Charlie nodded with a smile and asked. “Is Aunt Matilda there?”“Of course!” Jacob smiled widely and spoke in a very soft voice, “Your Aunt Matilda is sitting next to me now. I am teaching her how to appreciate Yan ZhenQing’s writings!”“No problem, father!” Charlie laughed. “So, you’re currently researching Yan ZhenQing?”“Yes.” Jacob said happily, “Anyway, since when do I only perform research about Yan ZhenQing? I also research Wang XiZhi, Huang TingJian, Liu GongQuan, OuYang Xun, and more. I, your father, do all kinds of research!”Charlie laughed. “Alright. One of these days, I will have to learn from you.”Charlie continued, “Oh, yes! Father, the skincare products that you requested are with me now. Why don’t I send it to you now? If I bring it home and mother finds an extra set, it’s going to be difficult to handle.”The main reason why Charlie had prepared 3 sets of skincare products was because instead of just giving Elaine one as a gift, naturally, he needed to give one to hi
Charlie knew that his father-in-law had a lot of dissatisfaction with Elaine. All these dissatisfactions had been accumulated throughout the years they had lived together.Even more so when Matilda had returned to the country, his father-in-law had seen that Matilda was so much better than Elaine, and this only made him even more dissatisfied with Elaine.It was to the point that he wanted to divorce his wife, Elaine, but she didn’t give him the chance, so naturally, he despised her even more now.Although his intention was good, Charlie didn’t think that it would be appropriate for him, especially when it came to giving Elaine a fake set of skincare products. It was quite embarrassing to present someone else with something fake.It was not because he was afraid that Elaine would find out that the products were fake, but instead, he was more afraid of what his wife would think of him if she found out that he had presented her mother with fake goods.Thus, he turned to Jacob and said, “
Claire pulled Charlie to the side and chided him, “Mom was just fooling around this morning! Why did you go and get her such an expensive skincare product? One set costs four hundred thousand dollars?! This is too much! We’re not that kind of family…”Charlie laughed, “I relied on some connections to get these, don’t you worry.”Claire lowered her voice, “Truthfully, I’m more afraid of mom being overly demanding in the future. What if she constantly asks you to buy her such expensive skincare products? What are you going to do then?”Charlie smiled a little. “Don’t you worry. Didn’t you realize that mom has changed a lot? Let’s just say… This is a reward for her? To encourage her to be better in the future?”As he was talking, Elaine had already taken a short video on her mobile phone to send to her friends, and she said, “Look at these two sets of caviar skincare products that my good son-in-law bought for me. They are both platinum packages! Both of them add up to more than seven hun
Claire didn’t believe what her mother had said. She had felt Charlie’s sincerity toward her, so how could he possibly cheat?Claire then turned to Elaine and said, “Mom, you’re overthinking it. Charlie couldn’t possibly cheat!”“What do you mean “couldn’t possibly cheat”?!” One of Elaine’s eyebrows arched upward, and she rebutted, “If that’s the case, tell me, why did Charlie buy three sets of skincare products, and yet, he only brought back two sets? Where is the last one? Where did it go?!”Claire replied, “Most probably he bought it for a friend of his? Maybe his friend asked him to buy it for them?”“Friend?!” Elaine responded with a face hardened from anger. “Only brainless people like you would believe that! It is obviously bought for a woman! You said he was an orphan and did not have a mother, he doesn’t even have relatives here! If so, who else would he buy the skincare products for?! Of course it’s for that vixen!”Claire looked a little uneasy. She knew that whatever her mot
She had never viewed this problem from this angle before, but due to her personality, she was afraid and embarrassed to initiate such motives.After listening to her mother, she felt the anxiousness build up within her.Elaine continued yapping on the side, “Sigh. I used to look down on Charlie thinking that he was nothing but filth and garbage, seemingly useless but after taking a good look, now he does seem very capable! Look at how he controlled all those bigshots! That is what I call talented! Plus, this million-dollar villa is indeed great! The air here is fresh, and it makes you feel energetic! Who knows, maybe in the near future, he might even be able to use his talent and get himself his very own island in the Maldives!”“This…” Claire spoke awkwardly, “Mom, stop daydreaming already.”Elaine replied solemnly, “We need dreams! Who knows, maybe that dream might suddenly come true!”As she was speaking, she suddenly lowered her voice. “You… Quickly go and do the deed with him alre
As Charlie was watching television, Claire suddenly came up to him.When she saw that he was watching television, Claire sat down next to him.After that, Claire hesitated for a moment. Then, she asked him in a low voice, “Charlie, I want to ask you something. You have to answer truthfully, and you shouldn’t lie to me.”Charlie nodded before he said, “Go ahead and ask away, dear.”Claire handed the shopping receipt in her hand to Charlie before she asked him, “Why are there three sets of skincare products written on this receipt? It’s not that I do not trust you. However, I hope that you can just explain the situation to me.”When Charlie saw the shopping receipt, he was stunned for a moment. He quickly realized that Isaac must have placed the shopping receipt directly into one of the gift boxes after purchasing the skincare products. Charlie looked around, and when he saw that Elaine was not there, he whispered, “I will be honest, dear. In truth, Dad is the one who asked for a
