Elijah realized that the old man in front of them indeed possessed great powers and was also a fellow Oskian, so he almost instinctively knelt down on the spot and sobbed tearfully as he cried out, “Sir, these days, most of the Oskian land has been almost completely occupied by the barbarians, and the lives of the Oskians are in misery and suffering. We have been resisting the Qing army for many years, but our strength is limited. We can only watch helplessly as the Oskian land continues to fall. Since you are also an Oskian, please help drive away the Qing scumbags and restore Oskia!”Fleur also regained her senses and quickly knelt down, bowing respectfully as she said, “Please lend us your hand, Sir!”Marcius was slightly surprised by their actions, then sneered and said, “I have been living in seclusion here for hundreds of years. Whoever owns the land outside has nothing to do with me anymore. Whether it's a king from Oskia, Mongolia, or from the Qing Army, it is not my concern.
He had been practicing here for hundreds of years, and during these centuries, hardly anyone had disturbed his cave. But today, that group of foolish Qing soldiers had rushed in, shouting and disturbing his peace.He had thought it was just an isolated incident, but now, upon hearing Fleur’s words, he suddenly felt uneasy.At this moment, Marcius remained silent for a long time.Suddenly, flames surged from below the mountain. In order to completely annihilate the Oskian army and the Qing Eliminating Society, the Qing army had started setting fire to the mountain.When Marcius saw the roaring fire, he suddenly changed his mind and said, “That’s enough. Since you two want to support Oskia, I can give you a chance to see if you are willing.”Elijah was overjoyed and quickly said, “Sir, please speak up!”Marcius said lightly, “Today, you two will become my disciples. I will teach you some skills of warfare. After you leave Mount Tason, you can continue to fight against the Qing army
After Fleur's private jet landed at Entrell Airport, it didn't undergo much preparation before getting ready to fly directly to Australia.According to the flight plan, just like their previous trip, they would refuel in Australia and then fly directly to Buenos Aires.While the plane Fleur was on was taxiing for takeoff on the right runway of Entrell Airport, a private jet carrying Charlie and Vera landed on the other runway.A Mercedes SUV was already parked in the airport parking lot. After leaving the airport, Charlie and Vera headed straight for the parking lot. After finding the SUV, Charlie reached for a set of car keys from the inside of the left front wheel.He then used the keys to unlock the door and got into the car together with Vera before heading toward the direction of Mount Tason.Vera, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was somewhat uneasy. She felt that Fleur's sudden departure from Mount Tason indicated that there must be risks on Mount Tason that neither s
Charlie nodded, “She probably dropped the car first, then jumped down herself.”Vera quickly asked, “Young Master, you're not planning to jump down from here too, are you?”Charlie said with a smile, “No. Here's the plan. You will drive to the next exit off the highway and wait for me in town. I'll go down from here.”Vera instinctively grabbed Charlie's hand, nervously saying, “No! I want to be with you!”Charlie sighed helplessly, opened the map on the console, pointed to their current location and then to the location of the town where Fleur had reappeared as he said to Vera, “We know that Fleur jumped from here and then appeared in this town, but we can't be sure where she actually went. If it's not too far from these two points, it's manageable. But if it's far, her route could be a very long acute angle, making the search area very large. If you follow me down, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it.”Vera said determinedly, “I want to go! You might have to take care of m
Vera's words made Charlie start to seriously consider whether ‘Marcius is really still alive’ for the first time. This was a seemingly absurd question at first glance.There was no record in the Apocalyptic Book about someone living for over a thousand years, so this touched on his knowledge blind spot long ago. In fact, the Apocalyptic Book did not even mention the Eternal Pill.Even Vera fell into Charlie's knowledge blind spot, let alone Marcius.While there was no direct evidence to prove whether Marcius was alive or dead, Charlie did not dare to be presumptuous. It was essential to be prudent, and he could not afford to be careless.So, he said to Vera, “Miss Lavor, I fully agree with what you’ve just said, but since we're here already, there's no reason for us to retreat now. Let's go along with your suggestion and explore together.”Vera knew that Charlie would not give up easily, and he was already making the biggest concession by letting her accompany him, so she nodded
The path split in two at the foot of the mountain. The one on the right led deeper into the mountains, while the one on the left led to the mountaintop of another smaller mountain to the left. However, compared to the mountain Charlie and Vera were currently climbing, this one was much smaller. At the top of that mountain, there was a small area of reddish-brown low buildings, the purpose of which was unknown.Mount Tason was naturally warm and humid even though it was already mid-autumn. Therefore, the vegetation here grew particularly lush. The slopes, mountaintops, and valleys were all lush green, appearing exceptionally pure under the sunlight, completely devoid of modern labels.Vera followed Charlie closely, admiring the scenery before her. As she looked at the scenery before her, she couldn't help but praise, “Ancient people often said that winding paths lead to secluded spots. I never imagined that the scenery along the way up to Mount Tason, which used to make people feel te
The nun's words surprised both Charlie and Vera. Neither of them had expected to be recognized in front of a nunnery on Mount Tason without exposing themselves to Fleur. Therefore, Charlie did not wait for Vera to speak up and simply asked the nun with a wary expression, “Who are you? Are you pretending to be a nun and washing clothes here just to wait for us to show up?”The nun clasped her hands together and bowed slightly to Charlie, saying, “Sir, I'm not pretending to be a nun. I'm a bhikkhuni at Quiant Monastery, practicing Buddhism there. The abbess knew that you two would pass by here today, so she specifically asked me to come and wait here.”She then looked at Vera and said earnestly, “Benefactor, our abbess said you have a deep affinity with Buddhism. She would like to invite you to the nunnery for a brief chat. It won't take up too much of your time.”After pondering for a moment, Vera nodded gently and said, “Okay then, I’ll have to trouble you to lead the way there.”
