“I’m sure!” Vera pulled Charlie onto the cobblestone bridge. In the center of the bridge, she pointed to a chipped bluestone slab and told Charlie, “This damaged piece was caused by a frightened horse. Its owner was a stonemason who came to deliver two stone sculptures to the new mansion of the chieftain of Stoneridge. The horse had some difficulty crossing this cobblestone bridge, so the stonemason whipped it harshly. The horse got anxious, slipped, almost fell down, and then struggled forward as if crazy, overturning the cart it was dragging. One of the stone sculptures smashed into this bluestone slab, leaving this chip here.”As she spoke, Vera continued, “Coincidentally, I accompanied my grandfather from Digerro town that day to congratulate the chieftain here. So, I happened to witness the entire incident of the horse causing trouble at the bridge.”As Charlie listened to her description, he couldn't help but imagine the scene she described. At that moment, a girl about seven
When faced with the invitation from this young man called Helron, Charlie gladly accepted and said with a smile, “Since that's the case, we won't stand on ceremony with you guys!”Helron laughed and said, “You don't need to be so polite. We're all friends from different places, taking care of each other is the fine tradition among us hikers.”With that said, he asked Charlie, “Buddy, what's your name?”Charlie was about to speak when Vera, who was beside him, smiled and said, “My boyfriend is Charlesly Lavor. You can call him Charles!”Charlie was taken aback. He understood Vera's intention. After all, they were here to wait for Fleur. Whether it was Charlie's real name or Vera's real name, Fleur would definitely be familiar with them, so it was best to avoid using their real names as much as possible.However, he didn't expect that Vera would give him the alias ‘Charlesly Lavor’ and even came up with the nickname ‘Charles’ for him. He thought to himself, ‘Charles? Why does that
Young people who were enthusiastic about the outdoors generally have very outgoing and open personalities, and most of them are extroverted and sociable. Moreover, these young people were all very enthusiastic toward Charlie and Vera, so everyone quickly engaged in lively conversation.Helron was very influential among this group of people, and it was evident that everyone respected him. Charlie noticed that he didn't seem very old, so he curiously asked him, “Helron, are you a student or already working?”Helron nodded and said, “I'm still a student. I was studying in the United States before. I'm an Oskian American, and it's summer vacation now, so I wanted to come back to Oskia to hike a little and experience the beauty of our country.”He continued, “Most of us are university students. Jung, Louie Mant, and I are all studying in the United States. Shermaine and Bobbi are from Queenston University. Perry Hinskey and Jenell Looten are from Blastun University. There are also some w
Shermaine, who was aside, said, “It’s not like that. The allocation of spots for the clinical trials of Apothecary Pharmaceuticals is not based on who has money and power, but on who needs treatment the most. Those who sign up for the clinical trials are all cancer patients without exception. At least thirty percent of them have been declared by doctors to have less than six months to live. There are hundreds of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer alone, and many of them are children. People like us in our twenties hardly stand a chance to get a spot.”Curious, Charlie asked, "Shermaine, did you also sign up for Apothecary Pharmaceutical’s clinical trials?”Shermaine nodded and said, “I did, but I didn't get selected. The evaluation mechanism of Apothecary Pharmaceutical is somewhat like comparing miseries. First, they compare who has the most severe illness, and then they compare who is the youngest, whose family situation is the most pitiful, whose family responsibilities are
Charlie didn't expect that while camping in the mountains of Yorkshire Hill, he would encounter two young cancer patients. What surprised him even more was that both of these individuals had wanted to participate in the clinical trials of Apothecary Pharmaceutical in Aurous Hill, but they were both rejected. What astonished him the most was that this person, Leni, even knew Jameson.While others were marveling at the fact that Jameson, who once led the entire FDA, had voluntarily resigned and started charity work in Aurous Hill, Charlie curiously asked Leni, “Helron, are you very familiar with Jameson Smith?”Leni calmly replied, “Not really. After all, before he resigned, he was a high-ranking official in the United States, and the people he interacted with at the FDA were all top-notch biopharmaceutical companies and entrepreneurs worldwide. Someone like Jameson is outstanding even in high society. How could an ordinary person like me have the opportunity to know him?”Leni then
As she spoke, her expression gradually became serious. She said, “Leni, let's make a promise. Let's try to live through this year first. If by next year, a miracle happens and neither of us has died, you can come to Oskia and meet my parents to get their consent. After that, I will go to the United States with you.”Leni, who had been cheerful all along, suddenly looked weary. He whispered, “There are still four months left until next year. I'm afraid that even if I don't die by then, I won't be able to come to Oskia to see you.”Shermaine's eyes reddened, but she smiled and said, “It's okay. We'll just video call each other every day. Everything has moved online now, anyway. Even courts often hold hearings online. If necessary, we can just hire a priest, and I'll marry you online.”Leni suppressed his tears, nodded gently, and smiled as he said, “Okay, it’s a deal. When I go back to the United States this time, I'll look for a priest to organize an online wedding ceremony for us on
