Just as turbulent waves were tossing in her confused mind, the elevator reached the top floor of Shangri-La Hotel.A waiter standing next to the door bowed respectfully and said with a smile, “Ms. Wilson, on behalf of our Shangri-La Hotel, I would like to extend my heartfelt blessings to you and Mr. Wade for your wedding anniversary tonight.”Charlie waved his hand and said, “Okay, you can go off now!”All the staff nodded and left.In an instant, only Claire and Charlie were left in the empty Sky Garden.Claire felt like she was in the middle of a sweet dream.In front of her was a vast space with luxurious decoration.The gorgeous crystal chandelier was hanging on the ceiling, casting bright and clear sparkles that emphasized the elegant and serene ambiance of the lavish Sky Garden.The soft sound of piano masterpieces echoed across the Sky Garden that slowly warmed the heart of its listeners, easing away the tension and anger within them.Fresh and rare flowers delivered di
The whole Aurous Hill was watching the extremely lavish wedding through the hazy frosted crystal glass.While they were extremely envious of the couple and their setting, they couldn’t help but wonder who the couple who held their wedding in the Sky Garden was.Moreover, they were so mysterious that there were only two of them at their wedding. Not a single relative nor friend was present, not even a witness!On the crystal stage, Charlie took Claire’s hand and retrieved the jade necklace he had prepared for a long time.“Claire, this is my wedding anniversary gift for you. I hope you like it!”Claire stared at the crystal-clear jade necklace and exclaimed, “This…isn’t this the prized possession of Emerald Court? Charlie, how and where did you get this?”Claire was astonished when she said it.Was Charlie the mysterious billionaire in the video?How else could he have had this jade necklace?But…But it didn’t make any sense!She was very clear about Charlie, how could he be
Overnight, the grand wedding at the Sky Garden became the hottest topic in the city.However, the bride and groom of the wedding remained unknown.Charlie drove the modified BMW 520 and went home with Claire.Claire was still immersed in great happiness, almost as if she was laying in the center of cloud nine. She couldn’t help but ask, “How did you book the Sky Garden? They’ve never allowed that ever.”Charlie smiled coyly and said, “Frankly, the senior executive of Shangri-La is a good friend of mine back at the orphanage. We used to share our hard and difficult times together and I always shared half of my steamed bun with him, so when I asked him for a favor, he said ok.”Claire nodded lightly. “Oh, I see. Why haven’t I heard about this before?”“I have a lot of friends at the orphanage, I might need at least three days to talk about all of them. I’ve never mentioned anything because I thought you didn’t like listening to it.”Claire uttered in an earnest tone, “You are my h
Wide and radiant smiles were plastered on the in-laws’ faces when Charlie said that he would buy a better car for them tomorrow.What Jacob didn’t realize was that he had just missed out on the top-spec 760.Claire was a little worried. After returning to their room and washing up, she quietly asked, “Do you really still have the money to buy a new car? I have some secret stash here, take it tomorrow!”Charlie waved his hands quickly. “No, I don’t need your money. I still have some, it’s enough.”Claire mumbled apologetically, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know my dad and mom would be like this…”“What are you talking about? Your parents are my parents too. We are a family, I’m glad to be able to shower them with gifts once in a while.”Charlie lay on his tiny bed on the floor and said with a gentle smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll go and get a new car for dad tomorrow morning!”Claire smiled warmly. “Thank you, Charlie!”Charlie chuckled. “The pleasure is mine, my dear!”Claire suddenly b
The people in the Audi showroom spotted Charlie as soon as he was getting closer and closer. One of the salespersons blurted, “F*ck, it’s the e-bike guy who bought the BMW 760!”“D*mn, I’m going to stop him and persuade him to buy the top-spec Audi A8 even if I have to lick his boots!”“Yes!”All of a sudden, a large number of Audi salesmen rushed out and surrounded him.“Sir! Please come and see the latest top-spec Audi A8 in our showroom!”“Sir! Our A8 is very powerful. It uses a W12 engine, which is much better than the BMW 760 V12 engine!”Charlie arched his eyebrows curiously. “Really? Is it that great?”“Yes!” An Audi salesman marched forward hurriedly and started, “Boss, let me explain to you. Our W12 engine is divided into two sides and one side can be turned off as you please. It is more fuel-efficient when you turn off half of the twelve cylinders!”Charlie growled contemptuously, “Are you out of your mind? Why would I buy a twelve-cylinder car and turn off six cylind