When Vera saw Charlie relenting, she quickly nodded, saying, “Okay! Just twenty minutes!”Upon seeing this, the young nun bowed respectfully to Charlie again and said, “Sir, please wait a moment."She then turned to Vera with a respectful expression and said, “Benefactor, please come with me.”Vera nodded and gave Charlie a reassuring smile, whispering softly in his ear, “Please wait here for a moment, Young Master. I'll be back soon.”Charlie nodded slightly and watched as Vera and the young nun ascended the mountain together.Charlie watched the two of them get farther and farther away, saw them walking step by step to reach the mountaintop, and saw the young nun open the door of the monastery for Vera respectfully. He even saw Vera turn back and wave to him before entering, but he couldn't help but feel somewhat anxious.He felt that even if the other party wasn't a villain, their precise prediction of him and Vera still sent chills down his spine. Ever since he had obtained t
Zachary nodded repeatedly. "Mr. Montague? Very well!""Yes!" Jacob grinned smugly. "Longer last names are simply better—it just sounds so authoritative."With that agreed upon, both men alighted, where the master was waiting nearby.Seeing them get off, he hurried over to them, smiling, "Please, follow me."Zachary looked around and huffed, "Honestly, Mr. Cardensky, isn't this way too far from the highway? The road is narrow and terrible, and I have to park my car all the way out here. Just coming here is taxing."Mr. Cardensky smiled in turn. "My friend, that's exactly why we picked this place. Do you remember seeing a couple of cars parked by the road, occupying half of it?""We arranged for them to be there. Anyone coming by car would have to slow down that way, buying time for us to see who they truly are. If it's cops, our watchers would quietly text us while we clean the house and bail."Zachary exclaimed in realization, "You boys really run a tight ship!""For sure," Mr.
After working in Antique Street for years, Zachary's connections and influence were naturally special. And yet, though he was acquainted with some of the more impressive individuals, he was not that close with them either.For example, the forgery masters who worked specifically to deceive experts only accepted jobs from major clients, usually antique traders high in social status and wealth.In contrast, they wouldn't ever be interested in frivolous people like Zachary. Even if he could reach them, they might not look at him twice.If one would describe them as the cartel boss, then Zachary would be a low-level enforcer, managing night joints or goofing off.But now, Zachary had turned over a new leaf—he worked under Don Albert, so one of those masters was pleasantly surprised when he called one of them, inviting him to his own workshop for a visit and further discussion.As such, Zachary picked up Jacob and went over to the master's hideout where the latter worked on his count
Zachary was naturally shrewd enough to read Jacob's intention.In reality, he wasn't offering to pay just because he wanted the profit. He merely wanted to get in Jacob's good graces. After all, wouldn't Jacob be even more grateful that he wasn't just helping his revenge but also helping him make money?As such, he didn't hesitate to tell Jacob, "Well, chief—since you'll be paying, I will make sure that you will get every cent of profit that you deserve."Jacob was grinning ear-to-ear, but he said, "Oh, you don't have to! If we really are making a profit, there's no way I would let your good work go unrewarded!"Spreading his arms, he continued generously, "How about this? I will pay the full cost while you get twenty percent of the net profit!"Zachary laughed. "Now, that can wait, chief. We need to pay as soon as we decide on the item we want, and there's no time for buyer's regret. But if Raymond doesn't take the bait, all that money will go down the drain, and whether we can s
Zachary chuckled and continued, "Well, I went to Antique Street and asked around. Turns out our mutual friend only brought a few hundred thousand grand with him. If he messes up and loses all his money, won't it be over for him?""He won't just be broke either—he'd be humiliated and forced to fuck off from Antique Street. You'd get even then!"Jacob was at once excited.Just yesterday, Claire and Charlie were warning him that assault meant doing time.As the vice president of the Calligraphy and Painting Association and the next presidential-hopeful, he would lose his place if he was charged with assault or being an accessory to a case.However, Zachary's plan was much better. Jacob wouldn't have to take responsibility, and the damage on Raymond would be even worse!In comparison, slapping Raymond meant nothing. Watching him go broke and get humiliated would really ease his heart!With that in mind, he promptly pressed Zachary, "Are you sure that prick will mess up?""I can't a