Soon, the moment the sun set completely, everyone lit a bonfire and the barbecue pit. Since everyone had prepared ingredients and Charlie had specially bought more, this dinner was particularly sumptuous. Besides, Charlie also bought plenty of good wine, which further enhanced the mood and atmosphere. Basically, everyone decided to indulge in drinking that night.Therefore, Charlie specially infused some Reiki into the wine. This Reiki couldn't strengthen their bodies or treat illnesses, but it ensured that no matter how much they drank that night, they wouldn't even yawn at all. Moreover, once this faint Reiki was absorbed by their bodies, it wouldn't leave any traces behind. Even if Fleur came, she wouldn't notice anything.Yorkshire Hill was located on a plateau, and the temperature difference between day and night was relatively large. Combined with the altitude of Mount Turtle Back, the temperature dropped considerably after nightfall. So, everyone sat around the bonfire, wa
At this moment, with less than twenty minutes until sunrise, everyone added some branches to the bonfire and started waiting for the moment when the sun would rise from behind the mountain.After about ten minutes, the previously pale horizon began to glow with golden hues. This was the sign that the sun was about to rise over the horizon.Just as everyone was eagerly looking forward to it, Charlie suddenly sensed that someone far away was quickly approaching their location. Since he was worried about being discovered by Fleur, Charlie had been practicing the mental cultivation method taught to him by Ruby since last night, tightly sealing his own Reiki within his body.For cultivators, each person was like a submarine navigating in the deep sea, relying on sonar detection to find each other. Using this analogy, a person with higher cultivation was like a more advanced submarine with stronger firepower, better propulsion, and more advanced methods of detecting other submarines from
When Jacob came to his senses, he was already in tears. The student presumed he was unwell and asked, "Mr. Wilson, do you want me to call your wife to pick you up?" Elaine's sarcastic face immediately popped up in his mind, and he trembled with fear. He quickly wiped away his tears and stammered, "D-don't bother... I... I just got something in my eyes..." The student obviously didn't believe him and asked worriedly, "Why don't you call your wife? Or I'll call a cab for you." "No, no." Jacob waved his hand and said, "I'll call my son-in-law to pick me up. He has just returned to Aurous Hill, so it shouldn't be a problem." After that, he quickly took out his phone and called Charlie. Just a few minutes ago, Charlie had left the cafe and was about to walk Yolden to his car. When he saw Yolden walking straight toward a domestic new energy vehicle, he asked curiously, "I don't think you were driving this model before, were you?" "I just bought it," Yolden replied with a smil
If Matilda still had feelings for Jacob, his nostalgic strategy would definitely have a strong impact. However, Matilda had already decided to move on, so Jacob's suggestion did not stir any emotions in her at all. With an apologetic smile, she said, "Sorry, Jacob, Yolden is downstairs waiting for me. We have something to discuss. How about another day? We can have dinner together, and I'll treat you." Jacob didn't expect the nostalgia strategy to fall flat. His original plan was to use nostalgia to get Matilda to go with him to eat near the school, then take the opportunity to revisit old places and subtly reignite their past memories. After all, revisiting old places was the best way to rekindle old feelings, no exceptions. It was like drinking the pasta water after cooking the pasta. However, he never imagined that Matilda's expression wouldn't change in the slightest. There was no shyness, no hesitation, no nervousness, and certainly no fluttering heart. She simply and
Matilda had been listening attentively before, but now, she was lowering her head, fiddling with her phone, and her expression even carried a hint of shyness and happiness, like that of a young girl. Jacob felt a pang of jealousy. While doing the presentation, he couldn't help but resentfully think to himself, "What has Matilda been chatting about with that Yolden guy? She's so happy..." At that moment, Matilda had just received a message from Yolden. In the message, Yolden informed her of the outcome of his conversation with Charlie and expressed his desire to have the wedding as soon as possible. Seeing how eager her beloved was to marry her, Matilda naturally felt very touched. At that moment, she had completely fallen into Yolden's love. For this man, who had a similar background, education, values, and even lifestyle to her own, she could find no fault with him. She felt that he was perfectly tailor-made for her by heaven itself, almost as if everything about him perfectly m
Charlie's worries were not unfounded. He had long known that Jacob had not completely given up on Matilda despite her relationship with Yolden. After returning from the cultural exchange in Korea, Jacob had been more dejected than ever before—something he hadn't even displayed when his family had gone bankrupt. If there was still a chance to salvage the relationship when one's beloved was merely dating someone else, their marriage was tantamount to a death sentence. Furthermore, considering the high intellectual backgrounds of Matilda and Yolden as well as their age and life experience, their decision to marry at this stage of life undoubtedly signaled their intention to build a long-term future together. This left Jacob with absolutely no chance at all. At this moment, Jacob was blissfully unaware of the devastating news and was busy conducting a calligraphy and painting workshop at Senior University. The so-called workshop was essentially a few slides showcasing classic
After that, Charlie asked with a bit of curiosity, "When did you and Matilda decide to get married?" Yolden smiled sheepishly and explained, "Remember when the city organized our cultural exchange trip to South Korea? I confessed to Matilda during that trip, and she accepted. After spending some time together, we both felt we were a great match. Considering our age, we didn't want to delay such an important decision any longer, so we decided to take the next step and build a family together." He continued, "Last month, we went to Lambonear for a few days. I bought a ring and proposed to her by the seaside, and she said yes. We also sought the opinion of our respective children—Autumn and Paul—and they were both very supportive. Both kids are exceptional and independent, so they urged us to have the wedding as soon as possible. I wanted to wait until you returned so I could check your schedule. For our wedding, we'd like to ask you to be our officiant." "What? Me as the officiant?
