Charlie frowned, “Then who do you think is on the plane and where could they be going?”Vera replied, “I dare not speculate on that.”After that, Vera added, “Regardless of who is on board, as long as their final destination isn't Australia, they will surely apply for the next segment of their flight route before reaching Australia. Flying from Buenos Aires to Australia takes at least twelve hours, so the most important destination of this plane will probably become clear in about eight hours.”Charlie nodded slightly, “It seems we'll have to wait until tomorrow morning to find out.”Vera smiled gently, reassuring him, “Young Master, there's no need to worry too much. Based on what I know about Fleur, she won’t come to Aurous Hill again. This plane might be carrying other people to execute other missions elsewhere.”Charlie hummed in agreement, “Thinking too much now won't help. We'll know where the plane is headed in eight hours. If it's coming to Aurous Hill, I'll still have ove
After bidding farewell to Vera and returning home, Charlie's mind was preoccupied with only two things.The first thing was to seize time and refine the Thunderstrike Wood from the Mother of Puér Tea given to him by Vera into a Thunder Order.The other was to wait eight hours and see where the Boeing 777 from the Qing Eliminating Society was headed next. If it was heading to Aurous Hill, he needed to prepare accordingly as soon as possible.With eight hours to spare, Charlie immediately began refining the Thunder Order upon returning home. For Charlie, refining the Thunderous Order was already a familiar task.When he returned to his room and infused Reiki into the segment of Thunderstrike Wood, he thought everything would be as simple as it was before. However, he soon found that his Reiki, which used to be unstoppable, had difficulty advancing within the Thunderstrike Wood.Previously, refining the Thunderstrike Wood was like carving an ordinary piece of wood with a sharp knife.
“Mandalay?” Charlie frowned and asked, “Is the information accurate?”“Absolutely,” Isaac affirmed. “Currently, the flight plan submitted to the Australian Air Traffic Control Department is indeed for Mandalay. They will probably land at Melbourne Airport in about four hours and then expect an hour or so of rest after landing before continuing to Mandalay. It’s about an eight-hour flight from Melbourne to Mandalay, so they won't arrive in Mandalay for at least another ten hours.”Upon learning that the other party wasn't coming to Aurous Hill, Charlie's first feeling was relief. He thought his strategy to put on a bold front to conceal his weakness had been discovered by the other party.However, he was also puzzled and did not understand why the Qing Eliminating Society would suddenly send a plane to Myanmar. So, Charlie called Vera and relayed Isaac's report to her.Vera was surprised to hear that the Qing Eliminating Society's plane had gone to Myanmar. She said, “Why would Fleu
“You're right, Young Master!” Vera said confidently over the phone, “I'm heading to Yorkshire Hill right now!”Charlie was puzzled and asked, “What are you going to do in Yorkshire Hill?”Vera sighed lightly and said with a touch of melancholy, “Young Master, ever since the Mother of Pu’er Tea met with catastrophe and I departed from Yorkshire Hill, I haven't returned there in the past two to three hundred years. I was afraid that Fleur would have set up a trap there, waiting for me to fall into it.”She continued, “Fleur's Five Military Governor Offices should have entered a state of silence by now. Even if she still has spies in Yorkshire Hill, they should have withdrawn to the location of the Central Military Governor Office or stopped all surveillance and waited for orders. It’s a good time for me to return to Yorkshire Hill now!”Charlie cautioned her, “Miss Lavor, please don't take it lightly. You are more important to Fleur than anyone else in this world. If she still has tr
Charlie chuckled and said, “It's a bit risky, but if we really encounter Fleur, it might turn out to be a good thing.”Vera was even more puzzled and asked, “Young Master, what exactly are you planning?”Charlie replied earnestly, “I don't have a specific plan. My main concern is that it's too dangerous for you to go to Yorkshire Hill alone. If you're going, then I'll accompany you. If we don't encounter Fleur, that's naturally the best outcome, but if we do meet her, it might not necessarily be a bad thing. As long as we can avoid being noticed by her, we might be able to find out where she and your father studied under Master Marcius Stark!”He further explained, “At this point, I increasingly feel that the Apocalyptic Book, the Preface to the Apocalyptic Book, and my parents are all connected. They also seem to be closely related to Master Marcius Stark. If we can find the place where he practiced back then, maybe we can find something he left behind or some records. In that case
Ever since Charlie followed the clues and found out about the Qing Eliminating Society's shipping company in Singapore, he realized that civilian airplanes were an easily overlooked loophole.No matter how wealthy or powerful someone was, as long as they needed to fly across international borders, they had to truthfully report all flight information to every country they passed through.This was because no individual could control the entire aviation system. Governments around the world considered aviation security and airspace security their top priorities. Apart from drug traffickers in Mexico and Colombia, no one dared to fly illegally in the sky.And in this world, no individual had the capability to create an invisible aircraft that could evade all radar detection.So, whether it was the world's richest person or the Qing Eliminating Society's leader, once they boarded a plane, their whereabouts couldn't be hidden.Fleur and the entire Qing Eliminating Society had always thou
