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-
Raymond stomped his feet furiously. “He’s your father-in-law, isn’t he?”Charlie nodded. “Yes, he is my father-in-law, but he’s the one who broke it, not me. You go and look for whoever is responsible for the broken vase. ‘Find the real perpetrator, don’t involve their family’—have you heard of that saying before?”Raymond’s blood was boiling, but he pondered upon what Charlie had said and figured that he was right.If the news of him asking compensation from innocent people spread out, then Vintage Deluxe’s reputation would be tarnished.Hence, he urged his men standing at the side, “You, go and get the old man back here!”Charlie curled his lips into a silent smirk as he watched the guys chasing after the old man in a hurry.Actually, he could simply swipe his card and get it over with, but it would be too easy for his shameless father-in-law then, wouldn’t it?It would be better to let the old man suffer and learn his lesson rather than cleaning his a*s for him. Otherwise, he
Thrilled and overjoyed, Charlie quickly stuffed the Apocalyptic Book into his pocket, but the book instantly turned into powder and disappeared into thin air.Miraculously, every word in the book was clearly imprinted in Charlie’s brain.At this moment, Jacob, who ran away like a coward, was brutally apprehended by several big and strong men and was hurled back to the shop.Looking at his puffy and swelling cheeks, Charlie figured that he must have been beaten vigorously before he was carried back here.Charlie found Jacob’s piteous look very funny and amusing.How dare this old coot label him as a scapegoat after getting into trouble! It was outrageous! A little beating was necessary as a punishment for him to learn his lesson.Jacob was in a particularly dreaded and shaky position right now. Due to his desperate escape earlier, he was panting profusely like a dog, trying to catch his breath. His chubby and fragile body made it impossible for him to outrun those young people.
Charlie nodded. “What if I fix it?”Raymond snorted. “I’ll need to check with the appraisers. If they verify that you’ve fixed it and recovered most of the damage, I’ll let both of you go!”“Alright!” Charlie nodded. “It’s a deal!”He quickly turned back to the workstation and quietly started his work. He took the brush and sketched the outline of the vase on the Chinese rice paper.Then, he knocked the egg lightly to crack a small opening, dipped his index finger into the egg to get some egg white, wiped it on a fragment of the vase, and pressed it against the paper model. Then, he repeated the same process for the next fragment, and another, until the paper model was gradually covered with the vase’s pieces…Everyone watched silently while holding their breaths in for fear of interrupting his restoration process.Half an hour passed very quickly.When Charlie stood upright again, what appeared in front of everyone was a Tang Dynasty Yuhuchun vase that seemed to be rejuvenated
Raymond was dumbstruck!He never would have imagined, not even in his wildest dreams, that the vase would transform into a more precious treasure after being restored by a few eggs!He pointed to Charlie and said, “Miss, this is the man who fixed the vase…”As Jasmine glanced at Charlie, she couldn’t help but wonder how such a young man would know the long-forgotten cultural relic restoration technique!Despite her doubt, she managed a polite smile and asked, “Hi, I am Jasmine Moore. How should I address you? May I know from whom you have learned the relic restoration technique?”Jacob, who was still shivering at the side, was dumbfounded when he heard Jasmine Moore’s name!The Moore family!The Moore family was the most elite family in Aurous Hill! Their influence was not comparable to those of Eastcliff’s elite families, but in Aurous Hill, they were at the top of the pyramid where no one could ever reach!He didn’t expect that he would meet one of their family members here!
