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
Upon hearing Vera's question, the abbess explained earnestly, “To be frank, Miss Lavor, the place you and Mr. Wade want to go is just fifty miles ahead. However, Miss Lavor, while you can go there and even Fleur Griffin can go there, Mr. Wade cannot go there.”“Master, you know of Fleur?”When Vera heard the abbess mention Fleur, she was even more astonished.She couldn't understand the identity of this abbess, let alone why she had such extraordinary abilities. Knowing about Charlie and herself was one thing, but she even knew about Fleur’s existence.Her being able to mention Fleur's name proved that she must have some understanding of Fleur's life story.In other words, she must know that Fleur had lived from over three hundred years ago to today.Vera was secretly terrified in her heart as she looked at the abbess, thinking, ‘She knows Fleur's secrets, so does she also know my secrets as well?’The abbess, now dropping all pretense, calmly said, “I'll be frank with you, Miss
With that said, Vera bent her knees and was about to kneel down.When the abbess saw this, she quickly stepped forward, supporting Vera's body before she could kneel down, and she said, “Miss Lavor has witnessed the vicissitudes of the world for hundreds of years. I dare not overstep in front of you. Please refrain from this grand gesture.”As she supported Vera, she continued, “Miss Lavor, you should surely know of the mysteries of fate. Even in the Book of Changes and the Eight Diagrams, the slightest changes could lead to vastly different outcomes. If I say too much, there is a risk of causing a backlash. If you truly wish to help Mr. Wade, it is best to minimize the variables. I can clearly tell you that there are dangers ahead for Mr. Wade, and you only need to ensure that Mr. Wade can give up moving forward. This would be the best outcome. Too much knowledge for either you or Mr. Wade could lead to even greater variables.”When Vera heard the abbess's words about her witnessin
Vera could guess the meaning behind the abbess's words, so she asked, “Master, are you saying that Master Marcius Stark’s ability to be reborn depends entirely on Mr. Wade?”The abbess said noncommittally, “I have already said too much. Please digest some of these questions on your own but remember not to let Mr. Wade know about these things.”When Vera saw that the abbess didn't want to say more, she quickly asked, “Master, do you have any other instructions?”The abbess clasped her hands together respectfully and said, “No. I have heard of you for a long time, Miss Lavor. Seeing you today has fulfilled a wish of mine. Mr. Wade is still waiting at the foot of the mountain, so you should go down the mountain quickly and persuade him to return to Aurous Hill.”Vera, unwilling to give up, hastily asked, “Master, what should Mr. Wade do next? If he can't move forward today, I'm afraid Mr. Wade will be in trouble. Where should Mr. Wade go from here? Please tell me!”The abbess's expre
Charlie spoke up, “Neither of us has figured out the other party's identity yet. I can't abandon everything we've planned just because the other party said a few words.”Vera said anxiously, “Young Master, someone knew we were coming here and even calculated our route in advance to wait for us. This proves that the other person knows both of us very well. Even if she has no ill intentions toward us, we have to admit the fact that our identities are exposed. If we continue moving forward under these circumstances, regardless of whether she's an enemy or a friend, the situation is likely to be very unfavorable for us.”Charlie was momentarily stunned by Vera's words. They made him reconsider the situation once again. As Vera said, regardless of whether the abbess was a friend or an enemy, their exposure was already a fact. Since she knew about them, it meant that others might also know about them. If he insisted on continuing to move forward, apart from the risk of encountering danger,
Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain where Quiant Monastery was located, Charlie still hadn't decided to abandon the journey. Leaving like this would indeed leave him feeling dissatisfied. However, Vera's analysis made sense as well. If someone went through the trouble to warn them, it would be too arrogant of them to insist on going forward against the person’s advice. The thought of being arrogant suddenly dawned on Charlie, and he realized that his current strength was far from enough when facing the unknown. After pondering for a moment, he sighed and admitted, “That abbess is probably right. My strength is even inferior to Fleur's. I shouldn't be overly confident. Besides, she knows our information and movements, which means she's not an ordinary person.” As he spoke, Charlie looked at Vera and said seriously, “Miss Lavor, you are smarter than me, you think deeper than I do and see even more clearly than I do. Since you are also advising me to stop, I will listen to you an
