Many guests gave Douglas their gifts. With the painting in tow, Charlie walked towards Douglas and said, “Congratulations, buddy. This is a little gift from us to celebrate your opening ceremony.”Claire said with a smile, “Douglas, congratulations and best wishes on your grand opening. May your business be prosperous with many years to come!”“Thank you, thank you!” Douglas said hurriedly. Then, he leaned to Charlie’s ear and whispered with a mischievous smirk, “Hey, I see that you and our belle have a pretty close relationship, unlike what the rumors say! When do you plan to have a baby?”Claire blushed timidly when she heard the whisper. Charlie answered, “Stop it. If we are pregnant, you’ll be the first to know and I expect a gift from you!”“Of course!” Douglas laughed and nodded. “I’ll give the kid a big present!”At this moment, an average-looking woman with heavy makeup came up to Douglas and asked, “Douglas, who are they?”“This is my college buddy, Charlie! This is Clai
Charlie, Claire, and Loreen sat together at the same table. Clinton joined them and sat beside Loreen.He asked Loreen with a wide smile as soon as he sat down, “Loreen, I heard that you’ve come to Aurous Hill to work for Emgrand Group, is that true?”Loreen nodded. “Yes, I just started.”Clinton smiled even wider. “What a coincidence! My dad is the deputy general manager of a department in Emgrand! I’ll ask him to look after you at work.”Many people exclaimed in surprise, “Wow, Clinton, your dad is the deputy general manager of Emgrand Group?”“Yup!” Clinton nodded proudly. “He was promoted last year.”Someone quickly said in a flattering tone, “The annual salary of a deputy general manager must be several million dollars, right? That’s amazing! It’s no wonder your family is so rich!”Clinton laughed and said, “That’s just the wages. My dad has quite a vast authority and a lot of side incomes. You guys must have heard about the luxurious hotel project from Emgrand Group, right
Douglas had no intention to do such a thing, but Lily was overpowering his decision and he had no choice but to compromise to her shenanigans.However, the attendees were not surprised at all. When she announced how much each gift was worth, they could judge how well or bad their old classmates were doing after graduation. After all, comparison and jealousy were human nature.Then, Lily started the announcement.“Thank you, Jack Brown, for your one thousand dollars!”“Thank you, Bella Walsh, for the pair of gold ingots!”“Thank you, Ola Rivers, for the beautiful vase!”“Thank you, Clinton Tucker, for your ten thousand dollars!”The first few gifts, whether money or physical items, were mostly worth around one thousand dollars. Suddenly, when it came to Clinton, his ten thousand dollar monetary gift sent a shock wave across the restaurant.Ten thousand dollars were a big amount for the opening ceremony!Many people looked at Clinton with amazement and praised his generosity.C
When everyone heard that Lily’s father was a cultural relic appraiser, they immediately cast a contemptuous and sympathetic gaze at Charlie.All of them shared the same thought—Charlie was so unlucky!His show-off moment was interrupted by the presence of an expert! It was like a slap right across his own face!It would be so humiliating if Lawson Lewis, Lily’s father, came downstairs!Claire blushed timidly. She leaned closer to Charlie and whispered, “So many people are watching you. You’d better not be stubborn, it would be so embarrassing otherwise!”On their way here, Charlie did tell her about the painting he bought but he said that it didn’t cost him a lot of money. Right now, however, he changed his attitude and claimed that it was very expensive. His sudden change of reaction made Claire a little doubtful and skeptical, figuring that Charlie might have lied for the sake of his reputation.On the contrary, Charlie was indifferent. He blurted, “If you don’t believe me, let
“Yes,” Lily answered. “They’ve been buddies since college!”As she was saying this, in her mind, she was thinking, ‘Charlie, you and Douglas are good buddies but you have the nerve to give him a worthless piece of sh*t, let my dad expose and humiliate you in front of everyone!’However, beyond everyone’s expectation, Lawson said with a grateful sigh, “Indeed, it seems that he is a good friend! Why would one give such a precious gift otherwise?”Everyone was dumbfounded upon the statement!What did he mean by ‘precious’? Was he saying that the yellowish drawing was expensive?Exasperated, Clinton cursed inside his head, ‘F*ck you! I can go to Antique Street, buy a fake painting, pee on it to make it look old and yellowish, and it will still look more authentic than that piece of sh*t!’Lawson cleared his throat and said in an earnest tone, “This is the authentic work of Rachel Ruysch, a painter from the Dutch Golden Age. Although she is not as famous nowadays, she was one of the m
At this moment, Clinton felt like he wanted to die right there and then!D*mn it!What was going on!He couldn’t catch a break, could he?How did he get repeatedly humiliated by Charlie the loser?Never did he expect that the painting would turn out to be authentic and worth two hundred thousand dollars!He had already given his word, what should he do now? Did he really have to eat the table?That was absolutely impossible!He could buy a new car after his car perished in the fire, but how could he eat a table?He would really die if he did!The crowd teased him, “Hey, Clinton, you said it yourself that you will eat the table if you lose. Do you want to break your promise again this time?”“That’s right! Everyone is still waiting for your freak show!”Someone slapped on the table hard. “Hey, please start your act now!”Clinton’s face turned into an ugly shade of red and green. He blurted sheepishly, “We’re all friends, do you guys really have to kick me when I’m already d
