Charlie looked around. He did not have any particular preference for any of those scrumptious cuisines. He then smiled and said, “Just get me a bowl of ramen, thank you.”Nanako immediately spoke to the chef who was an expert in the making of ramen, “Kuwa-san, please get two bowls of ramen ready. Please prepare double portions of noodles for Charlie-kun’s!”The chef answered respectfully, “Understood, Miss. Please be seated, and we will serve you in a while.”At the same moment.While Charlie and Nanako were enjoying their breakfast at the Ito family’s mansion, a man in his fifties had just woken up in his presidential suite at St Regis Hotel, Tokyo.He held a cup of coffee and a cigarette as he gazed at Tokyo’s street view at dawn outside of his window.When the cigarette burned out, he poked the cigarette butt into the ashtray and lit another one. He asked his faithful servant who stood beside him, “How are the young master and miss now?”Yasin Zuniga checked the time, then an
Daylight brightened the sky of Tokyo City. Charlie and Ito Nanako were having breakfast together.Nanako turned to Charlie, saying, “I’ll ask the servants to prepare the guest room for you, Charlie-Kun. You should rest first. You haven’t slept all night. It must be hard for you.”Charlie smiled a little and shook his head. “Don’t trouble yourself. I am not tired.”“How can you not be?” exclaimed Nanako. She couldn’t hide the distress in her words. “Since last night’s battle with Fujibayashi’s ninjas, you haven’t rested at all. Not to mention how you endured two battles and drove for hundreds of kilometers…”Charlie smiled. “You didn’t rest too. Aren’t you feeling tired yourself?” he asked.Nanako was startled by his question. After pondering for a moment, she replied, “I’m not really tired. In fact, I feel as if my body is inexhaustible, filled with renewed vigor. I feel at the top of my game…”“This should be the effect of the medicine you gave me, right?” she interjected quickl
“I heard from my subordinates in Japan that there had been many successive criminal cases in Tokyo within these two days,” replied Issac. “They seem to be related to foreign forces. As a result, Tokyo has tightened customs and landing procedures for private jets. If you want to leave Japan, Osaka seems to be the only viable choice. Other airports don’t allow takeoffs.”Charlie finally understood the current situation after he heard that.The tight control in Tokyo had to be related to the Schulz family planning to destroy Matsumoto Yoshito.In fact, after some careful thought, Charlie was able to comprehend their intentions.Take the Tokyo police department as an example. If someone were to violate the law in Tokyo, the perpetrator would surely be punished through the normal legal means.However, if a group of foreigners suddenly popped up in Tokyo, threatening the lynching of citizens, saying that the methods used were brutal and inhumane, no country’s security department would e
After breakfast, Charlie, who was idling, was dragged by Nanako into her boudoir.It was the same scenario as when they were in Kyoto. Charlie was invited to sit on the tatami mat in her boudoir, where a plate of incense was burned, and a cup of Japanese matcha was prepared.After that, she turned to Charlie. “Charlie-kun, I’d like to take a look at the financial statements and detailed information about my family’s business to familiarize myself with the operations as soon as possible. Please let me know if it bores you in any way.”Charlie replied casually, “Don’t worry about me. I’m good. You should get to work. I’ll just be on my phone.”In actual fact, Charlie disliked spending too much time on his phone. He was unlike current youngsters, always glued to technologies and their devices.He was only browsing through his phone to read up on Tokyo’s news in hopes of getting some useful information about the situation.Nanako, who was by his side, leaned over in front of the book
Seeing how the old master pitied Curtis Wade, Clayton retorted, dissatisfied. "Father, Curtis has left us for so many years. Please stop bringing him up. Besides, we are all responsible as to why Curtis left us. Basically, the entire Eastcliff was involved in one way or another. It wasn't something that we could control."Caleb agreed and chimed in, "Yes, father. Isn't this supposed to be about Jaime and Sophie? How did this suddenly turn into a talk about Curtis?"Old master sighed. "Alright, let's not talk about it anymore. Let's get down to business. So, to sum up, the Schulz family screwed up their venture to Japan. The upcoming events are not looking good for them; hence this is a perfect opportunity to make our move and catch up to them! What do you think?"Everyone glanced at each other excitedly. Clayton nodded in agreement. "You're right, Father. I, too, think that this is a great opportunity for us!""Our shipping business started out a little later than the Schulz family
After hearing the old master's words, Clayton admitted in embarrassment, "Father, you've previously talked about having an arranged marriage with Schulz family. You wanted Sophie as Wade family's daughter-in-law, but you did not select a suitable groom."Jeremiah chipped in, "Didn't we agree on it last time? The son of Curtis is the best candidate.""But Stephen previously mentioned that Curtis' son did not want to come back to the family. I think he might even hate us," replied Clayton.Jeremiah waved his hand. "It's not up to you or me to determine whether or not the kid hates us."Caleb, who was by his side, quickly asked, "Father, are you saying you'd want to look for Curtis' son and ask him to return to the family?"Jeremiah nodded. "Indeed. It's on my mind, but I'm unsure how I should persuade him."Clayton suddenly felt threatened, tremendous pressure bearing down on him. He quickly interjected, "Father, Curtis' son has been away from home for so many years! He is uncontro