The man grinned. He pinched Lily’s face and said, “You’re my woman now, why do you still want to be with him? I don’t allow other men to touch my woman!”Lily hurriedly persuaded with a coy voice, “Don’t worry, Jerome, I haven’t let him touch me since we got together. He’s so filthy! My body is always yours and only yours, it’s exclusively for you alone!”Then, she continued, “Actually, I wanted to break up with him as soon as the restaurant started operating, but I didn’t know that the loser has a friend who is quite resourceful and helped me get rid of Scarface at the redevelopment zone. Wait until the business is on track—I’ll ditch him and kick him out of the restaurant then!”Jerome Hunt laughed pompously and said, “It’s just Scarface! If you’d told me earlier, all I need is a phone call and his boss would come to kneel and apologize to you directly!”Lily giggled delightedly and said, “Oh, Jerome, you’re my hero! It was quite urgent at that time, so I didn’t manage to contact
Douglas said with a gentle laugh, “She has gone to the hair salon. Why?”Charlie smirked. “Hair salon? Was that what she told you?”“Yes!”“And you believe her?”Douglas asked in a peculiar tone, “Charlie, what are you trying to say? Just spill it out, stop beating around the bush.”Charlie gave a hum and started, “Alright. I saw Lily at the BMW showroom with a man named Jerome Hunt. They were cuddling and hugging, and she even called the man ‘dear’. I think she’s cheating on you.”“No way!” Douglas blurted loudly. “Lily is not like that at all! Did you get the wrong person?”Charlie said firmly, “No, I didn’t. It was her.”“No! I don’t believe it!” Douglas growled coldly, “Charlie, we are good buddies but you can’t say bad things about my fiancée just because we’re close!”“Douglas, wake up! Your fiancée is cheating on you with another man and that piece of crap Jerome even promised to buy her a BMW X6. They’ve gone back to his house now and she’s going to break up with you t
After lunch, Jacob, Charlie’s father-in-law, was already dressed up neatly and urging Charlie, “Hey, hurry up and get ready, we’re going to drive in our new car and go to Antique Street. A shop there has imported a Tang Dynasty kiln vase and I want to check it out.”Charlie persuaded, “Dad, you’re starting with the antique thing again? We don’t have much money and it’s a lavish hobby to have right now.”Jacob didn’t have money-earning skills but he dreamed a lot about get-rich-quick schemes. He loved hanging out at Antique Street for the hope of getting a rare piece of antiquity at a low price but in the past few years, the experiences he gained were nothing but scams and deceit.He had stopped for a while but now, not only did he pick up the hobby again but he also started to get itchy hands again.Jacob was annoyed by Charlie’s goodwill remark. He snorted in disdain and said, “Stop your nonsense, just drive me there now.”Charlie was helpless but he could not disobey his father-
Jacob asked, "Then, what would this sculpture be worth if it was genuine?"Mr. Cardensky thought about it. "Well, there are standards when it comes to Renaissance relics, but with something this exquisite, it'd definitely be auctionable for one or two million—and that's the conservative estimate.""How much would you sell it to me for?" Jacob then asked."Thirty percent of the market price," Mr. Cardensky quickly replied. "As I've said, the conservative estimate for this one is around one to two million, so we will set the price with the median estimate value at 1.5 million. And thirty percent means 450 grand."Jacob shook his head right away. "No, no, no… that's too expensive. What if I end up unable to sell it, on top of that?"In his mind, while he could barely accept that pricing, he still needed Raymond to be able to afford it if he wanted to swindle Raymond for twice the money.Mr. Cardensky quickly chuckled, "Oh, Mr. Montague—now you're being too serious. In this business,
"Okay!"Mr. Cardensky smiled and pointed at a nearby farmyard. "There's our workshop—the good stuff is all in there. Allow me to take you there!"The farmyard seemed uninteresting at first glance, but Mr. Cardensky soon led them to the stables and brushed off the straws covering the floor, revealing a plank laid flat on the ground.Mr. Cardensky then lifted it, revealing a passage below—they had dug a cellar into the ground beneath, with the stables as an entry point.As Jacob followed Mr. Cardensky down the cellar, he exclaimed in awe, "Your operation is definitely big, digging such a huge cellar!"Mr. Cardensky smiled humbly. "Anyone working in the business would have sustained their losses before. In the end, we're all folk of humble origins, starting out with raiding tombs or excavating artifacts. Just digging a cellar is really nothing."As they conversed, they cleared the stairs and arrived at the main hall.It was certainly a hall as it was around a hundred square meters,
Zachary nodded repeatedly. "Mr. Montague? Very well!""Yes!" Jacob grinned smugly. "Longer last names are simply better—it just sounds so authoritative."With that agreed upon, both men alighted, where the master was waiting nearby.Seeing them get off, he hurried over to them, smiling, "Please, follow me."Zachary looked around and huffed, "Honestly, Mr. Cardensky, isn't this way too far from the highway? The road is narrow and terrible, and I have to park my car all the way out here. Just coming here is taxing."Mr. Cardensky smiled in turn. "My friend, that's exactly why we picked this place. Do you remember seeing a couple of cars parked by the road, occupying half of it?""We arranged for them to be there. Anyone coming by car would have to slow down that way, buying time for us to see who they truly are. If it's cops, our watchers would quietly text us while we clean the house and bail."Zachary exclaimed in realization, "You boys really run a tight ship!""For sure," Mr.