More importantly, he had to find a way to clean up his reputation among his former collegemates. Otherwise, how could he show off in front of his friends in the future after being humiliated by Charlie twice?Just when he was pondering about how to restore his dignity, there was a sudden commotion at the main entrance of the restaurant.The noise attracted everyone’s attention and they looked towards the door.A group of youngsters with malicious looks barged into the restaurant. They had tattoos all over their limbs and body, holding baseball bats, galvanized water pipes, and the like in their hands. They didn’t look like they were here for a meal at all.Everyone was extremely shocked upon the horrid sight, especially Douglas and Lily, their eyes full of fear.A man with the visible scar on his face was obviously the head of the group. He stepped forward, scanned the hall, then pointed at Douglas with an evil grin. “Boss, why didn’t you come and say hi before the opening ceremon
Clinton was extremely dumbfounded by the abrupt reaction from Mr. Lee and was very annoyed, but as his friends were still watching him, he gritted his teeth and searched for another contact.This time, he called the director of the district police branch.He remembered that this person also had a close relationship with his father.When his call was answered, he immediately started, “Hi, Mr. Kent, it’s me, Clinton, Clinton Tucker. I have some problems in the redevelopment zone…”He illustrated the matter all over again.The man at the other end of the line cleared his throat awkwardly and said, “Clinton, he is Bill’s guy, and Bill is Don Albert’s guy, I think you’d better not get involved in this matter.”Clinton asked in confusion, “Don’t you want to do something about it?”“You should know Don Albert’s status in this city, it’s not within my control.”Clinton was a little flustered by the response that he said, sounding panicked, “Can’t you do me a favor and talk to him for a
As soon as Harrison said this, the whole scene erupted in applause. Except for Julien and Royce, all the members of the Rothschild family almost jumped up and applauded wildly at the same time. Devin even involuntarily shed tears of excitement. None of them wanted Harrison to step down, let alone Julien to succeed him. Maintaining the status quo was their greatest luxury because it could ensure that their current interests would not be greatly affected. Perhaps in the future, if they made great contributions, they would have the chance to prove themselves, replace Julien, and become the new heir. Originally, they thought that maintaining the status quo was an impossible dream, but they didn't expect that dream to come true. Julien was beyond devastation. He had expected this outcome, but hearing Harrison say it out loud so promptly, he was pissed. However, the good news was that Harrison had listed him and Royce as the first and second heirs, so his chances of inheriting
Royce, who was standing nearby, witnessed a textbook fence-sitter. Earlier, his uncles had surrounded Julien so tightly that he couldn't squeeze through. But now, they went to Harrison, and Julien stood there alone, which made him look a little lonely. Harrison couldn't help but feel relieved when he saw his sons running up to him in excitement. He was already moved by Julien's filial piety when he was in the medical center. Now, when he saw that his sons cared so much for him, he was moved and smug, thinking that he was a successful father and that his sons were devoted. So, with a fatherly smile on his face, he announced to everyone in a deep voice, "I want to deliver some good news. I have fully recovered." Upon hearing this, his descendants were excited, even though they didn't know how the stroke could be cured so quickly. Devin asked curiously, "Dad, did you call us here just to give us a surprise?" Harrison chuckled. "More or less. This time, I used some extraord
Royce felt very hurt. Despite that, he chose to purse his lips shut and not say another word to the angry Julien. Thus, Julien and Royce came to the meeting room one after the other quietly. Nearly all the family members had arrived at the meeting room, which resembled a medieval European palace. However, Harrison had not yet arrived. Everyone knew that today was the day when Harrison would pass the throne to Julien. Once Harrison made the announcement, Julien would officially become the head of the Rothschild family. Therefore, despite their agitated grimace, they were all thinking to themselves that they must find every possible way to flatter Julien as much as they could. From now on, all their resources, income, and their future would be in Julien's hands. As soon as Julien and Royce arrived, everyone, without exception, rose from their seats. The coordinated movement felt very much like the solemnity of military leaders standing at attention when they saw their comma
Julien said rather respectfully, "Then, Your Majesty, I won't be accompanying you back to Canada." Helena gave a slight nod and responded with a graceful smile, her every expression exuding elegance, and her royal demeanor evident in every gesture. Seeing this, Julien felt a shiver in his heart. It wasn't that he was moved by Helena's beauty or poise, but rather, the more dignified she appeared, the more sinister she seemed in his eyes. She was only in her twenties, yet every word she spoke carried a murderous aura—this wasn't something just anyone could possess. However, Julien dared not show any dissatisfaction. He watched Helena board the helicopter and only breathed a sigh of relief once it had flown off into the distance. As he turned around to head back, he ran into Royce, who had come looking for him. "Dad!" Seeing his father, Royce hurriedly said, "Grandpa said for you to head straight to the conference room after seeing off the Queen. The meeting is about to start."
