Charlie then took out his cell phone and called Merlin. Meanwhile, Merlin was having a meal with the Ackers several kilometers away at Willow Manor.The Ackers had been conducting investigations in Aurous Hill for the past few days but had not found any clues related to Charlie. Charlie’s uncle, Christian, was about to consider asking Merlin for suggestions at the dining table when Merlin’s cell phone rang. Merlin stood up hastily and said to the Ackers, “Please continue chatting first. I'll step outside to take a call.”He then walked to the courtyard and ensured that there were no onlookers before he answered the call. “Hello, Mr. Wade,” he said in a respectful tone.Charlie went straight to the point, “Chief Lammy, is my grandfather and his family at Willow Manor right now?”“Yes, they are.” Merlin curiously asked, “What's the matter, Mr. Wade? Is there something wrong?”Charlie affirmed with a serious tone, “Someone might pose a threat to my grandparents and the rest of his
At 9:00 p.m. at night at Willow Manor.The Ackers had just finished dinner and were asking Merlin to analyze the clues they had gathered over the past few days in the living room.Keith, the head of the Ackers, had been staying in the villa during this period of time and had had significant improvement in his health. Not only did his memory stop deteriorating, but he also gradually recovered the memories that he had forgotten. More importantly, after recovering, his overall logical thinking had improved greatly, restoring his commanding style and momentum from the past.During this family meeting, Christian briefed everyone on the progress of his collaboration with Moore Group first. Christian said, “Our collaboration with Moore Group has officially entered the negotiation process. Starting today, the legal teams of both sides are negotiating the details of the cooperation, mainly to finalize the specific terms. Due to the sincere approach of the Ackers, the negotiation atmosph
Lady Acker said, “Go ahead and speak up, Lulu.”Lulu said, “I investigated the situation at Aurous Hill Welfare Institute today. I wanted to see if there was any information related to Charlie among the orphans they rescued over the years. Currently, the institute's records show no clues related to Charlie, but what's strange is that Aurous Hill Welfare Institute underwent a major personnel change last year. From the institute's director to the staff below and even the chef who cooked for the orphans, all of them underwent a complete turnover. None of the old employees were retained at all. I find this matter quite unusual. It's not uncommon for personnel changes in welfare organizations, but a complete and sudden change seems a bit strange. What do you think?”Keith frowned and said, “There must be ten to twenty people in the management and execution side of a welfare home. Even if the management changes, the operational staff below them shouldn't be replaced entirely, right? After
“That’s simple!” Lulu said excitedly, “We can check the social security files of the previous team! The welfare institute is a social welfare organization funded by both the government and private donations. As a unit that requires public supervision, their personnel records must be very complete, especially if they are really on a major mission, as Merlin suggested. They would need to appear compliant and flawless, otherwise, if someone notices abnormalities in their personnel records, it could immediately raise suspicions!”Merlin praised, “Lulu’s thinking is very clear. We will probably be able to get some clues by finding a way to check the previous personnel records of the staff at Aurous Hill Welfare Institute!”Kaeden exclaimed, “I'll get someone to check it right away!”After saying that, he immediately took out his cell phone and made a call.Keith had retired for many years, and over time, his connections had diminished. There were not many connections that he could use a
Ashley and Curtis’s only son, Charlie, had gone missing twenty years ago as well.Everyone felt as if they had been blindly searching for twenty years worldwide, and this time, it felt as if they had finally grasped something.Christian blurted out impatiently, “Tell us about the entry times of these sixteen people in detail!”Azure hastily responded, “Among these sixteen people, fourteen joined at the end of winter in February twenty years ago, and their previous dean, Killian Caito, joined in the fall in November twenty years ago. Aside from these fifteen people, the latest entry was a female worker who joined in winter in December twenty years ago. It will be twenty years in another three months.”Lady Acker suddenly had an extremely horrified expression. She burst into tears and sobbed as she said, “Ashley and Curtis left Eastcliff and came to Aurous Hill in March twenty years ago. They met with their accident at the end of October, and Charlie disappeared at the end of October
At this moment, the yard surrounding the villa had turned into a hellish battlefield!Mr. Chardon held a wooden sword that was less than thirty centimeters long in his hand, but the invisible blade it carried had a length of nearly two meters!This was the temporary magic instrument that the British Lord had entrusted to Mr. Chardon. Although the wooden sword looked short, small, and unremarkable, in reality, it functioned like a lightsaber from Star Wars, with an extraordinary attack range.In the logic set in the movie, a lightsaber emitted plasma from the hilt to form the blade. Mr. Chardon’s wooden sword surpassed this concept. It could transform Reiki into a blade, and he could control the blade at will!Several bodyguards attempted to surround and attack Mr. Chardon, but he casually swung the sword in the air with just one hand. An invisible energy then shot out swiftly from the sword, piercing through the chest of the frontmost bodyguard when he was still a meter away from
