Charlie's words made Vera's eyebrows twitch involuntarily. She seemed to understand something but deliberately didn't ask further. Instead, she put this matter aside and smiled at Charlie, saying, “Young Master, since you can't make up your mind, let me take charge of this matter.”After saying that, she tilted her head for a moment, then said, “If it were ancient times, I would definitely call you ‘sweetheart’. But now, no one uses that term anymore, and since we are pretending to be a couple rather than husband and wife, how about I call you ‘darling’, and you call me 'darling' as well?”After saying this, Vera breathed rapidly. She was blushing as she watched Charlie, afraid he would refuse or be displeased.Charlie didn't think much of it. They were pretending to be a couple, after all, and they were even wearing couple outfits. It was normal for the terms of endearment to be a bit cheesy. Besides, if they were a couple, it didn't seem appropriate to call each other by their nam
At this moment, Vera wore a shy smile on her face, reminiscent of a young girl. It was evident that she was in extremely high spirits as she walked beside Charlie. Her eyes occasionally stole glances at Charlie, but each time, it was just a brief glance, not daring to stare for long. Every time she looked, her eyes would curve up like the willow leaves swaying in the wind, truly embodying a breathtaking beauty.However, the Vera they remembered was always carefree, playful, and sometimes domineering, but never shy or timid. They never associated her with the words ‘shy’ and ‘timid’.Now, they finally realized that Vera also had such a girlish and shy side.Logan watched Vera walking toward them from a distance and couldn't help but sigh with a smile, “If Miss were to wear a wedding dress or a traditional outfit, she would be even more beautiful, wouldn't she?”Emmett waved his hand solemnly and said, “No, she still looks quite young. Nowadays, girls get married in their twenties
Vera couldn't help but ask him angrily, “Shouldn't you call me 'darling' as well?”Charlie coughed twice and asked her, “There's no one else here. Do you really want me to call you that?”Vera felt aggrieved and said, “We agreed on this earlier…”Charlie immediately said seriously, “Alright, I'll keep my promise.”After adjusting himself, he said, “Darling, we'll reach the airport in half an hour.”Vera smiled sweetly and said, “Got it. Thank you, darling!”Vera, who was satisfied, couldn't help but notice Charlie's left hand on the steering wheel, and she curiously asked, “Darling, didn't you wear the ring I gave you when you came out?”Charlie casually replied, “Why would I wear it? The ring recognizes your father as its owner, not me. If we encounter danger together, it will still teleport me to you. If we really meet Fleur, wouldn't that be like a bug getting stuck, unable to escape her grasp? It would be like giving her the ring for nothing. So, it's better not to wear it.”
A trendy and stylish couple dressed in high-end fashion walked hand in hand through the VIP passage to complete their boarding process. They then held hands and boarded the airport's business car reserved for VIPs.To outsiders, these two must be lovers who were rich heirs. Not only were they dressed in high-end brands, but they also seemed to have spent hundreds of thousands on private charters for their trips.However, this was just the best disguise for Charlie and Vera.With Charlie's current appearance, no one would doubt he was just twenty years old. Even if he bumped into acquaintances, they wouldn't recognize him.As the two boarded the plane, the crew guided them to the spacious cabin. Vera completely ignored the first two independent first-class seats and held Charlie's hand as she walked toward the back and said coquettishly, “Darling, I want to sit with you.”There were side-by-side double seats at the back with no armrest in between, just like a standard double sofa s
Vera felt both shy and anxious, “I've never been in love, but I've seen enough romance dramas at least! Aren’t playful banters like this common in romance dramas?”“Yes, yes…” Charlie nodded with a smile. By this time, the plane had slowly taxied away from the gate, so Charlie brought the conversation back to the point as he whispered, “We'll be landing in Londel in a little over two hours. Can you still recall the exact location of your father's tomb?”Vera put away her smile and replied, “My father's tomb is northeast of Ensel Bay. I've seen maps and satellite photos. That place is now called Stoneridge.”Charlie nodded, took out his cell phone to check the map, and said, “Stoneridge is a bit closer to Londel. It's about an hour and a half drive from the airport.”“Mm-hmm…” Vera nodded slightly and said, “My father's tomb is on a mountain in the northeast part of Stoneridge. It's been hundreds of years, so I wonder what it looks like now.”Charlie asked her, “Was there a tombsto
Charlie nodded gently, “Okay, thank you for your hard work.”-When Fleur's plane landed in Melbourne, the plane carrying Charlie and Vera had already taken off from Aurous Airport, heading for the distant Londel over a thousand kilometers away.As the plane took off and flew westward, Vera completely lost her previous liveliness and playfulness. She leaned on Charlie's shoulder for a while, then her eyes seemed to lose focus as she stared out the window.Charlie could sense that something was wrong with her, and he understood her current state very well. After all, in this world, no one was more suited to feel homesick than Vera right now.She was a young girl who had been away from home for over three hundred years, and she was finally on her way back home. Anyone in her shoes would feel a mixture of emotions.After more than two hours, the plane landed at Londel Airport. When Vera got off the plane, her legs felt a bit weak involuntarily.As she clung to Charlie, he could cle
