The nun's words surprised both Charlie and Vera. Neither of them had expected to be recognized in front of a nunnery on Mount Tason without exposing themselves to Fleur. Therefore, Charlie did not wait for Vera to speak up and simply asked the nun with a wary expression, “Who are you? Are you pretending to be a nun and washing clothes here just to wait for us to show up?”The nun clasped her hands together and bowed slightly to Charlie, saying, “Sir, I'm not pretending to be a nun. I'm a bhikkhuni at Quiant Monastery, practicing Buddhism there. The abbess knew that you two would pass by here today, so she specifically asked me to come and wait here.”She then looked at Vera and said earnestly, “Benefactor, our abbess said you have a deep affinity with Buddhism. She would like to invite you to the nunnery for a brief chat. It won't take up too much of your time.”After pondering for a moment, Vera nodded gently and said, “Okay then, I’ll have to trouble you to lead the way there.”
When Vera saw Charlie relenting, she quickly nodded, saying, “Okay! Just twenty minutes!”Upon seeing this, the young nun bowed respectfully to Charlie again and said, “Sir, please wait a moment."She then turned to Vera with a respectful expression and said, “Benefactor, please come with me.”Vera nodded and gave Charlie a reassuring smile, whispering softly in his ear, “Please wait here for a moment, Young Master. I'll be back soon.”Charlie nodded slightly and watched as Vera and the young nun ascended the mountain together.Charlie watched the two of them get farther and farther away, saw them walking step by step to reach the mountaintop, and saw the young nun open the door of the monastery for Vera respectfully. He even saw Vera turn back and wave to him before entering, but he couldn't help but feel somewhat anxious.He felt that even if the other party wasn't a villain, their precise prediction of him and Vera still sent chills down his spine. Ever since he had obtained t
Upon hearing Vera's question, the abbess explained earnestly, “To be frank, Miss Lavor, the place you and Mr. Wade want to go is just fifty miles ahead. However, Miss Lavor, while you can go there and even Fleur Griffin can go there, Mr. Wade cannot go there.”“Master, you know of Fleur?”When Vera heard the abbess mention Fleur, she was even more astonished.She couldn't understand the identity of this abbess, let alone why she had such extraordinary abilities. Knowing about Charlie and herself was one thing, but she even knew about Fleur’s existence.Her being able to mention Fleur's name proved that she must have some understanding of Fleur's life story.In other words, she must know that Fleur had lived from over three hundred years ago to today.Vera was secretly terrified in her heart as she looked at the abbess, thinking, ‘She knows Fleur's secrets, so does she also know my secrets as well?’The abbess, now dropping all pretense, calmly said, “I'll be frank with you, Miss
With that said, Vera bent her knees and was about to kneel down.When the abbess saw this, she quickly stepped forward, supporting Vera's body before she could kneel down, and she said, “Miss Lavor has witnessed the vicissitudes of the world for hundreds of years. I dare not overstep in front of you. Please refrain from this grand gesture.”As she supported Vera, she continued, “Miss Lavor, you should surely know of the mysteries of fate. Even in the Book of Changes and the Eight Diagrams, the slightest changes could lead to vastly different outcomes. If I say too much, there is a risk of causing a backlash. If you truly wish to help Mr. Wade, it is best to minimize the variables. I can clearly tell you that there are dangers ahead for Mr. Wade, and you only need to ensure that Mr. Wade can give up moving forward. This would be the best outcome. Too much knowledge for either you or Mr. Wade could lead to even greater variables.”When Vera heard the abbess's words about her witnessin
Vera could guess the meaning behind the abbess's words, so she asked, “Master, are you saying that Master Marcius Stark’s ability to be reborn depends entirely on Mr. Wade?”The abbess said noncommittally, “I have already said too much. Please digest some of these questions on your own but remember not to let Mr. Wade know about these things.”When Vera saw that the abbess didn't want to say more, she quickly asked, “Master, do you have any other instructions?”The abbess clasped her hands together respectfully and said, “No. I have heard of you for a long time, Miss Lavor. Seeing you today has fulfilled a wish of mine. Mr. Wade is still waiting at the foot of the mountain, so you should go down the mountain quickly and persuade him to return to Aurous Hill.”Vera, unwilling to give up, hastily asked, “Master, what should Mr. Wade do next? If he can't move forward today, I'm afraid Mr. Wade will be in trouble. Where should Mr. Wade go from here? Please tell me!”The abbess's expre
Charlie spoke up, “Neither of us has figured out the other party's identity yet. I can't abandon everything we've planned just because the other party said a few words.”Vera said anxiously, “Young Master, someone knew we were coming here and even calculated our route in advance to wait for us. This proves that the other person knows both of us very well. Even if she has no ill intentions toward us, we have to admit the fact that our identities are exposed. If we continue moving forward under these circumstances, regardless of whether she's an enemy or a friend, the situation is likely to be very unfavorable for us.”Charlie was momentarily stunned by Vera's words. They made him reconsider the situation once again. As Vera said, regardless of whether the abbess was a friend or an enemy, their exposure was already a fact. Since she knew about them, it meant that others might also know about them. If he insisted on continuing to move forward, apart from the risk of encountering danger,
Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain where Quiant Monastery was located, Charlie still hadn't decided to abandon the journey. Leaving like this would indeed leave him feeling dissatisfied. However, Vera's analysis made sense as well. If someone went through the trouble to warn them, it would be too arrogant of them to insist on going forward against the person’s advice. The thought of being arrogant suddenly dawned on Charlie, and he realized that his current strength was far from enough when facing the unknown. After pondering for a moment, he sighed and admitted, “That abbess is probably right. My strength is even inferior to Fleur's. I shouldn't be overly confident. Besides, she knows our information and movements, which means she's not an ordinary person.” As he spoke, Charlie looked at Vera and said seriously, “Miss Lavor, you are smarter than me, you think deeper than I do and see even more clearly than I do. Since you are also advising me to stop, I will listen to you an
Although he still looked visibly upset, she decided to comfort and console him. So, she took Charlie's arm and turned around to head back the way they came. As they walked, Charlie kept his head down, and Vera thought of ways to lighten his mood. She then asked him expectantly, “Young Master, do you think the Mother of Pu’er Tea has grown and sprouted more leaves over these past few days?”Charlie casually replied, “She should have grown a bit, and as for the leaves, it shouldn't be a problem if a few more tender shoots sprout.”Vera smiled and said, “Then, after we return, I'll pluck those newly sprouted tender shoots, dry them, and brew them for you to taste.”Charlie asked her curiously, “Isn't the process of making Pu'er tea quite complicated? After processing, doesn't it need to be stored and fermented?”Vera chuckled and said, “In fact, it can actually be drunk right after drying, though it will lack the fermented taste. However, it still has a fresh and mild flavor. Generall
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