At this moment, Kevin was standing in front of Axel Insurance’s main door with a proud face.He knew that today was the best opportunity for him to show off himself in front of Claire’s mother. He must seize the moment to prove his worth!If he could win her mother’s heart, she would be his in no time!When the time came, he could finally be with Claire Wilson, the most beautiful woman in Aurous Hill. He was in jitters as he thought of it!Hence, he announced in a loud voice, “Uncles and aunties, don’t worry. The boss will refund everyone!”Everyone cheered with joy and excitement upon hearing his statement, wide smiles were plastered on their faces.Everyone but Charlie, who looked at Kevin with a sneer. That dude was too full of himself right now, he wouldn’t even know how he would end up being later.Just when Kevin held his chin high and enjoyed the cheers, someone suddenly pushed open Axel Insurance’s door from the inside.Later, Axel and a middle-aged man in a smart suit
Just as Kevin finished his so-called intimidating threat, a studly man behind Don Albert abruptly stepped forward, grabbed Kevin by his hair, and slapped him multiple times on his face!“God d*mn it! How dare you raise your voice at Don Albert! Do you wish to die?!”Then, he grabbed Elaine and slapped her across the face, and shouted, “D*mn you old coot, how dare you to insult Don Albert! I’ll tear that stinky mouth off your face!”Boom!It felt as if Kevin and Elaine were struck by lightning!What?The man in a suit in front of them was the fearsome Don Albert of Aurous Hill?Yet they had ridiculed him ignorantly just now…Soon, blood drained their face, looking as pale as two sheets of paper. Cold sweat covered their forehead and their bodies shook uncontrollably in fear.Kevin was quick to react. He threw himself on the floor, knelt in front of Don Albert, and cried as he pleaded, “Don, I’m sorry, it’s my bad! Sorry for not recognizing you, sorry for insulting you! I have n
Elaine crouched on the floor, her body trembling violently. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting to be slapped by the muscular man, but the slap never came as she had expected.She opened her eyes in confusion and was shocked!Charlie, her good-for-nothing son-in-law, came out and held the man’s wrist!This…She felt that her mind had gone kaput for the moment—she couldn’t process the thing that was happening right now. Why was the useless Charlie so brave out of sudden?Don Albert couldn’t believe either that there’s someone dared to stand up for the d*mn old lady at a moment like this. He growled coldly, “Who are you? Do you have a death wish?”Charlie smiled faintly. “You are Don Albert, aren’t you? You can beat the h*ll out of that b*stard, but do me a favor and don’t touch my mother-in-law!”A layer of dark gloom shaded Albert’s face. “This old fart is your mother-in-law? Who do you think you are for me to do you a favor?”Albert began to huff in wrath when he said it.He
As soon as the voice resonated into Albert’s ear, his brain processed the information rapidly and registered the voice as Isaac Cameron, the man who he had been trying to curry favor with!Did he just say that he had offended his young master?Could it be this man in front of him?!Moreover, Isaac knew that there were twenty-five members in his whole family. Did he already research on his background thoroughly?Isaac Cameron was the spokesperson of the Wade family in Aurous Hill! The Wade family’s influence and power were so enormous and strong that destroying him would be as easy as smacking an ant!Albert’s legs went jelly and he trembled in fear as he listened to Isaac’s angry voice. He stuttered, “Mr. Cameron, please calm down. I… I didn’t know, it was just a misunderstanding, the young master and I…”“Shut up!” Isaac shouted, “Our Young Master’s identity is highly confidential. If you leak it out even a little, I swear I’ll wipe you and your family clean from the world!”Al
Elaine was over the moon and a little disbelieving when she heard Axel’s statement. Her money had increased from 1.3 million to two million!She asked, astonished, “Are you sure? Are you really giving me two million?”Axel nodded hurriedly. “Of course! It’s all yours!”“Wow, that’s wonderful!” Elaine shrieked in excitement.Seeing Elaine not only getting back her money but also the additional five hundred thousand dollars, the rest of the elders were tiptoeing in jittery. They felt that since Elaine’s money was refunded, they should also receive the same treatment as well, shouldn’t they?Hence, some of them started, “Mr. Jordan, what about our money?”Axel turned to Albert, exasperated.Albert was heavyhearted to surrender all the money he had pocketed, but he was up against the Wade family who he couldn’t afford to pick a fight with—he might even lose his life. Hence, he blurted, “Just refund, refund them all! For Mr. Wade’s sake, they’ll get back their capital and the dividen
Charlie glared at him coldly and muttered, “I don’t have any disputes nor any connections with you, but you kept making fun of me and taunting me, and now you want me to help you? Dream on!”Kevin collapsed and wailed, “Charlie, I’m really sorry, please help me…”Looking at Charlie’s displeased expression, Albert shouted to his men, “D*mn it you fools, what are you waiting for? Get your hands on him now!”His bodyguards were startled in shock. Then, they swiftly grabbed Kevin’s neck and hair, and started beating the crap out of him!Soon, blood flooded Kevin’s mouth and a few of his teeth were broken, but Albert’s bodyguards showed no signs of stopping. Every slap they swung towards Kevin’s face was fast and hard!Albert turned to Charlie and asked with a flattering smile, “Mr. Wade, are you satisfied with our work?”Charlie nodded casually. “Very good. Okay, that’s it, I have to go now.”Albert handed his name card to Charlie respectfully and said, “Mr. Wade, this is my number.
