Charlie sighed and said, “I didn't find any concrete clues, and I was persuaded to turn back when I was halfway there.”Keith asked in surprise, “Persuaded? Who persuaded you to turn back?”Charlie replied, “Grandpa, it's a long story. Let's go inside and talk slowly.”Keith readily agreed. “Okay, let's go in and talk.”Charlie and the Acker family members entered the villa and settled in the dining room. Since there were no outsiders present, Charlie truthfully recounted his recent trip to Mount Tason and disclosed Stephen's situation.Upon hearing that Charlie was persuaded back by a fake abbess from Quiant Monastery, everyone was greatly shocked. They couldn't believe that someone had anticipated Charlie's actions and waited for him while he was on the way up Mount Tason. What was even more surprising was that Stephen, who had silently guarded Charlie for nearly twenty years, actually served another master.After Charlie was done speaking, his uncle, Christian, asked incredulo
In the afternoon, Keith, accompanied by his eldest son, Christian, and his second son, Kaeden, secretly went to Eastcliff with Emmett.Instead of immediately returning to his home at Thompson First, Charlie went to the adjacent villa, then called Caden, who was in charge of teaching martial arts there, and asked him to inform Isaac and Albert to meet him.Charlie was initially even a little worried that Isaac might suddenly disappear for no reason. After all, as the spokesperson of the Wades in Aurous Hill and as Stephen's direct subordinate, it was likely for someone to have deliberately arranged for Isaac to work in this position. Fortunately, Isaac was still at Champs Elys Resort.The moment Charlie saw Isaac, he felt slightly relieved. Frankly, knowing that Stephen was serving another master made him feel somewhat disappointed. On one hand, Stephen had been his father’s most loyal subordinate, and although Charlie couldn't demand Stephen’s unwavering loyalty to the Wades, his
Charlie was relieved when he heard this. He then said to Isaac, “Mr. Cameron, Mr. Thompson will temporarily leave the Wades for some time. During this time, the position of the Wades’ chief butler will be vacant. I want you to take over Mr. Thompson's position temporarily. I hope that Mr. Thompson will return in the future, and if he does, you can return the position to him and act as his deputy. If he doesn't return, you will continue to hold the position.”Isaac was surprised and quickly said, “Young Master, my work has always been limited to this province, and I've only just managed to understand my current tasks. Now, you’re asking me to take over Mr. Thompson's position. How… How can I be qualified for that?!” Charlie asked, “Didn't Mr. Thompson climb up step by step?”Isaac awkwardly said, “Well, Mr. Thompson climbed up to that position over ten to twenty years. My abilities are much inferior to his, and I might not be able to convince others with my qualifications.”Charlie
After leaving Champs Elys hot spring villa, Charlie immediately rushed back to Thompson First. He planned to quickly pack his bags and inform his father-in-law, Jacob, and his mother-in-law, Elaine, that he would be rushing to another city tonight to take a look at another client’s Feng Shui.The couple was used to Charlie's constant travels all the time, so they weren't surprised when they heard the news.What surprised Charlie was that Elaine was suddenly showing concern for him, saying with a worried expression, “My dear son-in-law, you're always on the road all day long without resting. What if you tire yourself out?”Being unexpectedly cared for by his mother-in-law made Charlie feel a rare sense of warmth. He smiled and replied, “Mom, you don't need to worry. Although I'm busy outside every day, I don't actually feel tired at all.”Jacob, who was standing aside, looked at Elaine and sneered, “What do you know? Our dear son-in-law is a Feng Shui master now. Although he's on th
Jacob felt a mix of envy and jealousy when he heard that Charlie was giving Elaine a million dollars. Although he had some income from the Calligraphy and Painting Association, it wasn't nearly enough for his expenses. As the Vice President of the association, he often had to entertain guests, and his frequent trips in the luxurious car incurred substantial expenses. Despite his position, he was not as shameless as Elaine was, and he had always felt indebted to Charlie for his achievements and the opportunities he had, such as driving the luxury car and living in Thompson First. So, he didn't feel comfortable asking Charlie for money.But when he saw that Elaine was about to receive a million dollars simply by asking for it, he couldn't help but feel frustrated. He even contemplated asking Charlie for some financial assistance, but when he thought of how he had insulted Elaine earlier, he was embarrassed to ask Charlie for money.Meanwhile, Charlie wasted no time and transferred a
Jacob instantly blushed at her words, and he stuttered as he tried to defend himself, “Who said I was asking my dear son-in-law for money? Did I say that?! I have other reasons for talking to my dear son-in-law. Don't make false accusations against me!”Instead of arguing with Jacob, Elaine turned to Charlie and said, “My dear son-in-law, you heard what he said. No matter what he's scheming, don't give him a single penny!”Jacob was immediately furious, and he angrily exclaimed, “Elaine, why are you like this? Why are you always just talking about money?”Elaine playfully shook her head and grinned as she said, “What's wrong? Since you're not asking my dear son-in-law for money, why does it bother you if I tell him not to give you any?”Jacob was speechless. Elaine's strong defense had thwarted his intentions completely. With her words, he couldn't bring himself to ask Charlie for money anymore. How could he, after being put in such a situation?Jacob, who was at the losing end, w