On the other end of the phone, Lulu's husband, Zekeiah, answered the call almost immediately. His voice sounded anxious as he asked, “Lulu, is that you?”Lulu hummed in response, “Yes, it's me.”The moment he heard Lulu's voice, he was overjoyed and blurted out, “Lulu, it's such a relief that you're okay! I've been trying to call you these past two days, but I couldn't get through at all. I was so worried!”Lulu's feelings at this moment were extremely complicated. She didn't even know if her husband was the undercover agent arranged by the Qing Eliminating Society in their own home.She naturally didn't hope that this was true, but when it involved the life and death of the entire Acker family, she dared not take it lightly. So, she continued according to Charlie's instructions and said, “Honey, you almost missed out on hearing my voice anymore…”Zekeiah exclaimed, “Did something happen?!”Lulu replied, “A few days ago, a very powerful expert suddenly attacked Willow Manor. That
After saying that, Zekeiah yawned and said, “Ah, I haven't slept for two or three days. After hearing that you’re fine, I suddenly feel so sleepy that I can't keep my eyes open. Honey, I'll take a nap for a while. I really can't hold on any longer.”Lulu pursed her lips. She had a weary expression, but her voice was very caring as she said, “Okay, Honey, go rest now. Remember to turn on the 'Do Not Disturb' mode on your phone.”“Okay!” Zekeiah agreed, then said to Lulu, “Honey, I'm hanging up now.”“Okay then, go ahead.”As the voice call ended, Keith said with a serious expression, “There’s no need to think about it anymore. There must be a problem with Zekeiah.”Lulu instinctively said, “Dad, isn't it okay for Zekeiah to care about us and want to know what's going on? Asking more questions shouldn't be a problem, right?”Keith coldly said, “Asking more questions isn't a problem, but there's a problem after asking them.”At this point, Merlin also agreed, saying, “I support Lor
Jacob zipped toward Raymond, his attitude immediately subservient, "I'm sure you've seen what Zachary Evans posted on his Twitter page, and to be honest, it's so terrible that my position in the Calligraphy and Painting Association has been affected too. I mean, you've made a lot of money, right?"Hell, even if you donated ten million, you'd still have another ten million and 970 thousand in net profits. So, all I'd like to ask is for you to post something to disclaim Zachary's post.Jacob's words left Raymond in thought.For Jacob, just being suspected of fraud would definitely be terrible. In fact, his position in the Calligraphy and Painting Association would definitely be threatened—if not dismissed altogether—if he wasn't cleared of suspicion.Since Jacob was Charlie Wade's father-in-law, Raymond had reason not to drive Jacob over the brink.But that also begged another question—it must be under Charlie's intention for Zachary to post his confession, and that meant Charlie in
Raymond couldn't help chuckling just as Jacob finished—he had honestly never heard of anyone who demanded a refund after donating to charity, but he was certainly seeing one now.Still, the receptionist was clearly experienced and slowly explained, "Sir, it's a legal clause of the country that all donations for philanthropy purposes can not be refunded under most circumstances—""It truly was a mistake," Jacob quickly said, cutting the receptionist off. "I was going to donate thirty thousand but pressed an extra zero by mistake. Please discuss this with your management—you just have to refund 27 thousand, see?""Sorry, sir," the receptionist apologized. "But it's a strict rule that we ourselves do not get to access the funds that have been donated into our accounts. Every donation will be screened extensively, and if you consider that there was a major oversight on your part, you may seek legal counsel to appeal for a refund. If the courts back your appeal, our organization will the
Nonetheless, Jacob darted into Treasure Measure and plucked off his mask, asking nervously, "Excuse me, Mr. Cole? It's me… Jacob Wilson…"Raymond looked up, pausing for a moment before acting as if he was actually curious, "Mr. Wilson! What brings you here? Don't tell me—you want that bronze sculpture back too?""No, no, no…" Jacob quickly shook his head. "I would never… I returned all the way from Dubai to apologize!""Apologize?" Raymond smiled faintly, and he did not play dumb this time as he asked bluntly, "Did you come back because of Zachary Evan's post?"Knowing he couldn't deny it any longer, Jacob nodded, "Yeah…"Raymond nodded and said calmly, "That's unnecessary. I was the one who benefited in the end."Jacob wasn't quite keeping up—thinking that Raymond was just trying to be nice by telling him he didn't have to apologize, he quickly pulled out his phone.Tapping on it and bringing up his transaction records, he handed it to Raymond reverently, "Mr. Cole, I understan
