“Miss, the Charlie you saw looks exactly like Curtis?!” The old man had an incredulous expression at this point. Vera nodded slightly and said faintly, “I can’t say that they look a hundred percent similar, but there’s at least a ninety percent resemblance.” “Ninety percent…” The old man said in shock, “In that case, there shouldn’t be any deviation then. The appearance of the two adults is similar, coupled with the fact that the person’s name is also Charlie Wade. So, there shouldn’t be any problems…” As he spoke of this, he could not help but murmur, “Then… this means that… Curtis and Ashley’s son is still alive?!” Vera’s previous gloom disappeared, and she said with a smile, “Not only is he alive but also living very well! He is very strong, and the members of the Armed Calvary Guards from the Qing Eliminating Society were like carrots piled on a chopping board before him. They didn't have any ability to resist, which was really impressive!” “Is that so?!” The old man wa
“It doesn’t matter.” Vera said with a smile, “I’m already halfway there since I already know his real identity!” After saying that, Vera added, “I’m going to look for him in Oskia first, and if I really can’t find him, I’ll go overseas to look for him then.” The old man hurriedly asked, “Miss, where will you look for him?” Vera smiled and said, “I’ll naturally go to Aurous Hill as that is where he disappeared twenty years ago. All the clues must start from there!” The old man subconsciously said, “Miss, the Wade and Acker families also started looking for him from Aurous Hill back then. After looking in Aurous Hill and searching all over the world for so many years, they still couldn't find him. Yet, you still intend to look for him in Aurous Hill after a lapse of twenty years. Wouldn’t your efforts be in vain?” Vera said seriously, “Since the Wade and Acker families started the search in Aurous Hill and looked all over the world but still couldn't find him, I think Aurous Hi
Vera was silent momentarily, then spoke up and said, “Let me draw up a divination for you then. My level of divination is still much better than that of Oskian medication.” After saying that, she took nine copper coins from her pocket without waiting for the old man’s response. She then placed the nine copper coins on the coffee table before her. As before, she divided the copper coins into three rows and grabbed the first three coins in a diagonal manner before she threw them on the table. Immediately afterward, she looked at the hexagram of the copper coins, then frowned and said, “The hexagram shows that your life expectancy is coming to an end, and you only have half a year left at most.” “Half a year?” The old man’s expression froze and was rooted to the spot as if a spell had been cast on him. However, he quickly returned to his sense and smiled wryly. “Although it’s a little shorter than I expected, it’s fine. Half a year is enough time for me to settle my affairs an
“Aurous Hill?” The old man asked in surprise. “You mean that my birth gate is in Aurous Hill?” “Yes.” Vera nodded slightly and said, “It seems you should go to Aurous Hill with me!” The old man hurriedly asked, “Miss, may… may I go with you?” “Of course.” Vera nodded and said, “Since your birth gate is in the south and is related to me, Aurous Hill is the most likely place. Let’s go there together. You'll be able to live to a hundred years old if we can find your birth gate.” The old man was extremely excited and said reverently, “Thank you for your kindness, Miss!” After that, he trembled and was about to kneel. Vera quickly got up to stop him and said seriously, “You don’t need to kneel to me. Although this birth gate is related to me, it’s by no means something I can bring to you, so you still have to go to Aurous Hill to find your own chance encounter. What I can do for you is perhaps to wish you good luck in your search.” The old man nodded hastily and sobbed, “Thank
“Oh heavens!” Logan exclaimed. “Miss, why are you at Emmett’s place?” Vera said, “I have some personal matter, and I came here to ask for his help.” After saying that, she got straight to the point and said, “I plan to go to Aurous Hill and may need to live in Aurous Hill for a while, so I would like to ask if you have a house in Aurous Hill that I can settle down in temporarily.” Logan immediately replied without hesitation, “Yes, of course! I have a hilltop mansion on Scarlet Pinnacle in Aurous Hill inside the forest park that’s not open to the public! It's a private mansion specially approved by Aurous Hill when I returned there with my wife to invest in construction. I also built a special road leading to the mansion, and this forest park is located in the urban area of Aurous Hill, so it’s convenient to go anywhere. You can stay there if you are going to Aurous Hill! I also have a few cars and a helicopter, and they are all taken care of.” Vera said, “Great. Please help me