Charlie said without hesitation, "Sure. When is it convenient for you? Send me the address, and I'll go meet you." Charlie had always respected Yolden not only because he was a nice and talented man but also because he and his mother went way back and went to the same school. Yolden said hastily, "I've just come from Senior University. It's the weekend, and I don't have classes today. Why don't you send me the address and I'll meet you?" Charlie gave it some thought. It was a little past 3 p.m., so Yolden had likely already had lunch, and there were still a few hours until dinner. Inviting him to The Heaven Springs didn't seem ideal for a discussion. Considering that he had lived in the United States for many years and probably had a habit of having coffee in the afternoon, Charlie said, "How about this? There's a Starbucks not far south of the university. Let's meet there for a cup of coffee." "Perfect!" Yolden said with a smile. "I was just thinking you could give me an addre
On the way back to The Heaven Springs, Julien was in a much better mood than when he had arrived. Initially, he was filled with anxiety, unsure of what Charlie had planned. But now, everything had become clear. The troublesome matter of Salem and Edmund was no longer his concern. All he had to do was wait for the video from the ship to be released and then head back home. Charlie noticed his improved mood and smiled as he asked, "Julien, you've resolved the most critical matter right after landing in Aurous Hill. You must be feeling pretty happy, right?" Julien chuckled and said, "To be honest, before coming here, I was worried that I'd end up going back empty-handed and being secretly mocked by others. But now, it's different. Once your video is released, no one can blame me for not doing my job. If anything, they can only blame their family for missing their chance. After all, so much time has passed, and it's their fault Salem and Edmund were moved to the Middle East." As he
"Good." With a light nod, Charlie turned to Jiro and spoke up, "Jiro, I'll give you a chance to prove yourself." "Okay, Mr. Wade!" Jiro beamed excitedly. "Please tell me what to do! I promise I will do my best to serve you." Charlie smiled and said, "Once the ship is ready, you'll board it together with them. Your only task is to keep a close watch on them the entire time. Don't let them pull any tricks. If you succeed, you'll be a free man here. You'll get a basic monthly salary and can ask for anything you like within reason—so long as it's not contraband, it will be yours." Hearing this, Jiro was so thrilled that he trembled all over. His current treatment was already decent, but he was still only a semi-free man. He didn't dare casually set foot on the ground outside. If he could become a truly free man, he would be able to enjoy the sunlight outdoors freely. More importantly, from then on, he would have a salary. Although he couldn't personally go out shopping, having a sa
Julien had uncovered Charlie's true identity quite some time ago and investigated Charlie's background. He was well aware that Charlie had become the head of the Wade family and that the Acker family fully supported him. Although the outside world believed that Ten Thousand Armies had subdued the Wade family, Julien had witnessed Charlie's methods firsthand. Even the top two figures of the Rothschild family had been toyed with by Charlie, so how could Ten Thousand Armies possibly make him surrender? Thus, Julien deduced that Ten Thousand Armies was undoubtedly Charlie's covert tool. Considering the combined strength of the Wade family, the Acker family, and Charlie's personally cultivated forces, it was evident that Charlie even had the power to contend with the entire Rothschild family. Moreover, with the life-extending pill in his possession and the life of the Rothschild family head in his hands, Charlie's chances of prevailing in a confrontation against the Rothschilds were e