She had underestimated Mr. Chardon for quite some time, always thinking that this old man was solely focused on cultivation. However, it was not until today that she realized that this old man actually harbored such a strong desire for slaughter!Just as she felt that Mr. Chardon was being excessively ruthless, a helicopter that was flying low in the sky appeared, swiftly approaching Willow Manor!At this moment, the Acker family members felt a lump in their throats when they heard the wails outside. They could not have anticipated that after their recent crisis in New York, the other party would quickly trace them back to Oskia.Charlie’s third uncle, Jaxson, nervously said, “Dad, Mom, I’m afraid that it will be a life-threatening situation this time. The two of you should leave through the back door first!” Christian also realized the situation and hastily said, “That’s right, Dad. You and Mom should leave first. We will stay and keep guard here!” Keith snorted coldly and sai
If this kind of Reiki persisted, staying and cultivating here would undoubtedly yield twice the result with half the effort! He was extremely excited and pointed his wooden sword at the crowd as he said coldly, “No one is answering me, right? Since no one is answering me, I’ll just randomly choose someone and behead them in front of you all to set an example!”After saying that, he noticed Lulu, who was well-dressed, and sneered, “This young lady must be Lulu Acker, the second young lady of the Ackers, right?” Lulu cautiously questioned, “What do you want?”Mr. Chardon sneered, “I want to teach your parents and brothers a lesson. The lesson is called ‘The Consequence of Non-cooperation.’”After saying that, he swung the wooden sword immediately, and the invisible blade instantly struck Lulu. Lulu felt a gust of wind coming toward her, and she seemed to be frozen in place, almost as if she was completely immobilized. At the critical moment, Merlin suddenly smashed a teacup on t
Don Albert was waiting at the front doors of Heaven Springs when Jacob's Cullinan arrived.He was absolutely enthusiastic in welcoming the man, even stroking his ego as much as possible as he knew Jacob and his vanity—which made that a must.Hence, as soon as Jacob stopped the Cullinan, Don Albert and the manager of Heaven Springs were immediately on hand to receive him.Mr. Bay was riding shotgun but recognized Albert right away, exclaiming, "Shit, he's coming personally to receive you too?"Jacob chuckled. "Well, he and my son-in-law have a lot of respect for each other, so I guess that respect is extended to us as well."As they spoke, Albert had reached the Cullinan and opened the door for Albert, nodding at him respectfully, "Greetings, Mr. Wilson. You can leave the keys with Mr. Carson while I escort you and your friend upstairs.""Thank you very much." Jacob grinned and turned to Mr. Bay. "Come on. Let's go.""Yes, yes, of course!" Mr. Bay smiled and nodded, a little nerv
Mr. Bay's friend promptly asked, "Was it the manager, Mr. Carson?""Nope," Mr. Bay chuckled. "Guess again.""Oh, come on!" Mr. Bay's friend whined. "You're still telling me to guess now? Just so you know, those bigwigs were so pleased when I told them we'd have the Golden Room and said they'd be bringing their cards. I'd be laughed at if I didn't give them the details right now!"Mr. Bay laughed. "Alright, alright, I'll quit being mysterious—it's Jacob Wilson, my vice president. He contacted Don Albert of Heaven Springs personally, and the man promised you the Diamond Room and the finest wines of his cellar!""Holy shit!" Mr. Bay's friend gasped. "Mr. Wilson did? For real?! And the Diamond Room on top of that?!""Indeed," Mr. Bay nodded. "And you know me. Would I kid when it comes to such matters?"Mr. Bay's friend breathed a long sigh as if he had just cheated death. "Heavens… Thank you so much, my friend! You've really saved my skin there! You have no idea how much persuasion t
Jacob wasn't really concerned with the invitation. He wouldn't be going anyway, and he wouldn't tell Elaine about it.Right now, he had a question.After hanging up on Walker, he asked curiously, "A designated driver would be just a few dozen bucks at most. Why get Walker?"Mr. Bay sighed meaningfully. "Jacob, my boy—it's not just my job description you must handle when you succeed me. You must understand the unspoken rules of the workplace as well as interpersonal relationships."Raising his right index finger, he chuckled, "Earning the loyalty of subordinates is a science. But it has to be a carrot and stick—never just the carrot, while offering them chances to be of service.""Take Walker, for example. As his boss, buying him lunch is 5 points. Ask for a favor, but it's 50 points instead!""As a leader, you should also make sure to give requests that are reasonable. That way, they will consider you to be their ally, or soon enough.""People are strange that way—psychology sim
