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
When Vera returned to Stoneridge after more than three hundred years, it no longer looked the same as it did before. While Ensel Bay was still there, centuries of development had changed its appearance significantly compared to three hundred years ago.Standing on the bustling streets of Stoneridge, Vera couldn't match the memories in her mind with the current scene. Fortunately, the changes in the mountains weren't significant. Despite some peaks being partially mined, the overall landscape remained relatively unchanged.After Vera identified it, she determined that her father's grave was located northeast of the current Stoneridge town, behind the first partially mined peak and the mountain resembling a tortoise shell.Charlie and Vera left the car in town and then changed into a pair of couples’ sneakers prepared by Vera in advance. They then began hiking toward the mountains.As they set off, Charlie silently activated his mental cultivation method, reducing his Reiki to the mi
Charlie smiled and said, “Don't worry, I'm not a reckless person. I know my limits.”Vera heaved a sigh of relief, “That's good…”After the two of them hiked over the first mountain, they climbed up the mountain that resembled a turtle's back. As this was the second mountain on the hiking route, there were just as many people here as on the first mountain.Vera introduced to Charlie, “This mountain resembles the back of a turtle. It's called Mount Turtle Back. It’s a rare geomantic treasure that’s in the area. When my grandfather was a local chieftain, he spent a lot of effort selecting this mountain as our family's ancestral tomb.”Charlie asked curiously, “Is this entire mountain your grandfather's family’s ancestral tomb?”Vera nodded and said, “That’s right. The Feng Shui here is excellent, resembling a dragon coiling around the mountain. It's considered very auspicious. Choosing to place the ancestral tomb here can bless future generations with prosperity, wealth, and fortune
Vera couldn't help but smile faintly when she saw Charlie’s serious expression, and she said, “Young Master, even though the close-defense missiles could kill Mr. Jothurn, they may not be able to kill Fleur. Moreover, Fleur is the only one who knows where Master Marcius Stark cultivated. Young Master, please bear with it a little longer and don't end Fleur's life here.”Charlie laughed heartily, “I was just expressing my feelings. Even if someone could bring close-defense missiles here, I can't use them here.”Vera nodded slightly and said, “Young Master, there's no surveillance here. Please wait for me for a moment. I'll go ahead to pay respects to the ancestors of the Lavors.”Charlie nodded in a gentlemanly manner and said, “I'll wait here for you.”Vera smiled apologetically, then walked into the nearby pine forest.Five minutes later, Vera walked out of the pine forest with red eyes. At this moment, five or six outdoor enthusiasts with gear on their backs came from the direct
Furthermore, if something were to happen, it would be difficult for him to protect Vera.Vera seemed to know what Charlie was thinking. She smiled and took the lead to speak up and say, “Darling, don't worry. Yorkshire Hill rarely experiences strong winds, and it's even rarer up here. Moreover, the weather is so clear now. We're only staying for one night, so there won't be any strong winds. Even if there were, they wouldn't reach us.”Charlie didn't expect Vera to still hold onto this immature idea, so he deliberately said, “Okay then, Darling, let's head down the mountain first and discuss what to do on the way.”“Okay!” Vera nodded contentedly, linking her arm with Charlie's, and saying affectionately, “In that case, we have to hurry. I'm afraid if we come late, there won't be any suitable spots left!”As the two descended the mountain and were alone, Charlie spoke up, “Miss Lavor, were you serious about what you just said?”Vera solemnly replied, “Call me ‘Darling’! The topic
Charlie didn't expect that Vera, who seemed delicate and inexperienced, would have such courage. She clearly knew that neither she nor Charlie was a match for Fleur. Once they encountered her head-on, they would almost certainly die.After all, previously, Ruby had told them both in person that Fleur had activated her elixir field over a hundred years ago, which meant her strength a hundred years ago was much greater than Charlie's current strength.But even so, Vera was willing to take the risk.“You realize there's no chance of survival for us against Fleur. Are you sure you want to take this risk here?” Charlie asked seriously.Vera nodded solemnly, looking at Charlie with unwavering determination as she spoke up and said, “For over three hundred years, I've been avoiding her. I've been cautious to the point where I hardly set foot in any place related to her for almost my entire life. But now, knowing she might come here, I don't know why, but I suddenly want to take this risk!
As Vera had said, in her lifetime, she couldn't seek revenge on Fleur with her strength, but she could confront Fleur with immense courage. Not being detected under Fleur's nose might be the best way for her to confront Fleur now.So, Charlie was also somewhat influenced by her and said, “In that case, there's no need for someone to secretly install any monitoring equipment. I'll accompany you here and wait for Fleur to come. I want to see for myself who exactly this Fleur is!”Vera asked in surprise, “Young Master, are you really willing to accompany me?”Charlie nodded. “Yes.”Vera said seriously, “This is equivalent to walking a tightrope on a cliff. One mistake could be fatal.”Charlie laughed and said, “If you're not afraid, why should I be?”Vera smiled slightly, and her eyes were full of sincerity as she said, “I’m content with your words, Young Master, but I'm not like you. I have no family or relatives. Death is not a terrifying thing for me. On the contrary, it's a reli
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