While Nanako was visiting her mentor, Kazuki, she heard the news that Victoria, the Australian athlete that Aurora had defeated in the match today, was also currently receiving treatment at the Silverwing Hospital.Hiroshi had specifically gone to inquire about the matter, and he came back with results that truly shocked Nanako.It turned out that both of Victoria’s arms had been broken by Aurora’s kick during the match. Now, she had already put on a plaster cast, and she had already officially announced her withdrawal from the match to determine third place in the competition for the day after tomorrow. Michelle, the opponent that Nanako defeated, had immediately obtained the title of third place in the competition due to Victoria’s forfeiture.Moreover, Victoria not only withdrew from this competition, but there was a high possibility that she would be retiring completely.This was because the arms were very important for a combat and fighting athlete. After getting her arms brok
Jacob did not eat dinner at home that night.According to him, he was having dinner with several leaders of the Calligraphy and Painting Association as well as a few core members of the Senior University.Jacob called Charlie a little after nine o’clock.When Jacob called, Charlie was watching television with his wife in the living room.His mother-in-law, Elaine, had put on a caviar anti-aging facial mask as she lay down on the two-seater sofa in a leisurely manner while she scrolled through her online short video platform. As she was scrolling on her cell phone, she muttered, “Oh! That Japanese girl who came to Aurous Hill to participate in the combat and fighting championship has a pretty good appearance!”Charlie knew that she was definitely talking about Nanako. At this time, he did not say anything, but his cell phone had already started vibrating.When Charlie saw that it was a phone call from Jacob, he hurriedly answered the phone and said, “Hello, Dad.”Jacob sounded a
However, Jimmy realized something important even as he sighed in relief. "Wait, Mr. Wade… I know I should settle things in the family Stateside, but won't I be arrested upon arrival?""That's Julien's department," Charlie chuckled and turned toward the man. "Tell your butler not to send the evidence to the feds. If it has reached them already, ask to have it back and tell the feds they saw nothing."Julien promptly nodded. "I'll text him right now. You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Wade."Jimmy remained worried. "But sir, I think Nate's not going to let this slide. The man is cunning—he deliberately dug a pit so we'd fall into it, and he gathered all the dirt he could on us to be used as leverage when necessary."Charlie shook his head. "That's no big deal. Julien can make sure that you're fine even if the feds get the evidence."Julien nodded nearby. "Don't worry, Mr. Wade. The decision remains in your hands, either way. Just say the word, and it's 25 to life… otherwise, not e
The fact that Jimmy was a partner in Ares LLP already meant he had skill, while Matilda had herself been retired for years and definitely had lost her touch a little. So, having someone like Jimmy who had stayed on the frontlines all this while would definitely be no issue.And in turn, it was a good thing for Jimmy as it was better than the kennels either way.Charlie then asked Jimmy pointedly, "You say you're interested, but are you sincere about it?"Jimmy nodded without hesitation. "Yes, absolutely!""No regrets? We're talking about ten years here.""None, absolutely none!""Do you know what to say if anyone asks?""Yes, of course! I chose to further my career here in Oskia, and it was absolutely voluntary! That's what I'd say even if my family asked!"Charlie nodded. "Good. Then, you will have two weeks. Go home and set your affairs in order and report in for work afterward.""No problem!" Jimmy nodded repeatedly, actually surprised and grateful that Charlie would let hi
And yet, Julien was suddenly clapping his hands, and exclaiming excitedly, "Yes, right! We should get his wife and son over too for a happy reunion!"He then paused and quickly corrected himself, "Wait, no! I mean, they should each be caged with one empty cage separating each of their cages. They can see each other and talk, but there will be no touching. How dare he flex on me—I gotta teach him a lesson to remember!"Jimmy dropped limply on his rump, and Matilda beckoned for Paul to help him up while turning toward Julien as she pursed her lips. "Please, Mr. Rothschild… Even if you don't accept his apology, don't bring his family into this. It's against Oskian tradition—you'd insult your family's name!"Julien shrugged, not hesitating to retort, "What do your traditions have to do with me? If I mean to hurt him, forget his family—I'll drag his dogs over too!"Seeing that Julien was so furious, Charlie decided to stop him, or he might actually go through with it."That's enough, J