Clayton was extraordinarily depressed, but he couldn’t bring himself to object. So, he tried to pull the main topic back to the spotlight. “Father, shouldn’t we be discussing our venture in Japan? You just mentioned there should be no direct confrontation with Schulz family. So what should we do now?”“We cannot be too obvious in exposing ourselves, but you can send someone to meet Ito Yahiko in private,” replied Jeremiah.Clayton started to feel a little irritated. He suddenly had an idea to head over to Tokyo to clear his mind, and thus, volunteered. “Father, why don’t I fly to Tokyo tomorrow morning and meet up with Ito Yahiko.”Jeremiah nodded, but his reply surprised Clayton. “We must definitely meet him, but the person meeting him should not be you.”Taken aback, Clayton asked. “Father, what do you mean?”Jeremiah replied, “Previously, the Schulz’ sent their younger generation to meet Ito family. If Wade family were to send you, however, it just doesn’t seem right. It’ll loo
It would be a shame not to praise him, but Sheldon’s acting skills were indeed on point.If it weren’t because Ito Yahiko already knew what a rotten person he was, he would’ve easily been deceived by his warm smile and friendly approach.Although Yahiko felt disgusted, he still forced a smile and replied, “You’re way too polite, Mr. Schulz. When you arrived in Japan, I wanted to personally welcome you at the airport and arrange the hotel stay for you, but I didn’t expect to encounter so many incidents either.”Sheldon hurriedly replied, “Oh, there’s no need to be so courteous, Mr. Ito. We the Schulz and Ito family have a long defining history. We will definitely continue to strengthen our cooperation and deepen our relationship in the future. Why should we be bothered over something so insignificant?”Ito Yahiko saw through his hypocrisy and wanted to hurl his breakfast out, but all he could do was nod his head in agreement. “You’re right. We shouldn’t be so bothered over something
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
Naturally, Jimmy couldn't care less about Julien's suggestion, even looking at him pointedly from head to toe while smirking in contempt, "What, do you think I'd just do what any nutjob tells me to do just because they're claiming to be the Rothschilds' heir apparent?"Julien nodded, still smiling. "Good point, but don't worry—it's the same whether you call him or he calls you."Jimmy laughed. "I was offering you a way out, but you want to keep pressing your luck? Since you don't care to back off, let's see how you're going to finish this fight."Then, he shrugged while pointing at Yolden. "Well, it's the perfect chance to measure Matilda's husband, I guess."Based on what he saw of Yolden, there was no way he would buy Julien's claims, and thus labeled him an impostor in his mind.An ordinary lecturer in Aurous Hill, being friends with the Rothschilds' heir apparent? Not to mention that there had been plenty of fraudulent cases outside the States where the Rothschild name was use
Jimmy was taken aback since he didn't recognize Julien at all, mainly because the Rothschilds had always kept out of the public eye.In fact, it was basically impossible to gather genuine information about the Rothschilds online, as it was a mix of press releases and gossip. Most online biographies would only be about the older generations or certain frivolous figures. Any information about key members like Steve would never be searchable online.Matilda was confused as well, not quite understanding who Julien was since he wasn't on the list of guests invited.Seeing that she was confused, Julien turned and smiled at Yolden, "So, Professor, shouldn't you introduce me to the bride?"Yolden finally remembered that and quickly nodded, "Sorry, it slipped my mind."Turning toward Matilda, he smiled, "Darling, this is Julien Rothschild… A friend of mine from the states…"Julien's full name left everyone within earshot gaping as the Rothschild name was way too famous across the globe.
Seeing that Jimmy was getting a little nervous, Charlie smiled and assured him, "Please, you have nothing to worry about. No one's going to do anything to you, but if you feel threatened in any way, you can call the cops. The Oskian emergency hotline is 110, by the way."Jimmy was slightly relieved as he could see that Charlie really wasn't trying to make things awkward for him, and he straightened his collar as he said, "Actually, I didn't mean to cause trouble—I'm pleased that Matilda has found true love once more, and if we can be friends, I can set aside my claim and stay for the rest of this wedding, offering the newlyweds our best wishes as a representative of my family."Still, his expression showed contempt as he turned toward Yolden. "Also, I'm really curious and looking forward to seeing what connections Professor Hart might have that you say could be better than Bill.""You'll see soon enough," Charlie smiled and nodded.Jimmy remained skeptical and scoffed, "I really do