Decorative lights and illuminants lit up the extravagant Wilson family mansion.Tonight was the 70th birthday banquet of Lady Wilson, the head of the Wilson family.Her grandchildren and their spouses gathered around her to hand her their luxurious gifts.“Grandma, I heard that you love the Chinese tea. I looked high and low for this century-old Pu’er tea worth half a million dollars to present it to you.”“Grandma, you are a devoted Buddhist. This Buddha statue is carved from the authentic Hetian jade, it is worth seven hundred thousand dollars…”Looking at the nicely wrapped gifts in front of her, Lady Wilson laughed heartily. The entire ambiance was harmonious and happy.Suddenly, Charlie Wade, Lady Wilson’s eldest grandson-in-law, spoke, “Grandma, could you lend me a million dollars, please? Mrs. Lewis from the welfare home is diagnosed with uremia and I need the money for her treatment…”The entire Wilson family gaped in extreme shock. Everyone stared at Charlie with bewi
Ten billion dollars?!Charlie was shocked. His eyes wide open, his mouth wide agape.He knew that his grandfather was very wealthy, but back then, he was too young to understand the concept of money. He only knew that the Wade family was one of the wealthiest families in Eastcliff and even the country, but he wasn’t sure what his net worth was.Right now, he finally knew.If ten billion dollars were just pocket money, it meant that the entire Wade family had a net worth of more than one trillion dollars!Frankly speaking, at this moment, he was slightly touched and swayed. However, when he thought about his deceased parents and how his grandfather was part of the reasons why they had died, he knew he could never easily forgive him.Sensing his frustration, Stephen quickly said, “Young Master, you are one of the Wade family members, so the money is yours. Besides, technically speaking, it belongs to your father.”“The Master said that if you’re willing to go home, he will let you
The next morning, after preparing breakfast, Charlie rode his scooter to Emgrand Group’s office.He parked his scooter on the side of Emgrand’s parking lot. As soon as he locked his scooter, a black Bentley slowly parked in a spot across from him.He looked up inadvertently and saw a young couple getting out of the car.The man was wearing a branded suit, looking very handsome and smart. Meanwhile, the lady was dressed up in a flamboyant style. Although somewhat gaudy, she was considered a beauty.As it turned out, the lady was Wendy Wilson, Claire’s cousin, and the man was her fiancé, Gerald White.Charlie didn’t know why they were here, but he knew that the best way to avoid trouble was to stay away from them.However, the more eager he wanted to hide from them, the higher chances they would see him.Wendy caught sight of him from the corner of her eyes. She yelped loudly, “Hey, Charlie!”Wendy called out his name in a friendly manner, but Charlie felt goosebumps all over his
This was also the first time Charlie had ever met Doris.He had to admit that Doris was a very stunning and alluring young lady!She was about twenty-seven or eight years of age with a slender yet plump body figure, captivating appearance, and a very mature and honorable manner.Sitting down in front of Doris’s desk, Charlie started, “I will not come into the office often, so I would like you to continue looking over the company on my behalf. In addition, please do not disclose my identity to the public.”Doris was aware that Mr. Wade, who was sitting in front of her now, came from the extraordinary Wade family. For a prominent family like theirs, Emgrand Group was nothing but a mediocre business, so it was normal for him not to manage it himself. Hence, she quickly said, “Sure. Mr. Wade, just tell me if you need anything, I’ll be at your service.”At this moment, a secretary knocked on the door and said, “Miss Young, a man called Gerald White and his fiancé are here to see you.”
The two announcements released by Emgrand Group completely shook the entire Aurous Hill like a high magnitude earthquake.When the Wilson family learned about the ownership change in Emgrand Group, they figured out why the collaboration with the White family had been terminated. It seemed that Emgrand’s new owner didn’t think much of the White family.Back to the point, who was Mr. Wade? He simply bought Emgrand Group that was worth hundreds of billions of dollars without batting an eye—he was a little too powerful, wasn’t he? Even the richest man in Aurous Hill wouldn’t be so generous!All of a sudden, a lot of wealthy families were about to eagerly make a move. They wished to establish a connection with the mysterious Mr. Wade while on the other hand wished to marry their daughter to him.Moreover, the announcement about Emgrand Group’s investment of two billion dollars for the hotel construction project also shook the construction and interior decorating industries in Aurous H
Claire’s announcement sent a shock wave across the room, making everyone gape in extreme surprise!Everyone thought that Claire must be out of her mind! It was the worst time to stand under the limelight now! Other than failing miserably, there’s nothing else she could achieve!Emgrand Group was the largest company in Aurous Hill and the Wilson family was nothing more than an insignificant ant to them! Whoever took the challenge would only end up failing!Harold couldn’t help but mock sarcastically, “Claire, do you really think you can get a deal from Emgrand Group?”Wendy continued in the same mocking tone after her brother, “Claire, who do you think you are, what do you think Emgrand Group is? You being so reckless and irrational will only humiliate us, the Wilson family!”Someone else added, “Wendy is right! If she is kicked out by Emgrand Group, our family will be a laughing stock in Aurous Hill!”Blood rushed to Claire’s face and she felt her face burning in embarrassment.