Jacob felt incredibly uncomfortable when he saw Charlie go upstairs, but he felt even worse as if it was no longer worth living when he saw Elaine's triumphant smile. As Charlie went upstairs, he couldn't help but sigh, wondering when his father-in-law would break through his hesitation and weakness and truly live the life he wanted.-After packing everything, Charlie left home alone at night, intending to drive to the airport. As soon as he took the elevator to the first floor, he saw Jacob, holding a cigarette, stand up from the sofa with a smile, saying, “My dear son-in-law, are you leaving now?”Charlie nodded slightly and said, “Yes, Dad. I'm leaving for the airport now.”Jacob rubbed his hands and was about to say something when Elaine suddenly limped down the stairs, saying loudly, “Oh, my dear son-in-law, let me see you off!”Both Elaine, who had received one million, and Jacob, who missed out on it, wanted to see Charlie off.Jacob wanted to find an opportunity to sub
Late night at Qi Temple.In a secluded meditation room that was closed to the public, a beautiful woman sat on a wicker chair, gazing up at the starry sky of autumn. A bald elderly woman emerged and placed a blanket over the woman's legs, saying respectfully, “Madam, Young Master's plane has taken off.”“He has left?” The beautiful woman looked toward the direction of the airport upon hearing this.Upon seeing some distant flickering lights in the sky, she couldn't help but sigh as she said, “I wonder which one of those shimmering lights belongs to the plane that my son is on.”She then asked the old woman, “Did Janus go with Charlie?”This beautiful woman was Charlie's mother, Ashley. The old woman beside Ashley was Jade Sun, who had disguised herself as a nun. Jade had been serving by Ashley’s side for many years, playing a role equivalent to that of a housekeeper.Jade then said to Ashley, “Madam, Young Master is indeed on the plane with Janus. Their plane flies fast, and it i
Zachary was instantly relieved to hear that Jacob's flight was taking off soon.The issue at hand was troublesome, but he would at least have time to come up with a plan if he was given more time.Moreover, Jacob didn't know anything and would be in Dubai in a few hours. Most importantly, he wouldn't be bothered with Aurous Hill gossip when he arrived, giving Zachary more time to deal with this mess.As such, Zachary quickly said, "Oh, nothing, Mr. President. I was just calling to check on your flight, but since you're flying now, I'm sure the air stewardess will be asking you to turn the flight mode on. I shan't be a bother now—I wish you safe travels with the missus!" Seeing how cordial Zachary was, Jacob chuckled, "How nice of you. I'll definitely get you some local souvenirs!""Oh, then allow me to thank you ahead of time, Mr. President!" Zachary exclaimed, as subservient as ever."Uh-huh," Jacob replied. "Well, I'm hanging up now. Let's catch up later.""Yes, yes, yes, let
Mr. Cardensky's forgery syndicate had made the bronze sculpture—all Zachary had done was talk Jacob into buying it, and Jacob himself had made some money after Raymond bought it.That meant the entire plot had nothing to do with Zachary as he was just a mediator at best.In other words, if the bronze sculpture was worth nothing, he didn't lose anything… although he wouldn't make a cent even if it was worth a hundred million.However, he also knew all too well what Jacob Wilson was like.In fact, in this world, he was only second to Charlie when it came to knowing what type of man Jacob Wilson really was—not even Claire or Elaine would win against them.He was a dead man.That was Zachary's immediate thought on the matter, should Jacob ever find out.After all, Jacob was precisely one of those people who didn't play by any rules—no buyer's regret? No seller's remorse? None of that applied to him.Not even the Gods could make Jacob offer a refund if he scalped them. And vice vers
As Mick Crane had established a corrupted hierarchy in Vintage Deluxe, he had to make sure his position was never threatened by Raymond Cole.That was why he wanted Raymond gone, and it was obvious from that how important self-gain was to him.However, though he plotted to protect this job with a salary of several hundred grand per annum and incentives worth just as much, he didn't think that doing so meant he had missed out on 20 million.And to add insult to injury, that 20 million had ended up in Raymond's pocket.Mick wasn't just thunderstruck—he wished he was dead.Hanging up on Trippy right then, he called Zachary directly since Zachary had told him earlier that text notifications from his number would be silenced.Zachary was just about to fall asleep when his phone began buzzing.Already annoyed when he picked up his phone, he immediately snapped at Mick when he saw who the caller was. "I told you! Text me if you have any updates, and I'll check it when I wake up! Why ar