After working in Antique Street for years, Zachary's connections and influence were naturally special. And yet, though he was acquainted with some of the more impressive individuals, he was not that close with them either.For example, the forgery masters who worked specifically to deceive experts only accepted jobs from major clients, usually antique traders high in social status and wealth.In contrast, they wouldn't ever be interested in frivolous people like Zachary. Even if he could reach them, they might not look at him twice.If one would describe them as the cartel boss, then Zachary would be a low-level enforcer, managing night joints or goofing off.But now, Zachary had turned over a new leaf—he worked under Don Albert, so one of those masters was pleasantly surprised when he called one of them, inviting him to his own workshop for a visit and further discussion.As such, Zachary picked up Jacob and went over to the master's hideout where the latter worked on his count
Zachary was naturally shrewd enough to read Jacob's intention.In reality, he wasn't offering to pay just because he wanted the profit. He merely wanted to get in Jacob's good graces. After all, wouldn't Jacob be even more grateful that he wasn't just helping his revenge but also helping him make money?As such, he didn't hesitate to tell Jacob, "Well, chief—since you'll be paying, I will make sure that you will get every cent of profit that you deserve."Jacob was grinning ear-to-ear, but he said, "Oh, you don't have to! If we really are making a profit, there's no way I would let your good work go unrewarded!"Spreading his arms, he continued generously, "How about this? I will pay the full cost while you get twenty percent of the net profit!"Zachary laughed. "Now, that can wait, chief. We need to pay as soon as we decide on the item we want, and there's no time for buyer's regret. But if Raymond doesn't take the bait, all that money will go down the drain, and whether we can s
Zachary chuckled and continued, "Well, I went to Antique Street and asked around. Turns out our mutual friend only brought a few hundred thousand grand with him. If he messes up and loses all his money, won't it be over for him?""He won't just be broke either—he'd be humiliated and forced to fuck off from Antique Street. You'd get even then!"Jacob was at once excited.Just yesterday, Claire and Charlie were warning him that assault meant doing time.As the vice president of the Calligraphy and Painting Association and the next presidential-hopeful, he would lose his place if he was charged with assault or being an accessory to a case.However, Zachary's plan was much better. Jacob wouldn't have to take responsibility, and the damage on Raymond would be even worse!In comparison, slapping Raymond meant nothing. Watching him go broke and get humiliated would really ease his heart!With that in mind, he promptly pressed Zachary, "Are you sure that prick will mess up?""I can't a
Jacob Wilson was in his office at the Calligraphy and Painting Association, planning his itinerary in Dubai.Still, he was immediately thrilled when Zachary told him that there was progress, and he quickly said, "Come see me at the Calligraphy and Painting Association. We'll talk in my office!""Alright!" Zachary agreed to it happily. "Just wait, Mr. Wilson. I'll be right there!"Jacob then quickly told him, "By the way, remember to address me as the vice president when you're here. Got it?"Zachary was naturally sharp enough to understand why, especially around other members of the Calligraphy and Painting Association.Smiling, he said, "Don't worry, chief. You can always be at ease when I'm on the job!"Once he hung up, he drove to the Calligraphy and Painting Association at top speed.There were just a dozen people around the dozens of work cubicles although Zachary was curious about the personal effects or office tools in the cubicles.After asking around, a staff member le
Then, Mick continued, "I won't lie—Moore Group's bean counters have been eager to get rid of Vintage Deluxe for a while now. It's only Miss Moore's insistence that keeps them at bay, even occasionally coming to check on how business is going. That means she holds sentiment for this place, but if she knows that Raymond is back and doing well, she might hire him again!"Zachary could laugh right then. After all, Mick was terrible at gathering information—he could worry about anyone taking his palace, but not Raymond. The man was fired because he had insulted Master Wade's father in-law, and Miss Moore was endlessly respectful—even obedient to Master Wade. There was no chance that she would hire Raymond back after what he had done, and Mick was just being paranoid.However, Zachary did not tell Mick that.As Mick was begging him to intervene and thus owing him big time, he would also be helping Jacob Wilson get even.Two birds with one stone, so why not?With that in mind, Zachar
Zachary then said, "By the way, I have some friends who have a lot of stock. How much capital do you have, Mr. Cole? I'll check if they have stuff that suits you, and you can partner with them."When Zachary asked how much capital, he was basically asking Raymond how much he would invest in his own business and how much he could spend on taking new stock as he was buying.As such, Raymond replied modestly, "I've been chasing my tail for a while, so I didn't earn more than a few hundred thousand. I definitely would have no issue taking items with rebates, but I'm afraid I can't afford premiums.""Alright!" Zachary nodded, having discerned the scale of Zachary's capital."I'll check on what's available and see if we can get a few personal deals."Raymond nodded. "Thank you, Zachary!"Zachary smiled, shaking his head. "Mr. Crane, please buy another fruit basket for Mr. Cole—I'll pay you later."Mick quickly said, "Oh, you don't have to, Mr. Evans! It's my pleasure, no worries!"Zach