Looking at her parents ridiculing Charlie, Claire sighed and said, “Dad, Mom, don’t blame Charlie for this. It was my idea, I just don’t want our family to be looked down on anymore. Haven’t we suffered enough all these years?”Claire’s mother blurted, “But still, you can’t take on such a task. It’s not just you—even if your grandma goes in person, they wouldn’t entertain her!”Charlie managed a bitter smile as he watched the bickering. He bet that his snobbish in-laws would never believe that he was the real owner of Emgrand Group.At this exact moment, there was a knock on the door.“I’m coming…”Elaine heaved a distressing sigh as she walked to the door and opened it.Charlie shifted his gaze to the door and saw a young man donning an Armani suit standing at the door. The man looked very charming and alluring with a Patek Philippe watch on his wrist, which seemed to be worth at least four million dollars.Elaine shrieked excitedly, “Hey, Wendell! Why are you here?”The man w
The next morning, Claire brought the file filled with proposals that she had prepared overnight and went to the Emgrand Group office with Charlie.Standing in front of the 100-story building, Claire suddenly felt as if her heart was hollow and empty.How could such a magnificent company like Emgrand collaborate with the Wilson family? Not to mention that they were aiming for a thirty million dollars deal.It was like a beggar approaching a wealthy man and asking for a thirty million dollar change. It was absolutely ridiculous.However, she had promised her grandmother and accepted the challenge in front of everyone, so she had to go for it no matter what…Sensing her anxiety, Charlie stroked her head tenderly and said, “Dear, don’t worry, go ahead, you’ll make it. Trust me.”Claire sighed dejectedly and murmured, “Alright, let’s hope so! Wait for me here.”She took a deep breath and walked through the door.As he watched her walking in, Charlie took out his phone and called Dor
"Invest?!"Billy was left dumbstruck at the term.What even was this fool up to? This definitely wasn't in the script! What about the questions he was supposed to ask? It was like sitting for a grade-schooler test and suddenly being hit with a bar exam!In the car, Jacob blurted out, "What the hell is that bastard thinking? Is he really going to pay 250 thousand?!"Zachary pursed his lips. "Maybe he's just throwing us bait. Think about it—if we took the deal, we'd have to leave a contact number.""After that, he would trick us and say he sold it for ten million and lure us in for the five million. We'd definitely show up, wouldn't we? Once we came, it might turn out that he has called the cops and would even produce\ the bronze sculpture as evidence. Wouldn't we be just shooting ourselves in the foot?"Jacob was left in misery, his face contorting as he pouted, "But you said the cops wouldn't get involved…"Zachary rolled his eyes, "Yes, they wouldn't most of the time since that
However, neither Zachary nor Jacob expected Raymond to confuse them further as he asked Billy, "If you can afford to wait, you can leave the bronze sculpture with me as a consignment. I'll only take 10% off the sales while you get the rest—how about that?"Jacob was stunned and asked Zachary, "What the hell is he up to? Did he get too deep into character?"Zachary shook his head. "I don't get it either… is he trying to keep the bronze sculpture to use as evidence against us?"Jacob frowned. "I thought you said there was a gentleman agreement in this business, and the cops won't really care anyway?"Zachary snorted. "He said he would keep it as a consignment, meaning that he won't spend a dime. What if he told all the antique dealers instead of going to the cops? He would prove that he's sharp, making a name for himself… and what can we do? Do we take back the bronze sculpture? Even if we do, can we really ask for it?'"Fuck!" Jacob swore. "Then what are we waiting for? Tell Billy
In Treasure Measure, even Billy was having a hard time understanding what was going on.Before he came, Zachary made it very clear that he was here to dupe Raymond Cole, and he had come.As such, his job was now to claim that this bronze sculpture which was made in the last century was actually from the Renaissance era and then sell it to Raymond at a cutthroat price.But now, Raymond himself was saying that it was medieval? What was that supposed to mean?Even as he was left confused, he blurted out, "Sir, if you say it's from medieval times… then how much is it worth?"Raymond thought about it and said, "It's quite an unpopular item, but it's not to say that no one would buy it or that no one likes it. The main issue is that there were plenty of wars at that time, and most bronze would be used for weapons. Copper production would be low with rationing as well, so bronze tools were naturally rare for civilians.""Gilding is common for better quality items, and from the northern
Zachary couldn't help pointing at the screen and snapping, "Fucking loser! The more you feel pressed, the less you should be nervous! What are you thinking?! You're falling right under that bastard's trap!"Jacob was frustrated too, growling through his teeth, "Shit! I didn't think that bastard was a sly old fox. Fucking hell!"He then sighed, shaking his head. "Forget it, Zachary—I'm going home to pack my shit, and I'll depart for Dubai first thing tomorrow. Just handle that bronze sculpture for me and wire the money over."As he was about to get off, Zachary sighed in exasperation and apologetically said, "Sorry, Mr. Wilson… but it's fine! Even if this plan screwed up, just let me cook up another plan to destroy Raymond Cole!"Jacob ignored him as he strode out of the car, but that was when Raymond spoke audibly from Zachary's phone, "You can calm down. I'm not accusing you of lying to me. I just think that it's not Renaissance… Rather, it's medieval.""E-Early medieval…?" Billy