Although he still looked visibly upset, she decided to comfort and console him. So, she took Charlie's arm and turned around to head back the way they came. As they walked, Charlie kept his head down, and Vera thought of ways to lighten his mood. She then asked him expectantly, “Young Master, do you think the Mother of Pu’er Tea has grown and sprouted more leaves over these past few days?”Charlie casually replied, “She should have grown a bit, and as for the leaves, it shouldn't be a problem if a few more tender shoots sprout.”Vera smiled and said, “Then, after we return, I'll pluck those newly sprouted tender shoots, dry them, and brew them for you to taste.”Charlie asked her curiously, “Isn't the process of making Pu'er tea quite complicated? After processing, doesn't it need to be stored and fermented?”Vera chuckled and said, “In fact, it can actually be drunk right after drying, though it will lack the fermented taste. However, it still has a fresh and mild flavor. Generall
With those words, Jacob didn't wait any further as he turned and left Antique Street, intent on seeking legal counsel.Raymond watched him leave before returning to Treasure Measure.He wasn't going to leave, but he had said so because he didn't want to waste much time with Jacob.Still, to avoid any trouble, he turned the sign outside to 'closed' before locking the door from the inside.That was when a man suddenly arrived, asking through the glass door, "Can I still take a look inside, sir?"Raymond was ready to refuse without even turning around when he realized that it was Charlie.He turned around and saw him standing outside just as expected.Smiling, he hurried over to open the door for him. "It's been a while, Mr. Wade!"Charlie was aware that Raymond was sticking to his identity of 'Raymond Cole' who had not been in touch since Raymond had been fired from Vintage Deluxe.Charlie chuckled in turn. "It has indeed. And you're a business owner yourself now, too.""It's j
Jacob zipped toward Raymond, his attitude immediately subservient, "I'm sure you've seen what Zachary Evans posted on his Twitter page, and to be honest, it's so terrible that my position in the Calligraphy and Painting Association has been affected too. I mean, you've made a lot of money, right?"Hell, even if you donated ten million, you'd still have another ten million and 970 thousand in net profits. So, all I'd like to ask is for you to post something to disclaim Zachary's post.Jacob's words left Raymond in thought.For Jacob, just being suspected of fraud would definitely be terrible. In fact, his position in the Calligraphy and Painting Association would definitely be threatened—if not dismissed altogether—if he wasn't cleared of suspicion.Since Jacob was Charlie Wade's father-in-law, Raymond had reason not to drive Jacob over the brink.But that also begged another question—it must be under Charlie's intention for Zachary to post his confession, and that meant Charlie in
Raymond couldn't help chuckling just as Jacob finished—he had honestly never heard of anyone who demanded a refund after donating to charity, but he was certainly seeing one now.Still, the receptionist was clearly experienced and slowly explained, "Sir, it's a legal clause of the country that all donations for philanthropy purposes can not be refunded under most circumstances—""It truly was a mistake," Jacob quickly said, cutting the receptionist off. "I was going to donate thirty thousand but pressed an extra zero by mistake. Please discuss this with your management—you just have to refund 27 thousand, see?""Sorry, sir," the receptionist apologized. "But it's a strict rule that we ourselves do not get to access the funds that have been donated into our accounts. Every donation will be screened extensively, and if you consider that there was a major oversight on your part, you may seek legal counsel to appeal for a refund. If the courts back your appeal, our organization will the
Nonetheless, Jacob darted into Treasure Measure and plucked off his mask, asking nervously, "Excuse me, Mr. Cole? It's me… Jacob Wilson…"Raymond looked up, pausing for a moment before acting as if he was actually curious, "Mr. Wilson! What brings you here? Don't tell me—you want that bronze sculpture back too?""No, no, no…" Jacob quickly shook his head. "I would never… I returned all the way from Dubai to apologize!""Apologize?" Raymond smiled faintly, and he did not play dumb this time as he asked bluntly, "Did you come back because of Zachary Evan's post?"Knowing he couldn't deny it any longer, Jacob nodded, "Yeah…"Raymond nodded and said calmly, "That's unnecessary. I was the one who benefited in the end."Jacob wasn't quite keeping up—thinking that Raymond was just trying to be nice by telling him he didn't have to apologize, he quickly pulled out his phone.Tapping on it and bringing up his transaction records, he handed it to Raymond reverently, "Mr. Cole, I understan
