In Wards 02, 03, and 04, each ward had four agents stationed, while in Ward 1701, besides Raymond, there were six agents closely guarding him. Moreover, the FBI agents were all armed with live ammunition. As soon as someone rushed in, they would shoot without hesitation. The situation would inevitably escalate once a gunfight occurred. Charlie had no grievances with the FBI, nor would he mercilessly attack the FBI agents protecting Raymond, so if force were to be used in this situation, it would essentially be unsolvable. However, there weren't any good breakthroughs with a soft approach either. It was impossible to psychologically manipulate nearly 20 people in a row, right? Even if he managed to take Raymond out, Raymond would become a wanted fugitive. According to Raymond's wishes, he would rather spend his life in prison than be a wanted criminal. Just as Charlie was in a dilemma, a message suddenly popped up on his phone. It was a message from Vera which said, "Mr
"Acquitted?" Charlie asked, "In that case, how long will it take to get everything done?" Julien answered, "It still requires a court hearing as part of the process. The formal procedure would typically be slower, but the previous impact of this case has been too severe, and the judicial department hopes to resolve it quickly. My father is also urging them to handle it as a special case, so the New York court will send a team of judges to the hospital to conduct the court hearing and pronouncement on-site. They are expected to depart in a few hours, and considering all the time involved, the process should be completed around five hours from now at around 7 p.m." Charlie was relieved to hear this. Fleur would need at least ten more hours to arrive. If Raymond could be acquitted in three hours, they could leave the United States directly. He would arrange for Raymond to return to Oskia, and Fleur would not dare to go after them. In fact, it didn't matter if Fleur went after them
Ruby said that Mr. Chardon was the strongest among the four earls. However, even if he hadn't killed himself, he was no match for Charlie. Hence, Charlie had a clear idea about killing Mr. Zorro easily. Nevertheless, having an idea was one thing; whether there would be an opportunity to execute it was another matter entirely. Charlie knew it would be difficult to kill Mr. Zorro in New York. Fighting with someone in the downtown area of a bustling city would do more harm than good. If he performed his execution here, his act might be broadcast live on the internet before he could even kill Mr. Zorro. Hence, it was not a wise option to confront Mr. Zorro directly. Furthermore, he could not use his Reiki to kill him with a single blow. It would likely cause a huge uproar and bizarre headlines if a bolt of lightning suddenly struck down Manhattan Hospital and killed a man. This meant that he would have to think of a hassle-free way to kill Mr. Zorro such as catching him o
Charlie took the file and looked it over. The patient's name was Joel Carr. He had been admitted to the hospital after being hit by a vehicle, suffering from multiple soft tissue contusions and superficial injuries. However, there was no damage to his bones or muscles, so it didn't seem to be a serious problem. Charlie turned to Pitt and queried, "His condition isn't serious. There's no need to admit him to the hospital, right? Wouldn't it be enough to just observe him in the ER?" Dr. Pitt gasped and quickly explained, "You may not know this, but the patient is Mr. Zekeiah Cash's assistant. Zekeiah is very famous in New York, and his wife is a member of the Ackers. He personally called the hospital director and asked him to transfer the patient to the 17th-floor ward for treatment." "What did you say?" Charlie frowned in dismay. "Zekeiah Cash? Lulu Acker's husband?" "Yes!" Dr. Pitt nodded. Charlie curled his fingers into a fist and gritted his teeth. It seemed that the thr
After Keith expressed his opinion, Christian affirmed, "Since Charlie already has solid proof, I second that!" "Yes, Dad!" Kaeden nodded. "I firmly support your decision." Sensing Keith's concern, Merlin smacked his lips and said, "I support you too, but once the deed is done, will Lulu be okay with it? Will she be mad at Charlie?" Keith waved his hand. "Our family will not be so ignorant. She will understand." Then, Keith attested firmly, "However, besides Charlie, only the four of us know about this. After the dust settles, no matter how Lulu reacts, we must never mention it. We shall keep this a secret." The three men nodded simultaneously. A tacit understanding was the best solution for this kind of thing. Keith was silent for a moment, then he quietly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and replied to Charlie's message with a determined expression. "Charlie, kill Zekeiah if you can, but your safety is the most important." He then sent another message
After reading Keith's messages, Charlie kept the phone in his pocket and asked Pitt, "What tests have you done to the patient in Room 1707? Show me his files." Pitt immediately handed Joel's medical records to Charlie. Charlie read through them and asked, "Do you have an extra white coat? Get me one." "Yes, yes." Pitt swiftly handed Charlie an extra white coat. After putting it on, Charlie said, "Come with me to Room 1707." "Okay, Dr. Wade." Pitt nodded. At this moment, in Ward 1707. Mr. Zorro closed his eyes and used his Reiki to sense the situation in the room as well as the surrounding wards. When he realized that a team of FBI agents was lying in wait, he couldn't help but frown in dismay. Even Charlie wasn't sure he could sneak Raymond out of here quietly, let alone Mr. Zorro. Hence, Mr. Zorro was perplexed, not knowing what to do. Noticing that Mr. Zorro had opened his eyes, Zekeiah walked forward and asked, "How is it?" Mr. Zorro shook his head, smacked his
At this moment, Zekeiah had no idea that the young doctor wearing a mask in front of him had anything special about him. He felt that with his status, even the chairman of the hospital would treat him with utmost respect and modesty. He viewed the young ER doctor as someone who wanted to get to know him and curry favor with him. Hence, he did not take Charlie seriously. Charlie, on the other hand, donned a polite smile and said, "Mr. Cash, I'm the head of the ER. We are here to see the patient's family. Are you his family?" Zekeiah raised his chin and said arrogantly, "He is my assistant, so, yes, I'm his family. You can tell me anything about him." Charlie smiled and began, "Oh, since you are our distinguished guest, in order to show our respect, we decided to move the patient to the VIP ward on the top floor. The room is much larger and more comfortable than this room. It is more convenient for you and your companion to keep the patient company." While speaking, Charli
Charlie deliberately revealed the truth about Raymond and the FBI in order to deceive Zekeiah and Mr. Zorro with the most sincere pretense. His goal was to physically separate the two men. Only by separating them would it be convenient to defeat them one by one. Therefore, he deliberately brought up the FBI and fabricated a so-called demand. Nonetheless, with the truth told in the previous statement, the latter bluff seemed credible. In fact, Zekeiah and Mr. Zorro felt that what Charlie said must be the truth without consulting each other. They believed that the FBI should have restricted the number of visitors accompanying the patient in order to minimize the potential danger. The demand was reasonable and convincing. Of course, Zekeiah refused to give in. He assumed that Mr. Zorro might cause his death eventually, but the opportunity to make an achievement was right in front of him. If there was anyone who had to go, it had to be him. In that case, he would lose his c
Yolden nodded slightly. "He does.""My gosh…" Matilda murmured. "That's too much… Ashley's son? A member of the Acker family and the Wades?!"Pausing, she then asked in confusion, "Wait, if Charlie has so much power and influence, why would he permanently reside in Aurous Hill… No, why would he be content as Jacob Wilson's son-in-law? Does Jacob know who he really is?""Definitely not," Yolden shook his head. "There were some compelling circumstances, and his identity is a sensitive one. That's why I'm asking you to tell no one except Paul—and even then, you should only tell him if he can keep the secret."Matilda was sharp enough to pick up on the reasoning, too. "Charlie's hiding because of his parents' accident, isn't he?""Yes," Yolden sighed. "He has his plans, but I didn't pry since I can only do that much, let alone help him on that.""Got it," Matilda nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry. My lips are sealed… And you just said you're resigning? Are you going to help with this e
"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,