The cabbie chuckled. "You're a local yet you're heading to Antique Street right away as soon as you land instead of going home? And you're still saying you're not trying to pick up a killer bargain deal?"Come on, man—it's not just you, I want that too. We cabbies work ourselves to death only for ten thousand per month at best while our friend over there made twenty million in one night. I could keep driving cabs for the rest of my life and still not make that much money."Jacob knew that the cabbie must be talking about Raymond and became even more miserable then, grumbling unhappily, "I'm going to Antique Street for business—I'm not trying to pick up some missed bargain.""No? Then you didn't hear what happened yesterday?"The cabbie was immediately curious, and without waiting for Jacob's answer, he exclaimed happily, "Look, man—it was so ridiculous not even Hollywood would put it in their script. There were these fools who were trying to sell an antique trader a replica, but th
It was nighttime in Dubai as Jacob dragged his weary body from the hotel back to the airport.As he was flying economy this time, he was left sitting at the hard bench near the boarding terminal, waiting for it to open.While he waited, his heart was torn as he tapped into the website of the Aurous Hill Charity Fund, found their donation account, and wired the entire 300 thousand he had made over to them.He had picked the Aurous Hill Charity Fund because the circles of antique collectors in Aurous Hill were all discussing how Raymond had donated half of the 20 million he had made to that same charity fund.After Raymond skyrocketed to prominence in Antique Street and became a star, it could not be denied that people admired his profound ability.However, there were also people who envied his skill in turning the tables just as there were those who were jealous he had made twenty million in a single night.Still, Raymond moved fast—soon after word spread that he had made twenty m
Elaine quickly asked, "Well, what if you can't get it done?"Jacob was apprehensive even as he sighed. "If they really pressed the issue, guess I can't even stay at the Calligraphy and Painting Association now… We will see. If things get bad, I'll just resign. I won't ask for much right now, just as long as I don't have to go to jail."Elaine nodded. "Then you should try to reason things out with Raymond Cole or ask for Charlie's help if push comes to shove. Being humiliated is still better than prison.""Okay!"-It was nighttime at Aurous Hill by the time Elaine and Jacob arrived at their hotel.Charlie and Claire had just had dinner, and Claire pulled out her phone, saying, "I just checked my flight app, and it says my parents should have landed two hours ago. They are probably at the hotel, so I'll check in on them with a video call."She had yet to open her WhatsApp when Elaine called her on a video call.Jacob was planning to check in with Claire and Charlie to put their
Hearing what Jacob had said, Elaine became anxious and pressed him as he hung up, "What's going on? You're leaving? But we just got here! My shoes have just caught Dubai dirt, so why are we leaving so soon—"However, Jacob was wiping the sweat off his brow as he mumbled quietly, "Well, at this point, I have to leave or I won't be vice president anymore."Elaine immediately fumed. "We've been married for half our lives, and this is supposed to be our honeymoon, yet we're just leaving? I've posted about this on social media too—there are plenty of people who're waiting for more posts on our trip!"And don't forget—we spent a lot on our flight tickets and our hotels! The hotel bookings can't be refunded either!"Jacob scowled dolefully. "Well, what can we do? Why don't you stay? I'll go home and get this sorted out first….""Well, how long would that take?" Elaine asked."How should I know?" Jacob sighed, uneasy and annoyed. "Don Albert is saying I have to go back and donate the 300
"But I spent 98 thousand on that bronze sculpture!" Jacob exclaimed in agitation before he knew it. "I made 300 thousand from it, and that means my profit was 200 thousand at best, but I'm supposed to return that to him as well?! That means I'd have lost my own capital too!""I can't help you if you can't bear to part with that money, Mr. Wilson," Don Albert said quietly. "In that case, you'll just have to handle it yourself.""Wait, wait, wait!" Jacob immediately became antsy and cried out right then, "Please, Don Albert! I'll return the money! I'll return it, alright?! The entirety of my profits—202 thousand, okay? At least let me keep the money I spent, okay?""By that reasoning, Mr. Wilson, when a phone scammer is told by the cops to return the money they've made from defrauding, should he be allowed to keep the money he spent on telco charges? ""Oh, I…" Jacob was left stumped and could not come up with an answer.Don Albert then pressed on, "Mr. Wilson, I've offered a prom
"Mr. Wilson, what you boys did was truly heinous!" Don Arnold growled. "I scolded Zachary myself when I found out, and I was the one who told him to post that statement!"Jacob was shocked. "But why, Don Arnold? Are you friends with Raymond Cole?""Never met the guy," Don Arnold replied.That left Jacob even more confused. "Then why are you taking his side?""I've been doing my best to clean up my image over the past couple of years," Don Albert replied coolly. "I rarely get involved in mob business or anything illicit, and everyone in Aurous Hill knows that Zachary is my right-hand man, yet he confessed to committing such a heinous crime behind my back. What is that if not sullying my reputation?"Jacob was left reeling as he didn't expect Don Albert to be so serious, but he quickly explained, "I'm sorry. I didn't expect it to affect you so terribly… It's all Zachary's fault! I wouldn't have been aware that Raymond had returned at all, but he just had to tell me and come up with