Moreover, these stone pillars were numerous and placed in a disorderly manner, resembling a stone forest. Upon seeing these seemingly randomly placed stone pillars, Fleur did not look surprised at all. Instead, she touched them somewhat emotionally and murmured, “Master, Elijah, I’m back.”With that said, she stepped into the stone forest and navigated through it according to a specific pattern.This stone forest was the Nine Palace Formation set up by her master, Marcius, before his death. The brilliance of this formation lay in the fact that without knowing the method to break the formation, it was impossible to find a real exit from any position within the stone forest.The only way for outsiders to break the formation was to destroy all the stone pillars, leaving none behind. However, this formation was originally set up by Marcius to protect his secret dwelling. According to his plan, as soon as someone forcefully intruded, he would be informed immediately even before the int
Fleur, who was doubtful, promptly stepped toward the inner stone chamber.Initially, Marcius's stone chamber only had this outer chamber. Marcius, in his second five hundred years of cultivation, had already achieved fasting, spending his days in meditation without the need for sleep, food, or even bathroom breaks.After bringing Fleur and Elijah back to his cave, Marcius used his sword to create two bedrooms for them as well as a kitchen and a toilet. In order to ensure his own cultivation wasn't disturbed, he also carved out another stone chamber for himself.Therefore, there were now five stone chambers here. Fleur inspected the first four chambers, and when she reached the location of the fifth, there was no sign of the fifth stone chamber. The entrance to the original fifth chamber was now a smooth, unmarked stone wall.As Fleur felt the smooth stone wall, she spoke up and said, “Master, when your end approached years ago, you called me and Elijah here to entrust matters to us
She suspiciously pondered, “That old man has reached the end of his thousand-year lifespan, so he's definitely dead. This is probably a formation he left behind to stop others from finding his chamber and discovering his corpse as his end approaches!”She immediately turned around, retrieved the sword that had been knocked away, and thought coldly, ‘Hmph! Since it's a formation, no matter how strong its abilities are, they will eventually be exhausted. I will break this stone wall today and uncover the truth!’With that in mind, Fleur swung the sword with her left hand, once again yielding her powerful Reiki, and struck the stone wall with all her might!In a flash, there was a loud bang, and before Fleur could react, she felt a tremendous force in her left hand, causing it to go numb. The sword she tightly gripped was knocked away again.The force of the rebound this time was no weaker than the previous one, leaving Fleur with a look of shock on her face. She could understand a fo
Upon hearing those words, Fleur felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. She had never felt this helpless and terrified since Marcius had saved her by chance over three hundred years ago on Mount Tason.The last time she had felt this panicked was when she stumbled upon Marcius' image online. But now, she suddenly realized that her master, who was supposed to have passed away over three hundred years ago, might still be alive.This realization hit her like a ton of bricks.Fleur couldn't contain her fear, and her voice trembled as she said, “Master, I… I know that I was wrong…” At that moment, a furious shout echoed in Fleur's ears. Marcius's voice was filled with extreme coldness as he rebuked, “Get out now!”This rebuke struck Fleur's heart like a thunderbolt. She dared not hesitate any longer and quickly got up, trembling as she bowed toward the stone wall and said, “Master, forgive me. I… I will leave…”With that said, she turned around eagerly, dr
Vera shook her head. “I'm not sure either.”Just then, on the screen, Fleur flagged down a passing van here and had a brief conversation with the driver. The driver waved her off, seeming to refuse her request. Fleur looked a bit anxious, hastily pulled out a stack of red bills, and handed them to the driver, who took the money, and Fleur then quickly stepped into the van and sat in the back of the van.Charlie was even more puzzled, “Where is Fleur going?”Vera replied, “Young Master, I can't understand it either.”Charlie suggested, “Let's keep an eye on her and see where this van is headed.”“Okay.”In the underdeveloped mountainous town, surveillance mainly focused on the roads, so Vera could track the van's movements by continuously switching surveillance feeds of the roads. Soon, the van left the town and headed toward the entrance of the highway.At this moment, inside the drafty van, Fleur was eager to leave Oskia as soon as possible. So, she messaged her crew to quickly
