The fake abbess wasn't surprised by Stephen's words and said, “Mr. Thompson, Madam has already guessed what you're talking about, and that’s why she asked to meet you at Harmony Temple. Can you make it in time?”Stephen replied hurriedly, “Yes, I can. Young Master is used to keeping a low profile. Since he doesn’t want me to pick him up at the airport, I just need to wait for him at the old mansion. The old mansion is very close to Harmony Temple, so I will have plenty of time.”The fake abbess said, “That’s good. Let's meet at Harmony Temple in an hour.”Stephen said respectfully, “Understood!”The fake abbess then hung up the phone and reported to the woman, “Madam, Mr. Thompson said that Young Master will go to the old mansion tonight.”The beautiful middle-aged woman was slightly startled, and her beautiful eyes with fine signs of wrinkles at the corners were moist. She suppressed the tears and smiled with relief as she said, “Charlie has been away for so many years. It's time
At this moment, he was waiting in the main hall of the courtyard. When Ashley and the fake abbess came in together, he hurriedly greeted them at the door, respectfully saying, “Hello, Madam! Hello, Madam Sun!”Ashley nodded slightly, pointed to the chairs in the hall, and said to him, “Please have a seat, Stephen.”Stephen bowed and said, “Thank you, Madam.”Ashley waved her hand and sat in the main seat in the hall while the fake abbess, who was wearing a hat, stood beside her.Although the fake abbess was still wearing a hat, Stephen could still tell that she had shaved her head. He asked in shock, “Madam Sun, why… why did you…”The fake abbess smiled faintly, took off her hat, and said, “I played the role of an abbess on Mount Tason today.”Stephen asked anxiously, “Madam Sun, did you see Young Master?! Does he still remember you? Please don't make Young Master suspicious!”The fake abbess shook her head and said, “Don't worry, I didn't meet him directly.”“That's good!” Ste
When Charlie and Vera arrived at the Wades' old mansion from Eastcliff International Airport, Stephen was already waiting there with Jeremiah. Stephen was the one who had brought Jeremiah here. After leaving Harmony Temple, Stephen went to the Wades' family manor to bring Jeremiah back to the old mansion.Jeremiah had always wanted to find more opportunities to bond with his grandson, Charlie, and deepen their relationship. However, even though Charlie had become the head of the Wades, he rarely came to Eastcliff. As a grandfather, Jeremiah hardly saw Charlie a few times throughout the year.When he heard that Charlie was coming to Eastcliff this time, Jeremiah naturally felt very happy. He arranged for the chefs to prepare a banquet to welcome Charlie home even before Charlie arrived at the old mansion.When Charlie arrived at the old mansion, Jeremiah even went to the courtyard with Stephen to greet him. As soon as he saw Charlie getting out of the car, he became somewhat excite
Stephen, who had been silent the whole time, stepped forward and said respectfully, “Young Master, Lord Wade has already prepared a banquet to welcome you. Please go in with Miss Lavor and have something to eat first!”Jeremiah also came to his senses and hurriedly said, “That’s right, Charlie! You rarely come to Eastcliff. When I heard that you were suddenly coming tonight, I quickly had some food and drinks prepared. You can accompany me for a few drinks later, Charlie.”Charlie nodded lightly and said, “Okay, let's go in and eat while we chat.”Charlie felt both familiar and strange now that he had returned to the old mansion where he had spent several years of his childhood. Although the mansion remained the same as it was before with no major changes, when Charlie lived here in the past, the mansion was always bustling with activity and voices.Back then, Charlie's father, Curtis, was highly regarded in the Wades. Although Jeremiah had not formally passed on the position as th
When Charlie asked if he had been to the temple, Stephen couldn't help but be surprised. He didn't know what Charlie meant by this question or whether Charlie knew about his whereabouts and whom he had met.However, Stephen was quite clever. Since he was surprised, he didn't try to hide it. Instead, he asked with a surprised expression, “Young Master, how did you know?”Charlie casually replied, “You smell of incense.”Stephen suddenly understood and felt relieved at the same time.However, he didn't dare to show any signs of relief. Instead, he smiled and said, “I went to Harmony Temple this afternoon. I happened to have some free time in the afternoon, so I went to the temple to pray.”Charlie nodded without any doubts in his mind.Stephen held a high position in the Wades, second only to the members of the Wades. As the butler, he had a lot of freedom in his work. Therefore, it was reasonable for him to take some time to burn incense and worship Buddha.As for why he went to
This popular temple was now closed to visitors.Ashley was standing in the courtyard alone, surrounded by the lingering scent of incense. She gazed at the bright moon above and felt a mix of emotions. She longed dearly for her son, Charlie, whom she hadn't seen in twenty years.The distance between Harmony Temple and the Wades’ old mansion was only a mile or two away. It would take just ten minutes by car to reach the doorstep of the Wades’ old mansion from Harmony Temple. However, even so, Ashley reminded herself repeatedly that it was not time to meet her son yet.When the fake abbess saw that Ashley seemed to be feeling melancholic as she stood alone in the courtyard, she approached her respectfully and asked, “Madam, you are just a few streets away from Young Master. You must be longing to see him, right?”Ashley nodded, “I haven’t seen my son in twenty years. How can I not be longing to see him?”After saying that, she continued, “But even though I miss him, it’s not time for
Ashley used to worry a lot about Charlie's upbringing, personality, character, and values in life. As a mother, she naturally wanted to give Charlie the best education, environment, and guidance. However, she could only silently watch Charlie grow up in the orphanage with other children and silently watch him drop out of high school and work at a construction site without being able to intervene in any way.There were times when she worried whether Charlie's values would become distorted or if he would become too worldly-wise in that environment. Fortunately, Charlie had managed to find a good balance between his upbringing as a young master in his childhood and his later identity as a poor orphan, which helped him maintain a normal set of values and a sense of justice. This not only helped him maintain a normal set of values and sense of justice but also allowed him to avoid his father's excessively strict and self-imposed moral standards.In other words, to some extent, this grea
After saying that, she followed Charlie out of the dining room and headed to the courtyard where Charlie's parents used to live.Due to the large size of this courtyard, Charlie's parents used to have four adjoining rooms. Apart from a main hall and a bedroom, there was also a study and Charlie's own room.To put it simply, it was a three-bedroom apartment with a living room. Charlie had lived here for several years, so he was quite familiar with the overall layout. In addition, there were hardly any noticeable changes, so it was easier for him to distinguish.Upon entering the main hall, the furniture and arrangement inside remained almost unchanged from when his parents had left with him. In an instant, images of his childhood spent living here with his parents flooded Charlie's mind, stirring up various emotions in him.He then quickly toured these rooms with Vera. Apart from furniture, there were some bedding and pillows prepared in the main hall and bedroom, but it was obvious
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
"Mr. Wilson, what you boys did was truly heinous!" Don Arnold growled. "I scolded Zachary myself when I found out, and I was the one who told him to post that statement!"Jacob was shocked. "But why, Don Arnold? Are you friends with Raymond Cole?""Never met the guy," Don Arnold replied.That left Jacob even more confused. "Then why are you taking his side?""I've been doing my best to clean up my image over the past couple of years," Don Albert replied coolly. "I rarely get involved in mob business or anything illicit, and everyone in Aurous Hill knows that Zachary is my right-hand man, yet he confessed to committing such a heinous crime behind my back. What is that if not sullying my reputation?"Jacob was left reeling as he didn't expect Don Albert to be so serious, but he quickly explained, "I'm sorry. I didn't expect it to affect you so terribly… It's all Zachary's fault! I wouldn't have been aware that Raymond had returned at all, but he just had to tell me and come up with