"You're looking for someone?" Charlie raised his eyebrows upon hearing Julien's remarks and, with a faintly amused expression, curiously asked, "What kind of person would require an heir as wealthy as yourself to personally come to Oskia? Could it be that you're searching for a long-lost younger son of your family?" Julien chuckled and replied, "You must be kidding, Mr. Wade. Our family values bloodlines above all else—there's no way we could have any lost lineage out there." Lowering his voice intentionally, Julien spoke seriously, "You might have heard that when the American president travels, even a single strand of hair or a drop of saliva must be collected and taken away by designated personnel. The same goes for our family men—every bit of sperm, how it's used, and with whom we spend the night, must be accounted for. Even what's left in the condom is meticulously collected and taken away. Anyone daring to father an illegitimate child outside the family becomes a public enem
After saying that, Julien looked up at Charlie, his expression suddenly turning a bit uneasy. He quickly added, "Please don't misunderstand me. What I said has nothing to do with anyone here, especially not you." Charlie smirked and said, "Your words seem to have a hidden meaning. Are you implying that I've bullied your family?" "No!" Julien hurriedly replied. "Absolutely not!" Julien, taking advantage of the fact that they were already drinking, decided to pour himself a full glass, downed it in one gulp, and, emboldened by the alcohol, said with a grievance-filled tone, "Mr. Wade, there's no one else here, so let me speak from the heart. Your sending Helena back to New York to make a comeback really put me in a tough spot! I personally went to bring Helena over, and what you originally told me wasn't like this at all. You said that if I helped you, my father would be so shocked that I would be named the successor to the family head. But I never expected you to have Helena deliv
Charlie calmly said, "You and I have direct contact, but your father doesn't. Whether in theory or practice, you are closer to me. If it weren't for your lack of sincerity, why would I bypass you and have Helena establish an indirect connection with your father on my behalf?" "Think about it this way. If you were the owner of a supermarket and you noticed that the person living across the street chose not to shop at your store but instead went to a more distant one, you wouldn't blame the customer. Instead, you'd have to reflect on your own shortcomings. Either others offer something you don't, or you're overpriced compared to them, or you provide inferior service despite similar pricing. If you don't examine yourself, you can't simply block the customer and ask why they didn't shop with you, can you?" "You're absolutely right, Mr. Wade..." Julien nodded repeatedly in shame. "From now on, I'll be 100% honest with you without the slightest bit of concealment." "We'll see." Charlie
An hour later. Julien, who had finished his lunch and drunk a lot, was tipsy and dizzy. He had indeed drunk quite a bit, but fortunately, his alcohol tolerance was decent, and talking so much kept him relatively clear-headed. Seeing Julien leaning back in his chair with his stomach sticking out after eating, Charlie smiled and asked, "Julien, how are you feeling? Do we need to order a few more dishes?" Julien quickly waved his hand, slurring slightly with a bit of drunken cheer, "N-no... No, Mr. Wade. I'm already stuffed. It's been a long time since I've eaten and drunk so much." Charlie nodded and smiled. "Since you've had enough, let's get down to business. Let your men know you're catching up with us here and have them wait in the parking lot. We'll take you out the back door to the place I mentioned." Due to being somewhat intoxicated, Julien was no longer as cautious as he had been earlier. Otherwise, with his status, if Charlie wanted to separate him from his entourag
"Uh... Mr. Wade..." Julien couldn't help but be a bit taken aback and asked, "The car... Its privacy is a bit too much, isn't it?" Charlie chuckled and replied, "The place I'm taking you to is highly confidential. Naturally, we need to be cautious. But don't worry—your people know you entered the restaurant, so it's not like I can openly harm you. Wherever I'm taking you, just relax and follow me. Once everything's done, I'll return you safely without a scratch." Whatever concerns Julien had were instantly dispelled. He quickly put on a carefree expression and laughed loudly. "I trust you completely. Wherever you take me, I won't even bat an eye." - The van left through the back door, taking an alternate route that led directly to a street behind Heaven Springs, avoiding any contact with Julien's bodyguards. After leaving the city, the vehicle headed straight for the outskirts. Facilities like a dog training compound were typically located far from residential areas due to no
Albert chuckled and spoke up, "Mr. Rothschild, this is the dog kennel I run. We mainly breed dogs with strong attack capabilities. Before I met Mr. Wade, I used to make money by entering the dogs bred here into underground dog fighting competitions. After I started working for Mr. Wade, the purpose of this place has shifted, and it's no longer about making a profit." Hearing this, Julien relaxed a little and curiously asked, "Why keep so many dogs if it's not for profit? It seems like you really do love dogs." "Well, not exactly," Albert casually replied. "This place mainly handles some disobedient troublemakers. To cultivate the dogs' fighting spirit, I've always fed them raw meat. As you know, dogs aren't picky eaters. As long as it's meat, they'll eat whatever it is." "Oh..." Julien, who had just relaxed, felt a chill run down his spine at Albert's words. As the second-in-command of the Rothschild family, he had encountered his fair share of bloody affairs, but right now, he
But as they waited and waited, the anticipated rescue never came. Instead, Albert's dog kennel became more and more upgraded, more concealed, and more fortified. Eventually, Edmund and Salem gave up on their unrealistic hopes and resigned themselves to survive in this place. At this moment, Edmund had just finished his dialysis and was lying weakly on the bed, having eaten the porridge his father had fed him. Jiro, who worked here, was pushing a small cart over. He called out, "Hey, Whittakers, bring the dishes over after you're done eating!" Salem quickly took the dishes to the iron fence, and after Jiro came by, he threw the dishes into the plastic recycling bin. Just as Jiro was about to leave, Salem hastily said, "Wait a minute, Mr. Kobayashi!" Jiro glared at him. "What?" Salem pleaded, "Tomorrow is my son's birthday. Could you please ask the supervisor to bring a cake for him?" He then quickly added, "It doesn't have to be a big one, just an ordinary cupcake will do.