In Treasure Measure, Raymond unwrapped the red cloth around the bronze sculpture in front of Billy and the camera.There was a brief flash of surprise on his face, and it was soon gone.Still, he picked up the bronze sculpture, fiddling with it as he asked, "Do you know where it's from?""Yeah," Billy nodded. "A Renaissance-era sculpture. I think the base makes it obvious."Raymond looked up at him and asked in curiosity, "Are you sure about that?"Billy, presuming that Raymond had already noticed a catch, quickly said, "Well, the old man had an expert check it, and the expert said it was immediately obvious! To be honest, I want to sell it because the old man just passed away—gotta sell this baby before my brother goes for a garage sale."He had certainly added more details to the script, and Raymond nodded as he said nonchalantly, "But it doesn't look Renaissance to me. Sculptures from that era—be it the craftsmanship or the unique attributes? It's quite different from this one
In the antique trade, items that raised eyebrows would only be shown in the evenings—when various shops were about to close.That was certainly the case in Antique Street, as most items arriving in the evening were either freshly excavated, stolen, or forgery used to dupe unsuspecting victims.Even if Raymond had started his career abroad, he had learned every last unspoken rule during his earlier stint in Aurous Hill.Seeing the wariness on Billy's face and the way he was holding something in his arms, Raymond knew right away that what he carried wasn't legal.Still, the antique trade was no different here than it was abroad.Tomb raiding, forgery, or adding some touch-ups that increased the value of an item—everyone across the globe pretty much played the same tricks, and Raymond had his fair share of experience.Still, he did not let his wariness show, instead grinning, "Yes, of course. Come on in—let's talk inside!"And with that, he quickly led Billy inside.Meanwhile, bot
"Five hundred grand?"Mick chuckled. "Well, the sculpture looks Renaissance, and the craftsmanship as well as the material are all ideal. It would sell for up to two million in an auction, while established antique traders like us could offer up to a million. So, why the lowball?"Bill sighed. "I won't lie—it belonged to my old man, who just croaked this afternoon. But you see, he left a will stating that every antique in the house would be given to my brother… Since he's playing favorites, I thought I had to get something for myself.""That's why I quietly sneaked this baby out without anyone else knowing and am trying to sell it quickly to change my own circumstances. You don't have to tell me how many millions it's worth—I'm not that greedy. Give me five hundred grand, and it's yours."Mick shrugged as he shot back, "If it's as you say and your old man intended for your brother to have it, the fact that you sneaked it out here makes this theft. Do you think I'd buy stolen proper
It was half past six, and the skies were darkening when a figure hurried into Antique Street, heading straight toward the center—to Vintage Deluxe.Mick Crane, the manager, was holding the fort with some of his employees, and there were some guests window shopping there as well. As Mick asked the employees to assist the guests, he waited anxiously for Billy—Zachary's henchman.Nonetheless, a certain figure rushed inside within minutes, asking eagerly as he entered, "Is the manager in? Do you still buy antiques?""Yes, and yes!" Mick exclaimed as he approached Billy enthusiastically, asking, "May I ask what you're planning to sell?"Billy looked around before sneakily holding up a parcel wrapped in red cloth, carefully lifting a corner to reveal an edge so that Mick could see.Then, he promptly lowered the cloth again, whispering, "This is the good stuff. I'm just not sure if you have the money to buy it."Mick grinned. "What are you saying? If it's something Vintage Deluxe coul
Jacob chuckled. "Can't tell you right now. But I will once it's done.""Well, have you decided when we're going to Dubai?" Elaine quickly pressed.Jacob said, "I'd have to wait until tonight to see if this deal works, but we're leaving first thing tomorrow. I'll get the tickets first, and we will be staying at the Burj Al-Arab that I told you about. People are always saying how amazing it is on the internet every day, seeing how luxurious the seven-star hotel is, but I'll be the judge of that."Elaine was overjoyed to hear that. "That's amazing! And I was just thinking we can't go sooner! Go about your business, then. I'll pack our luggage right away."Jacob chuckled smugly. "Don't pack so much, though. Just stick to the necessities, since we can get the rest over there!""Alright!" Elaine exclaimed, beside herself in excitement. "Alright, you hurry up and get your thing done over there. I'll start packing now!"After hanging up, Elaine called Charlie, who was in Champs Elys Reso