Based solely on Fleur's return behavior, it was challenging for Charlie and Vera to determine her intentions. Vera was especially worried that Fleur's departure might not be a genuine exit from Mount Tason but rather a need to change her destination. So, she said to Charlie, “Young Master, my father once mentioned that when Master Marcius left on his crane, his stone chamber later vanished without a trace. He speculated that Master Marcius must have used great supernatural powers to hide or move the chamber elsewhere. Fleur's visit to Mount Tason this time was probably to find the whereabouts of that chamber.”Charlie nodded and replied, “I also think Fleur is unlikely to leave Mount Tason so quickly. Perhaps she has already found some new clues.”Vera, with a worried expression, said, “If Fleur can really find a way to become stronger from the relics left by Master Marcius or if she finds some useful elixirs and artifacts, wouldn't her strength increase significantly?”Charlie sa
The reason why Charlie didn't hide anymore was because he felt that there was no need to worry that Fleur would find out. At this moment, Fleur had already passed through security and customs with an Oskian passport she had prepared long ago. She sat in the VIP lounge, feeling nervous and uneasy while waiting for her flight.Her anxiety and panic caused her leg muscles to twitch even now. In her mind, Marcius' deafening words, ‘Get lost now!’, kept repeating, enveloping her soul in immense fear.She couldn't help but replay the whole situation in her mind as she tried hard to analyze the possibility of Marcius still being alive. She recalled every detail of her and Elijah’s apprenticeship under Marcius, silently reflecting, “Actually, now that I think about it, Master never really valued me and Elijah. If it weren't for us being pursued by the Qing army, Master probably wouldn't have shown up in front of us…”“Now that I think about it, Master taking us as disciples was partly to le
Fleur cried out and said, “Elijah, the Qing army is inhumane, and they have slaughtered countless people in Oskia. If you and I fall into their hands, we will suffer fates worse than death! It’s better for you to end my life quickly than to let me fall into their hands to be abused and tortured by them!”Elijah clenched his teeth and said sternly, “Fleur, you don't have to be afraid. If we truly have no way to escape, I will end your life quickly, and then I will fight those Qing scumbags to the end. I will never let you fall into their hands!”At this moment, Gyaljatru and his men were getting closer and closer. He saw the black bloodstains left by Fleur and sneered, “Since you refuse the wine, then don't blame me for being ruthless! When the two of you fall into the hands of our brothers, we will make sure that the little beauty enjoys herself!”Fleur was both shocked and angry. She shouted hoarsely, “Even if I become a ghost, I will not let you Qing scumbags off! One day, the Osk
"That would be Ashley Layna Acker," Matilda replied without hesitation. "She was our age, as well as a major investor in Silicon Valley, while we were only starting to get our first clients. It's no exaggeration to say that she's the shining example in many case studies when it comes to business."Pausing, she then continued, "And she used to be your classmate, right? I remember you mentioning that in our conversations before.""Yes," Yolden sighed emotionally. "She was a classmate and the star of our generation."Matilda nodded but soon shook her head, "Wait, weren't we talking about Charlie's car company? What does that have to do with Ashley Acker?" "Here's where I let you in on a secret," Yolden said. "But first, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone except Paul."Matilda nodded without hesitation. "Don't worry—if it's a secret, I won't tell Paul either."Yolden scratched his head. "Actually, Paul should know. We are going to marry soon, and he's my stepson, lega
In fact, the legal department of major enterprises covered many responsibilities, the chief of which concerned intellectual property, which was why veterans were needed to lead.Additionally, Charlie trusted Matilda's accomplishments in the legal field, especially since she had worked in the United States for years.With Curtis Autos' intended expansion worldwide, that meant the legal department should also know the laws of countries abroad, ready to file or respond to lawsuits at any time. After all, competitors may use the law to impede their growth, along with the government applying unfair policies to impede their development and impact on local businesses.Moreover, Charlie considered Paul young and therefore lacking in experience, not to mention that it was not likely he would abandon his family's law firm. As such, the ideal solution was to poach Matilda for now.As for Matilda, she was still in the dark and had no idea what she was in for, asking Charlie in confusion, "Lega
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