Jiro swiftly ran up from the descending staircase. When he saw Charlie and Albert, he was pleasantly surprised and greeted them enthusiastically, "Hello, Mr. Wade, Don Albert, and Mr. Cameron!" Next, he saw the unfamiliar face of Julien and, noticing his foreign face, couldn't help but feel curious about his identity. Despite his curiosity, Jiro was well-mannered and knew his place. Given his current status, it was not appropriate for him to ask unnecessary questions. So, he courteously greeted Julien, "Hello, sir." Julien, recognizing the name as Japanese, also felt curious about his identity and was even more curious about what exactly this place was. Seeing Jiro's vibrant face, Charlie smiled and asked, "Jiro, how is your life here these days?" "Very good!" Jiro answered with a beaming smile. "Everyone is very nice to me. Everything is fine." Currently, Jiro was considered a semi-free man at the dog kennel. Aside from not being allowed to leave the place, he had qui
Jiro swiftly ran up from the descending staircase. When he saw Charlie and Albert, he was pleasantly surprised and greeted them enthusiastically, "Hello, Mr. Wade, Don Albert, and Mr. Cameron!" Next, he saw the unfamiliar face of Julien and, noticing his foreign face, couldn't help but feel curious about his identity. Despite his curiosity, Jiro was well-mannered and knew his place. Given his current status, it was not appropriate for him to ask unnecessary questions. So, he courteously greeted Julien, "Hello, sir." Julien, recognizing the name as Japanese, also felt curious about his identity and was even more curious about what exactly this place was. Seeing Jiro's vibrant face, Charlie smiled and asked, "Jiro, how is your life here these days?" "Very good!" Jiro answered with a beaming smile. "Everyone is very nice to me. Everything is fine." Currently, Jiro was considered a semi-free man at the dog kennel. Aside from not being allowed to leave the place, he had qui
But as they waited and waited, the anticipated rescue never came. Instead, Albert's dog kennel became more and more upgraded, more concealed, and more fortified. Eventually, Edmund and Salem gave up on their unrealistic hopes and resigned themselves to survive in this place. At this moment, Edmund had just finished his dialysis and was lying weakly on the bed, having eaten the porridge his father had fed him. Jiro, who worked here, was pushing a small cart over. He called out, "Hey, Whittakers, bring the dishes over after you're done eating!" Salem quickly took the dishes to the iron fence, and after Jiro came by, he threw the dishes into the plastic recycling bin. Just as Jiro was about to leave, Salem hastily said, "Wait a minute, Mr. Kobayashi!" Jiro glared at him. "What?" Salem pleaded, "Tomorrow is my son's birthday. Could you please ask the supervisor to bring a cake for him?" He then quickly added, "It doesn't have to be a big one, just an ordinary cupcake will do.