Whenever Sanguine was mentioned, Vera would clench her teeth in hatred. When she mentioned that none of her four uncles and their descendants survived, Vera burst into tears. Charlie didn't expect Vera's grandfather's family to be so tragic, and he couldn't help but sigh as he said, “In those days, lives were as insignificant as grass and leaves. Countless families that had lasted for hundreds or even thousands of years were cut off in that era.”Vera clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, saying, “It's all because of the traitor, Sanguine!”With these words, she showed a fierce attitude that she rarely showed, saying word by word, “The Lavors has been loyal for generations! My ancestors have dedicated themselves to the country, and my father even joined the military, fighting against the Qing Dynasty for half his life, never forgetting to support Oskia. However, Sanguine not only let the Qing army into the pass, overturning our country, but he also killed the king for his own s
“Later on, I also thought, instead of constantly running, it might be better to just leave the ring to Fleur so that she would stop pursuing me and let me live out the rest of my life peacefully. Upon second thoughts, Fleur was the one who murdered my father. If I compromised and begged for mercy from her, what's the difference between me and Sanguine, who let the Qing dynasty in? We would both be traitors, then.”After saying this, Vera said, “After understanding all this, I decided that no matter how difficult it is, I must survive. No matter how hard it is, I cannot compromise and give in to Fleur. As long as I can survive, I will definitely outlive Fleur. At that time, I will have the last laugh.”Charlie said firmly, “Don't worry, you will definitely outlive her.”Vera nodded earnestly and said, “I'm sure you will outlive me, Young Master. After I die, please bother to bury my ashes next to my parents. My life will be complete then.”Charlie said seriously, “Don't worry, if I
Later, after Charlie told Jeremiah over the phone about the joint venture with the Ackers to establish Curtis Autos, the old man was awash with tears, especially after Charlie told him that it was Keith who suggested it. After all, Curtis was his favorite son whose death he could never really get over. Moreover, he once believed that only his family mourned Curtis while the Ackers never did, and he held a grudge over his son's passing. As such, he was surprised that Keith held such great respect toward his late son and didn't hesitate to say yes when Charlie invited him to Aurous Hill to sign an agreement with the Ackers.Still, Charlie wasn't in a hurry to arrange for a specific time, and he was going to let the Ackers sort out the human resources of Godot Autos over a few days. It still wouldn't be too late by then.Moreover, he was keen to allow the buzz to have time to grow so that the automotive industry would be astounded by the joint project between the Ackers and the Wade
Christian was the first to exclaim in approval, "Yes! Curtis Autos sounds wonderful! It has my vote!""Seconded!" Kaiden nodded, pumping the air with his right fist. "I've looked up to Curtis the most, and I absolutely agree with naming the company after him!"Jaxson was nodding too. "Me too!""Yes!" Lulu chirped.Yolden couldn't help agreeing as well. "Curtis Autos is definitely a good name!"Merlin raised his hand gingerly as well. "Quit it with your flattery already," Keith chuckled, and he turned toward Charlie solemnly. "In the end, Curtis is Charlie's father, and the final decision goes to him!"Charlie's eyes were welling up with tears—his parents had been gone for almost three decades, yet he had never thought of dedicating anything to their memory.As such, Keith's suggestion to use Curtis's name for the car company left him thrilled. After all, wouldn't his father's soul be honored if Curtis Autos rocked the country, maybe even the world?With that in mind, he nodd
Charlie also had to agree that this was an opportunity to formally reconcile the Wades and the Ackers.While he couldn't reveal himself just yet, the Wades and the Ackers had been in-laws for years. Even if they had had a dispute for the longest time, restoring good relations made sense now that the Ackers had come to Oskia, and it wouldn't arouse any suspicion.That was why Charlie agreed to it without hesitation, even making a mental note to invite his paternal grandfather, Jeremiah, to Aurous Hill.The old geezers could meet up and clear the air while deciding on the partnership.Yolden was prepared to resign as a professor as well so that he could help the Ackers and Charlie fully develop their automotive company.With a general direction planned, he asked everyone, "Since we're creating a new brand, has anyone come up with a name?"No one was feeling inspired at that moment, but that was when Lulu, who had been silent throughout, said, "Since Charlie and our family are worki