Vera’s style of action was very fast-paced without any sloppiness. After hanging up the phone with Logan, she immediately told Emmett, “Mr. Sandsor, I need you to help me arrange a plane. I'll go to Malaysia now.” Emmett hurriedly asked, “Miss, why don’t I go with you?” Vera waved her hand and said seriously, “There's no need for that. You have a special status, so things will be easily exposed in the future if you leave a record of the two of us leaving the country together. I’ll go there myself using the identity I entered the country with, and I'll return with a new identity. I'll head to Aurous Hill directly when I come back. You should meet me in Aurous Hill when the time comes.” When Emmett heard this, he nodded and said, “Understood. I’ll wait for your news in Eastcliff. I'll meet you after you arrive in Aurous Hill.” “Okay!” Vera asked him, “When will the plane be able to fly at the earliest?” Emmett hurriedly replied, “There's a Gulfstream G700 business jet on sta
When the call connected, Elaine smacked her lips playfully as she chirped, “Oh, my dear son-in-law, why are you calling me at this time?” Charlie said with a smile, “Mom, how is your recovery?” Elaine smiled and said, “It’s good, very good! I’m having shark’s fin, abalone, cordyceps, and sea cucumber every day, and I have better nutrition than soccer players! The doctors here are also very skillful, so my leg is recovering quite well.” Charlie said, “That’s good. Claire graduated from her class today, and we plan to check out and go to New York in the morning tomorrow. We will return to Aurous Hill together after we pick you up.” “Return to Aurous Hill?” Elaine’s tone instantly sounded depressed, and she said, “My dear son-in-law, it’ll be boring once I return to Aurous Hill. My leg in this state will be inconvenient, and I'll have to trouble you and Claire in our daily lives. I think it’d be better for you and Claire to go back first. I'll stay here for a few more days to recu
Kathleen and Claire chatted for a long time in the executive lounge. During this period, Kathleen modified her story slightly, which made everything seem incomparably natural and smooth to Claire. According to Kathleen, she and her grandfather went to Aurous Hill at the beginning because her father’s physical condition was deteriorating. Someone introduced the genius doctor, Anthony Simmons, to her grandfather, so they flew to Aurous Hill immediately. After arriving in Aurous Hill, Kathleen used the alias, Kylie Jane, to keep a low profile. She had already chosen this identity when she entered Oskia, so this also made Claire realize that Kathleen did not come up with a fake name just to deceive her. Kathleen then told Claire that she and her grandfather found Anthony to treat her grandfather after arriving in Aurous Hill, and he really managed to cure her grandfather’s illness. But at that time, her eldest uncle took advantage of her grandfather’s absence in the United Stat
Jacob asked, "Then, what would this sculpture be worth if it was genuine?"Mr. Cardensky thought about it. "Well, there are standards when it comes to Renaissance relics, but with something this exquisite, it'd definitely be auctionable for one or two million—and that's the conservative estimate.""How much would you sell it to me for?" Jacob then asked."Thirty percent of the market price," Mr. Cardensky quickly replied. "As I've said, the conservative estimate for this one is around one to two million, so we will set the price with the median estimate value at 1.5 million. And thirty percent means 450 grand."Jacob shook his head right away. "No, no, no… that's too expensive. What if I end up unable to sell it, on top of that?"In his mind, while he could barely accept that pricing, he still needed Raymond to be able to afford it if he wanted to swindle Raymond for twice the money.Mr. Cardensky quickly chuckled, "Oh, Mr. Montague—now you're being too serious. In this business,
"Okay!"Mr. Cardensky smiled and pointed at a nearby farmyard. "There's our workshop—the good stuff is all in there. Allow me to take you there!"The farmyard seemed uninteresting at first glance, but Mr. Cardensky soon led them to the stables and brushed off the straws covering the floor, revealing a plank laid flat on the ground.Mr. Cardensky then lifted it, revealing a passage below—they had dug a cellar into the ground beneath, with the stables as an entry point.As Jacob followed Mr. Cardensky down the cellar, he exclaimed in awe, "Your operation is definitely big, digging such a huge cellar!"Mr. Cardensky smiled humbly. "Anyone working in the business would have sustained their losses before. In the end, we're all folk of humble origins, starting out with raiding tombs or excavating artifacts. Just digging a cellar is really nothing."As they conversed, they cleared the stairs and arrived at the main hall.It was certainly a hall as it was around a hundred square meters,
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