Jacob Wilson was in his office at the Calligraphy and Painting Association, planning his itinerary in Dubai.Still, he was immediately thrilled when Zachary told him that there was progress, and he quickly said, "Come see me at the Calligraphy and Painting Association. We'll talk in my office!""Alright!" Zachary agreed to it happily. "Just wait, Mr. Wilson. I'll be right there!"Jacob then quickly told him, "By the way, remember to address me as the vice president when you're here. Got it?"Zachary was naturally sharp enough to understand why, especially around other members of the Calligraphy and Painting Association.Smiling, he said, "Don't worry, chief. You can always be at ease when I'm on the job!"Once he hung up, he drove to the Calligraphy and Painting Association at top speed.There were just a dozen people around the dozens of work cubicles although Zachary was curious about the personal effects or office tools in the cubicles.After asking around, a staff member le
Then, Mick continued, "I won't lie—Moore Group's bean counters have been eager to get rid of Vintage Deluxe for a while now. It's only Miss Moore's insistence that keeps them at bay, even occasionally coming to check on how business is going. That means she holds sentiment for this place, but if she knows that Raymond is back and doing well, she might hire him again!"Zachary could laugh right then. After all, Mick was terrible at gathering information—he could worry about anyone taking his palace, but not Raymond. The man was fired because he had insulted Master Wade's father in-law, and Miss Moore was endlessly respectful—even obedient to Master Wade. There was no chance that she would hire Raymond back after what he had done, and Mick was just being paranoid.However, Zachary did not tell Mick that.As Mick was begging him to intervene and thus owing him big time, he would also be helping Jacob Wilson get even.Two birds with one stone, so why not?With that in mind, Zachar
Zachary then said, "By the way, I have some friends who have a lot of stock. How much capital do you have, Mr. Cole? I'll check if they have stuff that suits you, and you can partner with them."When Zachary asked how much capital, he was basically asking Raymond how much he would invest in his own business and how much he could spend on taking new stock as he was buying.As such, Raymond replied modestly, "I've been chasing my tail for a while, so I didn't earn more than a few hundred thousand. I definitely would have no issue taking items with rebates, but I'm afraid I can't afford premiums.""Alright!" Zachary nodded, having discerned the scale of Zachary's capital."I'll check on what's available and see if we can get a few personal deals."Raymond nodded. "Thank you, Zachary!"Zachary smiled, shaking his head. "Mr. Crane, please buy another fruit basket for Mr. Cole—I'll pay you later."Mick quickly said, "Oh, you don't have to, Mr. Evans! It's my pleasure, no worries!"Zach
With the last stroke, Raymond got on a ladder to reach the old signboard, pasting the banner over the old shop sign.Then, he added a notice by the entrance: We buy all antiques and measure all treasures.As soon as the makeshift sign and notice were up, Mick was the first to arrive with a fruit basket to celebrate the occasion.The instant they met, he greeted Raymond warmly, "Ah, Mr. Cole! You sure are efficient—you just came back yesterday evening, and you're already setting up shop today at noon!"Raymond smiled, "Doing a small business by myself is naturally much quicker."Mick shook his head disapprovingly as he put the fruit basket by the door, "Now, now. Don't be a stranger, Mr. Cole—almost everyone in Antique Street is a friend, but you didn't tell the gang when you opened the shop! It'd hype things up when everyone comes bringing you gifts!"Raymond quickly shook his head. "Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't know if this humble trade will last. It's better to keep m
To not lose three months' worth of rent on top of that, Donald called over the owner at top speed while getting some of the friends in the antique trade to appraise what merchandise he had left.Taking losses had always been the hardest pill to swallow, but once the decision was made, there really was nothing that couldn't be given up.The owner was plenty pleased as well since that meant someone was picking up on his rental. He promptly had Donald sign the agreement transferring the last three months for the rental to Raymond while signing a new rental contract with Raymond.Raymond didn't have to pay up immediately either—he just had to start paying rent to the owner once Donald's three-month rent was up.Once the agreement was signed, every stall owner as well as owners of businesses resembling the Pearl House swarmed the premises.After all, they loved to take stock from people in the same line of business. Once a business owner decided to close shop, they wouldn't be bothered