Albert chuckled and spoke up, "Mr. Rothschild, this is the dog kennel I run. We mainly breed dogs with strong attack capabilities. Before I met Mr. Wade, I used to make money by entering the dogs bred here into underground dog fighting competitions. After I started working for Mr. Wade, the purpose of this place has shifted, and it's no longer about making a profit." Hearing this, Julien relaxed a little and curiously asked, "Why keep so many dogs if it's not for profit? It seems like you really do love dogs." "Well, not exactly," Albert casually replied. "This place mainly handles some disobedient troublemakers. To cultivate the dogs' fighting spirit, I've always fed them raw meat. As you know, dogs aren't picky eaters. As long as it's meat, they'll eat whatever it is." "Oh..." Julien, who had just relaxed, felt a chill run down his spine at Albert's words. As the second-in-command of the Rothschild family, he had encountered his fair share of bloody affairs, but right now, he
"Uh... Mr. Wade..." Julien couldn't help but be a bit taken aback and asked, "The car... Its privacy is a bit too much, isn't it?" Charlie chuckled and replied, "The place I'm taking you to is highly confidential. Naturally, we need to be cautious. But don't worry—your people know you entered the restaurant, so it's not like I can openly harm you. Wherever I'm taking you, just relax and follow me. Once everything's done, I'll return you safely without a scratch." Whatever concerns Julien had were instantly dispelled. He quickly put on a carefree expression and laughed loudly. "I trust you completely. Wherever you take me, I won't even bat an eye." - The van left through the back door, taking an alternate route that led directly to a street behind Heaven Springs, avoiding any contact with Julien's bodyguards. After leaving the city, the vehicle headed straight for the outskirts. Facilities like a dog training compound were typically located far from residential areas due to no
An hour later. Julien, who had finished his lunch and drunk a lot, was tipsy and dizzy. He had indeed drunk quite a bit, but fortunately, his alcohol tolerance was decent, and talking so much kept him relatively clear-headed. Seeing Julien leaning back in his chair with his stomach sticking out after eating, Charlie smiled and asked, "Julien, how are you feeling? Do we need to order a few more dishes?" Julien quickly waved his hand, slurring slightly with a bit of drunken cheer, "N-no... No, Mr. Wade. I'm already stuffed. It's been a long time since I've eaten and drunk so much." Charlie nodded and smiled. "Since you've had enough, let's get down to business. Let your men know you're catching up with us here and have them wait in the parking lot. We'll take you out the back door to the place I mentioned." Due to being somewhat intoxicated, Julien was no longer as cautious as he had been earlier. Otherwise, with his status, if Charlie wanted to separate him from his entourag
Charlie calmly said, "You and I have direct contact, but your father doesn't. Whether in theory or practice, you are closer to me. If it weren't for your lack of sincerity, why would I bypass you and have Helena establish an indirect connection with your father on my behalf?" "Think about it this way. If you were the owner of a supermarket and you noticed that the person living across the street chose not to shop at your store but instead went to a more distant one, you wouldn't blame the customer. Instead, you'd have to reflect on your own shortcomings. Either others offer something you don't, or you're overpriced compared to them, or you provide inferior service despite similar pricing. If you don't examine yourself, you can't simply block the customer and ask why they didn't shop with you, can you?" "You're absolutely right, Mr. Wade..." Julien nodded repeatedly in shame. "From now on, I'll be 100% honest with you without the slightest bit of concealment." "We'll see." Charlie
After saying that, Julien looked up at Charlie, his expression suddenly turning a bit uneasy. He quickly added, "Please don't misunderstand me. What I said has nothing to do with anyone here, especially not you." Charlie smirked and said, "Your words seem to have a hidden meaning. Are you implying that I've bullied your family?" "No!" Julien hurriedly replied. "Absolutely not!" Julien, taking advantage of the fact that they were already drinking, decided to pour himself a full glass, downed it in one gulp, and, emboldened by the alcohol, said with a grievance-filled tone, "Mr. Wade, there's no one else here, so let me speak from the heart. Your sending Helena back to New York to make a comeback really put me in a tough spot! I personally went to bring Helena over, and what you originally told me wasn't like this at all. You said that if I helped you, my father would be so shocked that I would be named the successor to the family head. But I never expected you to have Helena deliv
"You're looking for someone?" Charlie raised his eyebrows upon hearing Julien's remarks and, with a faintly amused expression, curiously asked, "What kind of person would require an heir as wealthy as yourself to personally come to Oskia? Could it be that you're searching for a long-lost younger son of your family?" Julien chuckled and replied, "You must be kidding, Mr. Wade. Our family values bloodlines above all else—there's no way we could have any lost lineage out there." Lowering his voice intentionally, Julien spoke seriously, "You might have heard that when the American president travels, even a single strand of hair or a drop of saliva must be collected and taken away by designated personnel. The same goes for our family men—every bit of sperm, how it's used, and with whom we spend the night, must be accounted for. Even what's left in the condom is meticulously collected and taken away. Anyone daring to father an illegitimate child outside the family becomes a public enem
Charlie said with a smile, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Don't think I'm intentionally trying to make things hard for you—this is just our tradition. At the start of a banquet, everyone drinks three glasses together." Charlie wasn't lying to Julien. The custom of starting with three drinks was common across most Oskian banquets. However, depending on the region and the average drinking capacity, the type of alcohol and the size of the glasses could vary. For those with high tolerance, it was three glasses of strong liquor with each glass holding at least 50 milliliters. For those with a lower tolerance, it was three glasses of regular beer with each glass holding at least 150 milliliters. Julien knew that Charlie would not lie to him, but he was still a little confused and mumbled, "I... I have also accepted banquets from Oskians, but... but I have never drunk like this." Charlie smiled and said, "Given your status, I bet the people who've hosted you in the past wouldn