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
Hearing what Jacob had said, Elaine became anxious and pressed him as he hung up, "What's going on? You're leaving? But we just got here! My shoes have just caught Dubai dirt, so why are we leaving so soon—"However, Jacob was wiping the sweat off his brow as he mumbled quietly, "Well, at this point, I have to leave or I won't be vice president anymore."Elaine immediately fumed. "We've been married for half our lives, and this is supposed to be our honeymoon, yet we're just leaving? I've posted about this on social media too—there are plenty of people who're waiting for more posts on our trip!"And don't forget—we spent a lot on our flight tickets and our hotels! The hotel bookings can't be refunded either!"Jacob scowled dolefully. "Well, what can we do? Why don't you stay? I'll go home and get this sorted out first….""Well, how long would that take?" Elaine asked."How should I know?" Jacob sighed, uneasy and annoyed. "Don Albert is saying I have to go back and donate the 300
"But I spent 98 thousand on that bronze sculpture!" Jacob exclaimed in agitation before he knew it. "I made 300 thousand from it, and that means my profit was 200 thousand at best, but I'm supposed to return that to him as well?! That means I'd have lost my own capital too!""I can't help you if you can't bear to part with that money, Mr. Wilson," Don Albert said quietly. "In that case, you'll just have to handle it yourself.""Wait, wait, wait!" Jacob immediately became antsy and cried out right then, "Please, Don Albert! I'll return the money! I'll return it, alright?! The entirety of my profits—202 thousand, okay? At least let me keep the money I spent, okay?""By that reasoning, Mr. Wilson, when a phone scammer is told by the cops to return the money they've made from defrauding, should he be allowed to keep the money he spent on telco charges? ""Oh, I…" Jacob was left stumped and could not come up with an answer.Don Albert then pressed on, "Mr. Wilson, I've offered a prom
"Mr. Wilson, what you boys did was truly heinous!" Don Arnold growled. "I scolded Zachary myself when I found out, and I was the one who told him to post that statement!"Jacob was shocked. "But why, Don Arnold? Are you friends with Raymond Cole?""Never met the guy," Don Arnold replied.That left Jacob even more confused. "Then why are you taking his side?""I've been doing my best to clean up my image over the past couple of years," Don Albert replied coolly. "I rarely get involved in mob business or anything illicit, and everyone in Aurous Hill knows that Zachary is my right-hand man, yet he confessed to committing such a heinous crime behind my back. What is that if not sullying my reputation?"Jacob was left reeling as he didn't expect Don Albert to be so serious, but he quickly explained, "I'm sorry. I didn't expect it to affect you so terribly… It's all Zachary's fault! I wouldn't have been aware that Raymond had returned at all, but he just had to tell me and come up with
At this point, Don Albert could very well be Jacob's personal messiah.Even if he did threaten Zachary with calling Charlie persistently, he actually wouldn't dare call Charlie.After all, how would he start explaining that he was involved in a crime? And telling Charlie was basically telling his daughter—what would they think of him after this? Would he ever be able to hold his head high in the family again?As such, his only option now was to ask Don Albert and see if he would help.What he didn't know was that Don Albert was with Charlie, who had already anticipated Jacob's move.When Jacob realized he couldn't stop Zachary, Jacob would find someone who could, and Don Albert was the best man for the job!To no surprise, Don Albert's phone soon started ringing with a call from Jacob.Don Albert didn't answer right away, however, instead turning toward Charlie as he asked gingerly, "So, shall I stick to your script, Master Wade?"Seeing Charlie nod, he pressed on, "Should I
As soon as Jacob sent the voice message, Mr. Bay called.Jacob quickly answered, asking nervously, "How are things over there, Mr. Bay?""How, you ask…?" Mr. Bay sighed in exasperation. "The entire Calligraphy and Painting Association was demanding your dismissal as soon as Zachary Evans posted his statement, thinking that you have no business being the administrative vice president let alone have a place in the association."Even those officials came asking me questions, and you know how they are—gossipers, every last one of them, always finding out about the juicy stuff instantly even if it's really no big deal. The only excuse I have to stop them is that we don't have the facts, but this issue still needs to be taken care of."So, be straight with me. Were you a part of this? If you don't, do you have any definitive evidence that can refute Zachary's claims?""I… Uh…" Jacob stammered, unable to answer.He certainly wanted to say no, but he had no evidence to back himself up.
Jacob bellowed furiously, "Raymond Cole made over 19 million dollars! From my bronze sculpture! Yet you're telling me to refund that 300 thousand too?! You're just fucking with me, aren't you?!""Well, if you don't like it, just do what you like, then," Zachary replied calmly and quickly hung up before Jacob could answer.Jacob was left twitching and shaking endlessly, and there was no telling if it was from rage or fear.Beside him, Elaine quickly asked, "What did Zachary say, dear? Can he get that bronze sculpture back?"Caught by surprise at her question, Jacob flinched, and his phone slipped out of his grasp.As it seemed to hover in the air, he tried to catch it twice but failed, but Elaine managed to grab it.It was then that she noticed that he was sweating all over his face, and she promptly asked, "What's wrong, dear?"Coming to his senses, Jacob's eyes went wide with rage. "Zachary is trying to kill me! He leaked the whole thing to his Twitter page—it's like he's pulli