After settling Elaine’s problem, Elaine and Charlie parted ways. Hugging the suitcase happily like a child holding a lollipop, Elaine went to the bank to make a deposit while Charlie went home.Upon entering the house, Charlie saw Claire’s shoes in the hallway, so he knew that she had returned and went straight to their bedroom.As soon as he entered the room, he saw his wife just hanging up the phone, her face painted with surprise and excitement.He asked curiously, “Dear, who was it on the phone?”Claire shrieked excitedly, “It’s my bestie, Loreen! Do you remember her?”“Yes, I do,” Charlie nodded and continued, “She used to study in Aurous Hill and was very close to you. In fact, if I recall correctly, she is the daughter of the wealthy Thomas family in Eastcliff, isn’t she?”“Yes!” Claire said, “Loreen’s family is quite prominent in Eastcliff.”Charlie smiled and asked, “So what is it about? Is she coming to Aurous Hill for a visit?”“Not just for a visit, she’s coming to
Charlie ordered her to keep an eye on Loreen after she started working and to always report to him if there were any abnormalities.After talking to Doris, Charlie took a taxi to the airport to pick Loreen up.When he was at the airport, Charlie disembarked the taxi and was about to go to the arrival hall when a Mercedes-Benz G-Class braked abruptly and stopped in front of him.Harold, Claire’s cousin, stretched his head out of the car window and frowned when he saw Charlie. “Why are you here?”“I’m here to pick Claire’s friend up. Why are you here?”Charlie frowned too when he saw the familiar faces sitting in the car—besides Harold, there were Gerald and Wendy.Harold sneered. “Do you mean Miss Thomas? We’re here to entertain her, you’re nothing but redundant, get lost!”Charlie snorted indifferently and said, “You get lost.”Thus, Charlie ignored them and walked directly into the airport’s arrival hall.Harold’s face turned into an ugly shade of red and he was about to swea
Zachary nodded repeatedly. "Mr. Montague? Very well!""Yes!" Jacob grinned smugly. "Longer last names are simply better—it just sounds so authoritative."With that agreed upon, both men alighted, where the master was waiting nearby.Seeing them get off, he hurried over to them, smiling, "Please, follow me."Zachary looked around and huffed, "Honestly, Mr. Cardensky, isn't this way too far from the highway? The road is narrow and terrible, and I have to park my car all the way out here. Just coming here is taxing."Mr. Cardensky smiled in turn. "My friend, that's exactly why we picked this place. Do you remember seeing a couple of cars parked by the road, occupying half of it?""We arranged for them to be there. Anyone coming by car would have to slow down that way, buying time for us to see who they truly are. If it's cops, our watchers would quietly text us while we clean the house and bail."Zachary exclaimed in realization, "You boys really run a tight ship!""For sure," Mr.
After working in Antique Street for years, Zachary's connections and influence were naturally special. And yet, though he was acquainted with some of the more impressive individuals, he was not that close with them either.For example, the forgery masters who worked specifically to deceive experts only accepted jobs from major clients, usually antique traders high in social status and wealth.In contrast, they wouldn't ever be interested in frivolous people like Zachary. Even if he could reach them, they might not look at him twice.If one would describe them as the cartel boss, then Zachary would be a low-level enforcer, managing night joints or goofing off.But now, Zachary had turned over a new leaf—he worked under Don Albert, so one of those masters was pleasantly surprised when he called one of them, inviting him to his own workshop for a visit and further discussion.As such, Zachary picked up Jacob and went over to the master's hideout where the latter worked on his count
Zachary was naturally shrewd enough to read Jacob's intention.In reality, he wasn't offering to pay just because he wanted the profit. He merely wanted to get in Jacob's good graces. After all, wouldn't Jacob be even more grateful that he wasn't just helping his revenge but also helping him make money?As such, he didn't hesitate to tell Jacob, "Well, chief—since you'll be paying, I will make sure that you will get every cent of profit that you deserve."Jacob was grinning ear-to-ear, but he said, "Oh, you don't have to! If we really are making a profit, there's no way I would let your good work go unrewarded!"Spreading his arms, he continued generously, "How about this? I will pay the full cost while you get twenty percent of the net profit!"Zachary laughed. "Now, that can wait, chief. We need to pay as soon as we decide on the item we want, and there's no time for buyer's regret. But if Raymond doesn't take the bait, all that money will go down the drain, and whether we can s
Zachary chuckled and continued, "Well, I went to Antique Street and asked around. Turns out our mutual friend only brought a few hundred thousand grand with him. If he messes up and loses all his money, won't it be over for him?""He won't just be broke either—he'd be humiliated and forced to fuck off from Antique Street. You'd get even then!"Jacob was at once excited.Just yesterday, Claire and Charlie were warning him that assault meant doing time.As the vice president of the Calligraphy and Painting Association and the next presidential-hopeful, he would lose his place if he was charged with assault or being an accessory to a case.However, Zachary's plan was much better. Jacob wouldn't have to take responsibility, and the damage on Raymond would be even worse!In comparison, slapping Raymond meant nothing. Watching him go broke and get humiliated would really ease his heart!With that in mind, he promptly pressed Zachary, "Are you sure that prick will mess up?""I can't a