As Ian Cash's trio turned and left Treasure Measure, Trippy was still standing there, staring blankly as they headed off to the distance, utterly dispirited.Seeing that, Raymond returned his phone and said coolly, "We had agreed on some ground rules, but not only did you break them, you even tried to sabotage me.""Since you refuse to be honorable, you can't blame me for being cold—starting now, we shall have nothing to do with each other. We'll be strangers even if we bump into each other."Trippy was already choking, and he snatched his phone back before dashing out of Treasure Measure, calling Mick Crane as soon as he left.Mick had just arrived at Vintage Deluxe and hadn't even sat down when Trippy called, and he asked as soon as he answered, "How did it go? What did you find out?"However, Trippy was so exasperated he burst into tears right then, "M-Mr. Crane… My dear Mr. Crane…"Mick was left reeling from shock, and he promptly snapped, "Can't you fucking talk? Why are you
Seeing that the transaction was complete and that the bargain deal had been taken, the other collectors all excused themselves and left.As for Ian, once he had bagged the bronze sculpture, he nodded at Raymond. "I apologize for leaving early, Mr. Cole, but I must return to Eastcliff. However, you can contact me again should you pick up another treasure. I'm quite a spendthrift, and I pay up right away if the item is good and the price is right."Raymond smiled. "Very well. I shall contact you first the next time I get something good."Ian nodded and was ready to leave with his two friends when Trippy chased after them."Please, Mr. Cash!" He cried urgently, his anxiety overcoming him. "You shouldn't buy that! It's a forgery!"Ian frowned at him. "Are you trying to sabotage Mr. Cole? Aren't you supposed to be his friend?""Hell, no!" Trippy promptly replied. "I'm no friend of his—I'm just here to watch, but I didn't think he dared to trick you for 20 million! I can't bear to see
No one except Raymond expected that the terms would be agreed upon so quickly.He was utterly confident in his judgment and even more so in his value appraisal.He was convinced that once they had a good look, any one of these collectors who could afford twenty million wouldn't miss this bargain.After all, an opportunity to secure an item worth millions more than the price they paid was very rare.In fact, when the other nine collectors heard that the first collector was buying it, it was only to be expected even if it left them all gloomy. They had all held the bronze sculpture in their hands—they knew it was definitely worth that much.However, no one in the room was more shocked than Trippy.He looked utterly flabbergasted, his eyes wide and bulging as he stared at the bronze sculpture while asking himself the same question repeatedly.Was that crap really worth twenty million? How?!While Trippy was still stunned, Raymond had already sent his payment details to the first
Unable to nitpick on the air stewardess' response, Elaine pouted, "Well, try to ask management to improve on your first-class cabins anyway. Maybe even make a premium-class or something since it's not like we can't afford it."The air stewardess quickly said, "We will definitely relay your message to the management."Nodding in satisfaction, Elaine waved her off. "Alright. You can go back to work now."Clearly relieved, the air stewardess bowed her head respectfully. "Always happy to be of service."After the air stewardess left, Jacob asked Elaine in curiosity, "Was the private jet that good?"Elaine rolled her eyes. "Didn't you see the stuff I posted in the chat group?""Not really," Jacob blurted. Elaine was ready to snap at him for not caring, but considering that they had made up now and she shouldn't fuss too much over the little things, she snorted, "Just remember to like and comment on all my posts in the chat group, otherwise, I will make you regret it!""No problem!"
While the ten collectors were taking turns studying the bronze sculpture, Jacob and Elaine were boarding their flight.As they were flying first-class, they had priority over the other passengers and boarded from the separate plug door at the first-class section.The capacity of the Boeing 777 was huge, and the wide-body aircraft could be connected to a special double corridor bridge where first class and business class passengers boarded separately from the economy class passengers.As the terminals to economy class and business class were connected, Elaine and Jacob were able to get through the first-class terminal unimpeded, but the passengers in economy class had a queue of over two hundred passengers. Even as she walked, Elaine was looking over her shoulder and exclaiming at Jacob, "Must be nice being rich! We used to have to queue like the rest of them, waiting for over thirty minutes just to board our flight." "In first class, we may be in the same plane, but we don't hav
Meanwhile, once Raymond had briefed everyone about the rules, he opened the door and invited everyone into Treasure Measure.It was not that wide but appeared spacious since the interior was mostly empty—it was not really crowded even with thirty-ish people.Then, locking the door from the inside, Raymond told them, "I can tell from everyone's faces that we are all veterans here, so I'm sure you understand the rules while appraising: no photos or videos, thank you very much."Indeed, there were many rules that governed the hobby, the most important being respecting the seller's requests and privacy.As the collectors listened, they knew that Raymond was selling but did not want the public to know too much about him.They all nodded, and those who had their phones out slid them back into their pockets.With that, Raymond took out the bronze sculpture that he had brought, leaving Trippy a little surprised.He had never seen the bronze sculpture with his own eyes before, only from