Neither Charlie nor the Ackers expected Yolden's insight to cover all corners.In fact, it felt like the man had a blueprint ready and was only waiting for the time to put it to use.That was why everyone was immensely approving of Yolden and wanted no other man for the job of CEO.Kaeden smiled, "Well, since everyone has agreed, let's put this to rest as soon as possible—this will be a joint investment between our family and the Wades, and Professor Hart will take the post of CEO. Let's all do our best to make this a good one!"Yolden also made up his mind, deciding that he didn't want to let slip a chance to realize his ambitions. "I'll resign from the university after my honeymoon trip. It probably shouldn't be long, and I can get involved in early preparations via teleconference."Charlie nodded. "Then, we can have Uncle Kaeden stay on schedule while I'll ask the Wades to send a representative over to sign a memorandum for the investment."Keith smiled and nodded. "You should
Charlie hadn't been born and raised in Aurous Hill, but he still started living here at the age of eight and was more attached to this place than Eastcliff.If he was going to take part in this automotive investment with the Ackers, he naturally found Aurous Hill the ideal location.Not only would it create a huge number of jobs for Aurous Hill, but it would also rake in much economic flow for the region.Yolden also nodded at his suggestion. "If the first plant is meant to cover the demand of the entire local market, there's no reason for a coastal plant. Aurous Hill stands at an intersection between the north and the south, so transportation is convenient. It's also killing two birds with one stone, as Mr. Wade is fond of the city."Charlie couldn't help but agree. "I won't lie—Aurous Hill has been good to me, and I hope to give back. Nothing's better than succeeding in that respect."Yolden spread his hands, "Heavy industries are certainly ideal to contribute to Aurous Hill's e
Yolden had actually been researching new energy for a while—in fact, it was when Tesla's first car models were produced.He was passionate about the subject and had his own opinions as well as ambitions, but he was busy teaching, so he couldn't realize any of it.But was this not a golden opportunity tailor-made for him?Seeing that Yolden was clearly interested, Charlie turned toward Kaeden, "Actually, the professor is getting married soon. There's no way we'd split up newlyweds so soon after the wedding, right? So, is it possible to set up base in Aurous Hill instead?""Not a problem!" Kaeden replied without hesitation. "Our family is planning to return to Oskia anyway, and everyone knows about Ashley and Curtis. So, why don't we invest in this enterprise alongside the Wades and have the base set up in Aurous Hill? And then bring Godot under as a subsidiary?"Turning to Yolden, he continued, "By the way, Godot's plant is already in the province—barely 100 miles from Aurous Hill,
Pausing, Yolden continued, "Moreover, the greatest advantage of AI is that it is self-conscious and has the processing power to analyze astronomical proportions of data. As car sales grow, every car owner's driving data will add precious new data to our data vault, and it will be processed by AI for even greater space of imagination."For example, kst's say I experienced a bumpiness along a certain road, and when the sensors pick up on that anomaly, the data will be uploaded to the servers along with images of the road condition in real time. The processing AI module would determine in no time at all that there was damage and label said location on the map, and then forward the data to other vehicles close to that location, sending notifications when they are close enough and providing the appropriate advice for countermeasures."Naturally, the AI can even be refined further so that it immediately warns us to slow down while uploading the data to the servers and informing any cars cl
Yolden's mind short-circuited at those words. "The most advanced AI module?!"He had been working on Wall Street for years, having invested in substantial startup tech companies as well as assisting plenty of Nasdaq tech enterprises with their IPO. That was why he especially had a sharp six sense for cutting-edge technology.It had been a while since he had gotten up the saddle, and AI had just become the trend recently, but he still paid close attention. He was well aware what applications were possible for AI modules, but he was shocked that Charlie already possessed what all the online giants were coveting!Thrilled, he quickly asked Charlie, "Can the Rothschilds resolve all the hardware and software issues? High-processing power display cards are a dime a dozen these days, and local enterprises are all planning to sell them one by one. The demand is just that high!"Charlie chuckled. "Don't worry—the Rothschilds will handle both issues for me, even the data centers. We bought i
Keith, who had been silent throughout, waved him off as he said solemnly, "Please don't sell yourself short, Professor Hart. I'm sure you can do well in this position, but it's still a matter of will."If your heart is truly set on educating future generations, then I'm sure you'd reject our offer no matter what we say."However, if you felt the slightest interest, even anticipation, for such a major project, then you really should consider our offer."We've already invested in Godot Autos for 3 billion USD and over 10 billion if we're counting in Ricebolt. But we still have 30 billion more in capital available—and that means it's 40 billion USD at play."I doubt any other global car maker can afford that much, let alone a new car maker. So, I dare say that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"Keith's words spoke to Yolden's very soul—a startup capital of forty billion US dollars was certainly unprecedented for electric-powered vehicles. Even Ricebolt had barely garnered ove