When Charlie saw that Elaine still got into Hannah’s car, he sighed helplessly. It was difficult to change a person’s nature. He did not think any further about it, used the Cullinan to jumpstart the BMW, then drove the BMW out.After going out, Charlie called Claudia and asked her to wait for him at the new home that Isaac had prepared for her and Mrs. Lewis. At the same time, he also called Isaac to ask him to contact his connections at Aurous University to go over and complete Claudia’s admission application today. Isaac had been working in Aurous Hill for many years, and he was also the spokesperson for the Wade family, so his local connections could be said to be pervasive. Getting admission into Aurous University was naturally not a problem. This time, he had already established a connection for Claudia in advance, so upon Claudia’s arrival in Aurous Hill, she only needed to go to the university with the necessary documents to get things started. Charlie followed the address
Claudia laughed and said, “We have at least the two of us already, so it’ll also be a brave step for us.”Stephanie snorted and said, “I don’t want to form a girl group with you! Mrs. Lewis and I still have to work hard to take good care of Charlie’s orphanage!”Charlie also said to Claudia at this time, “Claudia, let’s go now if you don’t have anything else to do. The dean of the university and the person in charge of recruiting overseas undergraduates have already arrived. We should go and meet them to complete the process.”“Okay!” Claudia hurriedly nodded and turned to Stephanie as she said, “Stephanie, I’ll get going first, then!”Stephanie smiled and said, “Mrs. Lewis and I will celebrate with you at noon after you get the admission notice!”Charlie raised his brows and said, “Count me in. Tell Mrs. Lewis that I’ll have to trouble her to cook more special dishes at noon today.”Stephanie said excitedly, “Really? I’ll go to the supermarket to find Mrs. Lewis and buy more del
Charlie had grown up in an orphanage, so he understood Claudia’s feelings at this moment very well. Back then, when he was completely ignorant of everything that Stephen had arranged for him, he had been really sad and desperate as he curled up in a corner of the dormitory of Aurous Hill Welfare Institute alone and cried until dawn. Today, Claudia was going through almost the exact same process as he had back then. This was also why Charlie was paying special attention to Claudia. He hoped to be able to use his attitude and actions to help her untie the knots in her heart so that she could face her future life with openness and optimism. Therefore, Charlie told Claudia about his own experience in the orphanage, hoping that she could find resonance with him.When Charlie described his mental state back then to Claudia in detail, she really felt a strong sense of empathy toward him. At this moment, she suddenly realized that Charlie might be the one who truly understood her best i
Isaac was already waiting inside by the time Charlie drove the car to the front of Aurous University’s Academic Affairs Building.When Isaac saw Charlie parking his car, he quickly stepped forward and helped him open the car door as he said respectfully, “Young Master, I’ve already made all the arrangements with the school. Claudia only needs to fill out an application form and submit all her documents before she can choose her major directly.”Charlie nodded and then remembered the banner he had seen outside and asked him, “Have you heard of Logan Carrick? This person sounds familiar.”“Logan Carrick...” Isaac hurriedly said, “Mr. Carrick is the richest man in Northvale. Some years ago, he deliberately split up all his family’s industries, so his rankings also dropped, but the Carrick family’s strength is still very strong in Northvale.”After saying that, Isaac asked, “Did you see them hanging up a banner at the entrance? They were taking it down when I arrived. I asked about it
Isaac smiled slightly and said, “Mr. Laverick, I’ll have to trouble you with this matter this time.”Mr. Laverick responded with a smile, “Mr. Cameron, you’re welcome. It’s just a trivial matter. Besides, recruiting international students is also an enrollment task that we attach great importance to recently, so you’re also helping me complete my performance evaluation, Mr. Cameron.”Isaac laughed, introduced Claudia to him, and said, “Mr. Laverick, this is Claudia, the distant relative I mentioned. She was born and raised in Canada, and she also studied in Canada. The person next to her is also my distant relative. He’s Claudia’s cousin.”Mr. Laverick nodded at Charlie and then smiled as he spoke to Claudia, “Hello, Claudia. I’m Malachi Laverick, and I’m the Director of Admissions at Aurous University. Welcome to Aurous University.”Claudia said very politely, “Hello, Mr. Laverick. I hope that you will take good care of me if I’m lucky enough to be able to study at Aurous Universi
Claudia had already lost interest in material things and money at a young age when her peers were just beginning to appreciate and realize the importance of it.The tragic death of her family members caused her to take these things lightly. She did not expect to be rich, nor did she pursue a good life or a high social status in this life. She only hoped to live well without regrets so that the spirits of her family members in heaven could also feel relieved.Therefore, after looking at so many majors, she had no interest in any other majors and was only interested in the archaeology major. This was not only because she wanted to know more about Oskia, but it was also because she wanted to avoid dealing with too many people as much as she could. She would face all kinds of historical sites and artifacts every day in archaeology, and the major was very unpopular, so she would not have many classmates, which was more in line with her selection criteria.So, Claudia made up her mind
Claudia then handed the information over to Mr. Laverick. After looking through the information carefully, Mr. Laverick said, “Okay, there are basically no other problems. The admission notice will be mailed to the address here when the time comes. There will be a reporting time on it, so when the time comes, you should report to the university and go through the admission procedure accordingly.”With that said, he asked Claudia, “Do you have relatives in Aurous Hill?”Claudia nodded. “My godmother is in Aurous Hill.”Mr. Laverick asked, “Do you plan to live on campus or only attend university during the day?” Claudia asked, “Can I only choose one option out of these two?”Mr. Laverick nodded and said, “Theoretically, yes, because the university needs to sign an agreement with students if they are only attending university during the day. The process is a little more troublesome because personal safety issues and responsibilities are involved in this matter. It’s not impossible
When Mr. Laverick heard the woman’s words, he asked in surprise, “Huh? So soon? Didn’t he say that he would be arriving at noon or later?”The woman said, “Unexpectedly, he left early at night. He called the previous dean just now and said that he’s almost here! I guess that it’s too late for us to meet him at the entrance of the university now, so we can only wait for him downstairs!”Aurous University’s new campus covered an area of almost five thousand acres, and the entrance of the university to the Academic Affairs Building was more than one kilometer. If a group of middle-aged and elderly people were to really walk there, it would take them at least ten to twenty minutes.Having said that, she hurriedly said, “Mr. Laverick, you should hurry up. The dean asked us to meet downstairs in three minutes. I have to go and notify the others now.”The woman left as soon as she said this. When Mr. Laverick heard this, he could only say to Isaac apologetically, “Mr. Cameron, I’m reall
Jacob was naturally gleeful that he could get the late medieval bronze sculpture along with its base. Right after he wired the agreed upon ninety-eight grand to Mr. Cardensky, he was already imagining how Raymond would buy it from him for several hundred grand.On the other hand, once Mr. Cardensky received the transfer, he saw the name on the account: Jacob Wilson.He was left perplexed—wasn't that man's last name Montague? Who was this Jacob Wilson?Still, he didn't worry about it too much since most antique hustlers preferred to work with anonymity and therefore, using a different name was perfectly normal.He then carefully wrapped up the bronze sculpture before passing it Jacob, asking politely, "Would you happen to have any other requests, Mr. Montague? I have plenty of other items here if you'd permit me to give an introduction."Jacob shook his head, "Just this sculpture will do. I'm not fully confident in your work either since this is our first deal, so I'm just trying i
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