The cabbie chuckled. "You're a local yet you're heading to Antique Street right away as soon as you land instead of going home? And you're still saying you're not trying to pick up a killer bargain deal?"Come on, man—it's not just you, I want that too. We cabbies work ourselves to death only for ten thousand per month at best while our friend over there made twenty million in one night. I could keep driving cabs for the rest of my life and still not make that much money."Jacob knew that the cabbie must be talking about Raymond and became even more miserable then, grumbling unhappily, "I'm going to Antique Street for business—I'm not trying to pick up some missed bargain.""No? Then you didn't hear what happened yesterday?"The cabbie was immediately curious, and without waiting for Jacob's answer, he exclaimed happily, "Look, man—it was so ridiculous not even Hollywood would put it in their script. There were these fools who were trying to sell an antique trader a replica, but th
It was nighttime in Dubai as Jacob dragged his weary body from the hotel back to the airport.As he was flying economy this time, he was left sitting at the hard bench near the boarding terminal, waiting for it to open.While he waited, his heart was torn as he tapped into the website of the Aurous Hill Charity Fund, found their donation account, and wired the entire 300 thousand he had made over to them.He had picked the Aurous Hill Charity Fund because the circles of antique collectors in Aurous Hill were all discussing how Raymond had donated half of the 20 million he had made to that same charity fund.After Raymond skyrocketed to prominence in Antique Street and became a star, it could not be denied that people admired his profound ability.However, there were also people who envied his skill in turning the tables just as there were those who were jealous he had made twenty million in a single night.Still, Raymond moved fast—soon after word spread that he had made twenty m
Elaine quickly asked, "Well, what if you can't get it done?"Jacob was apprehensive even as he sighed. "If they really pressed the issue, guess I can't even stay at the Calligraphy and Painting Association now… We will see. If things get bad, I'll just resign. I won't ask for much right now, just as long as I don't have to go to jail."Elaine nodded. "Then you should try to reason things out with Raymond Cole or ask for Charlie's help if push comes to shove. Being humiliated is still better than prison.""Okay!"-It was nighttime at Aurous Hill by the time Elaine and Jacob arrived at their hotel.Charlie and Claire had just had dinner, and Claire pulled out her phone, saying, "I just checked my flight app, and it says my parents should have landed two hours ago. They are probably at the hotel, so I'll check in on them with a video call."She had yet to open her WhatsApp when Elaine called her on a video call.Jacob was planning to check in with Claire and Charlie to put their
Hearing what Jacob had said, Elaine became anxious and pressed him as he hung up, "What's going on? You're leaving? But we just got here! My shoes have just caught Dubai dirt, so why are we leaving so soon—"However, Jacob was wiping the sweat off his brow as he mumbled quietly, "Well, at this point, I have to leave or I won't be vice president anymore."Elaine immediately fumed. "We've been married for half our lives, and this is supposed to be our honeymoon, yet we're just leaving? I've posted about this on social media too—there are plenty of people who're waiting for more posts on our trip!"And don't forget—we spent a lot on our flight tickets and our hotels! The hotel bookings can't be refunded either!"Jacob scowled dolefully. "Well, what can we do? Why don't you stay? I'll go home and get this sorted out first….""Well, how long would that take?" Elaine asked."How should I know?" Jacob sighed, uneasy and annoyed. "Don Albert is saying I have to go back and donate the 300
"But I spent 98 thousand on that bronze sculpture!" Jacob exclaimed in agitation before he knew it. "I made 300 thousand from it, and that means my profit was 200 thousand at best, but I'm supposed to return that to him as well?! That means I'd have lost my own capital too!""I can't help you if you can't bear to part with that money, Mr. Wilson," Don Albert said quietly. "In that case, you'll just have to handle it yourself.""Wait, wait, wait!" Jacob immediately became antsy and cried out right then, "Please, Don Albert! I'll return the money! I'll return it, alright?! The entirety of my profits—202 thousand, okay? At least let me keep the money I spent, okay?""By that reasoning, Mr. Wilson, when a phone scammer is told by the cops to return the money they've made from defrauding, should he be allowed to keep the money he spent on telco charges? ""Oh, I…" Jacob was left stumped and could not come up with an answer.Don Albert then pressed on, "Mr. Wilson, I've offered a prom