Jacob Wilson was in his office at the Calligraphy and Painting Association, planning his itinerary in Dubai.Still, he was immediately thrilled when Zachary told him that there was progress, and he quickly said, "Come see me at the Calligraphy and Painting Association. We'll talk in my office!""Alright!" Zachary agreed to it happily. "Just wait, Mr. Wilson. I'll be right there!"Jacob then quickly told him, "By the way, remember to address me as the vice president when you're here. Got it?"Zachary was naturally sharp enough to understand why, especially around other members of the Calligraphy and Painting Association.Smiling, he said, "Don't worry, chief. You can always be at ease when I'm on the job!"Once he hung up, he drove to the Calligraphy and Painting Association at top speed.There were just a dozen people around the dozens of work cubicles although Zachary was curious about the personal effects or office tools in the cubicles.After asking around, a staff member le
Then, Mick continued, "I won't lie—Moore Group's bean counters have been eager to get rid of Vintage Deluxe for a while now. It's only Miss Moore's insistence that keeps them at bay, even occasionally coming to check on how business is going. That means she holds sentiment for this place, but if she knows that Raymond is back and doing well, she might hire him again!"Zachary could laugh right then. After all, Mick was terrible at gathering information—he could worry about anyone taking his palace, but not Raymond. The man was fired because he had insulted Master Wade's father in-law, and Miss Moore was endlessly respectful—even obedient to Master Wade. There was no chance that she would hire Raymond back after what he had done, and Mick was just being paranoid.However, Zachary did not tell Mick that.As Mick was begging him to intervene and thus owing him big time, he would also be helping Jacob Wilson get even.Two birds with one stone, so why not?With that in mind, Zachar
Zachary then said, "By the way, I have some friends who have a lot of stock. How much capital do you have, Mr. Cole? I'll check if they have stuff that suits you, and you can partner with them."When Zachary asked how much capital, he was basically asking Raymond how much he would invest in his own business and how much he could spend on taking new stock as he was buying.As such, Raymond replied modestly, "I've been chasing my tail for a while, so I didn't earn more than a few hundred thousand. I definitely would have no issue taking items with rebates, but I'm afraid I can't afford premiums.""Alright!" Zachary nodded, having discerned the scale of Zachary's capital."I'll check on what's available and see if we can get a few personal deals."Raymond nodded. "Thank you, Zachary!"Zachary smiled, shaking his head. "Mr. Crane, please buy another fruit basket for Mr. Cole—I'll pay you later."Mick quickly said, "Oh, you don't have to, Mr. Evans! It's my pleasure, no worries!"Zach
With the last stroke, Raymond got on a ladder to reach the old signboard, pasting the banner over the old shop sign.Then, he added a notice by the entrance: We buy all antiques and measure all treasures.As soon as the makeshift sign and notice were up, Mick was the first to arrive with a fruit basket to celebrate the occasion.The instant they met, he greeted Raymond warmly, "Ah, Mr. Cole! You sure are efficient—you just came back yesterday evening, and you're already setting up shop today at noon!"Raymond smiled, "Doing a small business by myself is naturally much quicker."Mick shook his head disapprovingly as he put the fruit basket by the door, "Now, now. Don't be a stranger, Mr. Cole—almost everyone in Antique Street is a friend, but you didn't tell the gang when you opened the shop! It'd hype things up when everyone comes bringing you gifts!"Raymond quickly shook his head. "Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't know if this humble trade will last. It's better to keep m
To not lose three months' worth of rent on top of that, Donald called over the owner at top speed while getting some of the friends in the antique trade to appraise what merchandise he had left.Taking losses had always been the hardest pill to swallow, but once the decision was made, there really was nothing that couldn't be given up.The owner was plenty pleased as well since that meant someone was picking up on his rental. He promptly had Donald sign the agreement transferring the last three months for the rental to Raymond while signing a new rental contract with Raymond.Raymond didn't have to pay up immediately either—he just had to start paying rent to the owner once Donald's three-month rent was up.Once the agreement was signed, every stall owner as well as owners of businesses resembling the Pearl House swarmed the premises.After all, they loved to take stock from people in the same line of business. Once a business owner decided to close shop, they wouldn't be bothered