"I—" Helena's words made Julien wince. If the earlier statement had been a warning to him, the last remarks were a threat, through and through! Just a few words, and he could feel the intense intimidation! Julien was no fool. Figuring out the gravity of the current situation, he mumbled to himself, "Now that Dad has experienced a miraculous recovery from the elixir, he'll inevitably develop a strong dependence on it. The next time he gets sick or faces a life-threatening situation, he'll stop at nothing to get another one to extend his life." "Once he is in that 'at all costs' mindset, any rules will become meaningless to him." "Take the last incident with the treasure tower, for example. He didn't even consult me before issuing a decree—whoever finds the tower and brings it back would become the next heir. That was downright outrageous!" "With that precedent set, it's obvious that if he ever needs an elixir and can't obtain it, he'll make a similar decree—whoever brings him
With a faint smile, Helena said, "Maybe it's for your sake that Mr. Wade saved your father. After all, you are his friend. It's normal for him to help his friend's sick father, isn't it?" Julie was like a bear with a sore head. Shaking and pointing at Helena with trembling fingers, he roared, "I would have believed it had it been anyone else, but I don't believe Charlie! I'm sure he was the reason why my dad had a stroke!" Helena smiled and said, "As an objective third party, I don't think there's anything wrong with Mr. Wade. The main reason your father had a stroke was because the Four-Sided Treasure Tower suddenly returned to Oskia. But if I remember correctly, you were the one who sent the tower out of New York, right?" Julien was so shocked that the blood drained from his face. He quickly waved his hands, panicked, and whispered, "Your Majesty, you must not say that!" Helena shrugged slightly and said, "Am I wrong? I seem to remember that it was your helicopter that carrie
Julien was completely overwhelmed at this moment, but Harrison, having already heard Helena speak highly of Julien, felt a mix of gratitude and guilt toward him. He didn't suspect that Julien harbored any rebellious thoughts. Seeing Julien looking completely devastated, Harrison thought Julien was simply too emotional. He quickly stepped forward, gave him a hug, and patted his shoulder, beaming, "My good son, thank you! Thank you for everything you've done for me!" Julien, being hugged by Harrison, leaned on Harrison's shoulder and looked at Helena with red eyes, his eyes full of doubt. With a faint smile, Helena said, "Mr. Rothschild, I'll take my leave now so as not to interrupt your sweet moment with your son. I have some other business to tend to." "Come on, Julien. See Her Majesty off!" Harrison instantly urged. Julien thought, 'Oh, great! I was just looking for an opportunity to ask her what's going on!' Hence, he quickly replied, "Okay, Dad! I'll see Her Majesty off.
'Even if he actively participated in the best rehabilitation in the world, he would only be able to recover slightly better than he is now. It would be God's blessing if he could recover to the point where he could walk with crutches!' As he thought of this, Julien turned his head to look at the attending physician, his face full of confusion and bewilderment. In fact, the attending physician was even more baffled. He felt as if his whole brain and spine had been fried at the same time. He felt as if all his years of medical training had been for nothing. In his whole career, over half a lifetime in medicine, he had never seen someone just recover from a stroke and immediately get up and walk around effortlessly. More importantly, Harrison was now politely chatting with the queen, gesturing animatedly, speaking fluently, and looking full of energy—more lively than even he was! All the doctor could do was nudge his glasses, astonished, confused, yet delighted, exclaiming
After confirming the receipt of 20 billion dollars, Helena smiled at Harrison and said, "I've received the money, Mr. Rothschild. Thank you for your generous payment. It's been a pleasure working with you. I'll be returning to Northern Europe in a couple of days, and I hope your AI team will arrive there at the same time." "Of course, Your Majesty!" Harrison immediately responded. "I'll have them prepare right away and head over as soon as possible to take care of the preliminary planning and arrangements." While Helena was successfully selling the Healing Pill for 60 billion dollars plus a set of AI models, Julien, who was 20 meters away from the door, and Royce, who had just arrived, anxiously watched the time. In his view, the meeting between Harrison and Helena was taking a bit too long. It wasn't that he had any objection to their meeting. He was just worried it might delay the upcoming family meeting. After all, the meeting was set to start promptly at ten, and that mome