Holding up a thumb at Charlie, Julien exclaimed in approval, "You're right, my friend! That's far more exciting than having him jailed!"Just hearing that he would be sent to a kennel, Jimmy knew nothing would come of it—even if he didn't know the details, it was so obvious that Julien was thrilled by the very idea!Turning nervously toward Charlie, he was sobbing as he asked, "Mr. Wade…? What's this about a kennel…?"Julien chuckled coolly even before Charlie said a word. "A kennel is where you keep dogs, of course. Though there are literal dogs and metaphorical dogs, and you are the latter."Oh, don't worry. It's a really nice place where you get your own cage, and you'll be fed every day. You don't even have to work, so just sit tight and keep eating until the day you die."Jimmy's soul left his body in that instant.He was going to be locked in a cage?! That was way worse than being locked up and sent to jail! Where was the humanity around here?!Even as the thought struck h
Matilda was actually caught off guard by Jimmy's pleas, and even Paul found it hard to watch.Turning to Charlie, he said, "Please, Mr. Wade—my uncle can be a little despicable, but he is my father's brother. Please, let him have a chance to turn over a new leaf, seeing that he's earnestly repenting."While Paul spoke with Charlie, Jimmy was still confused and wondered why Paul would plead his case with Charlie instead of Julien. If there was anyone Paul should ask, it was Yolden since he was Julien's friend. So, why would he ask some young man instead of Yolden?That was when Charlie asked in curiosity, "You want to let him off? After he tried to take away your parents' legacy?"Paul smiled awkwardly. "I mean, I know the guy. He made sure to travel all this way to make a scene because he had nothing legal that could help him claim Smith Group Corporate Law from us. Otherwise, he'd have already filed the lawsuit in the States. Sure, it's a dirty move, but that's basically a des
As Julien finished, he realized something was wrong and turned toward Charlie before he knew it.Charlie held his gaze in turn, his expression quizzical and amused.Julien cleared his throat right then. "See, there are people who can order me around, but they have my utmost respect. However, a third-rate lawyer like you? Who do you think you are?"That was when Julien's butler called, and he reported respectfully as soon as the call was answered, "Sir, I've spoken with Nate Ellis, the owner of Ares LLC. He has since agreed to fire Jimmy Smith right away as well as disbar him nationwide."Julien asked, "Good. Anything else?""Well, Mr. Ellis also delivered some documents that can be used as evidence against Jimmy Smith, which he claims is enough for a lifetime sentence. If you deem it necessary, we can have it sent to the FBI.""Yes, let's go with that!" Julien replied, his tone satisfied. "And ask the director to handle it personally—I want this prick to never set foot stateside
Jimmy was sweating profusely in fear, but he argued back before he knew it, "That's impossible! Everything you say is bullshit! Gaiman simply thought he had a fair chance of winning and didn't want to pay Ares that much, and I have no idea who he partnered with, and I'm certainly not involved. Don't you try to slander me!"Nate chuckled. "Come on, Jimmy. We're all adults here, so there are things we shouldn't have to be so direct about. Mills Gaiman and your old classmate met in private many times, not to mention the private conferences you three had in secret, discussing your overall strategy and decisive points. Just so you know, Gaiman recorded every conversation, and I have the tapes with me."Jimmy's heart was left pounding as he blurted, "B-Bullshit! That's impossible!""Grow up, Jimmy," Mr.Goodman chuckled. "Every partner in every law firm always strives to rise higher, so I'm going to need as much leverage as I can. Otherwise, I'm not about to let them advance any further, e
Although the ringtone and vibration frequency were the ones Jimmy always used, this call somehow felt more urgent, leaving him exceedingly uneasy.When it abruptly stopped and left a missed call on his log, Nate Ellis soon sent a text: [Answer your damn phone this instant!]Just seeing the text left Jimmy feeling like his throat had gone dry, and as he gulped, it felt like his throat was being ripped, leaving him hurting.Still, he couldn't care less as his boss called again.Having seen the text, Jimmy didn't hesitate this time and promptly answered, watching Julien's smug face as he started tentatively, "Y-Yes, boss...?"Nate immediately yelled at him hysterically, "What the hell did you do?! Why did the Rothschilds call to complain about you?! And the complaint was from their heir apparent, at that! I worked hard for them and always toed the line for years, and I still haven't gotten a chance to meet the man, so how the fuck did you upset him?!"Jimmy's heart sank to rock bott
Fuming, Jimmy snapped at Julien, "If you insist on playing it like that, I will call my boss, and you can talk to him yourself!"Julien chuckled. "That's unnecessary. I've never met him. He would never recognize my voice."Jimmy laughed and nodded despite himself. "Impressive—you can really come up with anything! You don't have his number because he's beneath you, you refuse to call him because he's beneath you, and when I say I'll call him for you, you say he won't recognize your voice. Well, how do you suppose we should sort this out? At least prove you're a Rothschild, or anyone could claim that they are—"Julien held up a hand to stop him. "Then, how about this? I'll ask my butler to talk to your boss."Jimmy laughed even more loudly as if it were the best joke ever. "Hahaha!!! Butler, you say?! You really know how to talk! Alright, I'll wait and see what your 'butler' can do… I mean, what you can do. We'll see whether my boss calls me!"Julien ignored him and whipped out his