However, Marianne would always do what she had decided upon first before talking about it. It was not her style at all to talk about it without putting it into action.Still, Marianne was reluctant to tell the truth just yet, so she said to Madam Marilyn, “I’ve stayed in Hong Kong for long enough. The first-tier cities in Oskia are relatively fast-paced, so I chose Aurous Hill because I wanted to look for a relatively comfortable city.”Madam Marilyn nodded in agreement and said with a smile, “The pace of life in Aurous Hill is indeed slower compared to the first-tier cities, and the environment here is also relatively comfortable. I’ve been here for many years, and I’m only liking it more and more. I believe you will also feel the same when you stay here for a long time.”After saying that, Madam Marilyn added, “If you decide to stay in Aurous Hill for development in the future, feel free to contact me at any time if you need help with anything.”With that said, she handed a busin
Madam Marilyn said modestly, “What I know is just gossip. If ordinary people really want to know this, they can simply pay more attention. I’m really far behind compared to academic elites like you...”With that said, Madam Marilyn added, “If Aurous University recruits you, then as a student with a doctorate from Hong Kong University, you may be able to directly or indirectly bring some student resources from Hong Kong to Aurous University in the future, which is what Aurous University values the most. Based on a combination of these reasons, I dare say that you will certainly be able to pass this interview.”Marianne nodded in realization when she heard this. She had never been away from Hong Kong much, and she did not care much about things that did not concern her, so Marianne had never had much of an understanding of what Madam Marilyn was talking about.Marianne suddenly gained even more confidence after listening to her words. ***Meanwhile, at Scarlet Pinnacle Manor. V
He moved the bamboo stool first and then came to sit down in front of Vera as he said respectfully, “Miss, it’s like this. I... I have a granddaughter who happens to be coming to Aurous Hill to attend a job interview, so I invited her to be a guest at the manor so that she can enjoy a meal with us here. I only learned about it this morning, so I didn’t report it to you in advance. Please don’t hold it against me.”Vera took a new teacup, rinsed it with water, then said with a smile, “This is your manor, and you’re the host. Why would you need to report anything to me if you want to host a banquet? I’m just one of your guests.”Logan said without hesitation, “Miss, this is the second matter that I would like to discuss with you. It’s rare that you like this place, and I’m also getting older, so I’m afraid that I will not be able to come here again after this visit. So, I want to give Scarlet Pinnacle Manor to you, and I hope that you’ll accept it!”Vera was slightly taken aback. She
Logan was overjoyed when he heard that Vera was willing to meet Marianne.He hurriedly said to Vera, “Miss, they will be arriving in another twenty minutes, so you can come down when they arrive.”Vera nodded and said with a smile, “Don’t forget my new identity in front of outsiders.”Logan said without hesitation, “Of course! Don’t worry, Miss.”After that, he got up slowly and said, “Miss, please continue enjoying your tea. I will not disturb you anymore.”Vera said, “Find a servant to help you down, lest you get tired.”Logan was flattered and said, “Thank you for your concern, Miss. I’ll have no problem going down on my own. It’s much easier to go down, after all.”When Vera saw his insistence, she did not say anything else, nodded, and spoke up, “You can go ahead, then. I’ll go down when the car arrives.”“Okay, Miss. I’ll take my leave, then.”After Logan was done speaking, he cupped his fists together, bowed slightly to Vera, then slowly retreated. Vera had never been
Marianne had just arrived at the main entrance of Scarlet Pinnacle Manor. She never expected that Logan would have such a magnificent manor in this kind of place.Although many wealthy people’s mansions were also built on the mountains in Hong Kong, no one could own a whole mountain by himself. The villas on Steerlain Island were nothing compared to his exclusive villa.The car drove into the manor and stopped outside the grand entrance of the main building of the one-story compound.This place was like a hotel, designed with a wide porch to park three cars side by side. Logan and his wife held hands as they walked out of the main hall to welcome her. As soon as Marianne got out of the car, she saw the elderly couple smiling brightly as they walked out. She hurried forward to greet them and said respectfully, “Grandpa, Grandma, it’s been a long time, but you two are still in such good health!”Logan smiled and said, “Marianne, we haven’t seen each other for so many years and yo
Vera walked over from the main hall with a light gait.Marianne only had one thought in her mind when she saw Vera. ‘How can there be such a beautiful girl?’It was not that Marianne was making a big fuss.In fact, Marianne had seen countless young beauties because of her father’s flirtatious nature. Hong Kong as well as more than half of Asia’s entertainment circle had been her father’s hunting ground back then. Which one of the female celebrities who were caught in the scandals and media reports were not beauties?What’s more, Hong Kong has always been the fashion and financial center of Asia over the past few decades. Many handsome men and beautiful women from all over the world were gathered in that narrow and cramped corner of the city, so Marianne’s aesthetics had long been tired and even a little numb. But even so, she was still shocked when she saw Vera for the first time.Vera was the type of beauty that she had almost never seen before.It was no longer perfect to t
Vera nodded in agreement after hearing this but she did not agree with Marianne at all.She felt that Marianne’s remarks seemed normal at first glance. Hong Kong was indeed a first-tier international city and was naturally fast-paced. It was also packed with a lot of people with a small amount of land. Many people worked hard all their lives but could never even afford to purchase a small house that was thirty to forty square meters, so many young people from Hong Kong began to head to Oskia for development, especially the special zone adjacent to Hong Kong which attracted many young people from Hong Kong.However, Vera knew very well that Hong Kong was a place where paradise and hell co-existed.It was not unusual for a poor family of six to seven members to be crammed in a room that was only ten square meters, and there were even some people who lived in places where a bed could not even fit. However, there were also top tycoons who could build super luxury mansions that looked
As soon as Vera thought of this, she looked at Marianne again, and she suddenly smiled as she teased, “Marianne, I don’t think you’re here to look for a job after coming to Aurous Hill all the way from Hong Kong!”Marianne asked in surprise, “Why do you say that?”Vera laughed and said, “It feels more like you’ve come to pursue your sweetheart despite all odds.”Vera’s seemingly teasing words touched the depths of Marianne’s heart. She was instantly flustered and hurriedly tried to cover up as she said, “How... How could that be? I’ve never been to Aurous Hill, and I don’t have any acquaintances here, let alone a sweetheart.”Although Marianne was in a hurry to hide her true feelings, Vera had already captured the panic in her expression.It was this slight change that made Vera even more certain that her judgment was definitely correct. Coupled with Marianne’s identity, who else aside from Charlie could make a rich young lady such as Marianne put everything aside to come all th
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