Charlie hummed lightly, and then, no longer joking, said seriously, "Since you've said that, I actually do have something I need your help with." "Please go ahead!" Julien immediately responded. "As long as it's within my ability, I'll give it my all! Please give me a chance to help relieve your worries." Charlie said, "My grandfather is planning to move all of his businesses in the U.S. that can be relocated back to Oskia, but those real estate properties and industries that cannot be moved out will need someone to take over for the time being. As you know, real estate requires proper management and operation to ensure its value steadily increases. The physical industries that can't be moved out need strict oversight to ensure they remain stable and grow. He and my uncles no longer have anyone capable of managing things independently in the U.S., so I hope you can help by taking over these businesses and managing them for us." "Oh, I see." Julien sighed in relief and quickly sai
In just a few seconds, Julien, on the other end of the line, had cursed Charlie under his breath with all the vulgar words he knew. "Fuck you, Charlie! He's so mean! Does he really think that I'm a greenhorn?!" "'Give me a chance, I'm useless'?! Why are you so arrogant?! Do you see me as your lap dog?!" "So what if you bet on Dad?! Do you think I'll be freaked out?!" At this point, he suddenly felt his heart skipping a beat and muttered, "Damn... Yeah, I really am freaked out! Dad may preside over my funeral! What has my life even been worth, then?!" At this moment, deep inside, Julien felt a sense of despair like never before. With his identity and background, he had not been emotionally rich since the moment he was born. Unlike the vast majority of people, in his more than fifty years of life, he had almost never experienced hardship, suffering, sorrow, or despair. As the saying went, 'A full man doesn't know the hunger of the starving'. It was like the lords in med
In his utter despair, Julien could only say respectfully like a submissive servant, "Please rest assured, I will make the most of this opportunity. I will do everything I can to maintain the businesses your grandfather has left in the U.S., and I guarantee the return will not fall short of your expectations." Upon hearing his pledge, Charlie's tone softened slightly, and he replied indifferently, "Then, I'll be watching your performance." With that, Charlie ended the call. After listening to Charlie's conversation with Julien, Keith, Christian, and Kaeden were left somewhat stunned, unable to fully comprehend what had just transpired. Keith eventually came to his senses a while later and said, "Charlie, I don't mind losing those assets. If it doesn't work out, we can sell them at a discount. It's a one-time solution. Julien is arrogant and overbearing. If you piss him off, he might cause you trouble one day." "Don't worry, he won't." Charlie shook his head. "Julien has no lev
This trip to New York made Charlie realize the truth. No matter how strong a person was, they couldn't stay strong under all kinds of circumstances, neither Charlie nor Fleur. Fleur had to keep a profile as low as possible whether in Oskia or New York. What impressed Charlie the most was that in the video footage he had obtained from the Rothschild family, it was clearly visible that Fleur, while in New York, was confined to the helicopter with the registration number N77DT, fully cooperating with the Rothschild family's inspection. Her four-hundred-year cultivation, which she prided herself on, was tightly suppressed by modern AI models and contemporary weaponry, leaving her no opportunity to catch her breath. The reason she was suppressed so completely was that at that time and in that environment, she had no subordinates available for mobilization. If she had to fight head-on, she could only take the risk of relying solely on her personal strength. If Charlie could destr
Merlin was concerned that Charlie would not want him to help, so he said, "I have an idea, and we can discuss it together if you don't mind." Hearing this, Charlie urged, "Of course, not. Please go ahead." Merlin said in a serious tone, "Based on some of your previous explanations, I personally understand that the Five Military Governor Offices hold the same significance to the Qing Eliminating Society as the five fiefs did under ancient emperors. The ones in charge of these fiefs are the five major lords within the Qing Eliminating Society's administrative structure. Within their respective territories, they establish their own economic and military systems, using centuries of accumulated resources and strategies to generate profit while secretly raising a large number of dead soldiers. In doing so, they not only provide military strength to the organization but also supply substantial funding. Is that correct?" "Yes." Charlie nodded. Merlin continued, "Although the Five Milit