Jacob certainly agreed with Mr. Bay. When going to a dinner where alcohol would be involved, having a designated driver would be most convenient.Still, Jacob had another plan in mind.Since he had a Cullinan and this was the perfect chance to show off, it would kill him not to drive."Actually, we should go on our own," Jacob told Mr. Bay right then. "We will take my car and get a designated driver to take us home. We can hang out in the backseat to chat—I mean, you'd be in a bad mood if you get a bad driver, bringing a car that stinks of tobacco. You know how bad it can get."Mr. Bay nodded cheerfully. "Alright! I'm counting on you!""Oh, it's only right!"Coming to an agreement, they hurried outside, with Jacob driving and Mr. Bay riding shotgun.They were having a pleasant conversation when Jacob suddenly got a call from Walker, who was his sub at Senior University.Answering with the in-car Bluetooth system, he said, "Hey, Walker. What's up?""Mr. Wilson! I'm done with cl
As such, Albert did not hesitate to say right then, "Don't worry, Mr. Wilson—since they are your friends, I will offer the half-price rebate as you've suggested! When the guests take their seats, I'll personally deliver a couple of nice bottles over as a token of my sincerity!"Oskia truly sets the bar when it comes to being humanistic.There were times when one must show due respect, but not too much either in case it changed the status quo.It was just like a couple eating out with a third-wheel.Even if the third-wheel was better off and happily took the check as the girl watched, there would inevitably be competitiveness. The generosity might even lead to the girl getting attracted to the third-wheel.As such, since Jacob was actually secondary in importance at the event, Albert would have to make sure not to rain on the host's parade while showing his respects to Jacob. Otherwise, the host may hold a grudge against Jacob even if everything was free of charge.And when it cam
Jacob put a hand on his chest. "Don't worry—everything is going to be fine when my son-in-law takes the stage."As soon as he finished speaking, an unknown number called his phone.He answered, hearing a familiar voice he couldn't quite place, "Good afternoon. Am I speaking to Mr. Jacob Wilson?""Yes. May I ask who I am speaking to?""Albert Rhodes, owner of Heaven Springs at your service. Would you happen to remember me?"Hearing that, Jacob turned on the speaker excitedly as he continued, "Oh, yes, Don Albert! Of course I remember!"Mr. Bay's eyes lit up when he heard Albert announce himself, and he mouthed, "Is that really Don Albert?!"Jacob nodded repeatedly, his vanity burgeoning.Mr. Bay was naturally thrilled too, and he leaned closer to listen just as Albert spoke humbly, "If it's alright with you, Mr. Wilson, please don't address me as Don Albert. It's just a title some brats came up with—you are Master Wade's father-in-law, which means you have seniority over me. So,
Mr. Bay was overjoyed, seeing how quickly Jacob agreed to it. "Thanks, Jacob! I owe you!" He exclaimed, but soon added, "It's past four now, and that bunch like to fraternize in the room before they eat. Could you get the room soon? I think they'll be arriving soon."Then, he moved closer to add quietly, "If you can get a Diamond Room like before, I will bring you along. I'm not going to lie, these are officials with decision-making authority. Being friends with them might propel us to new heights!"Jacob already knew that Mr. Bay was sucking up to his friend, otherwise, he wouldn't be so concerned when the dinner was organized by said friend. Understanding that the friend must be important too, Jacob was at once buoyed.After all, he had presumed that becoming vice president was the most he could achieve.Now, if he could attend that dinner with Mr. Bay and establish a good relationship with those bigwigs, he would have his turn when Mr. Bay got promoted too.With that in min
Reservations in Heaven Springs had always been unpredictable, and most rooms weren't open to the general public—even if said rooms were vacant for the night.It was not as if Albert Rhodes didn't want to make money when he built Heaven Springs. He simply didn't do it solely for profit, but only mostly for social events and posturing.Back when he was a humbler member of society, he realized that many bigwigs and even his fellows cared for pride a lot. Be it food, liquor, or even simply everyday consumption, they always strove for the best and the most expensive.That was why polite society valued their privacy and established their respective social circles, which was why Heaven Springs ensured that everything was first-rate: atmosphere, service, food, and clientele.Just like how bigwigs wouldn't dine at the same table as their goons, said goons wouldn't eat at the fancy places those bigwigs frequented even if they had money, as it may appear as if they were overstepping.That wa
As such, intent on keeping up his pretense, Jacob answered the phone, "Looking for me, Matilda?""Uh-huh," Matilda replied, and asked, "You didn't show up at Senior University, and your sub is saying you probably won't be coming for a while? Is that true?""Oh—right, that," Jacob quickly said. "Well, it's true—the gist of it is that the Association is getting busy with a project. As the vice president, I probably shouldn't be staying at Senior University all the time, right?""Heck, Mr. Bay called me last minute, telling me how busy we're going to be and that I was needed. That's why I had to go back, but I will head over to campus again when I have the time."Matilda knew right then that those were all excuses.However, she did not expose Jacob, instead asking, "Well, when are you free? So that I can send you my wedding invitation?""Oh, the invitation?" Jacob quickly chuckled. "You really didn't have to come to me—just pass it to Walker, my sub lecturer. He can pass it to me wh