Hall. What do you mean, nobody? Who are they? And what's this about an invitation? Inviting you for what?"Seeing that he was
Jacob had really had too much to drink and couldn't remember the later parts of what had happened last night—even how he had gotten home was a blur.Naturally, he also forgot that Walker had brought Matilda's wedding invitation, and therefore didn't hesitate to answer the in-car answer button.Over the phone, Walker was positively fawning as he asked, "Mr. Wilson? It's Walker. Why didn't you come in today? Had too much to drink last night?""Uh-huh," Jacob grunted, lethargic. "I did—my head still hurts now… Anyway, what's up? Trouble at the association?""No, of course not," Walker quickly said. "I was just worried you're still hungover, so I called to ask. If you need a driver or anything, you just need to ask!"Then, before Jacob could answer, he continued, "By the way, my wife is somewhat knowledgable in Oskian medicine, and she has recipes for brews that cure hangovers and nourish the liver. I'm sure you'll need the latter since you're always drinking at social events, so I as
Fortunately, Elaine and Jacob's bickering never escalated.Even though Elaine was winning, Jacob found it tolerable.After Jacob finished his lunch and cleaned up, he never looked up as he said, "Charlie sent a text, saying Claire's flight would touch down earlier at three. We will leave at two."Elaine grumbled. "Why leave so early? She's coming back from abroad, and there'd be checkpoints she has to clear—she'd be lucky if she could leave by half past three. I'm sleeping a few winks now, and we'll leave at half past two."As she left the dining room, she didn't even look back as she said, "Clean up for me too."Jacob had a million complaints but said nothing as he kept his head down, throwing Elaine's lunchbox in the trash can as well.With Elaine gone, he sat on the couch as her hangover slowly cleared while his mood soured with the lack of alcohol.In the end, the pleasure of being fawned over at the Diamond Room was but temporary—the pain of his beloved leaving with someone