"Holy crap!" Christian exclaimed excitedly, slapping the table. "You're impressive! You've taken your case-solving skills right to the Qing Eliminating Society's doorstep! With this screening method, you can instantly filter out over 99% of potential targets, saving a lot of effort. Narrowing it down to a thousand or even just a hundred companies and verifying them one by one won't take much time, and the target will become much clearer!" Charlie couldn't contain his excitement and exclaimed, "You are truly incredible, Detective! The way you explained it has given me a whole new perspective!" He continued, "I think we could add a few more filtering criteria. For instance, we can eliminate any companies that don't have an airport within a hundred kilometers. The Qing Eliminating Society relies on swift and flexible global movement. If there isn't an airport nearby, it would significantly hinder the mobilization of their dead soldiers." "You're right!" Merlin said, "There are fewer
"AI?!" Keith didn't know much about AI since he had just recovered from a serious illness, but Christian and Kaeden had a deep understanding of the trends in various industries around the world. As a detective, Merlin had been exposed to high-tech equipment, so he knew a little something about AI too. When they heard that Charlie wanted to use AI technology to search for the locations of the Qing Eliminating Society's dead soldier bases, they felt that the direction was feasible but also difficult to achieve. Kaeden, who was well-versed in the American business landscape, began, "Now, the AI technology is almost entirely concentrated in the hands of American companies. Other countries may be trying to catch up, but the gap is just too vast. These countries want to build their own AI models, but the practical challenges are enormous. It's like the chip industry—not something you can just create overnight. Moreover, our current business setup doesn't even cover the AI sector. So, h
Charlie reassured with a firm expression, "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll do my best to completely eradicate the Qing Eliminating Society." - Charlie was excited after the conversation. Seeing that it was late at night and Keith should have retired long ago, Charlie said to the crowd, "It's getting late. Grandpa, you should rest early. Uncle Christian, Uncle Kaeden, and Detective Lammy, please be with Grandpa to make the investment perfect. I'll return to Aurous Hill first." "Are you leaving now?" Keith asked in surprise. "Yes." Charlie explained, "I have some business to tend to when I get back, so I need to return now." "But you took more than ten hours to get here." Keith suggested, "Why don't you spend the night here and leave early tomorrow morning?" Charlie smiled and said, "It's already past 2 am. I'll head to the airport now, and by the time I fly to Aurous Hill, it'll almost be dawn. If I spend the night here, I probably won't get back to Aurous Hill until tomorrow aft
Ramond replied, "I'm not planning on getting my name out there—I was just thinking I could start slow from one shop, but now, I'm suddenly so popular everyone's consulting me for appraisals, so I guess that's the short end of this."Either way, I'm planning to let things cool off by opening the shop late and closing early. That way, I'd receive fewer customers, and the hype will die down in a month."Once it does, I'll lead a slow life, which is perfect in Aurous Hill since it's how things are here. I'm not aiming to get rich or expand my business, and it's a comfortable life, so I plan to retire here."Charlie nodded. "The Rothschilds are relatively manageable, but I'm not sure if the Qing Eliminating Society is still looking for you and the Four-Sided Treasure Tower. You'll be completely free once they are wiped out.""And I'm sure with your abilities, Mr. Wade, that day will soon arrive." Raymond smiled and soon remembered. "By the way, you probably haven't had dinner yet, right
Charlie was never one who covered up misdeeds, and what Jacob had done reflected his corrupted character and clear refusal to feel remorse.As such, Charlie naturally refused to offer any help, completely giving up and allowing Jacob to keep going off on his own tangent, tearing himself apart in the process.Still, Raymond did put a good word in for Jacob. "Actually, one can understand Mr. Wilson's motives from a certain point of view. I was the one who set him up so that he broke that vase, and had him beaten up so that we didn't arouse suspicion. He has every reason to bear a grudge."Charlie sighed, nodding. "There's no issue with holding a grudge or getting revenge—in fact, I have no problem with him trying to salvage some pride. However, what he did was unseemly, and he doesn't know when to stop."He didn't lose anything before Zachary exposed everything. Even if he had missed a killer deal, he bought it off someone's hand in the first place and made two hundred grand in clean
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